Patience at the Plate

We've all heard the ever constant chatter from the bench as we approach the plate:
"Wait for yours!", "Never swing at the first pitch!", "Be patient!". But what does this mean? These cliche calls have turned a strategic at bat into a free strike for a pitcher and patience reserved to going down 0 - 1.

Know Where You're Hitting the Ball

I wrote yesterday about how to select where you want to hit the ball, so you know before the first pitch your destination for the ball; now all you need is the right pitch. Pitch selection is key to properly placing a ball while maximizing power and maintaining a comfortable swing.

To send a ball off field, take an outside pitch. Beware of the high and outside as it has a tenancy to go back at the pitcher. Middle and/or low and outside is your best bet for a solid off field hit. The lower it is the more 'slice' you'll put on it making it that much harder to field.

To send a ball back up the middle, again, try to avoid the high outside pitch. I does put the pitcher in danger, but usually ends up in a reflex catch where nobody advances. Instead, look for the pitch right down the middle; the less spin the better.

To send a ball down the line, look for a middle/low inside pitch and get on top of it a little bit. You don't want to hit a line drive that goes through 3rd base, but lands down at foot level on the left side of the 3rd baseman. This is a great way to obtain a base hit, and if the grass is moderately slow, runners from 2 will score.

Keep Your Hands Back

Besides the bats themselves, the largest change in slopitch in the last 10 years is the pitchers. You have change ups, knuckle balls, curve balls, screw balls, cutters, sliders, and the backspin. The slopitch 'lob' (or 'watermelon') is forever gone except for those players who've played forever and never adapted.

Because the ball has more movement to it, it is evermore important to keep your hands back when you swing until you're ready to make contact with the ball. When you let your wrists go in your wing and you start to move your hands through the zone, you lose the ability to adjust your swing mid swing. If the ball elevates a little, or breaks a little more than expected, you cannot adjust if your hands have already been let out. If you've kept your wrists and hands back, you'll be able to move the bat ever so slightly and explode your arms into the ball.

for Slopitch Coaching 101
Bradley Holbrook