Reccomendations for hitting off-speed pitches

[Guest McCovey521]

I'm having a hellava time hitting curves, changeups, and other off-speed

pitches. I'm either swinging too late or too soon. Any suggestions?

[JDF42]

Try playing the hitting mini-game on all-star level or higher. That should help you out some.

[Jitter]

For me the key to better hitting in general was finding the right camera view. For me the one that seemed to suit my eye the best was abhall's Lower/Centered Batting Cam. For me the mini game really screws up my timing now so I stay away from it. I say the key is just patience sit and wait for a pitch on a specific part of the plate and dont swing at anything else (unless you have 2 strikes). For offspeed pitches I look at the mph and gauge how long to wait, based on how long I wait to swing for the pitchers fastball. I love hitting high changeups, alot of those end up as homers for me. The curveball is alittle iffy for me usually I can make good contact but cant say I get a ton of hits off of it. The one pitch that really has me confused is the slider. I can not get the timing down on a guy w/ a good slider. Even though most of them are in the mid 80's speedwise they seem to arrive at the plate quicker than a mid 90's fastball. I hope theres some info in there you can use at least.

[abhall]

I'm having a hellava time hitting curves, changeups, and other off-speed

pitches. I'm either swinging too late or too soon. Any suggestions?

1. What batting view do you use? Try a different one if you're having a hard time picking up breaking balls or offspeed stuff with the one you're using.

2. Use pitch history. It can be very helpful. I use it almost every at bat.

[cybernetic]

I just have a problem with patience.. I swing at anything in or close to the strikezone usually.. which results in a lot of weak ground balls and popups.. but if I make contact it usually goes for a home run or a hit up the middle.. I've been working on controller where I hit the ball the last few games and have hit more balls the other way.. I even hit a homer run the other way in my most recent game

[Expos4Ever]

I can not get the timing down on a guy w/ a good slider. Even though most of them are in the mid 80's speedwise they seem to arrive at the plate quicker than a mid 90's fastball. I hope theres some info in there you can use at least.

Slider seems to be faster than fastball because it have motion which makes you think the ball was slower.

My problem was hitting good 2-seamer and cutter. I can hit the other pitches decent with the hitter's eye.

[JoeRudi26]

For me, patience is the key. I usually take a strike, keep an eye on pitch history, and sit on a guess based on the history. Getting your check swing down is a good thing too. I don't know how many times I have been fooled by something off speed (out of the strike zone) that I have had to check my swing on without going around.

[abhall]

I just have a problem with patience.. I swing at anything in or close to the strikezone usually.. which results in a lot of weak ground balls and popups.. but if I make contact it usually goes for a home run or a hit up the middle.. I've been working on controller where I hit the ball the last few games and have hit more balls the other way.. I even hit a homer run the other way in my most recent game

To increase your plate discipline in your next 2 games take the 1st pitch during EVERY at bat (do it in exhibition if you don't want to in your dynasty/owner mode). That helped me take more pitches, draw more walks and eventually get more hits, score more runs, etc.......

[Expos4Ever]

agree with abhall, unless the first pitch is a curve right down the middle..then... :twisted:

[cybernetic]

To increase your plate discipline in your next 2 games take the 1st pitch during EVERY at bat (do it in exhibition if you don't want to in your dynasty/owner mode). That helped me take more pitches, draw more walks and eventually get more hits, score more runs, etc.......

Playing on pro I can still win a lot of games and hit 2-3 homers a game though. However I am thinking of going up to all-star and the added discipline will help. I'm not worried about wasting time in the dynasty with workig up plate discipline so I'll do it in the dynasty.. but once in a while the first pitch in an at-bat is a juicy fastball to hit so I'll just my own judgment whether I'll swing at the first pitch or not.

[MarlinsFan]

Only time I'll chase the first pitch is if it is a mistake pitch, or I know if I hit it will be gone.

Patience as said by many above is the way to play. Make the pitcher work, he'll eventually start to tire out, and throw a mistake pitch at some point, also as the CPU tires out, their pitch effectiveness lowers, so their curves will start looking more like a BP fastball.

Expos4ever, yea the 2-seam and cutter can get anyone thinking fastball easily. Was play against Hampton I think it was, 2 strikes, threw a cutter that seemed like a fastball(of course) aimed at the edge of the strikezone, I swung and missed, pitch broke right outside of the strikezone.

[Jitter]

I also have a problem w/ the 2 seamer and cutter if there is great disparity in thier speeds as opposed to the 4 seamer. Randy Johnson has been the toughest guy I faced so far. I played him on all-star and he one hit me. Luckily it was a homer and I won 1-0. Between his slider and the varying speeds on his different fastballs it was tough to get good contact.

[Expos4Ever]

I also have a problem w/ the 2 seamer and cutter if there is great disparity in thier speeds as opposed to the 4 seamer. Randy Johnson has been the toughest guy I faced so far. I played him on all-star and he one hit me. Luckily it was a homer and I won 1-0. Between his slider and the varying speeds on his different fastballs it was tough to get good contact.

Sit on his slider :wink:

BTW: for a laugh. I have seen players on Free Agent that have a "curve" that don't drop at all, have the same trajectory as the fast ball....But at 72mph. Now that's one tough pitch to him(I can't hit knuckleball very well either)

[Jitter]

Knuckleballs I am OK but not great. I absolutely cant hit the knuckleball on MVP level in the minigame, but in a regular game w/ the highheat cam its not too bad. Normally I strike out maybe 3-4x a game but w/ a knuckleballer I strike out about 8 or so. Its definitely a good feeling when you hit a homer off a knuckleball though My goal when I play them is to make them throw as many pitches possible so they are out of the game by like the 7th or 8th inning. Normally I can get 1-2 runs off them, but havent had too many offensive breakouts against knucklers.

[miles44]

For the first two pitches or until I get a strike called, I look for "mistake pitches", you know, the times when the red, white or blue ball shows up in the strike zone. By doing this, I not only make the pitcher work more, thus increasing the chances for hitting easier pitches, but I draw more walks.

[UncleMo]

don't miss. :mrgreen:

[Zephyr]

I look for a 2x2 box where I want the ball if I don't have two strikes.

The problem is that unless it's a fourseamer, it's not going to look like it's entering the zone you want it in.

You need to spend the early part of the game paying attention to how the pitchers specific pitches break. Is the slider a west-east or a north south? If you can spot the color, and think about what's coming fast enough, you can then pay attention to where the ball is when it leaves the pitcher hand. You'd be surprised how well you'll be able to hit breaking pitches when you see the ball well out of the hand.

[nittanylionfan3]

I wish i could wait for a pitch. My record for pitches thrown by the other pitcher was 77 through eight innings. hehe. And I agree with joerudi, i will try to guess based on pitch history.

[sjbushido]

When ever i see green or red i just try to wait a sec longer and whack it to the opposite field if outside or pulling it down the left field line. Patience is very vital young padawan...

[nittanylionfan3]

maybe i should get MVP 2005. cause 04 doesn't have the hitter's eye.

[TROR]

hitters eye only help so much, , it doesn't give speed or specific pitch, you still have to hold back on off speed pitches or it's a grounder or popup, it's like real life, when you reconise a off speed pitch you hold back and try to hit the pitch at the peak of its break.