Larry is the author of several informative books on learning and playing very good baseball. His experience covers coaching at many different levels, up to and including the high school level. While working for a major media company for 37 years,he has had the privilege of talking to many professional baseball players, managers, coaches and scouts. His website is unique in that it offers many of his FREE tips, right on site. Visit him at http://www.larrybaseball.com/
With two strikes on a hitter or any situation where it's important to just put the ball in play, there is absolutely nothing wrong with giving in a little and just trying to make contact and not try to do too much else.
There is nothing wrong with conceding a little to the pitcher and facing the fact that if the count is 1-2, you have a little bit of a problem on your hands.
Don't be afraid to choke up an inch or so on the bat and just try to make contact with the ball and put it in play.
I know an outstanding high school coach who has two things he makes his players promise to do every time they come up to the plate.
One is that they completely relax and visualize before every pitch that they will hit the ball hard.
The other thing is that everybody chokes up 2 inches on the bat when they have 2 strikes on them.
No matter where they are hitting in the batting order, if they don't choke up with two strikes they are removed from the game immediately!
I didn't say good or very good coach, I said outstanding coach.
Hitters should not only focus on contact when they have two strikes on them.
There are many other situations where the sole purpose of the at bat should be putting the ball in play!
It is extremely frustrating if your team has the tying run on third base late in a game with one out and you can't get that runner home.
Your team has a hitter at bat who is not an exceptionally strong hitter.
He doesn't concede anything and takes this big, long, looping swing.
He strikes out and your base runner ends up stranded at third base.
Why on earth this hitter didn't realize that a weak ten hopper to the second baseman could have tied up the game is a total mystery to me.
He can become somewhat of a hero just by hitting a weak ground ball and getting the tying run home.
As a hitter, the name of the game is being productive at the plate.
If a weak ten hopper to the second baseman gives your team a better chance to win, that should be your only approach during that at bat.
Put the ball in play!
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