![]() They let those pitches go by, even if they are going to be called a strike. So, the answer to the question, ‘How do you hit a (good) curve ball’ is ……… You Don’t.Ī batter who is successful in hitting the curve ball doesn’t swing at those that are well-located. The approach to teaching kids how to hit a curve ball, that I suggest, is very simple and is the same approach that many MLB batters take when hitting the curve.įirst, we must recognize that even the best MLB batters rarely hit a well-located curve ball for a base hit. In most cases, much of what is offered is beyond what youth baseball players can take on or they require more time than we realistically have with our players, or with our own child. Some of these, in my opinion, can be helpful depending on the age and type of player we are working with some I am not personally a fan of. Set up a JUGS pitching machine throwing curves that are knee-high on the black and practice, practice, practice Practice hitting the curve ball to the opposite field The depth in the strike zone to best contact a curve ball Know the pitcher’s patterns, so to anticipate when a curve will be thrownįactor in the game situation and what the batter and pitcher are each trying to accomplish, so to better anticipate the curve ![]() Here are some examples of ways to address ‘How to Hit a Curve ball’ that you may have heard: Like most topics in baseball, and in sports, we can find a wide variety of ideas of how to address a given issue. Training a Batter How to Hit a Curve ball I will come back to these points in a bit. About half will catch a larger portion of the strike zone. Of those that are in the zone, about half will be good ‘pitcher’s pitches’ (at the knees and on the edge of the plate). The other half miss the zone and a fair number of those bounce in the dirt. He said that a good pitcher will locate, maybe, half their curves in the strike zone. ![]() I’m quite sure his numbers were not scientific, but feel they make the point and I believe most coaches at higher levels of the game would agree his numbers are pretty solid. I attended a baseball coaching conference years ago where I sat in on a discussion by a well-respected college coach who broke down the statistical results of curve balls thrown by pitchers. ![]() But what about hitting the curve? Keep reading. Simply showing the batter a different look can make the curve an effective pitch as long as its somewhere near the strike zone. A pitch that is different visually, then a straight fast ball, is a strange and uncomfortable experience for a young batter. The advantage a youth pitcher has in throwing a curve ball, good, bad or ugly, is the batters facing the pitch have seen very few curve balls in their lives. Most don’t throw this pitch well on a consistent basis. Youth pitchers, as well as young teens and some high school age pitchers, are just beginning to learn how to throw a curve. Over the years, I’ve heard a zillion conversations about how to hit a curve ball.Ī couple of thoughts before we get into the ‘How to’ part. In addition, I’ve had the good fortune of being around my younger brother, Todd, who played in the Major Leagues, which exposed me a bit to that level of play. Constructed from sturdy PVC and featuring a durable fabric target, our Strike Zone withstands pitch after pitch for hours of playtime.I’ve spent 40 years in baseball as a player, coach and instructor. It's compatible with Wiffle Ball and Blitzball and great for players of all ages and abilities. Balls that hit the target and frame count as strikes, while ones that hit the legs or miss completely count as balls. Use the target to track strikes and balls. GoSports Strike Zone Target is the must-have target for plastic baseball games.
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