Directional Hitting Guide

[sportyguyfl31]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

After trying out zone for my 1st 30 games or so of frnachise..i went back to directional..it just feels more pure to me

[TheWarmWind]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

OP updated with a "Changes in 19" section.

[BodamEscapePlan]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

Man, this is seriously impressive!

I clicked on this topic thinking it would be more of a collective effort with a few tips, two hours later and I feel like I've just been taken to MLB The Show school. This is more informative than any strategy guide ever put out. Great job!

[jrnlgrn]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

Good information. This should get pinned.

[TheWarmWind]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

Thanks for the endorsements, but this guide is in serious need of editing. There are a lot of things, especially off-hand comments, that no longer apply, like needing to turn down strike frequency. I don't remember exactly, but I think this guide was written for 16 or 17 originally.

Unfortunately I am very lazy, and more focused on solidifying my sliders.

[coachmac75]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

What matters in that article is the logical approach which makes a lot of baseball sense.

So a big thank you, it is really a master piece.

I converted to directional hitting with Madden 19 mostly to bring a more immersive experience.

Here an expected application of the logic for my Marlins roster on which comments and feedback are welcome...

[Caulfield]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

What matters in that article is the logical approach which makes a lot of baseball sense.

So a big thank you, it is really a master piece.


I converted to directional hitting with Madden 19 mostly to bring a more immersive experience.


Here an expected application of the logic for my Marlins roster on which comments and feedback are welcome...

yeah, I keep this thread bookmarked, I like to refresh my memory every 4 or 5 months when my old habits creep back in. I know it was originally for 16/17 but it still feels relevant for 18/19. this guide might wind up being timeless. at least for me.

[TheWarmWind]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

yeah, I keep this thread bookmarked, I like to refresh my memory every 4 or 5 months when my old habits creep back in. I know it was originally for 16/17 but it still feels relevant for 18/19. this guide might wind up being timeless. at least for me.

Oh it's still very relevant, I was just cautioning against people following it word for word.

Like I said, there are a lot of inaccurate off-hand comments. It's mostly flavour text though, the meat and potatoes of the guide is still good.

Edit: moving forward I'll probably continue to tack on any changes as opposed to editing them, like I did for the "changes to 19" section. That way if there are any conflicting pieces of information, a person playing an older version can still find the guide helpful.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Operation Sports mobile app

[GainzBro]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

In the middle of a horrible team wide batting slump and searching for answers I read this again. It helped to reset my approach and gave me a few things to work on such as push swing and drive swing to increase my timing window. This in turn helped me to focus only on the process and not the results. Strangely the tips on physical affirmation like a pat on the back was helpful. Also taking my thumb off the button and holding it above helped. It was only one game but these simple tips got me out of my bad habits and brought me back into the process and away from the results and I had fun playing for the first time in about a week. I had a .271 team average through 24 games and saw it plummet to .237 by game 48. Thank you for the in depth and very thorough guide here.

Sent from my LGMP260 using Operation Sports mobile app

[TheWarmWind]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

In the middle of a horrible team wide batting slump and searching for answers I read this again. It helped to reset my approach and gave me a few things to work on such as push swing and drive swing to increase my timing window. This in turn helped me to focus only on the process and not the results. Strangely the tips on physical affirmation like a pat on the back was helpful. Also taking my thumb off the button and holding it above helped. It was only one game but these simple tips got me out of my bad habits and brought me back into the process and away from the results and I had fun playing for the first time in about a week. I had a .271 team average through 24 games and saw it plummet to .237 by game 48. Thank you for the in depth and very thorough guide here.

Sent from my LGMP260 using Operation Sports mobile app

Yeah I know the physical affirmation seems weird, but before I started doing it I was a free swinging machine. Now discipline is one of the strongest aspects of my game.

It's a tough leap to just trust in the process. It doesn't matter how long you've been doing it for, the temptation to break form and go wild will still haunt you. I've been following this process since 2015, and I don't think there has been a single game where I haven't been tempted to throw my own rulebook out the window.

