Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

[jeffy777]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

This is the thread I was looking for ... I'm directional hitting all the way.

Many questions remain, including some I don't see raised at all:

1) When precisely do I move the left stick?

2) What if I move the left stick one direction, then change to another before the pitch?

3) DO I HAVE TO HOLD THE STICK IN A DIRECTION THROUGHOUT THE SWING TO EFFECTUATE?

4) If I'm really a pure timing hitter (which many folks in this forum probably are, like me), should I just forget about the stick entirely?

1) When you see the pitch location, you move the stick towards the ball

2) Your last inout should be all that matters, but as Brian explained, moving the stick before the pitch will generally do more harm than good because unless you guess the pitch location correctly, you are moving the PCI away from the pitch.

3) I don’t think so, but maybe Brian can clarify.

4) Yes, if you are a pure timing hitter than don’t even bother with the LS.

[ruxpinke]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

I use the left stick to sit on pitches. For example 3-1 Count, I’m looking for something up and towards the middle of the plate, I hold the stick straight up at 12 o clock. I’f I’m up there with a righty dead pull hitter I may hold the stick at 10:30.

I’m using my eyes to lock in on that area. I hold the stick up through the whole swing. If I get my pitch now I’m timing it and swinging. If I don’t I’m usually letting it go by. I’m not reacting as it comes in, for that I would just use zone.


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[chuckm1961]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

I use the left stick to sit on pitches. For example 3-1 Count, I’m looking for something up and towards the middle of the plate, I hold the stick straight up at 12 o clock. I’f I’m up there with a righty dead pull hitter I may hold the stick at 10:30.

I’m using my eyes to lock in on that area. I hold the stick up through the whole swing. If I get my pitch now I’m timing it and swinging. If I don’t I’m usually letting it go by. I’m not reacting as it comes in, for that I would just use zone.


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You hold the stick up through the whole swing. OK.

Now ... what is your evidence that this is the 'best' way? That it makes any difference whether you just flick the stick at some point while the pitch is coming ... or hold the stick throughout the swing?

Those are two different things. And we still don't know whether they are functionally the same ... or not.

[ruxpinke]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

You hold the stick up through the whole swing. OK.

Now ... what is your evidence that this is the 'best' way? That it makes any difference whether you just flick the stick at some point while the pitch is coming ... or hold the stick throughout the swing?

Those are two different things. And we still don't know whether they are functionally the same ... or not.

I assume it doesn’t lock in and needs to be held. If you leave the arrow on you’ll see it stays lit up as it’s being held, and goes away when let go.


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[justintasha1996]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

I use Directional hitting, from what I gather and have Read on this site.. I'm thinking that the left stick does nothing at all , because as I turn on swing feedback no matter were I aim the stick all the way up or down etc... It shows the same picture feedback dead center..

Am I missing something or does the left stick aimed just prior to swinging reall influence anything ?

[Rmiok222]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

I use Directional hitting, from what I gather and have Read on this site.. I'm thinking that the left stick does nothing at all , because as I turn on swing feedback no matter were I aim the stick all the way up or down etc... It shows the same picture feedback dead center..



Am I missing something or does the left stick aimed just prior to swinging reall influence anything ?

This. I’ve always wondered this. Why can’t the sewing feedback show you where the player automatically put the PCI? I’d assume the vision stat would come into play there.


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[TheWarmWind]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

This. I’ve always wondered this. Why can’t the sewing feedback show you where the player automatically put the PCI? I’d assume the vision stat would come into play there.


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It used to back in the old pre-directional days, but they took that feature out because all they got was grief over PCI placement.

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[mooch49]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

I've been testing the last few games and it seems to me, other than influencing up, down, left, and right when the situation dictates, the best and most successful way to hit with directional is not to use the left stick. I get more hits just using the right stick or button to swing. Even if there are zones in between, it's very difficult to place the left stick in that zone. I would love to see the results, but I'm having a hard time moving the left stick in those spots. I think directional is more timing than anything, which probably the most realistic. Does anyone remember what hitting engine MVP baseball used, even older baseball games? Were they more zone or timing? If it's the latter, then directional is kinda like that. Could be wrong though.

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[justintasha1996]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

It used to back in the old pre-directional days, but they took that feature out because all they got was grief over PCI placement.

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hey Warm..

So should we try to aim the left stick were the ball is or just hit the swing button and not use the left stick ?

[JHodges57]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

risk vs reward, how often does a pitcher groove one down the heart of the plate. I use directional/timing so I dont use the pci. I still would tend to think people who can pick up on the pitch quicker than your average bear will be better off moving the pci. I cant adjust that quickly, which is another reason I prefer directional, but there are some talented stickers that can. and should.

