Posted by: Joe A. (Mgtsupport@AOL.com) on Wed Nov 22 18:07:16 2000

Gentelmen,

I don't beleive that we should be using professional baseball players as models for our teaching methods. Here are my reasons.

Pros are the most gifted athelets in the game. They are the biggest, strongest and quickest people playing the game. They are in the 99% percentile in reflexes and have instincts for the game. They can do things most people can't do no matter how much they practice.

They master the basics of the swing. And make no mistake they master them. Then, they start to adjust the swing to compensate for personel quirks and in some cases physical particulars.

For example, for some reason a player is fast with his swing and pulls the ball foul. To compenstate he holds the bat over his head with his hands near his ears. This adds to the time it takes to get the bat into a launch position and "cures" his fast bat. Most people could never do this. But with the strength and speed a pro can.

Another example, a player finds that the eye nearest the pitchers may be weak or have some problem. So, the player pulls his front foot back a foot or a foot and a half back to allow himself a full face, both eyes, look at the pitch. Again becuse of strength and quickness he can do it.

Neither of these players would teach someone else to do the things they do. They can get away with using mechanics that are not the best.

The pros are not the best models. The ones I know would not even make good teachers.

Joe A.