Food for Thought - Pitching Strategies '15

[Geronimo22]

Made a thread just like it 3 years ago.... Would love to hear from guys now about the basics, about new pitches you like, your plan of attack on the mound.

Edited the tittle to talk about Settings Preferences and Mechanics as well.

Here is an example form that old thread about pitching philsophy from Vet H&V...

Pitches with similar movement, but varying velocity, can be deadly in this game.

Here are some combinations I love a starter having:

1. Cutter/Slider
2. 2-Seamer/Circle-Change
3. Straight Fastball/Straight Change
4. Curve/Slider

These allow the user to keep the hitter off balance. Show them the cutter just off the plate...show them the stright fastball in the same spot...then somewhere later in the at-bat, start the slider (all away) in the same spot as the two previous fastballs.

Like-movement pitches induce foul balls; getting the pitcher in 2 strike counts.

Along with this, starting pitches in similar areas of the strike zone are great for racking up K's.

A high and away straight fastball is a wonderful starting point for the high and away (I cannot emphasize AWAY enough. This curve has to be a ball) curveball to a like-handed hitter. The ball starts in the same place - same eye level - and can really fool a poor disciplined hitter.

I have PLENTY more to say on this subject, but it seems there's already some killer posts above me demonstrating the importance of in vs. out, up vs. down, and mixing speeds. All of which are essential to success.

[Ghost Of The Year]

Re: Food for Thought - Pitching Strategies '15

Searched this out since you mentioned it, & I find many great posts in it that are still relevant.

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...on-2012-a.html

As for this year, in the few games I've had the opportunity to play,
I find myself dreading facing a great curveballer like no previous year's Show.

[Geronimo22]

Re: Food for Thought - Pitching Strategies '15

Searched this out since you mentioned it, & I find many great posts in it that are still relevant.

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...on-2012-a.html

As for this year, in the few games I've had the opportunity to play,
I find myself dreading facing a great curveballer like no previous year's Show.

Here is the original thread http://www.operationsports.com/forum...trategies.html

But the thread you mentioned is great as well.

I've only faced one curveball pitcher so far and he couldn't control the pitch. I know the high fastball and and curveball combo is a killer.

[ILiveForThis]

Re: Food for Thought - Pitching Strategies '15

i was actually going to create a thread just like the classic pitching discussion again but this shall work just as well. that thread was money for tips and help from users, loved it way back when.

i've found myself using meter pitching this year actually and have actually enjoyed it where i used to play with only classic. the strike % are actually quite accurate so that's a plus.

as for strategies, i've learned over time that just because you need a strike doesn't mean you should throw one; also, sometimes placement is just as important as velocity while a good set-up pitch is just as important as the strike-out pitch.

[TylerE]

Re: Food for Thought - Pitching Strategies '15

With my RTTS pitcher (currently in AAA) i have the following aresenal:

4s FB
2s FB
Knuckle Curve
Changeup
Knuckleball

Works well. The two seamer is deceptive and brakes towards righties, the knucklecurve is down a lot and in towards leftys. The changeup works well - I use it as a strikeout pitch on the inside edge - and the good 'ole knuckler is a great general usage pitch that I always like, but I just like knucklebals.

[Geronimo22]

Re: Food for Thought - Pitching Strategies '15

i was actually going to create a thread just like the classic pitching discussion again but this shall work just as well. that thread was money for tips and help from users, loved it way back when.

i've found myself using meter pitching this year actually and have actually enjoyed it where i used to play with only classic. the strike % are actually quite accurate so that's a plus.

as for strategies, i've learned over time that just because you need a strike doesn't mean you should throw one; also, sometimes placement is just as important as velocity while a good set-up pitch is just as important as the strike-out pitch.

Thanks for posting ILive. We have had great convo's back in the day! I changed the thread tittle and OP to talk about Settings and Preferences as well. I've gone with meter as well and I use an old technique that I posted about here

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...e-realism.html

BUT I've had some games were I was TOO wild. SO I might have to talk looking again.

As for Strat... Can you give me an example of what you meant by "just because you need a strike doesn't mean you should throw one"

[Geronimo22]

Re: Food for Thought - Pitching Strategies '15

With my RTTS pitcher (currently in AAA) i have the following aresenal:

4s FB
2s FB
Knuckle Curve
Changeup
Knuckleball

Works well. The two seamer is deceptive and brakes towards righties, the knucklecurve is down a lot and in towards leftys. The changeup works well - I use it as a strikeout pitch on the inside edge - and the good 'ole knuckler is a great general usage pitch that I always like, but I just like knucklebals.