True. My eye/hand coordination isn't too good so trying to move the PCI just messes up my timing. Normally I end off swinging late or very late and at times my finger slips off the stick. lol

[TheWarmWind]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

hey Warm..

So should we try to aim the left stick were the ball is or just hit the swing button and not use the left stick ?

I mean if you're able to aim with the left stick you might as well switch to zone hitting.

I mean I wrote a massive thread about directional hitting, anyone whose read it knows that I heavily encourage using the left stick.

I think people in here are oversimplfying. Brian does say that influence is creating PCI tendency, but after looking at my guide he says that there are elements of truth throughout it and nothing stuck out to him as wrong.

He talks about something that specifically got right: how the no influence swing decreases the importance of vision and increases the importance of hot/cold zones.

He then goes on to say the this is less an intentional effect and more had to do with how high vision batters are better able to adjust to a pitch location outside of where they are looking, making vision a more important attribute of you're going to hold an influence.

He also says that the influences don't directly buff or nerf attributes like I claim in the guide, but there is an element of truth the as well because by picking those influences I'm "gearing them up" to hit pitches that tend to generate more power or contact (based on the influence.

So I'm here claiming that influencing to pull generates more power at the cost of contact, and Brian is saying that's not directly happening, the batter is not getting buffed or nerfed, but your results will be in line with that assessment.

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[kvnm77]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

I mean if you're able to aim with the left stick you might as well switch to zone hitting.

I mean I wrote a massive thread about directional hitting, anyone whose read it knows that I heavily encourage using the left stick. Operation Sports mobile app

A couple of thoughts here, first, great work on the directional hitting guide and even if it can't all be confirmed, it has given us a reference point to think about.

I actually think of aiming with the left stick as the pitch comes in as zone-hitting lite. In my experience, I have had stretches of scorching the ball when I'm on using this method, but it's definitely not 100% (especially when I start thinking too much about it and it messes with my timing). I'm thinking that aligning with Brian's comments, moving the LS will influence the PCI in that direction so it can be successful when right as it's maybe a higher percentage of better contact (but way off then when wrong). This is obviously similar to zone, but without needing to be as exact and letting the cpu still place the PCI closer to the direction you choose (prevents me from over-shooting like I always do with zone, but more destined by the ratings, a trade-off I'm happy with).

Where I think the guide is right is the timing windows. It seems to me that when I notice I have a game where I'm swinging early on everything, I aim the LS to pull the ball more, and have noticed I start to have more success; same if always late, I start looking to go the other way. If I do this though, I also look for middle-in when pulling and middle-away when looking at the opposite field and will hold the LS from pre-pitch instead of trying to adjust on the fly.

I'll also hold an influence from pre-pitch when my timing gets screwed up from tracking the pitch, but more from a hot zone point of view (Judge likes the ball up, so I hold up and wait for something up high).

These are just a few of the methods I've found success with using directional, and will switch based on how I'm performing with one (I like to think I bring a different game to each, and I have to find what's working for me that day, so to speak). All this of course is all anecdotal (and I'm an average at best player so take it for what it's worth), and I can't confirm if my experiences work as the engine intends it to. It's my way of adjusting with directional, though, and seems to be in line with both what is in the guide and what Brian has said.

[loso_34]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

From what I gather from his posts (Brian, please feel free to correct me or expound upon), Zone gives you precise control of the PCI, whereas Directional allows you to influence it, or if you don’t touch the stick, the engine does that for you.

Excerpt from Brian’s post on page 1:

“In Zone hitting you pick the timing and PCI location. In Directional you pick the timing and influence PCI location (or if you don't influence, it picks for you). For this reason it is better not to influence than to influence randomly and get it half right and half wrong (in that situation you are better off paying attention to location and taking pitches).’’

think what he meant by influencing pci location is when you chose an approach.

whether to pull the ball, push or hit a grounder. now if try to influence your swing randomly and swing at the wrong pitch you wont get good results. thus its better to not influence your pci location on directional unless you’re sitting on a pitch.

[brunopuntzjones]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

I always use an influence and it's mostly based on what I want to do in a given situation and the batter. I genuinely have no idea if it works, but from experience it seems much more effective offline. I think they kind of nerfed directional hitting online to please all the players who think of themselves as PCI snipers.

[chuckm1961]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

I assume it doesn’t lock in and needs to be held. If you leave the arrow on you’ll see it stays lit up as it’s being held, and goes away when let go.


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I don't assume that.

Yes, I see how the arrows light up, which could just as easily mean that you have locked in that direction without continuing to hold the stick.