Power Pros Forum

The game was way too easy with lock on activated so I took the advice of the boards and turned it off to find hitting impossible.

I pop out to the catcher at least six times a game, and in the infield as a whole I'd estimate about ten times a game. It feels like my sweet spot is right on it, but it seems impossible to hit the ball hard.

Where the computer will hit the ball, even though their sweet spot completely misses the ball, and it will still reach the outfield.

Any advice?

Also, in nine games I've taken a lead into the eigth inning six times, and my closer or set up man, has blown the lead all six times. I don't throw fat pitches, I don't take many risks up in the zone, but they always seem to dump two or three bloop singles in followed by a home run. It's come to the point where I'm expecting to have to play extra innings if I want to win. Has anyone else had this problem?

No, but I usually use lock-on 5 with powerful auto fielding.

When hitting normal, 3 runs is a hassle and normal fielding usually produces a few singles-turned-triples and inside-the-park home runs.

I play on Normal and give the Computer Lock-On level 1 with manual fielding and I just started May in the first year of my season with only two losses.

The only time I really have an issue is when the opposing pitcher is very good (a la Clemens, Sabbathia) and they are at peak mood (Purple happy face). I started a mediocre pitcher with a blue mood and lost 3-0

I play with lock on 1 for both me and the computer and manual for everything. Its pretty simple and you need to throw high to win.

High fastballs work on the AI.

But for me, that's the best place to hit for contact. In success mode, those are the pitches I look for.

I'm using normal with manual everything (but running, assisted). The CPU is at All-Star (and lock-on 1)... I'm a more offensively challenged team, but I can still hit HRs and get double-digit hit games occasionally, which seems "normal" to me.

I'm on Powerful settings with lock-on 1 batting my for myself and lock-on 3 for the CPU. I get the occasional double digit scoring game, but mostly the games are the fairly realistic in terms of runs. Still too many hits for both sides, but removing lock-on altogether makes it too tough to get hits on All-Star and Powerful. I do have the ball cursor displaying, though it is less useful on Powerful (what the CPU pitching looks like in the Success Mode Superstars game).

It's been said by others before, but one of the keys to hitting (especially for power) is to not be moving the batting cursor when you're swinging.

With pitching, the CPU *will* start wearing you out if you pitch in the same pattern a lot (pitch selection and location). You have to mix it up, especially on the harder difficulty levels. You do have to pitch up in the zone, you can't ignore it. Up and in fastballs are effective, but like anything don't get predictable with them.

Okay, I'll just keep plugging along and see how I do. I do pitch up in the zone, but rarely more than once per batter, as more of a change of pace than anything else. It just seems like in the later innings the computer destroys high pitches. On a side note, which controller do you use? And do you reccomend one over the other?

I usually have lock on 1 with Powerful base running. The CPU has All star everything except for pitching, which is powerful.
And no, I'm not lying.

Do you have a Wii or a PS2? You can set your favorite team logo and your console in your profile so we know for future reference if you have any questions

As for my personal style, I use the Classic Controller for the Wii.

My pitching tastes vary, but I just swept the Yankees using my method -- a horizontally moving breaking ball on the inside, try to make it hit the corner but they may swing at it anyway. Try one or two of those, then throw a fastball or vertically breaking ball low and to the opposite side the wind is blowing. i.e. if you are facing a left handed batter and the wind is blowing out or towards left field, aim the pitch low and outside.

A big mistake I made starting off was swinging late on the inside pitch and early on the outside pitch. If you do this you hit a lot of lineouts to the center fielder the times you hit the ball well, and if you don't center it perfectly you hit weak popups. In either case the cursor is a lot more forgiving if you time your swing correctly. Try to hit inside balls down the line and outside pitches the other way. The exception is for A power hitters where you can just pull the outside pitches as they will still hit them long. Oh, and never use the contact cursor unless you are trying to hit and run or something like that. It's just horrible.
Also I don't know about you guys but I hardly ever swing and miss, so I have changed my strategy to look for a certain pitch, not swinging against others, instead of reacting to each delivery. If the pitcher has bad breaking pitches I will wait for one of those, because they give you more time to line up the cursor, otherwise I just go for fastballs.

I rarely miss but I have a tendency to hit it straight to the shortstop, or occasionally I'll have a game where it seems all I hit are popups to the catcher

I use contact swing too often with my A power guys resulting in a lot of line drives to the centerfielder.

I use a contact swing with my guys that don't have a lot of power (C or below), and a power swing with my A and B level power hitters. Exceptions would be that with two out and no one on I'll hit for power with lower power guys, and with two outs and runners in scoring position I'll hit for contact with a power hitter if it is a close game or if I'm behind.

With pitching, I try to do the obvious and stay out of the middle of the plate. If a batter cheats in or out with his hitting cursor, throw to the opposite side of the plate. Likewise, if he cheats up or down in the zone, throw the opposite.

With batter who hit opposite handed of my pitcher (e.g. righty pitcher lefty batter), I have good success with back door breaking pitches. I also do well with sliders and curves breaking up and in. With batters hitting same handed (righty pitcher righty batter), breaking pitches over the inside corner or low and away are good. With fastballs I try to paint the black on either side, working the strike zone from top to bottom. That's a trickier proposition though when you're using a pitcher with sucky control.