PART II " You Gotta Protect"

Wow was my email box flooded with comments and concerns about my two strike approach. I'm glad I ruffled a few feathers and maybe some cobwebs of old thinking.
Robert from Miami writes, "How can you teach people to give away their at bat because they have two strikes?" Robert I think you missed my whole point completely. I don't want you to give away the at bat. I just want you to realize that you are out, relax, and take you best hack.
Let me expound and some real numbers here and why these numbers are so significant especially at the Major League level. These numbers have been taken from Inside Edge a scouting service that tracks every pitch thrown at the Major League level. These number are from 4/1/2004 to 10/31/2006. This is a sample of 600,000 pitches to both left and right handed batters.
Overall Pitch Mix
FB = 64% CB = 9% SL = 15% CH = 10% Other = 2% Overall Batting Ave. .265
*This above line is the average of all hitters over the 600,000 pitch study.
Counts
0-0 FB = 68% CB = 9% SL = 13% CH = 8% OTHER = 2% BA. .336
1-0 FB = 69 CB = 5 SL = 12 CH = 12 OTHER = 2 BA. .338
0-1 FB = 57 CB = 11 SL = 18 CH = 12 OTHER = 2 BA. .316
1-1 FB = 57 CB = 9 SL = 17 CH = 14 OTHER = 2 BA. .323
2-0 FB = 81 CB = 2 SL = 7 CH = 8 OTHER = 1 BA. .346
2-1 FB = 68 CB = 5 SL = 13 CH = 12 OTHER = 2 BA. .335
3-0 FB = 95 CB = 0 SL = 2 CH = 2 OTHER = 1 BA. .365
3-1 FB = 85 CB = 2 SL = 6 CH = 6 OTHER = 1 BA. .356
* These numbers are the averages of all hitters in these counts.

Overall 2 Strike Pitch Mix
FB = 56% CB = 11% SL = 20% CH = 10% OTHER = 3% BA. .190

0-2 FB = 54 CB = 12 SL = 21 CH = 10 OTHER = 4 BA. .166
1-2 FB = 51 CB = 13 SL = 22 CH = 10 OTHER = 4 BA. .178
2-2 FB =55 CB = 11 SL = 20 CH = 12 OTHER = 3 BA. .193
3-2 FB =69 CB = 6 SL = 14 CH = 9 OTHER = 2 BA. .230
*These numbers are the averages of all hitters in these counts.

Do you see why you are an out yet? The only count that a hitter seems to have a chance is 3-2 and that average is a pathetic .230. So again the bottom line is these guys are the best of the best and they are only hitting .190 with 2 strikes. They are out!

So what if you had a paradigm shift in your thinking and changed your approach for 20 at bats just to test out what I am saying. Here is what the numbers change so drastically, because you can't sit on a fastball anymore. Look at the numbers 0-2,1-2,2-2 counts are somewhere around 53% FB and 47% off speed. You have a 50% chance of being wrong if you are guessing or even timing yourself up for a FB. Then the hitter gears up for FB and then gets OS (off speed) and they are early and miss hit the ball or swing through it. Or how many times have you seen a hitter get and 0-2 count and the pitcher blows one by him right down the middle. I can bet my life that the hitter was guessing OS and wasn't even ready to react to the pitch. Last year I saw Hughes for the Yankees pitching against the Twins and all the hitters were protecting with 2 strikes. They didn't have a chance. Hughes was throwing 96 mph on the hands and right down the middle. I saw hitter after hitter get blown away by the speed and take feeble swing after feeble swing hoping to even put a little bat on the ball. None did and he blew right threw the line up. I have also seen Greg Maddux throw 89, 84, 89, 80 in sequence and hitter after hitter would ground out to short or second. 0-0 CH, 0-1 FB, 1-1 CB, 1-2 FB for a backwards K. The hitter keeps thinking they are going to get a FB but they get OS. The hitter never gets their timing right and they can not pull the trigger on a good pitch. This is what is called Effective Velocity or EV and pitchers all around are learning this. That is why in the last three years the batting averages have dropped significantly.

So how do hitter combat EV? They have to be on time in the counts that they know they are going get the pitch they are looking for. Hitters have to guess and guess correctly. If you are in a 2 strike count that is 50% FB and you just saw a FB the pitch before then I would say look for the pitch that would be used to put you away. Look for the pitchers out pitch. If it is his dirty slider then look for it. If he has a good curve ball or change up then look for that. If it's a split finger then pray he leaves it up or throws it in the dirt for a ball. Also when you get good FB counts you have to be on time and taking good hacks. You got to put those balls in play and put them in play hard. You see pitchers are learning this EV stuff at a younger age now. Why? Guys like Bobby Valentine, Roy Oswaldt, Greg Maddux, Barry Zito are talking about EV. I even use these techniques when I pitch and get amazing results. Now pitchers are starting to throw 3-1 sliders or curve balls and hitters are chasing them because they have been conditioned to expect fast balls. I played in a minor league game where Jason Lakeman stuck out 16 guys in 5 innings. Yes 16! This was EV at it's best. His FB was 96 mph that night and he was following it up with an 84 mph slider that he kept bouncing. He would blow FB after FB by the hitters and then with 2 strikes take 12 mph off the next pitch and the hitters were too far out in front. He struck out 5 in one inning. The catcher was having a hard time with the drop 3rd strikes. He gave up maybe 2 hard hit balls the whole night. The hitter were so afraid of Jason blowing another FB by them that they were so ridiculously early on the slider.

