Tips on How to Hit

[dvazquez190]

I've read countless threads dedicated to people sharing their frustration with their inability to hit. Looking for advice. I'm hoping this thread helps people who are struggling.

- I'd like to start off by saying what to me is the most important thing, you're going to strike out. Everyone strikes out. Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout, Andrew McCutchen. They all strike out. It happens. Wasting your time trying not to strike out is most likely hampering your ability to hit the ball. You're putting yourself in constant "protect mode" instead of simply letting the game come to you. Now i'm not saying striking out is good. What I am saying is you can learn something from each at bat, no matter the result. Don't view a strikeout as a complete failure. It's only a complete failure if you learn nothing from it.

- Simply put, play the game. I see people saying that they always take the first pitch or they take until they get a strike. If it works for you fine, doesn't mean it will work for everyone. Personally You will never catch me looking for the sake of looking. In my experience roughly 15% of the first strikes you see will most likely be meat pitches. Get me over pitches that can be hammered. The best pitch of the at bat. I look at every pitch and only take strikes that I know I won't hit hard.

- Find out your hitting style. Everyone has one. Something that suits your strengths. Some people handle high pitches well, some hit breaking balls well. Find out what your strengths are and develop a strategy around them. If you hit the low ball well than work the count until you get something you can handle. Use the count to your advantage, if you have less than 2 strikes only look to swing at a pitch or location where you can do damage. With two strikes try to protect until you get a pitch you can handle. If you try and hit every pitch in all zones you will most likely be unsuccessful. Play to your strengths.

- Strategy. This is a simulation and requires strategy. Some pitches are tough. Just like they are in real life. You might not be able to hit them. So instead of focusing on how to score 10 off Kershaw, why not make him throw pitches and get to the bullpen where you might fare better. Also always pay attention to the count. Pitchers who are behind in the count 2-0, 3-1 are more likely to make mistakes than pitchers who are ahead.

- Practice. This is probably the key. If you find yourself swinging at balls constantly, especially a certain pitch or in a certain region than you just need to practice. Go to batting practice, and find a way to lay off pitches thrown there. If you don't practice it'll take you that much longer to figure it out. No shame in practicing if you want to get better.

Hopefully if you follow this you will become a better hitter. I use these keys to hitting in all of my at bats (I play on HOF, Zone, no guess pitch). I won't say I always score 10 because sometimes I have games when I score only 1 or 2. I will however say I consistently score 4-6 runs a game, obviously I have great games where I score 10+ just like I have poor games.

P.S. This goes without saying but i'll say it anyway. Play on a difficulty level that is playable to you. No shame in playing on Veteran if that's where your skill level is. The purpose is to enjoy the game, not show you are the best to ever swing a virtual bat.

Hope this helps. Cheers

[mcseven]

I'm in a major hitting slump but the thing that is ticking me off the most is the way the CPU is pitching my all stars. When Mike Trout comes up usually I get 2 strikes looking on some unhittable strikes. If not that they're usually just throwing him garbage. When they give him a pitch that I can hit it turns into a groundout or popout. After that Pujols comes up he gets better pitches but for some reason he has no power and only hits weak outs. This is using regular swing on all star level. This is the second year in a row that i'm starting to get really discouraged with this game. Pitching is no problem just can't hit like I used to be able too. I mean this game you can sit on a fastball down the middle hit it perfect with Trout and it will say foul and now they don't even show where the foul ball is going.

[dvazquez190]

Quote: Originally Posted by mcseven

I'm in a major hitting slump but the thing that is ticking me off the most is the way the CPU is pitching my all stars. When Mike Trout comes up usually I get 2 strikes looking on some unhittable strikes. If not that they're usually just throwing him garbage. When they give him a pitch that I can hit it turns into a groundout or popout. After that Pujols comes up he gets better pitches but for some reason he has no power and only hits weak outs. This is using regular swing on all star level. This is the second year in a row that i'm starting to get really discouraged with this game. Pitching is no problem just can't hit like I used to be able too. I mean this game you can sit on a fastball down the middle hit it perfect with Trout and it will say foul and now they don't even show where the foul ball is going.

You actually bring up a really good point. Stars get pitched noticeably different than normal hitters. Guys like Trout see much more pitches to the corners or completely off the plate. Those are the guys you really need to practice patience with. When I play as the Angels I actually lead trout off and bat Aybar second if I remember correctly. Batting him leadoff seemed to help him get more fastballs. I hit extremely well with him out of that slot. Try switching where he hits in the lineup and see if that changes the pitches he gets. As for Pujols I joke with my friend all the time how bad he is. I think some of it's me because he's my favorite player and I press really hard with him. Trying to bring him back to his glory days. But even when I seem to hit the ball with authority it goes to the warning track. Or these mammoth pop flies.

[YeOldTonk]

Some great tips and advice right there. Thanks dvazquez190.

[Introvese]

Just look for pitches in places u feel u are at ur best. Right now my weakness is the high fast ball. But just be patient. And Practice. Put Kershaw on Legend hit the cages. U will get better breh

[Bondsfan]

I hit on All Star. I think it gives a great variety of challenge but also decent results if you are patient and swing at good pitches.

A few other points:
1. If hitting is too hard on a level, consider lowering pitch speed instead of the difficulty level. I start on All Star and every year, there is an adjustment period where its too hard to hit because I haven't played in months. Lower the pitch speed a bit, even if you have to go all the way to zero. Then as hitting gets easier, keep bumping it up. This year I had to go to three until I adjusted, and now I'm back up to default. You'd be amazed what lowering the pitch speed does for your batting results.

2. Don't use guess pitch. Ever. Just turn it off. Learn to recognize pitches without relying on it. Not only does it make the results worse 90% of the time, guess pitch will also make you reliant on it. Stop using it, and within a week you'll be hitting better.

3. Use zone hitting without the strike zone or the PCI on. These graphics make it harder to track the pitch and location IMO. When its all off, its so much easier for me to guage balls and strikes coming out of the pitchers hand.

4. Ahead in the count... sit on a pitch down the middle; if its not there, don't swing.

5. 2 strikes; use contact swing. Contact swing isn't a bunt, you'll get extra base hits with it, and it'll allow you to foul off pitches that you'd otherwise swing and miss.

Personally, I rarely move the (invisible for me) PCI. I'm sitting on pitches down the middle, then use contact swing to protect the edges when I have two strikes.

Do all this and I promise you'll be a much much better hitter.

[JTommy67]

You know, I may be only speaking to a very small demographic here (probably more experienced players who have tried the great tips listed above by others), but anyway:

For those that are having a super hard time with off-speed pitches, consider raising the pitch speed instead of lowering it. I've found it's easier to look fastball and still adjust to changeups. After changing, it feels more like last year's hitting to me now, and I now have the pitch speed maxed.

I occasionally get burned by hard stuff by I'm not whiffing on slow pitches near as much. As always, it's still important to visually pick up the ball right out of the pitcher's hand.

[JTommy67]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bondsfan

5. 2 strikes; use contact swing. Contact swing isn't a bunt, you'll get extra base hits with it, and it'll allow you to foul off pitches that you'd otherwise swing and miss.

This is a big one for me. Good use of contact swing with two strikes can often work you back into a 2-2 or 3-2 count, and draw you some walks. A few days ago, I even knocked a homer with a contact swing (Rizzo).