Posted by: rql () on Tue Oct 8 10:38:42 2002

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> > >>Tom,I am trying to make the change in the swing as little and as
> simple as possible,for my h.s. hitters,I may think backwards of you on
> the look inside 1st and adjust outside.I like to look away and react
> in,if I am trying to cover the whole plate.I think that it is
> difficult to start by having in your mind an i.s. location and
> creating flex in your arm and then trying to take it out.Its hard to
> look to think getting out front and then slow up and go o.s. with
> extension and use a chp.The o.s. location is the first one your bat
> would come to,and would require waiting on,if the pitch is away I
> think let it come to me ,lead arm extended across chest,and keep hands
> inside the ball.If I get the i.s. pitch,I forget about delay,speed up
> the hips,and create flex in the lead arm,which shortens the radius,and
> tightens the handpath.If I look in 1st and then go out I have too much
> chance of bypassing my o.s. program while starting inside and then
> can't come back to it.
>
> I did not mean to say look in react out.
>
> I have had this same exchange with Epstein and I defer to his
> experience here.I always thought along the same lines as you-look
> out/react in.But Mike believes it is better with less than 2 strikes
> to anticipate outside OR in and take the pitch if it isn't what you
> are looking for.Matching the plane then has to do with the up/down
> location given you got the pitch on the side of the plate you were
> anticipating.
>
> If at any time you want to cover both sides as in 2-strike
> situation(or any situation for a contact hitter),you need to shorten
> the swing by rotating open in the stance.You can then look outside but
> be ready to take the inside heater up the middle if that's what you
> get.See Epstein's "2-

>>tom,I can agree to some extent with looking for 1 pitch or the other with less than 2 strikes.Today I see alot of hitters can go deep to both fields,with less than 2 strikesand I think they are covering the whole plate.If you had a Glavine on the mound and he was living o.s. I could see look out there and give him the inside pitch,usually he is in too much trying to back you up.I think Epstein probably was a mainly pull hitter and had trouble going the other way so looking 1 way or another was best choice.I wonder if Bonds was looking to go the other way with the ball last night when he hit it in the seats.If I was in a 3-1,2-0 situation then I would look in a small area and a pitch.If you are 1-1,0-1 and you look one side of plate and he hits the other you are really in the hole.I looked for a fat pitch on either side of the plate in this count.If I was looking curve and I got one elevated I did'nt care which side of the plate it was on.It's tough enough to guess with a pitcher,If your not only guessing pitch but also guessing which side of plate its on you are really narrowing your chances.If you say you hit what you see then picking sides of the plate should not come into play.In those 0-1,1-1 countseven 2-1 counts sometimes,I'd rather guess pitch and adjust for location,than guess location and adjust for pitch,fbor curve or change.