Hitting to the opposite field - for discussion not as fact what do you guys think?

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Permalink Reply by Mike Green on February 17, 2010 at 2:21pm

Rod,

I think you have it correct as you were taught in college. I would never teach a student to change his swing, there are too many variables in baseball and everything happens too fast to change things and be effective.

I like the old saying "hit it where it's pitched." If you listen to the top hitters in the game they will always refer to simplifying the act of hitting.

Keep it simple and your chances of success are higher. Hitting is hard enough as it is to add an element of trying to hit the ball a certain direction. Granted certain situations call for the ball being hit behind a runner, but that is simply situational hitting. Which is a completely different topic.

Just my two cents, if there is something better out there I'm always open to learn.

Thanks,

Coach Mike Green

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Permalink Reply by Richard A. Johnson on February 17, 2010 at 2:53pm

Rod,

My thoughts are that you have to know what type of pitcher your oppponent is before you step into the box. If the pitcher is one who likes to get you out by throwing sliders and curveballs away, then I change my stance to make sure that I can get to those pitches. I try to go the other way with the outside pitches, because I already know the pitcher is going to pitch me that way. I just sit on an away pitch I can handle.

If on the other hand, the pitcher likes to bust you in tight to get you out, then I open up my stance a little where I can get the bat head out in front of the plate. It is easier to turn on a pitch coming in on you if you are looking for it.

Since there are generally more pitchers who try and paint the outside black, then this is why I stand closer to the plate in order to take away their best pitch.

I done well over the years with this approach.

I do not agree that you should have one place where you stand all of the time in the batter's box. You have to move to protect against the pitcher's strength.

Thanks.

Rick Johnson
MSBL Player 21 years.

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Permalink Reply by David Leslie on February 18, 2010 at 7:25am

Manny Ramirez is a great example of this. I have seen many times where he has picked up the game plan of the opposing pitcher, either beat him away, or pitch inside so he can't get his arms extended. Manny simply adjusts how far away he stands from the plate so that the pitchers pitch ends up the equivalent of middle of the plate from Manny's perspective.

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Permalink Reply by steve springer on February 17, 2010 at 2:58pm

hi guys--this is steve springer performance coach /ml scout for the toronto bluejays--i made a cd called qualityatbats.com--when i give hitting lessons your will get sick of me talking about were we attack the baseball and that is on the inside part of the ball--when going to right field as a right handed hitter it is almost impossible to hit the outside part of the ball and hit a line drive to right--the same swing needs to take place on a inside pitch to hit a bomb to left--we are still attacking the inside part of the ball we just hit it out infront of the plate about a foot but we are still on the inside part of the ball creating the right back spin--my analagy is if albert pulois swings the bat as hard as he can swing it and it does not leave the yard there has to be a reason--right---because he can hit a ball 500 ft when nutted --then why doesnt he hit a hr every time ---its the contact point of the baseball -some times hes on the wrong side of the ball and creates hook spin or top spin-when he gets to the inside part of the ball -he will miss balls that go out -its all about the contact point--hope this helps--steve springer--ps keep your mind right

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Permalink Reply by John MacDougall on February 17, 2010 at 3:05pm

Hi Rod: You're right. You don't really change the swing. You try to let outside pitches travel farther and make contact with them when they are over the plate. At that point they are closest to you and you have a better chance of getting good wood on the ball. The reason they go to the opposite field is that at that point the bat head has not had a chance to travel to a point where the bat would be perpendicular to the pitch. The hands are more than likely out in front of the bat head still. Thus, oppo.

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Permalink Reply by Kip Gross on February 17, 2010 at 4:25pm

Stay inside the ball with your hands and let the ball get in as deep as possible on you. Mike Piazza was very good at doing this. In fact, he might have been the best ever. Some of his longest home runs were to the opposite field and he didn't pull the ball down the left field line hardly at all. When I'm teaching kids, I always try to put in their heads that balls hit down the lines are usually mistakes by the hitter, meaning that the gaps is where you want to hit the ball or up the middle.

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Permalink Reply by Pat Crofoot on February 17, 2010 at 6:02pm

I think Piazza was a Paul Molitor type swinger.. Just he was so strong and swung a huge piece of lumber that his contact hitter swing tended to drive the ball into the gaps. His HR's weren't towering shots, they were rockets like on a zip line.

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Permalink Reply by Swingbuilder on February 17, 2010 at 9:03pm

Whats up Steve! Had a great time at the INSIDER BAT booth talking hitting and your DVD. I may get you to add some thoughts at my blog. I'll contact you privately. Jeff

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Permalink Reply by steve springer on February 17, 2010 at 10:18pm

sounds good buddy--email qualitytatbats@aol.com--cya spring

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Permalink Reply by Paul Freitas on February 18, 2010 at 2:19am

If you watch the video of an oppo hr you will see the front shoulder is still closed at contact. No shoulder flyout and no back shoulder chili dip. This allows you to reach the pitch. Also notice the hips will be uncorked at contact but the hands will be near the front hip and the ball will be past your jewels as the head of the bat hits the ball. At this point you can spend your hands and put a good jolt into it.
By letting the outside pitch travel you save your power so you can swing hard at it.
Before praticing this I tell myself "Wait till the catcher catches it and then hit the cover off it. Then like any other pitch it's short to it and long thru it!
Like Yogi Berra, don't try to think while you hit and don't try to hit while you think!
pf

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Permalink Reply by RodChapman on February 18, 2010 at 8:00am

Do you have any video showing this? I would like to see what you mean.

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Permalink Reply by Phil Ringer on February 26, 2010 at 8:53am

Derek jeter hitting in slo motion to opposite filed

Attachments:

• jeter oppositefield.avi.avi, 8.9 MB

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