Posted by: Jim C. (jhconklinjr@comcast.net) on Fri Oct 22 07:31:14 2004

Hi Mike,

My 13 yr. old son and I are enduring the same situation. My boy was just moving out of the 'awkward' phase of ingraining the core elements of a rotational swing and wasn't really hitting very well. His coach hopped in and was instructing him away from "that wooden bat swing."

I explained to the coach that we were about one-third of the way through a training program and asked to be exempted from mechanical instruction so as to not produce confusion and wasted effort all around. After several conversations it became obvious that the coach was not going to lay off my boy. We adopted the following tactics:

1. when instructed in mechanics he listens and attempts to apply what is taught while being observed, then goes right back to his swing.

2. during unobserved drills, swing his swing

3. any live BP, swing his swing

4. during observed, instructional drills, skip to the end of the line repeatedly until the coach goes away. If he doesn't go away, just quietly join the players that have already batted and are doing field work, etc.

5. He and I work twice as much on our own as he gets in practice so he knows - in his head and in his muscles - what to work toward.

All that said, my boy has little power yet has the second most RBI's on the team and is building a reputation as a clutch gap hitter. As his stats go up, the coach's desire to mess with him has gone down.

I'd suggest NOT trying to win over the coach nor show him anything. Do your work privately and jealously guard your son's swing ... it is his and not the coach's.