Posted by: george stanley (saint_george13@yahoo.com) on Fri Feb 15 08:40:53 2008

> Jack at what age should we teach young children rotational mechanics. I taught my younger son at age 7 and now he is an advanced 8 year old but my 9 year old is struggling to abandon linear mechanics.
> Gordy Macdonald Pelham Little League. [NY]

hello gordy!

i have trouble getting 19 and 20 year olds to figure out the science of physics and how it relates to swinging a bat at a baseball..
7 and 8 yeAr olds unfortunately have not exhibited enough physical or mental development to understand the physics involved.. getting them to spell rotational mechanics would be the first step.. defining the term would help... getting to understand and implement them is a 10 year process! the reason i say that is there are guys out there who have 10 years of rotational mechanics under their belt, yet are not in MLB..
i tHink you are jumping the gun a little bit on getting a good start with your little guys.. don't be discouraged by their shortcomings and don't lean on them too hard..stll plenty of time for improvement..
don't forget that MLB is full of player who did not shine or stand out in any way when they were in little league, american legion, college, or the minors... one day the curtains parted & the light shone down on them.. and they finally figured it out.. they acquired enough maturity to understand exactly what is expected of them & they had enough desire to execute those understandings.. it's a long road & your boys have a long way to go before they are anywhere near "getting it".. on the other hand, those kids who really stand out in little league rarely end up in MLB... go figure.
best of luck with your little guys... they give us all the one thing we CRAVE... HOPE!!