BVSA Teaches: Approach as a hitter
On this episode of BVSA Teaches, Frank Ramppen talks about approach as a hitter. Today’s topic is about approaching pitches in baseball. The mental part of the game is critical. There is a pre-plan routine that should be followed before going up to bat. It is important to have an idea of what your plan is and what you’re looking to do when you’re in the batter’s box. The approach can vary depending on the situation in the game.
When the game is close, and the pitcher isn’t throwing strikes or blowing you away, different approaches may be required. In general, you’re looking to hit pitches that you can crush early in the count or when you’re ahead. A device with numbers 1 – 8 is used to help hitters determine the area they should be looking to hit the ball. For example, early in the count, hitters may be looking for pitches in the range of 4-5-6, or 3.5-4-5-6.
What to think about
At higher levels, hitters need to be more selective. Many kids don’t swing the bat when they get in the game. This is despite all the work put into developing good swings and mechanics. Coaches don’t want to teach kids to go after only one or two types of pitches. However, they need to understand that early in the count or when they’re ahead in the count, they should be looking to hit a specific area.
When they get behind in the count, hitters need to expand the zone. Specifcally with two strikes, they should be more aggressive and swing at pitches one through eight. It’s too hard to teach kids to change their swing with two strikes, but they can choke up a little bit. Coaches should pay attention to what the umpire is calling on that day and help the kids adjust their approach accordingly.
The general rule of thumb is to be aggressive and think “swing on every pitch” until you see that it’s a ball. Hitters should look for pitches they can drive when they’re ahead in the count. They can expand the zone when they get behind, and be more aggressive with two strikes. Even kids that aren’t that good yet can foul off outside pitches. This way they can live to see another pitch by taking a pretty good balanced swing.
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