This aspect of swingstick 2.0 is night and day if not used.

[CWSpartan9]

The one aspect of swinstick 2.0 that they do not elaborate upon in the instruction book is that you can indeed step in and out when batting by starting your swing at an angle to the left and the right.

I realize that there is a sticky thread about hitting tips, but I think this tip and this tip alone is night and day if you do not use it.

Has anybody tried this and noticed the obvious difference in hits and contact points if you use this?

[viking12344]

Yeah. This game is so deep and the manual it came with so lacking lol....my only real complaint.

[GeorgeCostanza]

pardon my ignorance but i'm lost
step in and out?

[CWSpartan9]

If you were to begin your swing you would pull directly back right? Well if you begin your swing by angling your back step either toward the plate or away from the plate you can reach pitches that are outside or inside much better.

It is like if you moved your batter in the batters backs in older baseball games.

[GeorgeCostanza]

oooooooooooh LOL.. okay thanx

[CWSpartan9]

Yeah it is pretty nice. You can actually see your better plant his front foot in a different direction than he would normally.

[Bl00d h0und Gang]

I added this point to the wonderful swing stick thread someone else created. Starting your back step at 7 or 5 o'clock, as apposed to straight down at 6 o'clock, makes a significant difference.

Now if someone would please explain why there is no defensive swing this year, even though it is in the in- game tip section. I think it may be apart of the patch.

[omgzjasonlol]

Wow I didn't know about this one. Thanks.

[lowkey69ac]

If you were to begin your swing you would pull directly back right? Well if you begin your swing by angling your back step either toward the plate or away from the plate you can reach pitches that are outside or inside much better.

It is like if you moved your batter in the batters backs in older baseball games.

Yes, that is a cool feature, however, like people on here have stated, it is good, but also bad. I have actually hit a 398ft homerun, when it was about a foot out of the strike zone. NOW, this wouldnt be a bad thing IF you could move your player at the plate (ie. Crowd the plate, etc), but I cant see Big papa hitting a ball that far, when hes actually MORE than a foot away from the plate. Thats my only complaint on it. Its like ALMOST real.. but not quite.

[b-Dub]

I think defensive swings are in the game, in a way. I think it's tried to player stats, just like hitting for power or not is. I've had quite a few swings that were labeled "very late" by the in-game status and my batter would throw his bat out there and foul the ball away. Very defensive like. Looked like he was trying to get a foul just to stay alive.

That's what I've noticed, anyways. There doesn't seem to be any easy way to do it, except swing late and hope your batter can foul it off.

[jdeszcz]

I think defensive swings are in the game, in a way. I think it's tried to player stats, just like hitting for power or not is. I've had quite a few swings that were labeled "very late" by the in-game status and my batter would throw his bat out there and foul the ball away. Very defensive like. Looked like he was trying to get a foul just to stay alive.

That's what I've noticed, anyways. There doesn't seem to be any easy way to do it, except swing late and hope your batter can foul it off.

I know what you are saying and agree with this. I like the intuitive feel of it...unless you've decided you definitely aren't swinging at the pitch you most likely won't take the step...However if you step and realize the pitch is possibly a strike (close) then starting the late swing and hopefully you can get a piece and foul it off. I played as the Mariners yesterday and had some long battles batting as Ichiro...Sexson on the other hand, oy.

I'm not sure I follow where folks are asking for a defensive swing...who goes to the plate thinking defensively?

[belljr]

I know this was posted before but you can also influence your swing (pull/opposite field) by pressing toward 9 o'clock - 3- oclock after your step

[2K Admin Ron]

http://2ksports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166723&page=5

For those of you who have missed it. I agree, the manual was, in my eyes, the biggest failure.

[Bl00d h0und Gang]

I know this was posted before but you can also influence your swing (pull/opposite field) by pressing toward 9 o'clock - 3- oclock after your step

What are you saying here, are you saying that you can use an inside- out swing by going from 9 to 3 o'clock or vice- versa?

To the point of defensive swings.....
This development team implemented the defensive swing back in MVP 2006 when analog hitting was introduced. Then it carried over into MLB 2k7. Apparently it has been taken out this year. It serves a purpose. That purpose if for when the batter has 2 strikes only. Here are some examples of using a defensive swing approach in 2k7

- pitcher has you in a 2- 2 count. You're not sure where he wants to throw his next pitch nor do you have a good fell for whether or not he wants to throw it for a strike. Move your batters eye to the outside part of the plate. Now you let anything on the outside of the plate go by while keeping your (human) eye only on the inside portion of the plate. Basically you cut the k- zone in half. Now when the pitch leaves the pitcher's hand you're looking for a pitch inside. Press up on the right analog if it appears to be coming into the inside part of the plate. If the pitch is going outside and it doesn't reveal, where your batters eye is, then you let it go because it is a ball.

- some hitter just can't do anything with certain pitches low and away. If an average batter like Brian Roberts has a 2 strike count facing a stud pitcher like Brandon Webb, and all Webb wants to do is pound him low and away with a sinker, then Roberts has to foul that pitch off until he gets a better pitch to it.

I used the Roberts Webb example very often early in online matches last year. Often times fouling off the same difficult breaking pitch 3 or 4 times until I got a pitch that was up the k- zone. The great thing about the defensive swing is that you don't use a back step. The motion is quicker than any other type of swing (press straight up). So if you had a pitch in your mind you wanted to foul off it was very easy. If your opponent was very aggressive you could constantly foul off pitches, drive up his count, and often times make him so flustered because he has to throw more pitches than he wants to that he winds up making a mistake pitch. The more pitches thrown the better it is for the batter. There are obvious downsides to using a defensive swing. I am just annoyed that it has been taken out after being in the last two baseball titles. Not to mention 2k8 gives you instructions on how to perform a defensive swing.