The harder he throws the
farther it goes.
Well....not so much.
The reality is the pitcher
is not supplying as much
of the power as people
traditionally thought.
Here some important facts:
The study of exit velocity off the bat
has proven pitchers are NOT supplying
as much of the power as most think.
In the 2015 season for example -
* Giancarlo Stanton hit the hardest ball
showing 120.3mph of exit speed.
Ironically that pitch was a 79mph
curve ball.
* Six of the eight fastest exit velocities came
on pitches that were thrown 88mph or
slower.
* Reducing pitch speed by 20mph only
lowers the average exit velocity
by 4mph.
* The hitter is supplying on average at least
85% of the power.
* Also consider the speed of the pitch
out of the hand is not as fast when it
arrives at the plate. Normally about
4mph slower.
With all of this said this really shows
you if you want to hit the ball hard,
you best be able to supply the power.
If the hitter is relying on the pitcher
to supply the power.....good luck with that.
One part of the Explosive Hitting program
is getting hitters to understand how they
can better supply the power.
A common standard today (much more than 5
years ago) is hitting a ball off a tee to see
how fast the ball exits the bat.
This may not be a measurement of how good
of a hitter the player is, but certainly a
measurement on how much power that
individual can supply to the baseball.
The good news is the technique that best
helps supply the power should also help
other areas as well.
I call this a plus, plus, plus. A benefits.
The technique needed for the hitter to
supply most of the power is also the
same technique needed to -
a. Lay Off The Breaking Ball
b. Hit the breaking ball harder
c. Lay Off Bad Pitches
D. Supply more power in general
The trick even for those with great exit
velocity is to transfer that power to the
game.
Obviously poor timing will destroy good
technique. Bad timing transfers to bad
technique.
This is exactly why technique/timing/power
and pitch recognition should all be trained
as one. It's one package because it all
matters.
Just remember simply making contact and
hoping the pitcher supplies the power will
NOT work very long.
I guarantee you if the hitter is relying on the
power of the pitcher, the hitter will also
struggle with breaking balls. It goes hand in
hand.
In a recent interview Jim Lefebvre (former MLB
Player, Manager, and hitting coach) talked
about how hard big league players actually
hit the ball.
Jim reported his testing on MLB players showed
the average exit velocity off a batting tee was
95mph. So the average MLB players can create
at least 95mph on his own without the speed
of the pitch.
With that said, eventually your baseball
player will also have to supply the power.
The question is are you working on supplying
the power or have you been told that will just
happen magically one day!
Are you being told "the harder they throw -
the farther it will go".
NOT!
You will have to supply at least 85% of the power.
This is something most hitters in America are
not prepared for.
Instead we focus on being quick. Getting the bat
to contact on faster pitching. Most are practicing
getting to contact with less force behind the swing.
MY ADVICE?
SUPPLY THE POWER.
Common misconceptions are that players
think they need to be quick and in return
they sacrifice power. The reality is if you
get to the ball with LESS, quickness doesn't
do you a lot of good.
You need to get to the ball with more.
NOTE - The home run derby is a great example
of how hitters supply power. With BP pitchers throwing
60mph the players are still hitting the ball 500 feet.
If hitting the ball farther is mostly about the pitchers
power than Aroldis Chapman should be giving up
the farthest and hardest hits. As you know that's
not happening because the harder people throw it
challenges the hitters ability to square the ball up.
My Advice
1. Always work on supplying power
2. Challenge this concept on off-speed and slower pitching
3. Blend technique,power, and timing training together as one package.
Remember The Benefits -
The very things that help you supply the power
are the very things that help you on breaking pitches.
The same things also help lay off bad pitches
and especially breaking balls out of the zone.
If you're focused just on being quick you will deliver
less power, get fooled more, and chase bad pitches more.
Mike Ryan
Fastball USA
The Hitting Mind
|
