Hitters love to talk and speculate about how to figure out a pitcher. They pick up on something and think they got him the next time around. Comically, not thinking that the pitcher is capable of making adjustments. Thus, the hurler being the one perpetually ahead in this ongoing battle of 150 years and counting. Obviously, it is fun to be on the right side of history. There are reasons for all this. For whatever it may be, hitters love to be so sure of themselves. With that being said, let’s talk about the Magic Dot. The small dot a hitter sees on the Slider when you Stay Behind the Ball, Release it Out in Front, and Throw it Downhill. Consequently, creating a good tight spin.
As a result, it gives the hitters a glimmer of hope. As they ignore the ensuing despair. In pandering to the fool’s paradise, hitters will talk about how they can see the small dot on the Slider.
LET THEM!!!!!
That means that you are throwing it correctly. It’s their job to try to hit it. And good luck trying to hit what is exploding down and away from the barrel of the bat. When you see hitters who pick up the Slider from the dot, they stay on the pitch and put a good swing on it….only to come up empty. Once again… It is damn near impossible trying to protect against 2 planes of a pitch. Especially, when the bat is only long enough to cover 1 of them.
Now sure there are hitters who are good at hitting the breaking ball. Yet, nobody hits a GOOD breaking ball. In this case, a DOMINANT Slider!
Keep reading until the end of the article, as I will share a personal story about The Magic Dot…
The Magic Dot
Where Did It Go?
The more that you have a better understanding of the Slider, and the more repetitions that you accumulate, the more Dominant you will be with the pitch. When you are having a lot of success (Lots of Swings and Misses), the dot on the Slider will be on the bottom of the baseball. This means that you are getting depth on the pitch. Now the hitter can’t pick up the spin. All he sees is white.
This makes it extremely difficult to differentiate between Fastball and Slider. Since hitters are deathly afraid of getting beat by the fastball, that’s when you see the embarrassing swings that we love so much. The “OH $#!&% Swings.” You know, once the hitter commits to swing,
he is incredibly regretful. Knowing he is in the wrong before the pitch even crosses the plate.
The Magic Dot
How it Effects Hitters
As for the weaker hitters, who can accept failure. Nor flush it out and move on. Their frustration and newly discovered self doubts from not being able to pick up the Slider, carry over to the next pitch and the next, and the next… Eventually, they wind up taking out the bat rack as they become buried in hefty a slump…compliments of you. Hell, even good hitters have been known to destroy the dugout when then know that they have been DOMINATED!
It just reiterates, that Good Pitching will beat Good Hitting.
If it’s Cliche, is because it’s true!
A Special BONUS:
The Magic Dot
…When Hitters Run Their Mouths
The year that I played in Europe, we were locked in a match up late in the season. My team and our opponent finished the regular season 1-2 in the top league in Sweden.
One of the imports on the opposing team (An American Player), finished the year hitting over .500. Rumor had it, that he was yet to strike out the whole season up to this point. Getting word of that poses a challenge to build credibility across the league (and country).
I started the 1st game of the double header. In the 1st inning, when facing my fellow countryman abroad, I got him to 2 strikes. I threw him a Slider, which was not my best, yet sufficient enough in the change of speed, to get him to hit a lazy flyout.
As he got back to the dugout, he told his entire team that you can see the dot on my Slider. He said it so openly, that it was even heard loud and clear on the mound too. Thank you for that! Upon hearing his observation, 2 thoughts crossed my mind. 1ST, you saw the dot and I still got you out. 2ND, You are not putting the ball in play against me next time!
The Magic Dot
Thanks for The Tip to Your Next Failure
In the next at bat, it again got to 2 strikes. Now I am feeling the strikeout. I went through my personal checklist to throw the Slider correctly. Saw it in my mind, and then executed it perfectly by performing the Simple 3. In this Righty vs Righty matchup, I started out the Slider on the outer half of the plate. As soon as it left my hand, I knew exactly how it was going to play out…
When he committed to swing, the pitch did what it is supposed to do. Broke sharply down and away from the zone. As he pulled the trigger, on what he thought was a fastball, I could see the regret in his eyes, as he knew that had no chance. He swung right on over top of it for his first strikeout of the season, in August. Surely, a different mood going back to the dugout this time. Not as optimistic. Nothing to share. Nonetheless, this is why we play this great game.
Where was The Magic Dot on the Slider this time? I don’t know. He didn’t say…
Keep Dominating!!!
About The Author
Brad Kirsch is the Owner/Creator of Slider Domination. He is a former professional pitcher who blogs about all things Pitching. Brad has also authored the AudioBook, 7 Reasons Why YOU Should Throw a Slider. If you haven’t done so already, you can Download the AudioBook Here
