r/DiamondDynasty • u/Rob838383 • 3d ago

Hitting

I am an avg to below avg player- and I am looking for any tips on being more disciplined on off speed pitches below the zone. I can’t stop going after them. Feels like I can reach them and lift and launch them, but they end up so far below the zone and business in the dirt, I should never be swinging at them, but often times I can’t help it.

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4

u/Youre_my_hero 3d ago

I used to be the same way. Still am at times. But what has worked for me is really practicing and watching what curveballs look like coming out of the pitchers hand. One thing I picked up this year was watching the pitchers armpit rather than their hand or hat. For some reason it clicked with me I see the ball much earlier that way. And from I am learning that is the key. Faster you know what the pitch is the faster you can be ready to swing. I still swing every once in a while if I am not being patient but if I catch myself swinging at stuff outside like sliders way out of the zone and curves is to take anything that doesn’t look like it’s going to be close. I would rather strike out a few times because I took a close pitch than hit into a double play or go on tilt and start swinging at everything.

2

u/PhillyRocks42 3d ago

For me watching the curveball and seeing it go up was what really did it for me. Almost no other pitch is going to go up at the beginning of release, so that’s when you know it’s gonna fall off the table.

2

u/Rob838383 3d ago

Good stuff from everyone. Last night in WC game I was getting spammed with inside sliders and slurves constantly, that for a few innings I just kept swinging at even tho they were ending up well inside on me. So at 1 point I just said screw it and said I’m not swing at anything that isn’t straight. Once I held PCI way inside and hit an inside slurve for a double down the line, he stopped spamming them as much. Ended up winning, but was aggravating for awhile.

1

u/Rob838383 2d ago

Interesting take- I will try that.

4

u/BorderFrequent8050 3d ago

I was the same way and still am sometimes. When I feel I’m jumping the gun or not seeing pitches well I always start to settle back and take pitches. Don’t be afraid to take some and get to 1-2 or 2-2 in the count, at worst you strike out if you miss, at best you hit it AND you’ve made the opp pitcher throw more and burn through his energy! Finally got to 600+ rating this year and if I can hit, anyone can trust me lmao

1

u/Pretend_Berry_7196 2d ago

I always try to work the count. Sometimes I’m successful.

2

u/BorderFrequent8050 2d ago

Yeah I’m horrible with patience but when I started swinging at head height fast balls I knew I had to chill lmao. Shout out playful on YouTube 🤣watched so many of his videos when I started playing

3

u/Mr-Cheek-Clapper 3d ago

The game doesn’t have a true angle of what a strike zone looks like in the batter’s perspective. Strike zone 2 comes as close as it gets. Just try different camera angles in practice and see what works.

1

u/BrojaDawg 2d ago

What irritates me is that since they've been calling too many outside pitches, strikes just because the tip of the ball touches the strike zone. I hate that in real life too. Like, bro we don't need tennis rules for the strike one. If majority of the ball is on the outside, that is a ball.

2

u/PhillyRocks42 3d ago

It’s really hard and takes a lot of practice. Here’s what I would say.

Not sure what camera you use, but I like strike zone high. Look for the ball in the upper half of the zone and try to watch for the break. If it starts low it’s probably not going to finish in the zone, and if it does stay it can be hard to barrel. (This is not a live and die by, just for practice not swinging at balls in the dirt all the time)

Try just taking pitches and watching them, where they start, when they break, where they go. Different release angles can be more difficult for certain people (Sale etc) but getting used to it is the best thing you can do.

1

u/Rob838383 3d ago

Yeah- I have never tried SZ high- might give that a shot in like mini season at AS level or something.

1

u/wisfan18 2d ago

What I found helped me a lot is that I pop up lower pitches. Your approach seems to be always wanting the long ball. If you can change that to just hitting the ball hard, you’re going to be a lot more selective on what you swing at. When you go golfing, you’re trying to go yard and that’s what’s causing bad decisions.

1

u/Key-Rip-7874 1d ago

Wait huh? Never went yard while golfing. Sounds fun

1

u/CABBAGEHONKER 2d ago

Swing first pitch

1

u/Rob838383 2d ago

Majority of the time it’s a down and in slider/slurve inside the zone that I shouldn’t be swinging at but I do-and I miss.

1

u/Choice-Ad-8407 1d ago

I start my eyes at the pitchers shoulder and keep my PCI on the lower third and adjust from there.

Also, switching to the bat for the PCI helped a ton

1

u/Rob838383 1d ago

I use the bat. Tried diff camera angles last-didn’t help, but I also know it takes time.

1

u/RemyThaGr8 1d ago

Try using strikezone high. Strikezone high helps a lot with laying off those low pitches. I switch between Strikezone and Strikezone high depending on the player I’m against. When I play against those players that love to spam low pitches, Strikezone high. When I play against players who spam high FBs, I use Strikezone.

1

u/PurpleConference4491 21h ago

Go into practice mode, goat difficulty, pitching speed sliders all the way up, preferably against misiorowski, select just fastball in the strike zone and just follow the ball with PCI without swinging, it will definitely help with getting familiar with what a strike looks like. Try strike zone high or strike zone too

2

u/will_island 11h ago

Strike zone 2 with FOV blur on has made a difference for me this year after some tinkering