Picture this: You're in the box, 2-1 count, runner on second. The pitcher's been living on his fastball all day, but you just watched him throw three straight sliders to the guy before you. What are you looking for?
If your answer is "just see ball, hit ball," you're missing one of the biggest advantages you can have as a hitter. The best hitters I've worked with — from my days in the Indians organization to the players we see at All Fields Hitting today — they all share one thing: they have a plan before they step in the box.
The Difference Between Looking and Hunting
There's a big difference between looking for a pitch and hunting a pitch. Looking is passive — you're hoping something good comes your way. Hunting is active — you're targeting something specific and you're ready to attack when you get it.
My dad Bruce always said the pitcher has one job: to get you out. He's got a plan for how he wants to attack you. Why would you step in there without your own plan?
At All Fields Hitting, we teach our players to get specific with their approach. Not just "look for a strike" — that's way too broad. We want them thinking about three things:
What Pitch Are You Looking For?
This isn't about guessing. It's about understanding tendencies and situations. Is this pitcher a fastball-first guy? Does he love his curveball on 1-1? What did he just throw to the last two hitters in similar counts?
Something I see a lot with younger hitters is they try to be ready for everything. That sounds good in theory, but in practice, it leaves you ready for nothing. We prefer what we call "educated aggression" — being ready to turn on one specific pitch type while staying able to react to others.
What Zone Do You Want It In?
The strike zone isn't created equal. We all have happy zones where we can really do damage, and we all have areas where even a strike is tough to handle well.
For most hitters, that happy zone is middle-middle to middle-away, thigh to belt high. But here's the thing — every hitter is a little different. Some guys love the ball up. Some guys are great low-ball hitters. The key is knowing your strengths and hunting in those areas when you can.
When we work with players on zone awareness, we use a nine-square grid. Instead of thinking about the whole strike zone, they're hunting in one or two specific squares. It's amazing how much more aggressive and confident hitters get when they narrow their focus like that.
How High Do You Want It?
This might be the most overlooked part of having a plan. Height is huge. A fastball at the letters plays completely different than a fastball at the knees, even if they're both strikes in the same horizontal location.
In our experience, most young hitters struggle with height recognition more than anything else. They'll take great swings on pitches in their zone, but they're not consistent with their height selection. We spend a lot of time teaching them to be specific: "I want a fastball, middle-away, belt high." Not just middle-away — belt high, middle-away.
Adjusting Your Plan Based on Count
Your plan can't be the same in every count. What we teach is having a primary plan but being ready to adjust based on the situation.
Hitter's Counts (2-0, 2-1, 3-1)
These are your hunting counts. This is where you can afford to be really selective and look for your pitch in your zone at your height. Don't expand here. Make the pitcher come to you with something you can handle.
Even Counts (1-1, 2-2)
You can still hunt, but maybe you expand your zone slightly. Instead of hunting in one square, maybe you're looking in two squares. Instead of being locked on just fastball, maybe you're ready for fastball or slider.
Pitcher's Counts (0-2, 1-2)
Now you're in survival mode. Your job is to stay alive and try to get a count back in your favor. This doesn't mean you can't be aggressive if you get your pitch, but you need to be ready to battle and work deeper into the at-bat.
Things We See That Hold Hitters Back
One tendency that shows up a lot is what I call "plan paralysis." A hitter gets so locked into looking for one specific thing that they can't adjust when they don't get it. The plan should help you be more aggressive, not more passive.
Another thing we notice is hitters who change their plan mid-at-bat without a good reason. You decided to hunt fastball middle-away based on the situation and the pitcher's tendencies. Don't bail on that plan just because the first pitch was a curveball for a ball.
We also see hitters who have a great plan but don't trust it. They hunt their pitch, get it, but hesitate because they can't believe it's actually there. Trust your plan. If you've done your homework and you get what you're looking for, be ready to attack.
Putting It Into Practice
The best way to work on this is in your batting practice. Before every round, tell your coach or whoever's throwing what you're hunting for. "This round I'm looking for fastballs, middle-in, thigh to belt high." Then only swing at those pitches.
Start narrow — really narrow. One pitch type, one zone, one height. As you get better at recognizing and attacking your target, you can expand gradually.
We also like using situational rounds. "Runner on second, one out, 2-1 count — what's your plan?" Make batting practice as game-like as possible.
Video study helps too. Watch how major league hitters approach different counts and situations. You'll start to notice they're not just up there hacking. They have a plan, and they stick to it until they have a reason to adjust.
This is exactly what we work on with our players. Interested in training? Let's talk.