The Knucklecurve seems like a new popular pitch. Is it easy to control?

[RangersCruz]

Re: Food for Thought - Pitching Strategies '15

you might as well play with classic if you won't look at the meter

[Geronimo22]

Re: Food for Thought - Pitching Strategies '15

you might as well play with classic if you won't look at the meter

I disagree. I look at the speed selection but not the accuracy selection. There is still my user input and its based on more of a feel or "timing" aspect. So there are days were I can get hot and days I'm not as a user.

[RangersCruz]

Re: Food for Thought - Pitching Strategies '15

I disagree. I look at the speed selection but not the accuracy selection. There is still my user input and its based on more of a feel or "timing" aspect. So there are days were I can get hot and days I'm not as a user.

hmm ill try it and see how that goes

[TylerE]

Re: Food for Thought - Pitching Strategies '15

The Knucklecurve seems like a new popular pitch. Is it easy to control?

Yea, it's not bad. Nice arc to it, mostly vertical but a little side-to-side too.

[BrianU]

Re: Food for Thought - Pitching Strategies '15

Not meaning to sidetrack the discussion from strategy but the pitching methods have always been something I thought about a lot and have many opinions on.

While the devs put insane amounts of customization in the control methods, more than any other sports developer, I still wish for a few more things.

I wish we could tweak the way the methods work under the engine for single player. For example with say meter pitching, if we could control how much of a 'boost' our accuracy gets for hitting the sweet spot at the end of the meter. Perhaps I want to be rewarded for hitting that sweet spot, but I have gotten so good at mastering meter pitching that it becomes way too easy because I always hit the spot. I wish in that case I could decrease the boost you get and make it play closer to what the ratings say. That way I could have the results more like classic pitching, but the fun of meter pitching. Also the same thing for a slider to set how much of a negative boost you get for missing the mark.

I just feel using a one size fits all for the pitching controls is a bad idea because everyone has different skill at the various pitching mini games. I feel it should be opened up and let us fine tune it for ourselves. I'd love to be able to use the other non-classic pitching methods full time but as a stat guy and placing stat accuracy above all else I find myself going back to classic out of necessity.

I haven't tried it yet but I love your idea in that thread you posted about looking at the player model when using meter and not looking at the meter. That is actually a brilliant idea, How about adding it as an actual control method SCEA? The accuracy part can be timed to when the pitchers specific animation has his hand the farthest from the plate, and the final button tap the frame when the ball is released. That would be actually brilliant and revolutionary!

[CSUFresnoClassof2011]

Re: The Show '15 - Pitching (Settings & Strategies)

Anyone have tips for what attributes to put training points into for a pitcher? If you have info on both starters & closers that'd be great. I started as closer already to kill time before the new rosters come out. I based him off of David Robertson but switch it up a bit. 4 seam is his first pitch, knuckle curve is second & cutter is his third. I switched the cutter & 4 seam. I find myself always trying to boost control & BB/9 the most when I first start. Anyone have a better strategy or can they post a link to a thread that'll have that info?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RD_Rabin]

Re: Food for Thought - Pitching Strategies '15

There seemed to be extra 'randomness' to the pitching on the stat methods this year (Buttons, etc.) so I have just switched to Pure Analog and am getting to grips with it, using the Pitcher 'central' view (I am not sure that's the right name for it, but it is directly behind the pitcher).

At least now, when I miss, I know it's my fault and not a random number generator working off stats and tendencies.

The curve balls are difficult to face this year, the break seems to be much better disguised. I am getting more strikes throwing my curve, whereas previously it was a pitch I didn't use much.

[woody2goody]

Re: The Show '15 - Pitching (Settings & Strategies)

Anyone have tips for what attributes to put training points into for a pitcher? If you have info on both starters & closers that'd be great. I started as closer already to kill time before the new rosters come out. I based him off of David Robertson but switch it up a bit. 4 seam is his first pitch, knuckle curve is second & cutter is his third. I switched the cutter & 4 seam. I find myself always trying to boost control & BB/9 the most when I first start. Anyone have a better strategy or can they post a link to a thread that'll have that info?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Using that as an example, NBA 2k brought in that shot meter, and I had to turn it off because it didn't feel natural. I turned that off, back to just looking at the shooting player and suddenly I'm shooting the ball a lot better

I'm using meter pitching and because I have good days and bad days I get a good variation in results.