Strike zone tips

[strawberryshortcake]

Quote: Originally Posted by zpq12

Then what hitting settings should I use??! Does turning off the PCI eliminate the need to aim swings?

Does turning off the PCI eliminate the need to aim swings?
If using Zone hitting, turning off the PCI simply makes things more difficult because you can't see the PCI cursor. You still have to aim with your left stick towards the ball if using zone hitting.


Then what hitting settings should I use??!
Either Pure Analog or Directional Hitting works if you simply want to "press one button" to hit, and never worrying about aim for the ball. You will be able to hit high and low pitches without ever needed to move the left stick.

Please do note that with both of these methods, you will still get "good" timing resulting in pop flys, infield grounders, foul ball popups, and sometimes you'll completely missed the ball as well even with green "good" timing.

(A) Pure Analog - simply push the right stick up (normal hit); pull down and push up (power swing). No need to touch the left analog stick.

(B) Directional Hitting - simply push the X button (normal) or Square button (power). Honestly, there doesn't seem to be a need to touch the left analog stick at all. Sure, you can influence where you hit the ball by pushing the left stick, but timing your swing (early, late, etc.) will still result in various hits to your pull side and opposite field.


As someone who always used Zone Hitting. I wanted to test out Pure Analog and Directional hitting right now before I gave you a possible answer. From my limited experience, they are essentially the same. Even though the instructions says to use the left stick when using Directional Hitting, both "pure analog" and "directional hitting" seems to rely simply on timing your swings without ever needing to touch the left analog stick.

I managed to get seven consecutive hits using Pure analog in one inning (hall of fame).

1. Homerun
2. Base Hit
3. Base Hit
4. Base Hit
5. Grand Slam
6. Base Hit.
7. Homerun.

[JakeReaves]

Quote: Originally Posted by zpq12

Does turning off the PCI eliminate the need to aim swings?

It must. I don't use the left stick at all, I only use the x button, and I hit the ball solid from everywhere in the zone. It's all about timing and pitch location with the X button, I like it a lot. Balls up in the zone are easier to blast, and balls low result in a lot of ground balls. It feels good without the PCI in my opinion.

[Stolm]

Quote: Originally Posted by JakeReaves

It must. I don't use the left stick at all, I only use the x button, and I hit the ball solid from everywhere in the zone. It's all about timing and pitch location with the X button, I like it a lot. Balls up in the zone are easier to blast, and balls low result in a lot of ground balls. It feels good without the PCI in my opinion.

You're not using Zone Hitting then.

[JakeReaves]

Quote: Originally Posted by strawberryshortcake

Does turning off the PCI eliminate the need to aim swings? If using Zone hitting, turning off the PCI simply makes things more difficult because you can't see the PCI cursor. You still have to aim with your left stick towards the ball if using zone hitting.

I don't see this result at all. I'm on zone hitting with the PCI turned off and I can make great contact on balls up and away as well as low and in as long as I see the ball and time it correctly. I don't touch the left analog, only use the X button to swing.

[JakeReaves]

Quote: Originally Posted by Stolm

You're not using Zone Hitting then.

Yes, I am.

[Panopticism]

Like they say, you might get one pitch to hit in an at-bat. You have to earn that pitch most of the time. Sometimes the guy will miss his spot and leave it hanging, but most of the time you have to force the pitcher to give you something worth swinging at.

Don't swing at a strike just because it's a strike. Don't protect the plate on 0 or 1 strike(s).

Don't be afraid to strike out looking at a pitch that you decide to lay off because it looks like you won't be able to do much with it. This sport is a pitcher's game now, and if a guy can actually hit his spots all night long, you should be having serious difficulties getting anything going. Sometimes a guy can paint the corner up at the hands and even if you got ahold of it, you'd be popping/flying out/breaking bats all night. Or they might be living on the corner down and away, and you'll be grounding out and grounding into DP all game long.

I'm not a fan of the idea of laying off every first pitch either, because this makes it really easy to get stuck trying to match a pitcher who notices that you're doing it and starts filling up the strikezone and getting through innings very quickly.

Once I get down to 2-strike counts, I switch to the contact swing most of the time. It allows you to foul off the close pitches, and it makes checking the swing a lot easier when the pitch breaks more than you expected. You can recover from a horrible 0-2 appearance and work a walk, force a decent pitch, etc. all while driving up the pitches/AB.

[strawberryshortcake]

Quote: Originally Posted by JakeReaves

It must. I don't use the left stick at all, I only use the x button, and I hit the ball solid from everywhere in the zone. It's all about timing and pitch location with the X button, I like it a lot. Balls up in the zone are easier to blast, and balls low result in a lot of ground balls. It feels good without the PCI in my opinion.

That's my exact experience with "Directional hitting," but not "Zone hitting with PCI indicator turned off."

There are three hitting interfaces:
(1) Zone
(2) Directional
(3) Pure Analog

I just tested out "Zone Hitting" with the PCI turned off. If I don't touch the left analog stick, I can't hit high pitches nor low pitches. They are swing and misses.

A couple tests I did for "Zone Hitting" with PCI turned off:
(A) Push the left stick all the way up when the pitch was low = swing and miss
(B) Push left stick all the way down when the pitch was high = swing and miss.
(C) If a pitch is right down the center, and I don't touch the left stick at all, it's a solid hit because the hidden PCI stayed in the middle of the plate -- the same location where the pitch landed.

There's a reason why the hidden PCI still actively moves to the exact location of your choosing when you move the left stick. If Zone hitting isn't influenced by the left stick's hidden PCI, then timing the swing correctly and moving my PCI completely away from where the ball is pitch should still result in a hit, however that's not the case. When the PCI is purposely moved away from the ball in "Zone Hitting with PCI turned off," it's all swing and miss even with good green timing.

[JakeReaves]

Quote: Originally Posted by strawberryshortcake

That's my exact experience with "Directional hitting," but not "Zone hitting with PCI indicator turned off." There are three hitting interfaces: (1) Zone (2) Directional (3) Pure Analog I just tested out "Zone Hitting" with the PCI turned off. If I don't touch the left analog stick, I can't hit high pitches nor low pitches. They are swing and misses. A couple tests I did for "Zone Hitting" with PCI turned off: (A) Push the left stick all the way up when the pitch was low = swing and miss (B) Push left stick all the way down when the pitch was high = swing and miss. (C) If a pitch is right down the center, and I don't touch the left stick at all, it's a solid hit because the hidden PCI stayed in the middle of the plate -- the same location where the pitch landed. There's a reason why the hidden PCI still actively moves to the exact location of your choosing when you move the left stick. If Zone hitting isn't influenced by the left stick's hidden PCI, then timing the swing correctly and moving my PCI completely away from where the ball is pitch should still result in a hit, however that's not the case. When the PCI is purposely moved away from the ball in "Zone Hitting with PCI turned off," it's all swing and miss even with good green timing.

I believe your results, I don't think you would make them up. But I'm 30 games into my season with zone hitting turned on and PCI turned off and I'm hitting the ball fine all over the zone with absolutely nothing except for the X button.

My sample size is pretty large at this point.