Look For Your Pitch

There is a reason you are allowed three strikes before you strike out.

Starting an at bat, you have a no balls, no strikes (0-0) count. If you do not swing at the first strike, the umpire is not going to call you out and make you go back to the dugout. Understand that you do not have to swing at every strike and need to have a plan.

Every hitter knows what pitch is “their pitch.” Your pitch is the ball you can hit the hardest. Some hitters look for a pitch on the inside part of the plate. For others, it is low and down the middle. “Your pitch” can be anywhere. You just have to know what you are looking for.

Once you have established which pitch is “your pitch,” that is the only pitch you should be looking for until the pitcher throws a strike. If you are only looking for a pitch in a specific location, your chances of getting a base hit increase when that pitch is thrown because you are not worried about covering the entire strike zone, only a little portion.

If the pitcher does not throw the pitch where you are looking, let it go. If it is called a strike, realize that you can no longer be as selective for the remainder of the at bat.

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