CoachMc writes "We found this informative article by Coach Dunn on the mental side of hitting.
Psychology of Hitting By Coach Jack Dunn
Probably no skill in the field of athletics has been discussed, dissected and subjected to more coaching scrutiny than the art of hitting. A myriad of theories have evolved as to how this skill should be taught and the controversy continues. We thought it might be interesting to see what some of the Old Timers had to say. See if they sound familiar.
Branch Rickey: The biggest difference between major leaguers and minor leaguers is the attitude of the hitter when he steps in the box and when the pitch in on the way. The hitter must have a positive approach—"I'm going to hit this pitch!" The hitter is ready and set, cocks his wrists and is ready to swing, and starts forward on the pitch. Then, if the pitch is out of line, the hitter eases off and lets the pitch go. The wrong approach is—"If it is in there, I'll hit it."
George Sisler, former Major League great, and authority on hitting: Each hitter is an individual case, and a hitter may have perfect form and still not hit the ball. The primary thing that should be in the mind of every player who goes to the plate is to hit the ball. Erase all outward thoughts from your mind—you don't know if there are 2,000 people in the stands, or 20 people.
Batter must have confidence and not be tense. He should be in the frame of mind to look for any pitch. He should not try to guess. Be ready to hit the pitcher's fastest pitch and adjust your timing from there.
Paul Richards, Manager of the Baltimore Orioles: Relative to moving the back foot (which is a serious fault)—Hitting means being able to stand up to the plate on close pitches. Against pitchers who throw hard and are sometimes wild. If you can't stand up there to the pitch, you surely can't hit it. The fear of being hit is what brings the back foot up, or off the ground.
A good eye is the ability to swing at a ball that you know you can hit. Say the hitter has 2 balls and no strikes—he looks for a sign—he gets the hit sign. Well, why should he swing at the ball unless he has it timed perfectly. Suppose it is a big change of pace ball coming up and he is all off balance, yet he goes ahead with his swing and pops it up. That is the difference between a good hitter and a bad hitter. The good hitter sees that he can't hit it well, so he holds up, but the bad hitter goes on and swings and is out. That goes even up to 2 strikes. Why should you swing unless you have the ball timed? If you don't have the pitch timed, take it, because you certainly can't do much with it.
When you get right down to it, the pitcher is in a rather tight spot when he is 2 and 0, 3 and 1, or 3 and 0. He not only has to throw the ball over the plate, but the umpire also has to call it a strike, and the latter is not always automatic. Now figure it out—where is your percentage then? Let the pitcher pitch. That is where the hitter has the advantage, if he will make the most of it. If not, then the pitcher, with all the other percentages in his favor, certainly has it over the hitter.
Never assume a defeatist attitude anywhere on the field, especially at the plate. Have confidence in any situation, regardless of how tough, and dare the pitcher to try to get one past you.
Remember, determination makes up for batting faults or a general lack of great ability Youth Baseball Drills "
