TIMING - DANCE WITH THE PITCHER

Are you swinging early or too late?

When it comes to hitting some may argue that seeing the ball or pitch recognition is more important than timing. I argue that timing is the most important thing when hitting, obviously you do have to see the ball. But you can see the ball and recognize the pitch, and yet, if timing is off, it is going to be mighty difficult to put the ball in play hard.

The job of the pitcher is to disrupt the hitter’s timing with an off-speed pitch and/or change in the delivery. Pitchers may take time, hold, jerk, come down and do all kinds of things to mess up the hitters timing. No matter the speed of the pitch, it is easier to hit pitchers that have the same smooth consistent delivery than a pitcher trying to mess up a hitter’s timing by altering point of release, delivery movement and changing speed. Sometimes, a pitcher has not thrown the ball yet, and the hitter is already out of sync.

I have heard coaches tell young players “time the pitch”. I see the confusion and frustration on their faces. How are they going to time a pitch, when they do not know which pitch is coming next? Of course, the coach meant to say, “time the pitcher.”

I tell my players to adjust to the pitcher’s delivery by dancing with the pitcher. This approach is used by a lot of hitters at all levels. It is easier to catch up with the pitch if the hitter syncs the load and launch phase of the swing with the pitcher’s movement than to wait for a particular pitch. The hitter should always work off the fast ball and adjust to the off-speed pitch. Another way to think about timing is to mirror the pitcher’s movement.

The timing dance goes like this:

1. The pitcher looks at the catcher for signs, the hitter looks at the pitcher with a relaxed stance and soft focus.

2. Baseball: The first movement for a right-handed baseball pitcher is to bring his left foot back to start his motion. On the batting box, a hitter starts shifting the weight backwards. Softball: The first movement for a right-handed softball pitcher is to rock back to seat/coil/load on the right leg to start her motion. On the batting box, a hitter starts shifting the weight backwards.

3. Baseball: The pitcher put his right foot down and he is going to get to his leg lift. The hitter starts his leg lift or toe lift and gets in the load position. Softball: The pitcher lifts her left foot and starts the arm rotation. The hitter starts her leg lift or toe lift and gets in the load position.

4. The pitcher strides to bring his momentum towards the plate. The hitter begins shifting the weight forward.

5. The pitcher releases the ball. The hitter strides towards the pitcher.

6. From this point on, it is a matter of pitch recognition and triggering the rest of the swing sequence when the front heel hits the ground.

Now a few caveats and tips to this approach to timing:

• This dancing with the pitcher mentality is based on timing a fastball. If a hitter times everything off the fastball and the pitcher throws an off-speed pitch, it is a little bit easier to adjust (sink on the back leg and keep hands back little bit) and fight that pitch off or head it to the opposite field. It is easier to put the brakes on than to speed everything up in a few milliseconds.

• Of course, this dance starts in the dugout by observing the pitcher’s delivery. It is rehearsed at the on-deck circle by swinging as the pitcher moves and releases towards home plate. Finally, the party reaches the batting box. But this dance with the pitcher or mirroring approach must change based on the pitcher’s delivery and speed. For example, if the pitcher is faster than average in his delivery or with his speed, a hitter might like to start everything a bit sooner. If the pitcher is throwing slower or has slow windup, a hitter might start everything a little bit later.

• When timing a fastball, it is easier to correct the swing if we are a bit late than if we are a bit in front of the point of contact (our front leg). Practicing working off the outer-third fastball, which we would hit deep in zone naturally, will give players the ability to adjust to the middle or to the inside pitch a lot easier.

• A hitter’s timing mechanism is when the foot hits the ground. It is going to dictate if she/he must rush the swing or are too late. Most times, the front foot should be down into launch position when the baseball is halfway between the pitcher’s mound and home plate. When unsure if timing is the culprit of a player swing and misses, filming a player in slow motion during BP or games and use that check point as a reference might help to fix the problem.

• Players can practice timing by doing this synchronized movements with a coach, a teammate or a parent simulating a pitcher. Players can also practice their timing without a bat at home, watching YouTube videos of bullpen sessions or games, as they try to sync their load and launch to different pitchers delivery.