Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

[Therebelyell626]

I have used directional hitting for a few years now. It feels like this game was only designed to be played with PCI control on. Everything feels like weak contact, even with perfect timing. Does anyone else feel like this?

[Therebelyell626]

Re: This game feels like it wasn’t designed to be played on directional hitting

Maybe I’m rusty because I can’t hit for nothing lol. I am late on everything

[Cod]

Re: This game feels like it wasn’t designed to be played on directional hitting

I use directional hitting and I haven't had any issue. I was able to beat the shift a few times by letting the ball get deeper in the zone. You may just be a bit rusty. It took me about half a game to get back in the swing (pun?) of things.

[JoshC1977]

Re: This game feels like it wasn’t designed to be played on directional hitting

I have used directional hitting for a few years now. It feels like this game was only designed to be played with PCI control on. Everything feels like weak contact, even with perfect timing. Does anyone else feel like this?

Not at all (on All Star at least)

[TheProfessional]

Re: This game feels like it wasn’t designed to be played on directional hitting

I DONT USE THIS APPROACH ANYMORE.

This is the one i use now:

https://forums.operationsports.com/f...ing-guide.html


Ive never played MLB the Show before this year. Since this my first time ever playing, Im probably not the best person to be chiming in on this.

But i love the zone hitting. Ive seen so many different typess of hits already. Way more than any other baseball game ive played in the past. LOVE IT.

My approach to zone hitting is a little different than most. Before getting the game i watched several "Tips" videos on how to zone hit better. In all the videos i've seen most people are trying to put the cursor on the ball while it comes at you. For me, i find that to be way too difficult. I have to judge the speed of the ball location and then try to put the cursor on the ball? I dont have the hand eye coordination for that.

My approach:

i approach zone hitting like the way high heat baseball did it.

First, I turn the hitting cursor off, and i mentally divide the strike zone into 9 zones.

_________
|__|__|__|
|__|__|__|
|__|__|__|


Instead of trying to put the cursor on the ball each time, I just aim for one of the zones.

For example, if the ball looks like its going high and outside, I push the left analog stuck up and to the left/right (depending on which side of the plate you're on). If the ball looks like its going to be low but over the plate, i push the left analog stick down.

Seems to work for me and im seeing good results doing it.

[TonyMoraco15]

Re: This game feels like it wasn’t designed to be played on directional hitting

I use directional hitting and I haven't had any issue. I was able to beat the shift a few times by letting the ball get deeper in the zone. You may just be a bit rusty. It took me about half a game to get back in the swing (pun?) of things.

Thank God I Started to worry there for a sec. Im a Directional and classic button type of player always!

[tnixen]

Re: This game feels like it wasn’t designed to be played on directional hitting

Thank God I Started to worry there for a sec. Im a Directional and classic button type of player always!

Same here

[Therebelyell626]

Re: This game feels like it wasn’t designed to be played on directional hitting

Yeah I may be a but rusty. Finally started getting some decent hits to fall. But man is the new grow meter giving me problems lol. Takes some getting used to but I like it. I actually have to focus when fielding now

[Houston]

Re: This game feels like it wasn’t designed to be played on directional hitting

I hit just fine beat Orioles 5-1, it took until later innings to get it going and this was using my sliders from last year to see how they worked on MLB 20.

[Therebelyell626]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

It seems I am having trouble pulling the ball on anything but early? Even good timing good contact are all going Way oppo. Anyone else seeing this with directional?

[Brian SCEA]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

I have used directional hitting for a few years now. It feels like this game was only designed to be played with PCI control on. Everything feels like weak contact, even with perfect timing. Does anyone else feel like this?

Directional or Zone is personal preference. As far as the main hitting engine goes, both interfaces are identical (Directional simulates your PCI placement for you and passes it to the engine). 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).

I would compare it to manual vs automatic shifting for driving. If you are below average in stick shifting, you are better off using automatic where it handles it for you. Your disadvantage is 'forgiven' though you gain nothing extra for it. If you are above average in stick shifting, you are better off using stick to 'earn' that advantage. This is why professional drivers have to use stick to compete at the highest levels because even a small edge adds up, but you can drive perfectly well either way. In fact automatic accelerates faster than manual and doesn't lose energy to shifts, losing out only because manual is smarter and more efficient in other ways.

