How I taught myself to hit more homers

[yakimiiis]

Re: How I taught myself to hit more homers

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I thought the yellow X was a sign that a pitch was out of the zone. I never swing at those since they are balls like 100% of the time. You've gotten a yellow X in the zone before?

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No, yellow X is indeed always a ball -- but with power hitters (Bonds, Giambi, Sosa, etc.) you can take these out, as well. Specifically in Bonds' case, a yellow X on the inside (a ball on the hands) is relatively easy to turn on and rip right down the line for a short-perch HR.

Of course, that's not a recommended strategy -- I was just pointing out that power hitters can take pretty much anything yard (red/blue mistakes, yellow X mistakes, or regular non-mistake pitches), but most "regular" hitters will only be jacking mistake pitches over the plate.

(Another HR update: in the second game after my Yankees-Giants batting practice HR-fest, I went deep -- legitimately -- with my first rightie, Benito Santiago, on a mistake pitch that I saw immediately.)

[yakimiiis]

Re: How I taught myself to hit more homers

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
I thought the yellow X was a sign that a pitch was out of the zone. I never swing at those since they are balls like 100% of the time. You've gotten a yellow X in the zone before?

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

No, yellow X is indeed always a ball -- but with power hitters (Bonds, Giambi, Sosa, etc.) you can take these out, as well. Specifically in Bonds' case, a yellow X on the inside (a ball on the hands) is relatively easy to turn on and rip right down the line for a short-perch HR.

Of course, that's not a recommended strategy -- I was just pointing out that power hitters can take pretty much anything yard (red/blue mistakes, yellow X mistakes, or regular non-mistake pitches), but most "regular" hitters will only be jacking mistake pitches over the plate.

(Another HR update: in the second game after my Yankees-Giants batting practice HR-fest, I went deep -- legitimately -- with my first rightie, Benito Santiago, on a mistake pitch that I saw immediately.)

[Moves]

Re: How I taught myself to hit more homers

2.) Hold the left-stick up and to the left (for a rightie) or up and to the right (for a leftie) and you'll have much more success. Just pulling straight left or right often isn't enough, and straight up leads to a lot of CF fly-outs.

Very helpful post, I can't wait to try it out. I have been playing with the keyboard though. Do you know how to hit a fly ball and to the left or right this way? Is it just press both buttons on the number pad?

[Moves]

Re: How I taught myself to hit more homers

2.) Hold the left-stick up and to the left (for a rightie) or up and to the right (for a leftie) and you'll have much more success. Just pulling straight left or right often isn't enough, and straight up leads to a lot of CF fly-outs.

Very helpful post, I can't wait to try it out. I have been playing with the keyboard though. Do you know how to hit a fly ball and to the left or right this way? Is it just press both buttons on the number pad?

[ShoelessTroy]

Re: How I taught myself to hit more homers

Dude that was a great help...thanks yo!

[ShoelessTroy]

Re: How I taught myself to hit more homers

Dude that was a great help...thanks yo!

[TJB713]

Re: How I taught myself to hit more homers

let me tell you....i'm doing a franchise with the rangers and couldn't get a home run with a-rod, much less anybody else. thanks to your idea now i hit about 2HR a game. thanks alot man....it really helped out!!!!!

[TJB713]

Re: How I taught myself to hit more homers

let me tell you....i'm doing a franchise with the rangers and couldn't get a home run with a-rod, much less anybody else. thanks to your idea now i hit about 2HR a game. thanks alot man....it really helped out!!!!!

[Moves]

Re: How I taught myself to hit more homers

Well, after a weekend of gaming and working on Homer Run Derby, I was able to get Salmon, Glaus, G. Anderson, Fulmer and Spezio to homer at Edison Field. So, that alone was encouraging. Oh and I did it on the keyboard by waiting till the pitcher starts his windup, then pressing the up arrow, holding it down, then pressing the left or right arrow,holding that down as well, then swinging early to get the pull hit.

Then I played about 5 regular season games and finally against Seattle in SafeCo field, Garret Anderson hit a solo shot to right.

[Moves]

Re: How I taught myself to hit more homers

Well, after a weekend of gaming and working on Homer Run Derby, I was able to get Salmon, Glaus, G. Anderson, Fulmer and Spezio to homer at Edison Field. So, that alone was encouraging. Oh and I did it on the keyboard by waiting till the pitcher starts his windup, then pressing the up arrow, holding it down, then pressing the left or right arrow,holding that down as well, then swinging early to get the pull hit.

Then I played about 5 regular season games and finally against Seattle in SafeCo field, Garret Anderson hit a solo shot to right.

[yakimiiis]

Re: How I taught myself to hit more homers

Hey, good to know it's working for folks. I seem to have reached a very consistent HR pace with my Giants, with the exception of Bonds, who had more than 60 at the All-Star Break.

Of course, if the real Bonds were pitched to like he is in this game (he has not been intentionally walked once this season), I reckon 60 at the All-Star break actually might be *almost* realistic.

Have fun!

Y

P.S. I realized one thing about the "power hitters getting more mistake pitches" a while after I posted. It seems like that should make sense -- not necessarily that Bonds and ARod *get* more mistakes, but they are able to recognize mistake pitches better than, say, Marvin Benard. I haven't specifically looked at high-average players (theoretically, they too should recognize a lot of mistake pitches), but I wonder if the same thing works there. Of course, the mistake pitches are the HR balls, not the base hit balls, but I digress...

[yakimiiis]

Re: How I taught myself to hit more homers

Hey, good to know it's working for folks. I seem to have reached a very consistent HR pace with my Giants, with the exception of Bonds, who had more than 60 at the All-Star Break.

Of course, if the real Bonds were pitched to like he is in this game (he has not been intentionally walked once this season), I reckon 60 at the All-Star break actually might be *almost* realistic.

Have fun!

Y

P.S. I realized one thing about the "power hitters getting more mistake pitches" a while after I posted. It seems like that should make sense -- not necessarily that Bonds and ARod *get* more mistakes, but they are able to recognize mistake pitches better than, say, Marvin Benard. I haven't specifically looked at high-average players (theoretically, they too should recognize a lot of mistake pitches), but I wonder if the same thing works there. Of course, the mistake pitches are the HR balls, not the base hit balls, but I digress...

[snepp]

Re: How I taught myself to hit more homers

60 at the all star break? What level are you playing on? My god, my Twins team has hit about 60 homeruns total through 70 games! (took me 12 games to hit my first though)

crazy

[snepp]

Re: How I taught myself to hit more homers

60 at the all star break? What level are you playing on? My god, my Twins team has hit about 60 homeruns total through 70 games! (took me 12 games to hit my first though)

crazy

[Moves]

Re: How I taught myself to hit more homers

Hmm... Something else I noticed. Tim Salmon can't seem to get anything over. So I went back to Home Run Derby and was pull fly hitting and still couldn't get anything out except maybe a lucky one or two.

So I switched to just straight up flys and then I hit out a bunch. Same with Troy Glaus. Anybody else notice anything like this? Some guys hit it farther with a pull and some hit farther straight?

And yes, I am still pulling with my timing.