How to Teach Timing and Rhythm at the Plate

batting practice rhythm and timing Nov 07, 2020

Hey guys, I get this one a lot. You go to the field and you're facing a really slow pitcher. And you hear kids in the dugout, "This guy throws too slow, or this girl throws too slow. I can't wait back." You'll hear coaches say, "Sit back and wait for it."

Kids struggle. They'll be way out in front. They'll hit rollovers. The biggest key when we're hitting different velocities is making sure that our rhythm and our load is always the same. Just because a person throws slow doesn't mean we have to get loaded and sit back and wait and stop.

Two things that I like to use, I like to tell our hitters, focus on oppo gap timing. And all that means if I'm facing a pitcher that throws slow, or a lot of times I used to do it if we were facing a lefty and they had arm side run and that ball was diving down and away from us, all I did was I focused on driving the ball to the opposite gap, nothing in my swing change, except when did I start my load.

So if I'm facing some somebody throwing really hard, I might start my load when that pitcher gets to this position, if I'm facing somebody that throws really slow, I might start my load when that pitcher gets to this position. Again, your rhythm, and you'll see guys, they'll have leg kicks. Some players will just go up and down. Some will go up on their heel or up on their toe, heel up and heel down.

Your rhythm should never change. That's why you see major league hitters looking like they're in slow motion against guys throwing 98, because they're always under control. It's not, "Oh man, this guy throws really fast. Let me rush." It's, "I'm just going to start my load a little bit earlier."

So when they're on deck, when they're in the hole, we talk about timing up the pitcher and getting in rhythm with them because every pitcher is going to have a different delivery. Everybody's going to have a different velocity.

So what we're going to do is we're going to tie them up and make sure that our load, if my load is one, two, and I'm firing out three, it's that same tempo, regardless of the velocity. It's just, when do you start it?

So two things focus on when you're starting and number two, think about oppo gap timing. We're not trying to inside out it. We're not trying to push it the other way. We're just timing up that slow pitcher so that I'm thinking opposite gap. And it'll allow me to stay back a little bit more and it'll keep me from jumping out at the pitcher and hitting those rollovers.

Make it a great day and Dominate the Diamond today!