Baseball: switch hitters

My guess is that they use the ability in any way that might give their team a benefit - both of you are right.

I agree - both

mostly the pitcher.

(whether the pitcher is a lefty or a righty)

its percentages and comfort with the curveball.

bunting is easier from the left... (shorter distance to first)

Oh I just hate it when we're both right. Where is the fun in that?

So.... if the pitcher is a lefty do you hit right or left?

righty

Okay!

How does that work to the batter's advantage?

you don't do this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I28o24u3UUk

I was {still am} a switch hitter....the advantage is...if the guy is pitching right, and you are batting right, after his windup you can see his hand/the ball a split second sooner than if he were throwing across his body at you....so, you bat from the side that the ball will come from...."keep your eye on the ball"...the sooner you are able to do that, the more time you have to adjust your stance or swing....which is actually done out of reflex, cause you really don't have time to think.

Generally I always prefered bating left, as somebody already said...you are one step closer to first base...that and my left swing just had a lot more power, and was very natural...my right swing was forced. When I'm playing with the kids, I usually bat right, and they know to play a shallow field....but, before we quit, I always hit a few batting left...and they know to scoot way back. I throw right, and write with my right hand, but most anything else I do lefty.

One of the twins is a switch hitter. The coach uses him to throw off the other team...used that ability during play offs. Coach loved that he could bunt left handed up third base line (when no one was on third) and book it for 1st.

some switch-hitters elect to bat righty against tim wakefield, a right-handed knuckleball pitcher.
not exactly sure why...

Usually it has to do with the pitcher.

Oh wait wait wait...

If the pitcher throws left you bat right or left? I'm confused again. It seems we have two answers.

That is interesting about seeing the ball just a split second sooner! Amazing.

And being closer to the base makes sense although I wonder if the turning doesn't somehow slow you down a second or two...

And now I want to know why they bat against that one guy (sorry, memory failure) opposite of what they would usually do.

theory...

baseball is full of theory.

in theory, a batter at high levels is able to pick up the ball at a better angle from a pitcher of the opposite hand, and read the spin...

(and he does not feel the urge to bail out so much)

there are no absolutes.


growing up, I hit lefty only situationally, as I had no pop from that side, but could make consistent contact, and bunt.

bunting lefty, you are already moving to first as you drag the bat behind you.

(it helps a slow catcher to beat out the throw)

Yeah, most guys prefer to bat opposite of the pitcher....if they are able to do so....I always had better luck batting from the same side. I never could read the seams...or saw any dots...from either side....guess that's why I never made it to the majors.

it's possible that they are natural right-handed hitters, and simply feel more comfortable batting that way against the erratic knuckleball...