How to Beat a Fastball Pitcher at Their Own Game
By Mitchell Dowdy
The pitcher is well known for his fastball. Your ace hitters are either knocking it foul or whiffing it altogether. There is a secret to beating a hard fastball Pitcher.
Fastball Pitchers are accustomed to having their way at the plate. Very little unravels their poise. They know their job and they know it well. Throw hard and throw strikes.
Occasionally their zest sends an unwitting batter to first on a free trip. Pitchers console themselves with the knowledge that all wounds will heal. It is merely a bruise, it will heal, well in time anyway.
They are the heroes of their team. Strike after strike, batter after batter, the offense is retired quickly. Amidst the slaps on the back and the cheers from the crowd. Yes, commanding Pitchers are revered.
Your number is called up to the on deck. A dynamite batting average you do not posses. From the on deck circle you check your swing to match his speed. Whoosh, the ball passes over the plate and you hear the pop of the catchers mitt with the bat in your hand only part way through the swing.
How can you beat this monster? What can you do to get that Pitcher to back off on his speed an accuracy. Is there anything that can be done to shake this guy up?
These Pitchers are determined to set the pace and play the game their way. A self centered approach to winning the game at the plate. If you let them own the plate they will take you as well.
On your side you have a great skill. An innate ability that will take the pride out of any fastball Pitcher. You have the cunning to rock this pitcher on the mound mid throw. A four letter word that has won hundreds of games. The most singular act of unnerving a pitcher available. You have the bunt!
Bunting a baseball does far more work against a Pitcher than what is obvious. First, you want to time your switch in stance to be a little earlier, you want the Pitcher to see what you are doing as he takes the ball from his glove.
When the Pitcher is aware the ball will be put in play, their first reaction is to prepare to get off the mound to run it down. More often then not, instead of keeping his toe dug into the mound for the entirety of their throw, the Pitcher will bring their plant foot forward in anticipation of making the dash.
By taking their foot off the mound, they loose a substantial amount of power which results in a slower ball and change in accuracy as they have changed their mechanics. Could be a strike, could hit the batter, could puff the dirt in front of home plate. The reality is you have forced the pitcher to play your game.
Now that you have made the monster move to your tune it is time to dig it in a little deeper. No matter who is pitching, when a Batter bunts, the likely hood he will make contact with the ball is very high. It may roll foul, it may bounce off home plate. But the fact of the matter is you hit a pitch from the monster.
When a Pitcher becomes used to striking out Batters, they develop the need for more strikes and less hits. Hitting the ball in any fashion wears on them. Best of all, there is nothing they can do to stop it. You are going to show bunt and aside from throwing a wild pitch, you are going to put the bat on the ball.
Every time you force the Pitcher to change his pattern you are breaking them down to play your game. Every time you put the bat on the ball you force the defense to wake up and earn the out.
Bunting is much more useful that just as a sacrifice to move a man on bases. If you get several other players on your team to play the same tune with this fire throwing monster, his rhythm will end and so will the onslaught of hard pitches. Beat the monster with a bunt.
About the author
Mr. Dowdy is an Official Distributor for NW Kelley USA Baseball you can also click over to Hirsch Group for more tips/articles or even Hirsch Group Blog for current events.
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