Posted by: Joe Hernandez (coach2hit@yahoo.com) on Wed Jun 28 20:06:27 2006

> Help. My son is 11 years old and an above average athlete. On a scale of 1-10 I'd give him a 7-8 among those who actually participate in rec sports. He's an excellent basketball player, is very quick and has good hand-eye coordination. He also has a decent looking swing and what appears to be a quick bat. He's also a good fielder.
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> NOW--Here's the problem. He can't seem to hit a baseball this year. He's hit okay in past years, but this year he can barely put the bat on the ball. (He struck out 6 out of nine times in a recent double header.) I'm completely clueless. I took him for a couple of lessons in the middle of the season which may have just confused him more since the instructor had him change alot of thingss including changing his grip on the bat.
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> So here's the question. Is the adage true that some people just can't hit a baseball? Should my son just pack it in and try lacrosse next spring? Should he back down a level? Take more lessons over the winter? He still likes to play but is getting discouraged. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.


Michael,

Don't you dare give up on your boy! So he had a bad day and struck-out 6 times, so what(?). You say he is a good athlete, hit well in the past and seems to like baseball. Assuming that there is nothing "major" wrong with his swing, let's go step by step...

First, when was the last time he had an eye check-up? Make sure his eyesight is good. Next, has he learned how to properly pick up the ball from the pitcher's release? Not doing so would make it difficult to see and hit the ball. Is he looking at the pitcher with both eyes? Is his view level with the horizon, or does he have his head so tilted that his eyes are at an angle to the sight of the pitch? Is his head still has he swings? Is he afraid of the ball?

Have you video tape him swinging? In my opinion, this is a must...there is so much to see through the lenses of a video camera that you could never pick up with the naked eye (of course, you need to have someone that understands hitting to be able to pickup whatever "flaws" there are). If any coach goes and does all kinds of changes to a kids swing mechanics without video taping I would run away from such a coach!

It's never a good idea to make too many changes in the middle of a season. The amount of repetitions needed to learn a new mechanic does not allow for a kid to apply it to his next game. The result is just more frustration and disappointment. It's okay to focus on one or two small areas, but "wholesale" changes is an a no-no. There is usually a progression "downwards" before the body is able to learn, adapt and apply a new skill, so to do so in season makes no sense.

Let's look at the "mental" aspect. Are his coaches just constantly barking from the sidelines? To be able to hit requires that you stop thinking...if you think you will not hit! If the kid is more focused on what the coaches are saying, distracted, feeling no confidence, is troubled by something, dad is on his case too much, or a number of other factors, then hitting is not going to be easy. As a parent you need to be your son strongest advocate. Don't be intimidated by coaches and other parents. Make sure that his coach is not barking useless phrases and trying to "teach" hitting mechanics when he is at bat. He needs to concentrate on hitting the ball with whatever swing he has learned until that moment. No one is going to groove a different swing without hundreds if not thousands of repetitions...so don't let some naive coach think he can do it without one repetition, by just hearing him bark! This is contrary to all we know about how humans learn new skills...yet you see it every day in every park in America.

Teach your boy to "ALWAYS BELIEVE HE CAN!" You must make this an important part of his approach to hitting...nothing less will do. If negative thoughts or anything interrupts his train of thought, tell him to call time-out...step out of the batters box...take a deep breath...re-gain his focus and get back to "I can hit this guy".

The sooner you begin teaching this important aspect to good hitting the sooner you will see amazing results. Young ballplayers need to learn how the mind influences an athletes performance as much as the physical skill does, if not more so. Have him hit off a "T", soft toss and live pitching. Just make sure that if an adult is pitching and he is tall, that he goes on his knees or at least keep it comparable to the type of pitchers he faces in a game. Too many times I see dad, 6 ft. plus, pitching from 35 feet in the batting cages. What type of swing is a young kid going to develop with the angle of the pitch coming at him at 45 degrees?

With regards to level of competition, I feel that it is better for him to be successful at a given level of play than to be "challenged" so much that it sets him up for failure.

Just don't call it quits yet. There is much he can learn from dealing with his "failure" to hit. As a dad you are in a great position to teach him some of life's greatest lessons...dealing with adversity. Be patient, be positive, encourage him all the way, go easy and let him enjoy himself, respect his individuality and allow him to learn at his pace. Mother-time does not give you too much of a chance to enjoy these years with him...so enjoy the process and watch him flourish, he may not become the hitter you expect, but he can improve...forget the adage!

There is so much more...but I hope this is a start. Well, I got to go because in 7 hours I am off to Aruba for a week...take care and good luck!

Joe Hernandez