MLB 15 The Show News Post

MLB 15 The Show: Directional Hitting Impressions

12:21 PM - 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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# 121 ksig24 @ 04/06/15 11:48 PM

So H&V and Nem, are you boys saying that if I were to get a down and in FB and I hold up and in with the right timing that I may "golf" one in the seats?

# 122 franch1se @ 04/06/15 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ksig24


	So H&V and Nem, are you boys saying that if I were to get a down and in FB and I hold up and in with the right timing that I may "golf" one in the seats?

Yes.....here is one I hit last night with everything you mentioned.

# 123 facuevas @ 04/07/15 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by franch1se


	Yes.....here is one I hit last night with everything you mentioned.

And that's how Justin Upton hits in real life, always looking for his pitch.
Directional Hitting is perfect for power hitters.

# 124 franch1se @ 04/07/15 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by facuevas


	And that's how Justin Upton hits in real life, always looking for his pitch. Directional Hitting is perfect for power hitters.

I've also had great success with having runners on second and using directional hitting to hit the ball to the right side of the infield to advance the runner to third

# 125 sink4ever @ 04/07/15 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exeter


	"Still not sure what you're on about, zone + analog is still in the game." "zone + analog" is technically still in but the meaning has been changed. Now, without the more difficult and vital element of stride removed-- so has the thrill of when one actually lines it all up and makes good contact. The stride element is how one bats when actually playing baseball (if intending to get ball out of infield). The way they have it now it is more akin to T-ball and/or Softball slap-type swinging (hence previous comment re: new mechanic being for preschoolers and women) where just getting contact is all...........Just wish they would change their minds while on vacation--been trying to get into this year's iteration (love the different sliders for outfielder vs infield).......but ultimately bummed by this aspect

Listen, I get that people are bummed out that the stride is taken out. And I do wish they had left it in as an option. But you're exaggerating this to the point that it's impossible to take anything you say seriously. Going from flicking down then up on a stick to flicking in just one direction is in no way comparable to going from playing actual baseball to playing T-ball. And stop comparing women to preschoolers, that's just sexist and ignorant.

# 126 RangersCruz @ 04/07/15 01:32 PM

i just swing with the x button

# 127 dalger21 @ 04/07/15 01:44 PM

I tried the directional + timing hitting....it's not for me. It's mainly because the timing hitting PCI is still just too random for me. Switched to zone last year and haven't looked back at timing.

# 128 sink4ever @ 04/07/15 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dalger21


	I tried the directional + timing hitting....it's not for me. It's mainly because the timing hitting PCI is still just too random for me. Switched to zone last year and haven't looked back at timing.

I believe they got rid of the PCI for timing this year. I was the same way, I hated seeing the PCI way off the mark when I got a pitch down the middle. Now I'm doing directional analog with Dynamic Difficulty and it's been good so far. Unfortunately I've only gotten a few innings in here and there, but should have more of a chance to play soon.

# 129 zcfhxg @ 04/07/15 01:57 PM

The way you describe it in the write-up implies that there's a timing element to Directional. If that's the case this is the first time I've heard that.

# 130 Pappy Knuckles @ 04/07/15 02:03 PM

Directional hitting is fantastic. I used zone all last year, but there's no way that I'd go back. With zone, I feel like I was so focused on moving the reticle in the right spot that it actually made me a worse hitter. I used to swing at a lot more junk in comparison to my approach this year.

# 131 sink4ever @ 04/07/15 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zcfhxg


	The way you describe it in the write-up implies that there's a timing element to Directional. If that's the case this is the first time I've heard that.

Directional this year is the same as Timing in previous years. The only difference is you can influence which direction you would like to hit the ball. If you don't pick a direction, it's the same as Timing. And of course the timing of your swing plays a part as well. If you try to pull the ball, you don't want to be swinging late.

