I truly believe a curve is a homerun pitch, provided a player knows how to hit. That is the dilemma. The majority of coaches, knowing that most high school pitcher’s curves are not the best, convince their players to not swing.
Question; “When are they going to learn how to hit a curve; when the pitchers learn to throw it better?”
As Cato said in “A Tragedy,” by Joseph Addison, “He who hesitates is lost.” In fact one of my player’s father, who played minor league ball, said he was asked during a job interview, “Why did you leave your last job?” Without hesitation he responded, “I couldn’t hit a curve ball!”
I hate it when someone transfers blame, but most of what these players are doing to hit a curve sounds right, but…it’s not! What they say, what they hear sounds very “baseballish,” but when put to a test it really is generic rah-rah. Making no sense.
Here are a couple curve ball favorites.
- Wait longer
- Let it get in on you
- Take it the other way”
Next time you are told to wait, ask a simple question, “How long do I wait when it comes to hitting a curve ball?” Better yet, pretend a young kid looking for guidance asks you the question, what’s your answer?
For most, this is the first time they’ve actually stopped and questioned their approach to hitting a curveball. In fact this is the first time they realized they really didn’t know how to hit a curve, much less answer the question, “how long should they wait?” Hmmm, no wonder hitting instructors are financially happy during the off- season. Before you transfer blame, take a long look in the mirror and you will find where the fault lies. It’s your acceptance without understanding.
Hitting a curve ball is simple, provided you turn the hitting decision making process over to your super computer; your brain. Fill it with the right knowledge about hitting then ask, where’s this pitch? Based upon your true understanding of what it takes to hit a curve, your brain recognizes the pitch as a curve and starts your swing after the break. Dropping the barrel of the bat onto, and going up, the same plane the curve is going down. It’s out-of-here!
Hitting truly is simple, but most fail to understand so they fail to believe it. Glenn Moore, author of “Handbook for Success,” said it best.
“The problem facing most athletes is not that their aim is so high they may miss it, but that it is so low that they are sure they hit it.”
It is true a player will never miss hit a curve by never swinging at one, but I also believe never learning how to hit the curve will limit the length of time they will play the game.”
Fill your brain with true hitting knowledge, eliminate the meaningless statements, and place your brain in autopilot. [e.g., Hitting is Simple…Have You Figured it Out Yet?]
Until next Blog,
Al McCormick
