Posted by: Jim (jwelborn@lexcominc.net) on Sun Nov 6 21:27:46 2005

> Bat speed alone does not equate to good hitting...mechanics can be altered to generate increased bat speed however what does this get you...?
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> First off what are the components of 'good hitting?" these are some that I think are importent
> -pre-pitch preparation
> -game situation...understanding what the at-bat means in the scope of the game.
> -mental readiness
> -physical readiness
> -coping with pressure
> -coping with past success and failure
> -being able to take a positive (consistent) approach up to the plate every time
> -balance and RHYTHM, (pre-pitch rhythm and, when the pitch is coming)
> -focus
> -seeing the baseball out of the pitchers hand
> -anticipating break
> -adjusting to strike zones
> -adjusting to change of speed
> -adjusting and being able to hit when your fooled
> -consistently being able to get the barrel on the baseball…squaring it up.
> -adjusting with 2 strikes
> -understanding the tactical advantage and disadvantages when your ahead or behind in the count.
> -MECHANICS and bat speed…
>
> In my opinion there are a lot of thing that go into ‘good hitting’, the Holy Grail in my opinion is not bat speed…its ‘showey’ and sure sounds great but that along will not make you a good hitter.
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> If 'good hitting' is a !00%...how importent (in a percentage) is bat speed?



Scott,

You make a very valid point. You always have to look at the total picture. We have a young lady who is a great example of this in our fastpitch softball program. She has a terribly linear swing and hits with very little power. But, through her junior year she has a career batting average of .417 and on-base percentage of .515 in a very competitive conference facing extremely good pitchers. This has been good enough to earn her all-state honors. She happens to be very good at all of the things in your list except batspeed (rotational) mechanics. Do we mess with her swing? During the season absolutely not! During the off season, certainly. And we have had some limited success in making her a little more rotational, hitting with a little more power. Are we really trying to convert her into a slugger? Not as long as she is standing on base 5 out of every 10 plate appearances! Our rotational sluggers bat behind her and it all adds up to a great combination.

But when you do work on mechanics, work on the correct mechanics.

Jim