Posted by: bob (bob@bobburnett.com) on Mon Apr 10 07:12:41 2006

> I am coaching my sons 7 year old team this year, I am curious if this is a good program to teach them? At what age is it good to really teach these techniques. I have about 5 kids who can hit the ball conistently, but the others are very new to the game (firt year) and cannot get a hit. Thanks!

At 7 is that coach pitch or T-ball?

I can only say what I've seen. With young kids, some are natural and most are not. Eye-bat-ball coordination is the big hurdle in hitting and second is correct body language.

I find a "Hit-2-Win" type tool to be excellent for teaching kids how to hit the ball. They cost somewhere around $50-$60. (Hit-2-Win is a brand name, there are other mfrs out there). If you are in a t-ball league, you don't need this yet.

Second, the drill on the Final Arc where the batter holds the bat with only the top hand and swings it into the bag is excellent for teaching how the body moves during the swing.

My 6 year old (girl) seems to be getting it. she enjoys it so I let her do it either till she wants to do something else or till she starts getting crazy.

Swinging the bat at the bag is good for learning the body movements and developing good muscle memory. It reinforces the similarity Ted Williams has noted, between hitting a ball and chopping a tree. Maximizing your power at impact.