Baseball Academics

SITUATION HITTING

BY RICHARD PACE

Many hitters find it awkward to execute a hit-and-run. That’s because they’re trying to change their swing for this special situation.  Hitting behind the runner is simply a matter of hitting the ball late, dropping the head of the bat over the back half of the plate.  Don’t change your mechanics at all; your swing remains the same.

A lot of coaches talk about situation hitting.  They like to see hitting ground balls to the right side to move a runner from second to third; a fly ball for a sacrifice to score a runner from third.  But I believe a hitter should still try to get a hit in any situation.

If you are a right-handed hitter with a runner on second, make contact with the ball over the plate not in front of the plate.  But do not go into contortions trying to produce a ground ball to the right side.  Put the ball in play.  If you fail to get a hit, you’ve managed to make an out on the right side of the field and advance the runner.  You shouldn’t have in your mind to completely “give yourself up” try to get on base no matter what.

The same concept applies when trying to lift the ball to the outfield for a sacrifice fly.  Take your best swing.  Make good contact.  Use the swing that you practice day in and day out.  If you suddenly try a new swing, you may get the ball into the air, but you will just as likely pop up and strand the runner as hit a sacrifice fly.  Keep this in mind and don’t change your swing.

It’s very difficult to hit when you have to think about swinging one way on inside pitches, another way on outside pitches, and a third way with runners in position.  Do not compromise sound hitting mechanics.  Great hitters can make adjustments for game situations without changing their swing.  Few hitters are good enough to make minor adjustments in each at-bat, or even in each game without screwing up their swing.

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