Is batting harder or is it just me?

[FSanchez12]

Re: Is batting harder or is it just me?

Wait for good pitches and not goot pitches. Those goot pitches are killer.

Haha. I had to. Seriously though, it is very easy for this game to get into your head on the hitting side of things. As I have said previously, the changeups, curveballs and sliders in this game are just mind boggling this year. The few times I actually don't swing at them, I am seeing more walks which is great. However, the ridiculous amount of swings and misses I have had this year on those pitches is melting my brain.

Hahaha thank you for finding that. I didn't know if anyone would say or see it.

[Longoria333]

Re: Is batting harder or is it just me?

I for the life of me can't figure out the new power swing using the analog stick this year. You're meant to pull it back and flick it up but everytime my guy just takes the pitch without swinging! Anyone PLEASE. Tell how it works? Am I suppose to pull back when the pitcher releases or doesn't it really matter when as long as you time it?

[sarsdisease]

Re: Is batting harder or is it just me?

I for the life of me can't figure out the new power swing using the analog stick this year. You're meant to pull it back and flick it up but everytime my guy just takes the pitch without swinging! Anyone PLEASE. Tell how it works? Am I suppose to pull back when the pitcher releases or doesn't it really matter when as long as you time it?

Pure analog this year is just pushing up on the stick. There is no pushing it all the way down then back up. Just push it up when you want to swing.

[Nomah5]

Re: Is batting harder or is it just me?

Scored my first runs in game 4. It was awesome. Haha. Still giving up 7.4 runs per game but at least I was able to make contact.

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

[Senator Palmer]

Re: Is batting harder or is it just me?

Pure analog this year is just pushing up on the stick. There is no pushing it all the way down then back up. Just push it up when you want to swing.

Actually that's "normal" swing what you just described. "Power" is back then up. Haven't figured out yet if there is a timing penalty for doing it too soon in the pitcher's windup, or if you can just pull back whenever.

[iamgramps]

Re: Is batting harder or is it just me?

I'm also struggling with hitting. The game, however, is so fun, I can't put it down. I prominently play Diamond Dynasty online and I'm leaving tons of runners stranded on base. Good thing I don't care about my record.

[drsonoma]

Re: Is batting harder or is it just me?

I'm experiencing this as well, and we may be noticing the differential in pitch speeds others are commenting on. Seems most of the fastballs I connect with go to the opposite field, whereas I never had a problem pulling fastballs in previous years. Perhaps they made some slight adjustments to the timing window.

I play on All-Star level, guess pitch off, default sliders (as of now) and do a fairly decent job at hitting. I'm typically striking out between 4 and 7 times a game and drawing 3-5 walks, so I'll share some tips, but your mileage may vary. These are the things that help me:

1) Do not watch the strike zone and wait for the pitch to cross the plate. Instead, clear your mind about reading pitches and focus on picking up the ball right out of the pitchers hand. To do this you need to get into a rhythym with the pitchers windup. If you continue to do this, your brain will begin to respond better to what it sees, and you'll be quicker with your swing. Your pitch recognition and zone vision will naturally improve.

2) Keep in mind what the pitcher is trying to do. For example, with a guy on first and less than two outs, you can expect offspeed stuff down in the zone. Pay attention to location and how he may be setting you up.

3) If you're going to take a pitch, don't shut down and be a spectator. Still do #1 above to help keep your timing on target.

4) Lay off the first pitch if it's junk. If your in a 2-0 or 3-1 count, the pitch should be perfect.

5) With two strikes, use contact swing and look for offspeed. There will be more room for error when using contact swing, so you'll can still foul off a fastball and stay alive. Foul and foul and foul away - you're draining the pitcher's energy away while increasing your chances of a walk or getting a good pitch.

6) I only use power swing on a 2-0 or possibly a 2-1 count, never on 3-1. When it's 3-1 it's more difficult to check a power swing if the pitch is drifting out of the zone.

7) If your opposing pitcher only has three pitches, then it's sometimes helpful to simply look for his number one pitch until you have two strikes.

8) Keep in mind who you have at the plate, and how your hitting the guy on the mound. If you're getting fooled too much, switch to contact swing full-time.

Hope this helps some of you. Until I started following the above tips I was abysmal, but I've steadily improved.

This last half of #1 has helped me tremendously today. I have grown accustom to looking for the pitch out of the pitcher's hand by looking around the cap. Tracking through the windup, starting with the glove at the pitcher's waist, is really helping me both with timing and strike/ball recognition. As a result, finally getting much better timing and the good results that follow. Hope this continues .

[TDNY]

Re: Is batting harder or is it just me?

Hitting seems way more difficult than in 14, Most of the time I either ground out to the SS or 1st in DD against the CPU. I tried zone and time hitting and i don't feel like i getting better at either one

[Heroesandvillains]

Re: Is batting harder or is it just me?

