Help. Striking out looking

Hey. I am freshman in HS and have always been a pretty good hitter, maybe to picky, but I get into mental slumps where I take to many pitches. Lately I am in a slump striking out looking. Sometimes I take the pitch because it appears to be a ball but I also sometimes know it is a strike and dont swing. Any tips on how to break out of this. Thanks

 

Best Advise.....SWING

I think you have your own answer.....sounds like you are "thinking" too much at the plate. You say you are a good hitter.....stop thinking so much and look for your pitch and go after it.

 

Like Chubbs said on Happy Gilmore "find your happy place." Go there and stop thinking so much about what your doing and go up there and swing the bat and whatever happens, happens. I just got done playing college baseball and let me tell you there are guys up there that think WAY to much about the AB and not go up there and relax and determined to hit the pitch. They end up having a bad AB and come into the dugout sling their bat and helmet like it was the bats fought for not swinging or the heltmets fought because they missed the pitch. Go up there with a mindset that you will succeed and do your best and no matter what happens with the AB that it's not the end of the world.

 

You are in control

You must take the mind set that you control the strike zone. No one can get you out! You are daring the pitcher to throw anywhere near the strike zone; because you will MASH IT! He has the tough part- getting the ball over the plate. You are the man, and you control what is worthy of hitting.

A good hitter can hit a ball at the chest level or off his shoe strings. It is all about confidence. Do not put pressure on yourself. Have a plan when you approach the plate.

Example:

1st pitch breaking ball- No Swing
2nd pitch breaking ball- No Swing
3rd pitch breaking ball- Mash it!, or protect the plate- foul it off

Why should you swing at a first pitch breaking ball? Many high school pitchers struggle with consistency of the breaking pitches. You would only be helping them out & putting yourself behind in the count.

Work the pitcher, and force him to make a mistake. A mistake that you can mash!
You want to know the secret to being a good hitter? There is no secret!
It is all about confidence.

Go get em!

 

Thats right be ready to hit the ball. Forget what kind it is. Nothing happens that is any good without hitting the ball. Stay in you zone. Yes you may have a certain pitch that you hit well. As you get older you will find. Pitchers, catchers and coaches will know this. Question: Would throw a fastball to a fastball hitter? Good luck and relax.

 

Going deep in the count

Most good hitters work a pitcher deep into the count.
A couple of tips:
1) If you are at the top of the lineup look for the early fastball at the beginning of the game
2) If you are at the bottom of the lineup get a read on the pitcher. Keep a mental record of what he throws in counts. If everyone is hitting his fastball early in the count look for him to change it up more. If he is dominating everyone with the fastball, look for the early fastball
3) If you are a right hand hitter and behind in the count most right hand pitchers try to get that 3rd strike on the outer half of the plate. It doesnt matter if it is a curve ball or fastball. Make the decision to target your hit up the middle to right field and you will increase your BA.
4) Like the previous post stated dont think to much but go to the plate with a plan of what you are looking for and where you want to go with it

 

Hey man...

See it, swing it, hit it!!

Just swing the bat!!

 

yep, it can be that simple

 

This could also be just a part of your baseball growing curve. You may be a better hitter as time goes on because you are being picky. Yes you can be too picky and that is what it sounds like for now but as you are learning to identify the good pitches it could in the long run make you a better hitter. Baseball is all about adjustments. You have to be flexible at all times for whatever happens. You never know what might happen next in this great game.

Stop beating yourself up about this and like it was said earlier just go up there and swing the bat. Be ready to hit every pitch and learn to start your swing on every pitch and just stop your swing if you don't like that pitch. If you are waiting to see if the pitch is good to start your swing it may be too late by then. Try this for a while and then if you start swinging at too many bad ones adjust again.

My son was kinda like that this season. He got himself out alot last year by swinging at junk in the dirt so his goal this year was to stop swinging at low curve balls because they are going to end up too low. Well this year it was like he was way too picky for a few weeks and then he was starting to see the good pitches and react. He started out so slow because of that his batting average was not great because he was 2 for his 1st 22 ABs. Then he raised it over .320 by the end of the season against good college pitching. I think what he went thru this year will make him a better hitter next year.

Like Braves' signature says. The great hitter adjusts every pitch. If you can learn to do that you have got it figured out...for awhile anyway and then you will have to adjust again. Just don't stop swinging and don't stop learning.

 

TKD...mental mode is to swing PERIOD if it is close but keep your weight back to the very last millisecond! Some people might call this a defensive swing or approach but NOTHING happens good for the TEAM if you have to ruuuuuuuuuun back to the dugout. Great hitters PERIOD are swinging with two strikes regardless if it is around the plate and looks like a strike no if and buts about it try and put the ball in play somewhere...remember mental mode is you are SWINGIN!!!!!!! OOOPS! forgot and DO NOT GUESS pitch period!!!!!!!!!!!