Timing for a hitter in baseball or fastpitch softball is very important. Without the proper timing your bat will not be in the hitting zone at the right time, making it much more difficult to hit the ball consistently. There are two types of timing that hitters need to learn.
The first type is the batters own timing during their swing.
Most people do not think of this but it is very important. When we video students hitting, most baseball and fastpitch softball players at the half way point in the swing, when comparing 5 different swings, their bat is in 5 different positions up to a two foot difference. This means the hitters own timing is off and makes hitting a ball so such harder than it should be. When your own timing is off this makes the pitchers job so much easier. The speeds in our cages are 45, 65, and 85 mph. When I watch a hitter during a round it is easy to tell how much their own timing is off. For example a right handed hitter during a round, with the machine throwing the same speed each pitch, will go from pulling the ball directly left to being late hitting the ball directly right to everywhere in between. This means at the halfway point in their swing the bat is rarely in the same position. To have your own timing it needs to be in the same position every swing.
Most instruction (99%) as I have discussed in previous blogs will make hitters swing mostly with their arms causing their own timing to be inconsistent, up to a two foot difference. Hitters need to learn the proper way to use their body with the bat to have their own timing become very consistent meaning the pitcher will have a much tougher job trying to mess up the batters timing.
The second type is proper timing of the pitcher.
The pitchers job is to try and mess up the hitters timing so they won't hit the ball hard. Most hitters like I said before do not have their own timing consistent so they make the pitchers job much easier. Once you learn to get your timing correct now you can focus on how to time a pitcher.
Most hitters wait till the pitcher releases the ball and then tries to time the speed. This doesn't work very well because if a pitcher is throwing hard they try to swing faster to catch up to the ball and if a new pitcher comes in that throws slower they will be way ahead of the ball and try to swing slower to wait on it. This means most hitters will use different swings when facing pitchers that throw different speeds causing them to ruin their own timing in the process.
Hitters need to learn to time a pitchers arm. This makes timing a pitcher so much easier. For example, say a pitcher is throwing average and you are taking your step when they release the ball and your timing is good. When a faster pitcher comes in most hitters will take their step again when they release the ball and try to swing faster to hit it. You want to take your step with a faster pitcher when their arm is about two feet before release so you can take your step and swing normal without having to go faster. If you change your swing speed you will change your timing which will again make the pitchers job much easier.
Come in and learn to how to use your body and bat in a way that will enable you to have your timing very consistent, you will add so much more force into the ball, and hit line drives up to three times more often. You will learn how to make the pitchers job much more difficult and how to time a pitcher properly to make hitting so much easier. Call us at 304-722-6393 for more information, you will be amazed with the results.
Comments