Zone Hitting – Working the Tone Count

Undisciplined hitting has two main dangers. First, the batter is not hitting on pitches that are located where he hits most effectively, resulting in weak or high balls and easy outs. Second, a team of unruly hitters will never (and I mean NEVER!) Pressure the opposing pitcher to the point of collapse. The bottom line is that the pitcher will always maintain control of the ball game as long as he can count on the batters to swing his pitch and not theirs.

There are many ways to have a good at-bat (let’s call it QAB or quality at bat) from this point on. The QABs come from good clean hits. The pitcher throws the whole thing, you hit him hard, he finds a hole and you are at the base. That is the most obvious QAB. The less obvious ones come from forcing the pitcher to throw your pitch at you or take it deep into the count before walking or making an out. Both should be rewarded by teammates for reasons I’ll explain later.

Let’s start by defining a QAB. This is a concept that you must learn, understand, and apply in all shifts from now on. An at-bat quality is any turn at bat that results in you reaching base through a hit or a walk, or forcing the pitcher to pitch more than four pitchers. Why oven? Because if I, as a pitcher, can get you out on 4 pitches and I can do it again for each of your teammates, then my pitch count is 12 pitches per inning, 108 per game. That’s not so bad for a pitcher. Also, it means that you, as a hitter, only get 12-16 pitches (if so) per game to hit. Later in the game, you won’t have seen enough pitches to keep track of time and feel comfortable. Have you ever wondered why a pitcher, who is progressing through a game with no real problems but is going to have almost all the hitters, suddenly find himself shaken even though he is doing well? Hitters got comfortable with him. They saw enough pitches to figure out how to hit it effectively. That’s why closers are so effective even if they only throw one type of pitch.

By forcing the pitcher to throw more pitches, you can watch him longer and see all of his pitches. Plus, you wear it out. So instead of 4 pitches, it now takes 7 pitches for you and the rest of your team to get out. Assuming no one makes it to base, the pitcher ends up throwing 21 pitches per inning or 147 per game. That’s a very high pitch count for anyone, especially high school or college pitchers.

Suppose that most pitchers have an ERA of 80 pitches. You face a pitcher and get on base for 5 pitches. Next batter flies out at 6. Batter # 3 hits a groundout on 4 pitches. The cleanup hitter is out at 7. The last batter in the inning defends 1-2 only to roll on 7 pitches. No runs are scored, but his team has had the pitcher throw 29 pitches in one inning. At that rate, the pitcher should lose his effectiveness in the third inning. If your team continues to wear you out, you will have created a window of opportunity to open the game wide somewhere in the third or fourth inning.

How do you have a QAB? The answer depends on the situation present when you enter the batter’s box. For now, let’s talk about your first at-bat, with no runners and no outs. You should have a good idea of ​​where your “happy place” is in the strike zone. A “happy place” is your power zone. Typically it is from mid-thigh to belt height on the inner half of the plate. Wherever you are, this is where you want to hit the ball for power and solid contact. When you’re at the plate, you’re looking for a fastball at that specific location. You will not hit on any pitch outside of that zone, even if it is a strike. Also, it will not sway on any out of speed cast. You will keep looking for a pitch in this zone until you have a strike.

With a hit, the area you are hitting expands slightly. You are now looking at the fastball (or hanging out of speed) in the heart of the plate. Look from the height just above the knees to the hips. You must make a mental note to stay closed while expanding your zone. The odds of being thrown outside increase dramatically when you have one or more strikes. Also, your mindset should be to hit the ball down the middle. He must not swing on out-of-zone pitches or off-speed pitches other than mistakes. You will hit this area until you have two hits.

With two strikes, the zone opens wide, spreading at least 2 inches. in the corners and a ball width up and down the zone. Take note of what the referee is calling and adjust your zone accordingly. Your swing shortens slightly as you look to put the ball in play or take a foul. You are now reaching for the ball and will keep your front hip closed as you approach the ball. He’s looking to hit the opposite court as most pitches will be thrown to the outside half of the plate with two strikes. You will react to the inner tone.

Now, with this mindset, the pitcher must throw a minimum of 3 pitches to get you out or walk. So a minimum of 3 tosses to get you off or 4 to walk. You have so many pitches to find one that’s in your hitting zone to hit for power. Expect to make at least 5 pitches, as we can expect the pitcher to waste a pitch or miss the zone. Chances are, one of those five tosses is the money toss for you. Be prepared. The big difference between amateur and professional hitters is that professionals can hit the pitch when they do it most of the time.

With runners on, your zone will change depending on where you want to hit the ball, but for the most part, those three zone situations will suffice. Also, if you are facing a pitcher who is throwing strikes and a lot of them; you will have to match their aggressiveness. Still looking for his pitch, his zone should expand further after the first strike to incorporate the zone the pitcher is hitting. If it is not long, you have to take one more step and pair it. Sure, you’re not going to increase the pitch count (unless you hit it a lot and keep it out there) but you will see pitches you can make, so go get them.

Counting work is extremely important when hitting a pitcher you haven’t seen before. It takes a team effort to gain insight into what the pitcher has in terms of speed, location, and types of pitches. Done correctly, batters can move the lead to their side of the plate while possibly increasing their batting averages. Will this always work? Probably not, but it will make you a better hitter and increase your team’s chances of winning.

Variations on this approach can be made by moving your starting zone to where you want to hit the ball. If I know I can hit the outside pitch with power, I may want to go after the first fastball I see on the outside half of the plate (most likely the first pitch). It’s up to you. The important part of all this is learning plate discipline and not going up there attacking anything that moves. Have a plan and stick to it unless conditions force you to change.

Ultimately, QABs will help increase your batting average, RBI count and on-base percentage. However, to be effective, you must learn to recognize throws and develop a short, quick shot at the ball. Putting it all together is what it’s all about!