# 132 p00p1 @ 04/07/15 04:29 PM

I'm a bit confused. Is it possible to hit a homerun by pressing down for a low pitch? My natural reaction with directional hitting is to push in the direction the ball is to make the hardest contact. If the ball is right down the middle and in the bottom of the strike zone, if I press down and time it perfectly, any chance I'll be able to hit a homerun?

# 133 sink4ever @ 04/07/15 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by p00p1


	I'm a bit confused. Is it possible to hit a homerun by pressing down for a low pitch? My natural reaction with directional hitting is to push in the direction the ball is to make the hardest contact. If the ball is right down the middle and in the bottom of the strike zone, if I press down and time it perfectly, any chance I'll be able to hit a homerun?

Well, by pressing down you're telling your batter to try to hit a ground ball, so you're definitely not helping your cause at all.

# 134 Dolenz @ 04/07/15 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by p00p1


	I'm a bit confused. Is it possible to hit a homerun by pressing down for a low pitch? My natural reaction with directional hitting is to push in the direction the ball is to make the hardest contact. If the ball is right down the middle and in the bottom of the strike zone, if I press down and time it perfectly, any chance I'll be able to hit a homerun?

Directional hitting is not a plate coverage indicator. Pushing down on a low pitch does not, as I understand it, improve the contact you will make. It will only improve your chance of hitting a ground ball.

# 135 RogueHominid @ 04/07/15 04:50 PM

I like the new mechanic. When I'm ahead in the count and/or in a very specific situation, it helps me think of my at bat in terms of approach. I like the idea of trying to push the ball through the right side for a hit and run, or trying to lift a fly for a sacrifice, or trying just to hit it on the ground with a speedy player.

In pitcher's counts, I typically don't use the directional mechanic, especially with two strikes, where I'm just looking to make contact and I can't assume that I'm likely to get a pitch in one specific location.

I never played baseball, but thinking of my at bats this way makes sense, and I'm having fun with the mechanic and am getting believable results.

# 136 p00p1 @ 04/07/15 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dolenz


	Directional hitting is not a plate coverage indicator. Pushing down on a low pitch does not, as I understand it, improve the contact you will make. It will only improve your chance of hitting a ground ball.

I've hit line drives to the outfield while holding down for a low pitch, so I assumed HRs would be possible too. If I want to hit a line drive a pitch down and in, will holding down and in produce harder contact or ONLY increase the likelyhood of me hitting a grounder down the line?

# 137 brrmikey @ 04/07/15 04:57 PM

read through the thread, i'm confused.
i have been a zone + analog user since the feature was introduced.
it seems the zone + analog combination still exists. am i correct to think that this years zone + analog combination is exactly the same as last year minus the need to worry about the stride? Thanks, much appreciated!

# 138 giantsharks @ 04/07/15 05:06 PM

i like the hitting mechanic more than last year but it still gets stale and sometimes even with good contact, correct pitch guess and direction, it feels a little random. I would LOVE to see the hitting mechanics from PYS as an option. PYS, in my opinion, has the most fun hitting mechanic and never feels random.

# 139 exeter @ 04/07/15 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brrmikey


	read through the thread, i'm confused. i have been a zone + analog user since the feature was introduced. it seems the zone + analog combination still exists. am i correct to think that this years zone + analog combination is exactly the same as last year minus the need to worry about the stride? Thanks, much appreciated!

The zone part (using PCI) is the same but pre-pitch swing directional influence has been removed (and if I understood Russell? correctly has been gone since at least last year). The analog part of the equation has been changed to incorporate (IMO, unintuitively) swing type into the right stick.

# 140 Smallville102001 @ 04/07/15 11:09 PM

I think I am going to have to go back to zone hitting. I have played sever games with Directional hitting and I am playing on DD and I am only on rookie and I am already hitting into a lot of double plays and I am having a lot of at bats where I get good timing on a good pitch to hit to only fly out or ground out. I just don't think this directional hitting is my thing.

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