Softball players position themselves each play for maximum efficiency depending on current game conditions. They guess the most likely outcome of every pitch, and prepare based on that. However, once the ball is in play, they act on what is going on and not what they thought would happen.
Its just like "real" life. You can prepare yourself for maximum efficiency all you want, but once the ball is in play, you need to act from where you currently are, and not where you think you should be standing.
My Name is Diamond Light