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Be aggressive at the plate:

Hitting a baseball is probably one of the hardest things to do in all of athletics. Trying to hit a round ball with a round bat just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, anyway. But it can be a lot easier if you develop a solid aggressive mental attitude to hitting.

Most Little Leagues neglect teaching your mental approach to hitting. Worse yet, they teach a method that is non-conducive to aggressive hitting without even knowing it.  But it’s probably not their fault.  Complete the following statement: “I only want to swing at _____?”

We have all been taught to swing only at strikes. Unfortunately, this is the way we all have been taught to bat. Teaching this is incorrect as it confuses the aggressive nature required of the sport.

The Green Bay Optimist League believes that we as hitters and as teachers probably have hindered the game the most by teaching young players to swing only at strikes.  This probably will sound strange, but nowhere does it state that the strike zone is for the hitter. The strike zone was put into the game for only one person -the pitcher.  A strike or ball is called only when there is no action taken by the batter.  If the pitcher can throw just 3 out of 7 pitches in the strike zone – YOU’RE OUT!

If you go to the plate thinking, “If it’s a strike I’m going to swing at it,” then your already in serious trouble. You must understand that as a hitter, you do not have much time to determine first, if the pitch is within the pitchers narrow strike zone (called differently by every umpire) and second, (after the first decision is made) do you want to swing at it.  The ball is upon you too quickly to do both and still “be aggressive.”

You’ve probably had this happen to you before. You’re in the box, and you haven’t really decided to swing at the pitch or to take the pitch, and when you do take it, it’s right down the middle. Then you ask yourself, “How can I take that pitch?”  You took the pitch because you were waiting to see where the pitch was in relationship to the strike zone before you even offered for it.

So what is the precise mental attitude you must have in order to be successful at the plate?  Simple. Every time you step into the batter’s box your mental attitude must be, “I’m swinging at this pitch!” Your thought process must be “Yes, Yes, Yes.” The only thing that changes your attitude is the location of the pitch itself.

In short, we no longer teach to take time to make up your mind if you are going to swing, But, only to take time to stop the swing.  So you’re thinking “yes, I’m swinging. Yes, yes, no, not that one.”  You no longer have a strike zone, you now have a “no zone.”

Being aggressive at the plate doesn’t mean you have to swing at everything, but you do want to attack pitches that you know you can drive. And many of these pitches either may not be strikes but slightly off the strike zone. Quite honestly, you no longer care!  Now your job is to swing at every pitch unless the pitch is in your no zone. That’s why you see so many good hitters showing so many checked swings. Their body moves into every pitch.  They are literally swinging at every pitch stopping only when they determine the pitch is in their no zone.

There is one thing every good hitter hates to have happen. Never get caught looking at the third strike.  This is not a physical mistake it’s a mental mistake.  If this happens to you, you were caught waiting to see where the pitch was located in relationship to the strike zone before offering at it.  With two strikes your mental approach has to kick in even harder. You have to be thinking, “I’m swinging at this pitch! Yes, I’m swinging. Where as a strike zone is a constant size (with a good umpire), on every strike called you’re no zone must get even smaller, because you can’t allow the umpire to make the decision for you. Your no zone on a 3rd strike should be anything that doesn’t bounce. (Coaches, many games are decided on looking at 3rd strike calls. In little league, if the player could have reached the ball with his bat on a 3rd strike he should have attempted to do so. While you may feel personally that the umpire should have called it a ball, remember that your player and ultimately your own coaching choose to leave the game up to the umpire to decide. I will guarantee you on 99% of these 3rd strike calls the other team is thinking it was a good call! 15 years of running the league makes this a fact )

One Last Point. On a 3-0 pitch you’re no zone should get larger making you more selective and prepared to drive a pitch right down the middle but still allow you to stop your swing an the lower outside portion of the strike zone.

Learn to teach the no zone. Expand and contract it based on game situations. A good hitter does not go to the plate hoping to get a hit, they go to the plate knowing he or she is going to get a hit.

Adapted from Doyle Baseball Review for Little league