To become a successful hitter, you’ve got to learn to hit in certain situations. You’re not just up there swinging and hoping something is going to happen. You’ve got to know your situations, you’ve got to know your counts, and you’ve got to know your runners. In today’s video blog post, we are talking about hitting, some common game situations, and what you can do to make the most of that situation and score!
Runner at second base with less than 2 outs
One of the situations you’re going to encounter in the game is having a runner at second base with less than 2 outs. Your job, as a hitter, is to move that runner. But what you don’t want to do is sacrifice yourself and give yourself up. You want to try to drive the runner in with a hard line drive or ground ball to the right side. If something happens and the ball is hit right to the first basemen or the second basemen, the least you are going to get from that is the runner moving to third base.
Runner on third base and less than two outs
With a runner on third base and less than two outs, you’ve got to get that runner in. There are two situations that can happen with a runner on third base: either they are playing back or they are playing in.
– If they’re playing back, try to hit a hard line ball to the middle of the infield – shortstop or second base. You’re trying to get the ball right through the middle.
– If they’re playing in, a lot of people try to hit fly balls. But if you think about it, the infield is at really short range the closer they are to you. So hit the ball hard on the ground. If the ball is high, you drive it. But don’t try to hit a fly ball, because usually what happens is you end up hitting a lazy fly ball to the infield.
Runner in a scoring position
When your runner is in a scoring position, your job is to bring those guys in. Look for a high pitch, high fastball, etc., that you can drive and do some damage with.
In the middle of an inning, you want to try to get on base – anyway you can. Try to drive the ball. If you can drive the ball, it’s going to be a lot easier for your teammates the drive you in from second base than it is from first.
Nobody on, and two outs
With nobody on, and two outs, you want to do the same thing – drive the ball. If you get to first base, it might take one or two hits – maybe three hits to get you in. So try to get a good pitch to hit, drive it, try to get an extra base hit, so your teammates have en easier chance to bring you in with two outs.
Hitting with two strikes
When you’re hitting with two strikes, there is a simple thing that you can do. Use the 2 + 2 + 2 approach. What you do is, choke up 2 inches on your bat, come closer to the plate 2 inches, and move forward 2 inches. What this is going to do is:
- when you choke up, you’ve got better control,
- when you come in, more than likely when a pitcher has two strikes, he’s going to work you away. So if you are closer, you might be able to handle that.
- When you move forward, it’s the same thing – the pitcher is going to throw changeups, etc., and you’ll be able to better handle those pitches.
Now, if you don’t want to move at the plate, just go down a little bit – get your center of gravity a little lower, and you’ll be able to see the ball better, and be able to make better contact.
Do you have other hitting tips that you find vaulable? Feel free to share them below! And don’t forget to Become a Fan on Facebook, where you can discuss this, and other hitting and conditioning tips and techniques with other baseball fans!