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Do guys who throw right handed, but bat left handed....

  • Like Vergason, Bradley, Wingo, Dantzler, etc. Train themselves to bat left handed? I did that, and it took over a year. I was wondering, because it did not come natural to me at all. I still golf righty. I was wondering if it just came natural to more than just a select few? I know you can see the ball better from right handed pitchers like that.

    I was just curious about that. I know it makes you a more attractive college and pro prospect.

    Also, did I hear Walker correctly when he said he likes hitting right handed pitchers better than lefty pitchers?

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    Ally will beat the crap out of Uga.

    steve miller

  • It all depends on the person. I was a switch hitter and can throw with both. I was originally left handed and the school i went to switched me to writing right handed i did everything right handed till i fractured my wrist and was able to switch back to left handed within a week

    dnvrcocksfan

  • I bat left and throw right and that is the way I always did it. Didn't train myself to do it.

    Blitzer

  • I was right handed from birth in both, but experimented in little league as a 12 year old with hitting left handed.Worked on it in pony, colt, and high school leagues and ended up hitting better from the left side, average wise, by my senior year. My power was much better though from the right side, I never hit a longball batting lefthanded. No,it never felt natural to me either.

    This post was edited by Knot Hole Cock on 6/14/2012 at 10:14 PM

    Knot Hole Cock

  • Blitzer said...

    I bat left and throw right and that is the way I always did it. Didn't train myself to do it.

    My brother did the same thing. It was just natural to him.

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    Fripp Island

  • One of my 5 yr old twins is a natural lefty. But we're training him to throw righty so he won't be limited on the field as he grows up. He'll still hit, kick, write, etc... lefty.

    YouEsCee

  • Fripp Island said...

    My brother did the same thing. It was just natural to him.

    A lot of lefties are more ambidextrous than right handed people are, for some reason. Probably because everything in the world is made right handed.

    I ended up being able to hit left handed better than I could right handed, but only because I can see the ball better. It still does not feel totally natural, but power and everything were fine. I started hitting lefty after watching Mark Grace. His swing made me envious. And who was the other lefty with that beautiful swing back then? Was it Jack Clark?

    I had to teach myself to do it, and was wondering if those guys trained themselves to hit lefty to make themselves better college and pro prospects. Or, maybe there are more right handers who naturally hit lefty than I thought, though I doubt it.

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    Ally will beat the crap out of Uga.

    steve miller

  • My dad threw right and batted left. Said it was natural and he believes the best way for a right hand dominant player to hit because when batting from the left side your right hand is your lead hand which, he seemed to think, is the more important of the two hands in establishing the hand-eye coordination necessary to hit a ball well and generate more power. I never really decided if I agreed with that or not. I'm left left and not one bit ambidextrous. My right hand and foot may as well not even be there.

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    elcidcock

  • I grew up with 2 kids who could throw with both arms, and could throw hard with both arms. They also could switch hit as well. They both wrote with their left hand though.

    richcock1

  • Blitzer said...

    I bat left and throw right and that is the way I always did it. Didn't train myself to do it.

    Same here. Write lefty, swing a golf club lefty, kick a football with right foot and throw righty. I also shoot a rifle lefty which is good since my dominant eye is my left. Not a good thing since my lead eye (right) is the non dominant and I bat lefty (no one taught open stances where I played little league). It's also hard as heck to find anyone who can teach a lefty to play golf since everything is in reverse.

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    34-17, 4-3, 7-1, 29-7, 34-13 ALL STOP!!! It's a GREAT TIME TO BE A GAMECOCK! Back 2 Back Natty's! DOMINATION By GAMECOCK NATION!

    SwanseaGCOCK

  • I always teach based on dominant eye because of how your head will be in the box. Switch hitting is very difficult and you definitely have to be dedicated to perfecting it. I'm always impressed with that. Was only a bunter/slap hitter AT BEST from the left side.

    the man in black... Follow me on twitter: @Bbookstaver_USC

    MrMckie

  • Oh and I do know Tyler Lumsden, former Clemson pitcher. When he was up in Winston-Salem at same time I was he could still throw 80+ from both sides. Pretty impressive.

    the man in black... Follow me on twitter: @Bbookstaver_USC

    MrMckie

  • A good friend of mine does everything right handed but hit a baseball. He played golf and baseball in college (baseball/coastal and golf/central Florida) and has always done both pretty well. Somehow he plays golf righty but hits in baseball lefty. Not sure how he does it, but then again he's way more athletic than I could ever dream of being. Also, he can actually play golf left handed and can do so better than most can playing from their natural side. I'm envious and freaked out at the same time since I can't even brush my teeth with my left hand.

    tbooth23

  • My son can throw from either side, but has gravitated to the right hand since he's always played middle infield. Bat's left as it feels more natural to him and he likes starting the AB a few feet closer to first base.

    ee3

  • A lot of parents try to get their kids to hit lefty. I've seen stats where close to 70% of MLB pitchers are right handed and I'm sure it's similar in college/HS.

    "People always ask me if I wish I were bigger. I tell them no. I always wanted to be a miniature badass." Dustin Pedroia

    El Guapo

  • I am a Righty hitting and Throwing, I have always thought it was funny when people say they see it better from one side or the other. I loved hitting off righty's more than lefies for the simple reason as I saw more righties than lefties. So i was more confident and comfortable with righties. Also i know a few pro scouts and they do not like switch hitters that much becuase no one is equal as a switch hitter you have a dominate side period. Statisicly look at a switch hitters they are always better from one side of the plate be it power or avg,

    C Walk said that because he has seen more righties and is more comfortable hitting off them, Hitting is all comfort if you are not comfortable you will never hit anything also you have to have confidince. I always hated coaches who would try and make players robots no one has the same stance or swing you have to teach confidence and fundamentals but do not mess with the stance,

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    Garnet I Bleed

    Garnet I Bleed

  • steve miller said...

    And who was the other lefty with that beautiful swing back then? Was it Jack Clark?

    No - he was a right handed.

    redfisherman

  • Garnet I Bleed said...

    I am a Righty hitting and Throwing, I have always thought it was funny when people say they see it better from one side or the other. I loved hitting off righty's more than lefies for the simple reason as I saw more righties than lefties. So i was more confident and comfortable with righties. Also i know a few pro scouts and they do not like switch hitters that much becuase no one is equal as a switch hitter you have a dominate side period. Statisicly look at a switch hitters they are always better from one side of the plate be it power or avg,

    C Walk said that because he has seen more righties and is more comfortable hitting off them, Hitting is all comfort if you are not comfortable you will never hit anything also you have to have confidince. I always hated coaches who would try and make players robots no one has the same stance or swing you have to teach confidence and fundamentals but do not mess with the stance,

    Thats a good point.

    I could see pitches better from a righty when batting from the left side. It seems like you can see the ball longer, and judge it's break better. I never messed around with switch hitting because of what you said. Guys like Justin Smoak amaze me. His swing is a mirror image on either side of the plate, for what I can tell. Unbelievable.

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    Ally will beat the crap out of Uga.

    steve miller

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    dshaw

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    Ally will beat the crap out of Uga.

    steve miller