Posted by: Graylon (g_dunc@hotmail.com) on Wed Apr 15 22:10:08 2009

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> > My son has been playing ball for 8 years now. He is a league Age 12 kid who plays exclusive travel ball on a very good team. My son seems to struggle with his batspeed at the plate in game situations. What I mean is that his swing looks like it is in slow motion and looks nothing like what we see from him in the batting cages. He often hits in the batting cage at 65 mph from 35-40 feet. He has zero problems crushing the ball from that distance, however when we get into a game situation where the pitchers are pitching from 50' at 55-60mph it appears he is tense and his muscles are tightening up. He appears late to the ball but more concerning is that he has ZERO bat speed meaning that it literally looks like he is swinging in slow motion. He has great mechanics and will probably go down in history as one of the best cage hitters on our team. The kids on the team see him ripping the ball in the cages and because he has good mechanics he often makes solid line drive contact. The big issue is in game situations. I am starting to believe that there is something mental going on where he is overly concerned about making contact of tightening his muscles too much. I am looking for some advice on how best to deal with him. His confidence is at an all-time low!!! Ideas? Suggestions? Thoughts? Help!!!!!
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> Get out of the cage and onto the field at proper pitching distance to take BP. Don't do the short toss BP either. Both interfere with timing and watching the ball. Tell him to be aggressive in game situations too and that he needs to strike out swinging sometimes as a sign he is being aggressive.

What your son is doing I call "feeling" for the ball. He is overly concerned about the outcome instead of the process of hitting. In the cage he is not so worried about the outcome and you are probably working on certain things, so he is thinking about what he is doing.

I know a lot of people say "see ball hit ball" but I have found that this puts the thought on he outcome. I use to say the same thing. What has worked with my son is to think about the process. before he gets in he thinks about a cue that helps him hit well in BP. For him it is "drive the rear hip" and "tilt with power". This gets his thinking to his swing process and not the outcome.

I know some will say that he should just be concentrating on the ball. What we have found is no matter what he is going to see the ball. He's looking at the pitcher, so he has no way of not seeing the ball. So the ball leaves the pitchers hand and he knows what he has to do to put a good swing on the pitch.

In BP or front toss or whatever you do with your son. Take your time. Ask him all the time what did you feel. What did you do in that swing. What was good and what wasn't so good. Ask him what he was thinking when he hits the ball hard. he will find what works for him and tell him to think about that in the game.

He needs something that will clear his mind at the plate and get his mind on the process and not the outcome.