Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Mon Mar 7 16:16:24 2005

>>> any recommendations on instilling a foundation of sound mechanics in his swing? i want to try to prevent bad habits, but i want to keep it fun for him. he played last year and i just let him do his thing, only instructed him on proper foot alignment and hand postion on the bat. <<<

Hi Steve

Sounds like you are already on the right track. I gave my reply to a similar question earlier. I will re-post it below.

Jack Mankin
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Re: What to focus on

Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Tue Mar 1 00:04:59 2005

>>> Jack

Tell me what key elements to rotational hitting should be taught to 6-7-8 yearolds. Taking into consideration their age and focusing ability at this age.

Thank You <<<

Hi Andy

I think we would all agree that keeping the game of baseball fun and challenging are the most important considerations when working with very young players. But having fun at the plate and being successful go hand-in- hand.

To be successful, they must first learn to acquire a good launch position. -- The second most important thing they can learn is to ‘swing the bat-head’ instead of ‘pushing the knob’. – Next, we should let the kids have 7 or 8 uninterrupted swings between comments and adjustments.

In my opinion, young kids spend too much of their time being instructed and not enough time playing the game. If you want see real enthusiasm and kids exhibiting their natural talent, then setup a good game of ‘work-up’ and the coaches just sit in the stands taking notes for an hour of your next practice. When the game is set up correctly, the kids will get more swings than in three regular games. Plus, you get to see them playing every position.

Jack Mankin