The value of Switch hitting

[Donn Beach]

I'm left handed but bat right, that's something that use to be more common before kids got so much coaching. Rickey Henderson was a leftie that batted right. Shows how he grew up playing ball in the streets of Oakland. It's interesting he wasn't interested in switch hitting. Said he he hit well enough from the right side as it was, which is true I guess. He's the only HOFer with that profile

[gil]

I'm left handed but bat right, that's something that use to be more common before kids got so much coaching. Rickey Henderson was a leftie that batted right. Shows how he grew up playing ball in the streets of Oakland. It's interesting he wasn't interested in switch hitting. Said he he hit well enough from the right side as it was, which is true I guess. He's the only HOFer with that profile

If Henderson had learned to hit well as a left-hander, I wonder how many more infield singles he would have had?

[D-train]

I'm left handed but bat right, that's something that use to be more common before kids got so much coaching. Rickey Henderson was a leftie that batted right. Shows how he grew up playing ball in the streets of Oakland. It's interesting he wasn't interested in switch hitting. Said he he hit well enough from the right side as it was, which is true I guess. He's the only HOFer with that profile

So you are the Evan White of the Forum. lol Hopefully you hit better and aren't a gimp like he was.

[Donn Beach]

I'm left handed but bat right, that's something that use to be more common before kids got so much coaching. Rickey Henderson was a leftie that batted right. Shows how he grew up playing ball in the streets of Oakland. It's interesting he wasn't interested in switch hitting. Said he he hit well enough from the right side as it was, which is true I guess. He's the only HOFer with that profile

If Henderson had learned to hit well as a left-hander, I wonder how many more infield singles he would have had?

The games greatest lead-off hitter did it batting right handed when he was actually left handed, that's insane

[Donn Beach]

I'm left handed but bat right, that's something that use to be more common before kids got so much coaching. Rickey Henderson was a leftie that batted right. Shows how he grew up playing ball in the streets of Oakland. It's interesting he wasn't interested in switch hitting. Said he he hit well enough from the right side as it was, which is true I guess. He's the only HOFer with that profile

So you are the Evan White of the Forum. lol Hopefully you hit better and aren't a gimp like he was.

That's right, I knew there was a recent one, it really is odd. I don't think White will join Rickey in the HOF.

My buddy as a kid switch hit. I don't know why really, he just could. He was the ringer. The only real advantage to it seemed to be improving odds. Suggesting having him hit left handed as a handicap

[Seattle or Bust]

It's just surprising to me that all baseball players aren't brought up to hit from both sides.

Probably because if I tried to do anything left handed I'd have never made team doing anything ever.

Meanwhile from the right side, I can hit a golf ball 330 yards and could hit the occasional homer when I played.

Reverse handedness never would have worked for me.

It seems to me that mechanically hitting a baseball from both sides is just more "natural" that trying to throw with "the wrong hand". Maybe it's because my Dad, who idolized Michael Mantle, encouraged me to switch hit.

I think if a kid shows that he has some natural ability to swing opposite his natural side, go for it.

If a kid is good from one side and shows 0 ability to swing opposite that side, you're hurting the player by trying to add something to their game that will never be and taking away from his mastery of what he does well.

[Donn Beach]

That's what is interesting about Cijntje, left is his natural side. That's the craziest thing I've ever heard of, It's one the for a hitter, but s pitcher that throws from their unnatural side? That's nuts

[D-train]

I'm left handed but bat right, that's something that use to be more common before kids got so much coaching. Rickey Henderson was a leftie that batted right. Shows how he grew up playing ball in the streets of Oakland. It's interesting he wasn't interested in switch hitting. Said he he hit well enough from the right side as it was, which is true I guess. He's the only HOFer with that profile

So you are the Evan White of the Forum. lol Hopefully you hit better and aren't a gimp like he was.

That's right, I knew there was a recent one, it really is odd. I don't think White will join Rickey in the HOF.

My buddy as a kid switch hit. I don't know why really, he just could. He was the ringer. The only real advantage to it seemed to be improving odds. Suggesting having him hit left handed as a handicap

I assume you are teaching Jr. to SH and switch pitch. You have to post a pic brother.

[Captain 97]

I feel like batting left handed or right handed is not as tied to the brain as throwing is. There are many examples of guys who bat from one side and throw with the other hand. I would assume that most of those guys also write with the hand they throw with.

here is an interesting article.

Framber Valdez is naturally right handed but taught himself to pitch lefty when he was 11. George Springer writes with his left hand but hits and throws righty. Apparently its easier for left handed people to pick up right handed things than for right handed people to pick up left handed things. Most lefties lean towards being ambidextrous only about 1-2% of the population does all activities exclusively left handed.

https://apnews.com/article/mlb-left-han ... 49b3925049