Posted by: SJD (nospam@nospam.org) on Wed Oct 5 08:50:43 2005

I think there are two things to consider in order to answer to your question.

First, you need to define what swinging "well" means. This depends on how old your boy is, for starters. As noted in the video, a young (T-ball or machine-pitch) player shouldn’t be worried about THT and detailed rotational swing mechanics. If they have a linear swing that enables them to hit the ball, and they’re having fun... great! Let ’em play and have a blast. Forcing too much theory on a young player could have detrimental results: they may actually get fewer hits with forced rotational mechanics vs plain old "gripping & ripping", depending on the lad’s level of skill & ability to learn. Once they’ve gained a love of the game, there’s no limit to what they may learn (offensively or defensively), and they’ll be keener to absorb the new info, too. There is a tipping point, IMO, between learning proper technique as a beginner, and trying to digest and utilize too much info; a little knowledge to get you started properly with the fundamentals is a good thing. Trying to cram years of advanced theory into a newbie's head (whether they're learning hitting, golf, skiing, playing chess, or ANYTHING) is a mug's game, and the law of diminishing returns will soon discourage the novice accordingly.

Second, I think one needs to either buy into the validity of rotational mechanics or not, and determine the need for changing a player’s swing. A player can enjoy little league, rec league, mens leagues, etc. with a linear swing, and be successful, too. You don’t NEED a rotational swing to hit the ball and enjoy the game!

However, I concur with Jack’s point in the DVD: if you wish to move to higher levels of competitive ball, then a rotational swing makes sense to help you get to the next step in hitting.

I base this opinion by observation of the pros (see the various posted clips of pro hitters at youthbaseballcoaching.com or just watch the MLB replays to see how many great hitters are rotational), and by personal experience. I worked with my 10-year old this year to change his linear swing to rotational, and we saw an incredible improvement in his hitting distance and placement (he now pulls the ball, which was nearly impossible with his linear swing, with the bat shaft lagging behind the handle). And we obtained these results in a remarkably short time.

Yes, this evidence is purely anecdotal, I’ll admit. But the change and repeatability of the results were much beyond what I’d expected to see, especially considering the techniques were learned on-the-fly by me and taught to my son verbatim from the DVD, and NOT from any accredited batting coach. To me, that’s a pretty strong endorsement, and all I need, personally, to buy into the idea of rotational swing mechanics. It’s also why I’ve recommended “The Final Arc II” to parents of many kids that I’ve coached.

As to the "if it ain’t broke" approach, well, with all respect to the blog readers & contributors, I disagree. Perhaps if a player has an unusually high average, and hits long fly balls and liners consistently, they may need less tuning than a lesser hitter. Maybe they already employ rotational methods, who knows? In this case, improvement might not be "dramatic". But every MLB team has a hitting coach who works with every player, even when they hit well. Hey, a hacking golfer can still enjoy the game and break 80(personal experience notwithstanding, unfortunately); does this mean he couldn’t improve his game with a few lessons on his swing and some dedicated practice? Tiger Woods has a personal coach, and look at his level of play; his technique or ability isn’t beyond improvement.

What you need to balance is the need or desire to change your son’s swing vs. the potential of negative initial results and frustration during the transition. Again, based on personal experience, my boy had no hitting "slump" while he learned rotational mechanics, but that’s just our experience. And, too, he was interested in making improvements to his hitting, and thus he was keen to learn and make the techniques work. Another player might be iffy on changing and thus less committed, and not necessarily enjoy the same results. But I’ll be starting on the rotational method with my younger boy next year (he turns 9), and I hope he shows the same benefit as my older son.

Hope that answers your questions. My PURELY non-expert advice? As you’ve purchased the DVD, you already recognize there are possibilities for improvement in your son’s hitting. Watch the DVD several times, take notes on the techniques, & try ’em out! Don't expect to impart every nuance of the methods your first time out, either. You're learning too, remember? And don't be surprised in weeks or months to come that you've missed something important, and need to adjust your methods! Just learn, modify and apply as you go forward. And keep the faith (both of you!) if you don’t see favorable results immediately. There are many knowledgeable folks on this site, & Jack answers many questions clearly and pointedly (be sure to surf the archives for lots of answer to questions you already have), so there are answers available if you ask.

Good luck!
sjd(at)cogeco(d0t)ca