A good time for a repost. Good At Bats Start On Deck Thursday, June 28, 2012 By: Lin Hart Jr The LockerDome Baseball Tip of the Week: Good At Bats Start On Deck Thursday June 28, 2012 By: Elite Sports Baseball Coach Lin Hart Jr There are many ways to identify a great baseball player. He has a good arm, great range on the infield, handles the pitching staff well, plays good defensive outfielder, front of the rotation starter etc. Since I have a background in hitting I look for hitters who understand each at-bat. This is how I identify with a good baseball player when it comes to being a successful hitter on any level. We try to get all our hitters to understand a productive at-bat is not always a base hit. The number one thing we look for in a young developing hitters is do they understand situational hitting. The fact is each at-bat requires in most cases a different job that needs to be accomplished to produce a quality at-bat. I think a good portion of preparing for an at-bats starts when a hitter is on deck. Far too often when I watch amateur baseball I see the on deck hitter wasting time and not focused on his upcoming at-bat. We at ESB teach all our hitters while on deck think thru possible situations that might be possible when it’s your turn to step into the batters box. Be sure to watch every single pitch delivered to the hitter before your bat. We feel like this helps gauge speeds on particular pitches and also can help you pick up on any tendencies the pitcher might show. This attention to detail and focus on deck is the start to handling the bat in all situations. A good situational hitter is one who remains aggressive and has a disciplined knowledge of the strike zone. Also a key to being successful in these situations is being willing to hit to the opposite field. Opposite field hitting has defined certain hitters such as the New York Yankees Derek Jeter. Understanding the situation and your job as a hitter can be the critical deciding factor in winning and loosing. Example #1 we have runners on first and second base with zero outs. First we want to drive that runner in from second base to score. If we can’t drive him into score we need to at least move these runners up one base to have a productive at-bat. Example #2 we have runners on second and third base and less then one out. First we want to drive both runs into score. A groundball to the right side past the pitcher would at least drive in a run. Finally in this situation a fly ball to the outfield would be our third option to produce a productive at-bat. It all starts thinking thru potential situations while on deck So each at bat starts with looking for a fastball your can drive. If you have watched the pitcher on deck you should step into the batters box with great confidence. One of the best ways to practice situational hitting is with a batting tee and a bucket of baseballs. Visualize the many different situations that present themselves in a game and see yourself having more productive at bats. In closing get a good look at the pitcher while on deck, be willing to hit the ball to the opposite field. Stay aggressive early in counts and when the count is in your favor. Last but not least have great plate discipline and a keen understanding of the strike zone. Remember a quality at-bat starts on deck. Lin Hart Jr Elite Sports Baseball Twitter @elitesports07
Posted on: Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:34:25 +0000