Hitting help

[pdiehm]

I'm brand new to the Show franchise, and created a player for the RTTS mode.

I was having difficulty discerning good and bad pitches, so I lowered pitch speed to 0, but now another problem has shown up...I'm VERY early, or Early on every swing just about.

any tips for how to get the timing of the swing down? I keep trying to wait and wait, but I'm almost always early still.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: Hitting help

Few points of advice.

1. I wouldn't go to pitch speed of 0 because that will make you artificially early like you mentioned. Besides, you want to practice on the speed you intend to roll with long term.

2. Find a good camera angle. Personally, I like "wide," but you want an angle that lets you gauge pitch location and break in relation to the strike zone. Maybe experiment with some options and see what you like.

3. A key for me has been what to look at when waiting for a pitch. What I do is train my eyes onto the pitcher's head. And in the first inning I'll try to gauge where the release point is in relation to the pitcher's head. For a lot of pitchers, the release point is pretty close to his head, so this helps you see the ball earlier. It also keeps your eyes high in the strike zone and it's easier to adjust your eyes down than up because high pitches come in faster.

4. Become familiar with contact swing (circle). It is way, way easier to check your swing when using contact swing and I check often, especially in 2-strike counts where you have to cover the whole plate.

5. Think about the situation. If you have a 1-0 count or a 3-1 count, the odds are pretty good that you'll see a hittable fastball. So, I like to cheat to the power swing (square) and zone in on the upper middle part of the strike zone. If the pitch isn't there, I'm taking. Don't really care if it's a strike or a ball.

6. Force yourself to have some plate discipline. I'd suggest taking some pitches and maybe even setting the controller down to make sure that you do. For example, I never swing at the 1st pitch of the game, never swing at the 1st pitch when a new reliever enters the game, never swing at the 1st pitch after I've been walked, and never swing at the 1st pitch with the bases loaded. These are arbitrary rules, but I find that taking pitches regularly in certain situations will help you see the ball better and how it breaks. It will also prevent you from wild swings in these situations.

Following some or all of these suggestions will have you more confident at the plate and will keep you from jumping out of your shoes to hit pitches, so your timing will improve.

[ggsimmonds]

Re: Hitting help

Repetition and practice. I think pitch speed at zero is a mistake. Leave it at default or one notch below and practice.

One small thing that helps me is to identify the pitch immediately after it reaches the catcher's glove but before the swing feedback pops up. What I mean is quietly say to yourself, "that was a cutter." Do that enough times and you will be able to recognize pitches earlier each time. I need to emphasize this, do not wait for the game to tell you what it is. Eventually you will be able to identify pitches soon after leaving the pitcher's hand.

The above poster pretty much gave solid advice so Iwould just second his post. Patience is the most important thing.

I will say that when it comes to learning to hit, surprisingly zone hitting is better. You would think it is timing but with zone you can train yourself to look for a pitch. Here is an example: Coming up to bat I will look for a particular pitch and/or location. If it is not the pitch I want, I tend to not swing until I get two strikes and turn to protect the plate mode. Technically you can do this with timing, but I find control of the PCI better helps (forces?) you to actually follow through.

[mrclutch]

Re: Hitting help

Few points of advice.

1. I wouldn't go to pitch speed of 0 because that will make you artificially early like you mentioned. Besides, you want to practice on the speed you intend to roll with long term.

2. Find a good camera angle. Personally, I like "wide," but you want an angle that lets you gauge pitch location and break in relation to the strike zone. Maybe experiment with some options and see what you like.

3. A key for me has been what to look at when waiting for a pitch. What I do is train my eyes onto the pitcher's head. And in the first inning I'll try to gauge where the release point is in relation to the pitcher's head. For a lot of pitchers, the release point is pretty close to his head, so this helps you see the ball earlier. It also keeps your eyes high in the strike zone and it's easier to adjust your eyes down than up because high pitches come in faster.

4. Become familiar with contact swing (circle). It is way, way easier to check your swing when using contact swing and I check often, especially in 2-strike counts where you have to cover the whole plate.

5. Think about the situation. If you have a 1-0 count or a 3-1 count, the odds are pretty good that you'll see a hittable fastball. So, I like to cheat to the power swing (square) and zone in on the upper middle part of the strike zone. If the pitch isn't there, I'm taking. Don't really care if it's a strike or a ball.

6. Force yourself to have some plate discipline. I'd suggest taking some pitches and maybe even setting the controller down to make sure that you do. For example, I never swing at the 1st pitch of the game, never swing at the 1st pitch when a new reliever enters the game, never swing at the 1st pitch after I've been walked, and never swing at the 1st pitch with the bases loaded. These are arbitrary rules, but I find that taking pitches regularly in certain situations will help you see the ball better and how it breaks. It will also prevent you from wild swings in these situations.

Following some or all of these suggestions will have you more confident at the plate and will keep you from jumping out of your shoes to hit pitches, so your timing will improve.

Great tips man. Should help anyone having trouble.