MLB 15 The Show News Post

MLB 15 The Show: Directional Hitting Impressions

11:21 AM - April 1, 2015 by RaychelSnr

This year there is a new hitting mechanic in MLB 15 The Show called Directional Hitting. The idea behind this system is rather simple. It's basically timing hitting with the ability to influence the directions of your hits by pushing the left stick in a certain direction.

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# 61 Jeter2 @ 04/01/15 03:54 PM

To clarify because i'm still a bit confused, are you guys picking spots to aim for before the pitch is thrown and hold the left stick in that direction before swinging.

Or, are you reacting as the ball comes to the plate to choose if youre aiming inside or outside?

I understand the concept of on a 3-0 or 3-1 count sitting on an inside fastball etc...

Thanks in Advance

# 62 RLebron12 @ 04/01/15 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeter2


	To clarify because i'm still a bit confused, are you guys picking spots to aim for before the pitch is thrown and hold the left stick in that direction before swinging. Or, are you reacting as the ball comes to the plate to choose if youre aiming inside or outside? I understand the concept of on a 3-0 or 3-1 count sitting on an inside fastball etc... Thanks in Advance

If I am using directional hitting in certain situations I am holding the analog to the side before the pitch is thrown.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

# 63 Scrapps @ 04/01/15 04:04 PM

Yikes.

So, just to confirm. If I want to hit the ball in the air, push and hold the LS up THROUGHOUT the duration of the swing?

I cannot preload my desire for a fly ball with a simple click up (and release), prior to swinging, correct?

# 64 BA2929 @ 04/01/15 04:07 PM

This thread is so full of confusion that I actually got confused reading it. Here's how directional hitting works as far as I'm concerned:

You can "pre-load" your direction if you want. You do not have to do this. But if you're looking to move a runner from 2nd to 3rd with no outs, you can choose to look to the outside of the plate as a RHH to get "your pitch". The camera slides to make seeing that part of the plate easier. Again, you do not have to do this.

You can also choose to use the directional hitting as the pitch is coming in. Let's say it's a pitch inside on a RHH, but you want to try to take it the opposite field for a hit and run. So, you time your swing (yes you still have to time the button press on the pitch) and you can try to influence the ball to the right side by using the RS and pressing to the right. This should help some if your timing is slightly off and you swing too early. You must hold the RS down in that direction as you are swinging as far as I know. I don't believe there's a lock you can use to keep it in one direction.

You can also choose to use the directional hitting to have better odds to hit the ball where the pitch is located. Last night I hit a HR with Hosmer off Bumgarner on an up and in pitch and influenced it up and in as the pitch was coming in.

Directional hitting helps you influence the direction you want the ball to go and helps the chances of a ball going in the air or on the ground. It's basically a less skill oriented PCI so you don't have to nail the PCI on the inside or outside of the ball to influence the direction of the hit.

This is how I see it, I believe I am right but if I'm not I'll gladly accept that fact.

# 65 Heroesandvillains @ 04/01/15 04:08 PM

Guys it's pretty simple. It's all in its name.

Directional hitting. Think direction.

Need to hit a fly ball to drive that run in from 3rd? Hit up.

Got one out, a runner on 3rd, with the infield playing back conceding the run on a ground ball? Press down.

Don't confuse this with zone or guess pitch locations.

Pick the direction you want to try and hit the ball in. It's really that simple.

# 66 nemesis04 @ 04/01/15 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrapps


	Yikes. So, just to confirm. If I want to hit the ball in the air, push and hold the LS up THROUGHOUT the duration of the swing? I cannot preload my desire for a fly ball with a simple click up (and release), prior to swinging, correct?

You can't preload have to hold it.

# 67 Jeter2 @ 04/01/15 04:24 PM

Thank you all for clarifying, my only issue I suppose is going back to Zone hitting or retraining my mind how to hit. If a pitch is low and in, I will automatically move the left stick low and in creating a ground ball if I understand this correctly.

# 68 emiles76 @ 04/01/15 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raskal67


	My Impression I like it, it feels natural to push toward Right Felt to try to drive/pus a ball to Right, Left field to try to Drive/push a ball to left. Similarly with fly/ground influences. As far as MVP 2005 Loved it. This is not the same, similar maybe, but not the same. I could hit HRs at will with up/pull influence all day with Ken Griffey Jr.

I totally agree. Your comparison to MVP is spot on. The first couple of games I played frustrated me because I was using directional the same way I used hit in MVP and could go deep almost at will with lefty power hitters.

# 69 Gagnon39 @ 04/01/15 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeter2


	Or, are you reacting as the ball comes to the plate to choose if youre aiming inside or outside?

This is what I've been doing, but my questions are whether or not this is an effective method that can work.