It's only looking back, seeing how much I've improved over time that re-affirms the process.

Good on you for looking past yourself and getting back to the process. That, in a lot of ways, is the hardest step, both in baseball and life.

Sorry, couldn't help but wax philosophical there. Baseball tends to have that effect on me.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Operation Sports mobile app

[GainzBro]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

Yeah I know the physical affirmation seems weird, but before I started doing it I was a free swinging machine. Now discipline is one of the strongest aspects of my game.

It's a tough leap to just trust in the process. It doesn't matter how long you've been doing it for, the temptation to break form and go wild will still haunt you. I've been following this process since 2015, and I don't think there has been a single game where I haven't been tempted to throw my own rulebook out the window.

It's only looking back, seeing how much I've improved over time that re-affirms the process.

Good on you for looking past yourself and getting back to the process. That, in a lot of ways, is the hardest step, both in baseball and life.

Sorry, couldn't help but wax philosophical there. Baseball tends to have that effect on me.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Operation Sports mobile app

I love it. Baseball is a fine game my friend.

Sent from my LGMP260 using Operation Sports mobile app

[GainzBro]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

Before reading this I had been stuck in a rut of following pitches to no avail and scoop swinging often with inconsistent results. I had almost completely lost my timing and struck out 43 times over 3 games. My franchise player's batting averages were plummeting to comically low levels and I was not having fun.

Since then I have been choosing an influence before every swing, rarely scooping or using it situationally, saying my pre at-bat or pre pitch plan out loud and rewarding myself for a good at bat with a thump on the chest, a mini fist pump after a good take and a couple other things. The hits aren't falling but my timing is the best it's ever been and I'm putting together so many good at bats. I'm smoking the ball but right at fielders. This doesn't bother me anymore as I reward myself for every successful process. Soon the hits will fall and my .235 team average will climb. I'm developing good habits and having fun playing again.

Sent from my LGMP260 using Operation Sports mobile app

[GainzBro]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

I'm finding that a drive swing straight down using x is just as effective at putting the ball in play with 2 strikes as is using circle if not more effective because of the vision buff the drive swing gives. It's like I get the plate coverage of a contact swing but the exit velocites of a normal swing and I'm seeing tons of line drives and backspin on flyballs while having more success on the high fastball. I have also had some success making good contact using drive swing with batters who struggle with pitchers of the same handedness.

Sent from my LGMP260 using Operation Sports mobile app

[TheWarmWind]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

Information gleaned from the "Perfect Perfect" stream has thrown some of the information in this thread into question.

The main discrepancy comes from their description of contact vs vision and the new PCI.

There are three possible explanations for this discrepancy.

1. I've gotten contact and vision mixed up, and the down swing increases contact while the push swing increases vision.

2. Directional and Zone hitting work on separate principals.

3. The way hitting works is different in 20.

I'll have to wait until 20 comes out to confirm, but I'm keeping an eye on it when I play and I have to say the there is a strong possibility that it is option #1.

While it wouldn't invalidate the guide completely, it would mean MASSIVE edits in order to "correct" the guide. Bleh.

[Caulfield]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

Information gleaned from the "Perfect Perfect" stream has thrown some of the information in this thread into question.

The main discrepancy comes from their description of contact vs vision and the new PCI.


There are three possible explanations for this dependency.


1. I've gotten contact and vision mixed up, and the down swing increases contact while the push swing increases vision.


2. Directional and Zone hitting work on separate principals.


3. The way hitting works is different in 20.


I'll have to wait until 20 comes out to confirm, but I'm keeping an eye on it when I play and I have to say the there is a strong possibility that it is option #1.


While it wouldn't invalidate the guide completely, it would mean MASSIVE edits in order to "correct" the guide. Bleh.

I wouldn't change anything. everyone's terminology is bound to be slightly different. I don't think semantics is worth quibbling over, the OP is still easily one of the finest in all of OS.


looking forward to your thoughts on hitting in 20. good luck and happy baseball!