So in reply to Robert from Miami. Hey Robert the numbers don't lie. I also strongly feel the numbers are the way they are because with 2 strikes guys are spreading out, choking up, and trying to protect the plate all the while taking not taking their best swing. They are taking a swing that they rarely practice against the tougher pitches to hit. This is why I say, " Take your "A" game swing. Make the best swing possible to give yourself the best chance possible in the toughest situation. Guess and don't be afraid if you guess wrong. According to the numbers you are out anyways! And what if you guessed right 50% of the time with 2 strikes and in 10 at bats hit 4 balls harder than you usually do with 2 strikes? You may get 3 to 4 hits over that 10 at bats. Significantly improving your average with 2 strikes. You may even earn the recognition as a 2 strike hitter. I can tell you this. I have hit some two strike home runs and doubles after going hit less in my first two at bats because I decided to guess differently. Am I a good hitter? Yes I am. I am a better hit because I guess and guess right a high percentage of the time also. Timing over talent. I once heard this phrase. I've seen some pretty good swings that have been on time and I've seen some pretty bad swings that have been on time. The results of both are hard hit balls. If the sweet spot of the bat shows up in the same area as the ball then the result is usually something hard. Never quit or give up your at bat. Battle to the end. Hitting is all about timing and pitching is all about messing up your timing. It's a chess game. What's he going to throw here. What does he have a tendency to throw. Then take and educated guess and hope you can be perfect with your timing.
Loved the flood of questions keep them coming. info@hithardernow.com

If you want to read a great book on the science of pitch sequencing then go to Hittingisaguess.com
There are three books: Book 3 Downright Filthy Pitching by Perry Husband.
This is an e-book but you can also purchase it in hard copy for a lot more money.

MORE ON FUNCTIONAL HITTING PART 3.

IF YOU HAVEN'T VISITED THIS SITE YOU SHOULD!

WWW.HITTINGISAGUESS.COM

ORDER THE E-BOOK "FILTHY"

Every pitching coach that has read this from the little league level to the major league level has reported amazing results. You can experience these results too!

Love you all and Merry Christmas!

BAT LAG AND LOCKING OUT.

Functional Skills by Perry Husband

There are some examples of the points I make about

foot down and hands back creating stretch and then getting off

the backside and locking out at impact.

Intro to Effective Velocity

Chandler Blanchard class of 2013

My friend and mentor Perry Husband did a swing test on Jay Bell a 17 year big league veteran.
Jay hit the ball on average 77 mph for 30 swings. A 17 year big league vet! I started working with Chandler and his old brother Jordan four years ago. They are a testimony that there is no one way to swing. A swing is like a finger print they are all different and personal. Some kids like their hands high some low. Some kids like a wide stance and some kids like to keep it short. Oh back to Jay Bell, after a few hours with perry they retested Jay. Put him in a more balance stance so he could move faster. Changed his load a little so he could get maximum weight transfer and lastly got him to push off his back side. The result was his exit speeds jumped to 86 mph and he hit more ball near the center of the swing target. So I have a 14 year old incoming freshman that is 40lbs lighter than Jay Bell and hits the ball on average about 82 mph with a high of 86 mph. Yes, I do think this young man has potential and not because he's my student but because of the numbers. Watch the Video.

Why I created this blog.

I have been treaching and coaching kids on how to play baseball for over 15 years now.
I have always had a passion for baseball and as a kid I was always saying I'm going to play professional baseball. People laughed at me and some told me I was a dreamer and some told me go for it. I did and played for 7 years, most of that in the Chicago White Sox farm system.
The players at the professional level are so good. I was good just not quite that good to make it into the Major Leagues. Some of my former teammates where Aaron Rowand, Joe Crede, Jim Abbott, Kipp Wells, Josh Paul and John Garland. Plus I got to play against many others that made it too. On of my coaches told me he would take me anytime because even though I wasn't the best player I made the team better. How did I do that? I always worked harder than others and I could see things in other players swings that they didn't. They would ask me to come and hit with them early and were constantly asking me questions. I never got drafted and I even took a year off after college. That is when I started teaching and improving my skills to the point that I eventuall got signed to my first pro contract. I kept on teaching as a way to suppliment my paultry income from minor league baseball. Then I met Perry Husband. He transformed my swing and my life in some ways. I teach a swing based on biomechanical principles that work.
Bottom line, my student get results and get them fast. Mastery takes a life time, but I believe if a child is given the right information at a young age they can go on an have a successful career in the game if they are willing to do the work. I started this blog because I see so many kids that have received reallt bad information from coaches with good intentions but lack the knowledge and skill to really be effective. I want to change that today and create better players at the local, state, and national level.
So here is a bit of info to start. Buy this series from Perry. He doesn't pay me a dime. I'm not in this for the money. HITTINGISAGUESS.COM
There are videos and even a small book that can be carried with you to trouble shoot problems.
Perry is a wealth of knowledge and truly a master hitting coach. I was blessed to meet him.
When the student is ready the teacher appears.