# 70 RandyBass @ 04/01/15 05:29 PM

This is nice feature, and pretty well done in my opinion. It basically adds an element to timing hitting by giving you more control. Timing is still the dominant factor, and I would say that more accurately it helps you influence hit direction, not control it.

Playing yesterday I hit a HR with Rusney Castillo to center while pushing to right. Seems off? Well, I swung early. Then with Panda I went looking for something inside to pull, got it, pushed up and right (hitting LH) with good timing and roped a double off the RF wall.

For those who say it's not realistic, you're wrong. Timing is not the only factor in hit direction, bat angle also plays a factor. Leaving direction up to timing only, like in 14, makes things too arbitrary.

To the dev team, job well done! Only thing I'd say is, weave it into the game more: put up an indicator when a hitter comes to the plate, along side the defensive alignment indicator. This would let users know a hitter's tendencies, so that they could hit to those tendencies, or shift their defense if they are on defense.

# 71 torpidbeaver @ 04/01/15 05:45 PM

From what I can understand:

Aiming to left field during a pitch that crosses the left half of the plate will GENERALLY give you better results than if you'd aimed to right field. Correct?

Trying for a fly ball during a pitch that crosses the letters will GENERALLY give you better results than if you'd aimed for a fly ball at your knees?

BUT, all things being equal, would you GENERALLY get better results "aiming with the pitch" or leaving it neutral (ie not touching the L-stick)?

# 72 torpidbeaver @ 04/01/15 05:46 PM

DOUBLE POST EXCUSE ME.

# 73 spaceg0st @ 04/01/15 06:27 PM

I've found that directional hitting is the fun medium between analog and zone. You can 1. Wait for the pitch and then press the direction of where to swing as the ball travels through the strike zone (almost like zone but less control and more reliant upon timing of the swing).. So if the pitch is coming and it's going outside, hold right and swing. Most likely the ball will go to the right side of the field. If the pitch is low and in, swing while pressing down and left.
2. The other way to play this (which was more advertised) is to hold a certain direction and wait for that pitch to come.

I wasn't really excited about this hitting until I put some time into it, now I'm really enjoying it. It DOES feel similar to MVP. When/where I hit the ball, the results seem logical. Good addition

I still want a pitching cursor to hit though.

options baby, options

# 74 jct32 @ 04/01/15 06:57 PM

Absolutely love this. I was taught to hit based on situations and this allows me to hit the way I learned a lot easier.

# 75 Geronimo22 @ 04/01/15 07:24 PM

Guys needed a about 30 posts (including me) to finally clear up the confusion in this new feature. I want to make sure I'm in the right ballpark on how to use this new feature.

Hold the stick in the direction you want and your chances of hitting a ball that way improves, as long as your timing is appropriate.

So in my mind directional is the timing of last year but you control your PCI and it looks like this when I hold the stick left :

image by Geronimo22159, on Flickr

# 76 Heroesandvillains @ 04/01/15 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geronimo22


	Guys, including me, needed a about 30 posts to finally clear up the confusion in this new feature. I want to make sure I'm in the right ballpark on how to use this new feature. Hold the stick in the direction you want and your chances of hitting a ball that way improves, as long as your timing is appropriate. So in my mind directional is the timing of last year but you control your PCI and it looks like this : image by Geronimo22159, on Flickr

Exactly. Except for the last sentence. You're not controlling the PCI.

# 77 Geronimo22 @ 04/01/15 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heroesandvillains


	Exactly. Except for the last sentence. You're not controlling the PCI.

In my picture above that would be me holding the left stick to the left. Isn't that the area where if I hit the ball, would give me a better chance of getting good "wood". Which is the same as the PCI

# 78 mrnickyb @ 04/01/15 08:00 PM

Here is a pretty good YouTube video on directional hitting.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ91QD3k7hU

# 79 Neolithic @ 04/01/15 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geronimo22


	In my picture above that would be me holding the left stick to the left. Isn't that the area where if I hit the ball, would give me a better chance of getting good "wood". Which is the same as the PCI

Not exactly. If you hold left on the stick and the pitcher throws an inside pitch, all the other factors aside ( timing being the big one, but the pitch itself, batters ratings, etc. ) it would simply mean the batter would attempt an "inside-out" style swing, to attempt to push the ball to the left side. I suspect your power levels drop in this case, but overall contact? not so much. Again though, even directional hitting input, seems to me to be overshadowed by overall swing timing. I've had plenty of times now that I've wanted to pull a ball, even gotten an inside pitch, but because I was late, ended up hitting a grounder, or a blooper to the right side, even a few line drives to the gap.

# 80 kennyacid @ 04/01/15 09:47 PM

Tried it and definitely not for me. I never liked timed hitting alone and not having control of where I'm swinging . It take user reflex skill out of the equation. When I get older and my reflexes are shot then I might go to just timed .

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