I've been struggling royaly.

Early on off speed. Late on mid-to-high heat. Early on outside pitches. Late on inside pitches. And a lot of good contact for outs.

I like that the game feels harder for both pitching and hitting this year. I just need to get my rhythm back. There's some good advice in this thread.

[bigd51]

Re: Is batting harder or is it just me?

1) Do not watch the strike zone and wait for the pitch to cross the plate. Instead, clear your mind about reading pitches and focus on picking up the ball right out of the pitchers hand. To do this you need to get into a rhythym with the pitchers windup. If you continue to do this, your brain will begin to respond better to what it sees, and you'll be quicker with your swing. Your pitch recognition and zone vision will naturally improve.

I don't even know what to say. This actually worked fantastically for me.

Before, I was just trying to catch sight of the ball as it was being released. Doing this resulted in frustration with timing and locating where the pitch was going.

After reading this, I started following the ball from where the pitcher pulls it away from his glove, and not only has my zone vision improved (many more deep counts), but my timing has improved EXPONENTIALLY, regardless of the pitch type (seeing the green "good" just about every other time I make contact, whereas before, all I was seeing was early and late).

I don't know how it made it better, but it did. Of course, I've had "breakthrough's" like this before when I was playing well trying something, then all of a sudden, I regress back to craptastic, but I've only made it through one game trying this, so we'll see. Thanks again for the advice!

[colin001]

Re: Is batting harder or is it just me?

Having a nightmare getting to fast balls on time - always late or too late.

Never been able to read pitches but never had problems with fastballs until this year - perhaps its my age

Cheers,

Colin

[indcolts18288]

Re: Is batting harder or is it just me?

I'm not having a horrible time. Seem to be able to get myself into good counts and out of 0-2 holes with some success. I've noticed change ups can be pretty difficult to identify/hit moreso than in past years. That's the biggest issue im having. That and I decided until Knights rosters come out to start my Cubs franchise im using the Padres and Petco is a difficult place to play as it is in real life but the number of deep fly balls that should be doubles or home runs is ridiculous.

[zukes]

Re: Is batting harder or is it just me?

1) Do not watch the strike zone and wait for the pitch to cross the plate. Instead, clear your mind about reading pitches and focus on picking up the ball right out of the pitchers hand. To do this you need to get into a rhythym with the pitchers windup. If you continue to do this, your brain will begin to respond better to what it sees, and you'll be quicker with your swing. Your pitch recognition and zone vision will naturally

This was the number 1 thing I found helped me last year when I finally gave up on guess pitch. I used it as a crutch but when they made the changes to it last year I was lost.

I tried this and I had great results all last year.

If anything because of this I am hitting better this year, less home runs (which is good, they were pretty easy last year) but way better hit variety. Change ups are devastating, but I've always found them hard, but curveballs are easier than before so it's balanced out for me. Plus, if you have the balls to sit on a change up and get one, you'll see it and absolutely destroy it now! Of course if the guy has a good fastball you're boned.

[BeatArmy]

Re: Is batting harder or is it just me?

Also having the same issues with timing this year. I could hardly hit in '14 for the month or two I had it, went back to '12 and could hit .270ish consistently as a team. This year, .250-.255 while continuing my abandoned '14 franchise. LOTS of good contact outs at the track or gap with normal swing. Like the previous guy said a bit ago, feel like I'm hitting a million with contact. Some HRs, some doubles, lots of singles. Contact is the new normal, normal is what power used to be, power now is pretty useful in hitter counts. A good chunk of my offense is coming from 2-1, 3-1 HRs.

That being said, directional is helping. Looking for a pitch, getting it and then getting hits off of those.

[Heroesandvillains]

Re: Is batting harder or is it just me?

I could use some advice. For the first time in YEARS I feel absolutely helpless at the plate. Last year I was a .250-.260 hitter - way better in years prior - but this year I'm .200. Probably worse and I can't figure out why.

Has anyone noticed anything different this year that I can apply to help me get going?

I'm a Timing Only hitter. Default AS. I've so far only used directional situationally, and 95% of the time, I'm X only. Am I supposed to use Directional and power/contact more now?

My "Good" timing hits all seem to be hit in the center portion of the field, usually for outs. Early and Late is so incredibly brutally punishing this year that even when I am able to turn on something and get a base hit I feel like it was bad strategy, because the other 9 out of 10 times I'm early/late I hit a weak popup/chopper.

I'm struggling identifying pitches this year too, which was never a problem. Same TV, same chair, same difficulty level and everything. I guess the new and easier to see pitch breaks haven't become obvious to me yet?

Anyway, any advice would be great. If you guys noticed ANYTHING different from last year that I can apply in 15, help would be appreciated.