One of the most important areas of offensive baseball is the ability to make good contact with two strikes.
Effective two-strike hitting in baseball requires both mental and physical adjustments to maintain competitiveness and maximize contact. Hitters should adopt a "fight your way out of it" mentality, coupled with physical adjustments such as choking up on the bat, moving closer to the plate, and slightly crouching to improve bat control and shorten the strike zone. The primary objective is to put the ball in play, as reducing strikeouts significantly increases opportunities for run production and can frustrate pitchers. This approach is advocated by experienced coaches like Sam Piraro, who successfully led San Jose State University to the College World Series in 2000.
The most successful pitchers have the ability to “turn it up a notch” when they have the hitter in a two-strike situation. Unfortunately, many hitters do not raise their level of competitiveness accordingly. Not only does a hitter need to make physical adjustments, but he must also turn up his mental focus to prepare for the upcoming confrontation. It should be “personal!” Here are some ideas in dealing with the two-strike situation:
What is the right mental outlook for two-strike hitting?
Imagine yourself backed into a corner of an alley. Someone confronts you and wants your last five dollars. You can either:
A. Submit and give up
B. Try and negotiate a settlement
C. Fight your way out of it
We would like players to have the “C” mentality.
What physical adjustments should hitters make for two-strike hitting?
A. Choke up on the bat slightly. Bat control is important
B. Move slightly closer to the plate. Take away the outside strike
C. Spread out slightly to insure balance
D. Slightly crouch to shorten the strike zone. This adjustment helps in identifying and laying off the high pitch
Crucial mental adjustments for two-strike hitting include adopting a feisty, competitive mode where taking a third-called strike is unacceptable. Hitters should look for a fastball and be ready to adjust, aim to go up the middle and opposite field while protecting the outside, and foul off or block off any borderline or inside strikes.
The ultimate objective of effective two-strike hitting is to put the ball in play, thereby keeping strikeouts down and increasing run production. The difference between more and fewer strikeouts can lead to advanced runners, forced errors, bloop hits, bad hops, or a frustrated pitcher, all contributing to scoring possibilities.
How can coaches enhance effective two-strike hitting in practice?
- Effective two-strike hitting can be enhanced in practice settings.
- Establish count settings in the cages or in front toss drills.
- Also include this package in a batting practice scenario live on the field.
- Players must understand the concepts and see the fruits of their labor.As a coach, be very positive and complimentary when players compete in two-strike situations.
Sam Piraro has been the head coach at San Jose State University for 18 seasons. In 2000 he took the Spartans to the College World Series in Omaha for the first time in school history, and was named the Western Athletic Conference “Coach of the Year” for his efforts. Piraro was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer in 2003 and took a year’s leave of absence from the baseball program to successfully fight the disease. After undergoing two transplants, his cancer went into remission and he returned to the dugout in 2004.
Piraro played for San Jose State in the early 1970s and was the coach of Mission Junior College in Santa Clara for seven years prior to taking the job at his alma mater, where he has a 587-433-5 managerial record.