For this reason, some players succeed more with Directional, others succeed more with Zone. As you approach Legend difficulty, it becomes more important to use Zone because you have 2 ways to outperform rather than 1 1/2. There is no inherent disadvantage to Directional but you miss out on 1/2 a way to shine. So Zone is not significantly more successful in general. For beginners, Directional is often more successful. To be precise, it depends on if you are above or below average in skill at PCI placement (compared to your 2 other skills - timing and take pitch).

[Brian SCEA]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

It seems I am having trouble pulling the ball on anything but early? Even good timing good contact are all going Way oppo. Anyone else seeing this with directional?

A few years back we changed timing feedback so that Good is wider, so it includes some concept of both 'good early' and 'good late' (this depends on pitch location - on an away pitch being slightly late is fine). Unfortunately there isn't a good way to show both meanings of timing: a) your timing was good for that pitch location, b) the exact early/late/direction of your timing more precisely. We've experimented but simple beats out the other versions we tried.

Essentially, the direction of the hit off the bat will tell you the more precise early/late timing you had, after factoring in location. The swing analysis timing field tells you something more that isn't as obvious.

[El_MaYiMbE]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

Directional or Zone is personal preference. As far as the main hitting engine goes, both interfaces are identical (Directional simulates your PCI placement for you and passes it to the engine). 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).

I would compare it to manual vs automatic shifting for driving. If you are below average in stick shifting, you are better off using automatic where it handles it for you. Your disadvantage is 'forgiven' though you gain nothing extra for it. If you are above average in stick shifting, you are better off using stick to 'earn' that advantage. This is why professional drivers have to use stick to compete at the highest levels because even a small edge adds up, but you can drive perfectly well either way. In fact automatic accelerates faster than manual and doesn't lose energy to shifts, losing out only because manual is smarter and more efficient in other ways.

For this reason, some players succeed more with Directional, others succeed more with Zone. As you approach Legend difficulty, it becomes more important to use Zone because you have 2 ways to outperform rather than 1 1/2. There is no inherent disadvantage to Directional but you miss out on 1/2 a way to shine. So Zone is not significantly more successful in general. For beginners, Directional is often more successful. To be precise, it depends on if you are above or below average in skill at PCI placement (compared to your 2 other skills - timing and take pitch).

Thanks for this Brian! This is the most in-depth overview of Directional Hitting we've ever gotten, and this includes when you guys originally introduced the feature a few years back.

It's good to know what I am potentially leaving on the table by not using Zone Hitting (1/2 bit of control).

I have been on HoF hitting the last 2 yrs, after struggling on All-Star for years prior on MLBTS. I have found how to take as much control as I can using Directional Hitting and have seen the desired results.

I don't like Zone Hitting because I don't like the idea of "aiming" the bat. While in your write up you mention this as level of wanted control. However, I see the inability of me not being able to control the EXACT bat placement as the level of randomness that the players ratings, and baseball in general, dictate. All I can control is timing, when to influence hit direction, and the rest is essentially the hitters "hand eye coordination" (vision).

In real life no one aims the bat, they simply guide their bat, based on reflex to the general area the ball is in. I feel that is what Directional Hitting is replicating for me.

Like you said it's personal preference, but seeing your explanation actually makes me appreciate Directional Hitting a bit more, because its more gracefully implemented than I envisioned.

[El_MaYiMbE]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

I have used directional hitting for a few years now. It feels like this game was only designed to be played with PCI control on. Everything feels like weak contact, even with perfect timing. Does anyone else feel like this?

Not at all. I even hit my first HR with a pitcher, ever....in any video game!

I play on Hall of Fame, and I hit a Perfect/Perfect HR with Jon Lester, who has 0 contact and 3 Power!

[COMMISSIONERHBK9]

Re: Directional Hitting in MLB The Show 20

So Brian just to clarify for directional it best to don’t influence and just worry about timing correct ? Cuz I tried zone and I feel I’m not doing that correctly. I been playing mlb every year and I always go thru this with hitting lol.