Posted by: Joe A. () on Wed Aug 15 06:27:23 2001

What do you do when your coach wants you to swing with bad mechanics?
> > > > > > > > > At my practice I couldn't hit, cause I never got a single ball in the strike zone (seriously). My assistant coach thought it was a mechanical problem. He wants me to swing with a long swoop (arms extended at contact), and have a long stride which is supposed to get momentum to get hip rotation or something. He also told me not to turn inward, just step and swing, and to throw my hands forward the same time I rotatr my hips. I used to, never hit past the infield, never will again, cause he must have been sleeping when I smashed a frozen rope and it blew past the RF, next AB I alsmost took the pitchers head off.
> > > > > > > > > He thinks in my league if I use what we call "poor mechanics", we all should hit 350-500' balls. Ha ha ha.
> > > > > > > > > He told me to swing and stop at contact. He said I'd be hitting the ball on the neck (he showed me, not true, those liners last game?!). He thinks if I have my arms extended I'll hit the ball on the barrel which is kind of funny cause if I have my arms extended at contact it'll kinda hit my arm which kinda hurts cause I got hit there last game.
> > > > > > > > > He also told me not to bring my hands close to my body. I told him I bring my arm to my side to put torque on the bat, but he doesn't believe me. His words "you don't want to shorten your swing up". I argued about that for a minute but never persuaded him.
> > > > > > > > > Also he told me I was rotating my hips too early, I should rotate and bring my hands forward at the same time. I told him I rotate my hips which BRINGS my hands forward (in a circular path of course) into the contact zone. He thinks I won't be able to hit 500 footers like this. I mean, I'm sorry I don't take steriods and creatine like Bonds and Sosa, I'm also sorry I'm only 5,9" 135 ibs and 17 yrs. old! I'm sure by the time I'm 30 and have this technique in my muscle memory and been lifting weights for 13 years I'll be putting them well over the fence. Does McGwire hit 500 footers, don't think so! He can come close once in a while but you need the winds assist to do that!
> > > > > > > > > I got 3 playof games left, I'm just worried after each game he'll keep telling me to do this and that! What am I supposed to do? I'm trying to get to the big show!! One coach on High School Baseball Web told me when I'm making $5 million a year I can do whatever, but I won't even be able to make $200,000 (minimum MLB salary) if I've been swinging like that all through the minors!!AAH!
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > just had to get that off my chest. i told my dad.He said THE GREATEST ADVICE I think I've ever heard was "Don't listen to that guy."
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Max,
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > You put a lot of stuff in that post so it's not easy to respond without seeing whats happening. But one thing did tip me off to something you might want to check.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > You said that if you had your arms extened at contact the ball would hit your arms. This should not be the case. This tells me you may be way too close to the plate. Theres no way a ball over the plate could hit your arms when you swing.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > When you are too close to the plat all your mechanics are affected. You instintively know you dont want your arms out there so you pull them in during the swing. This could also restrict your hip turn and upper body turn.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > So, just as an educated "guess" on my part, check how far you are away from the plate. You may be too close.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Good Luck
> > > > > > > > Joe A,
> > > > > > > The thing is Joe, if I have to swing with arms extended at contact I would have to move back or else it would hit me, maybe not on the arms (I was ticked off when I posted last night, so I exaggerated a little) but it probably would get my fingers.
> > > > > > > Luckily for me I don't use these poor mechanics. Right now where I stand, how I hit is going great. I'm really hitting now. I just don't know what to say if my coach approaches me again.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > maximum,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > just say, "yes,...yes,...o.k.,...yes. thank you." AND THEN DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ray porco
> > > > >
> > > > > .....i agree with ray.....sometimes my son had problems with unqualified coaches (even at high school level) trying to interfere.....they pick up something at a camp or even from the internet and want to pass it along as gospel.....just pretend you are trying but when game time comes, do it your way.....respectfully, grc.....
> > > >
> > > > Max,
> > > >
> > > > The ball shouldn't hit any part of your body. I would say your too close to the plate.
> > > >
> > > > I don't understand why the coach wants to change your way of hitting if you are hitting "great." Maybe you should discuss that. You have to admitt that your coach does want you to hit, right? So, why do you two have such a big difference in yoru perception.
> > > >
> > > > The poper thing to do is to talk to him. I think you will fimd that you two are going to the same place but taking different roads.
> > > >
> > > > If you just ignore him, you know it will only get worse. Give the guy the benefit of the doubt and talk to him.
> > > >
> > > > Joe A.
> > >
> > > Sounds like he tried to talk to him. I have to agree with Ray. Sometimes your only defense is to say thanks I'll try it and then do it your way. I find that when you rope the ball in the next at bat, these guys usually say, "see, I told you it would work" when in fact you used none of his ideas. lol
> > >
> > > Not too many coaches are open to hitting advice from their players regardless of their level of knowledge.
> > >
> > > Mark H.
> >
> > Mark H,
> >
> > Max, this is for you also.
> >
> > Do you think it is the job of the COACH to take hitting advice from a player? I know that not all coaches are knowledgable. Some are there because they are the only one who took the job. But, for what ever reason, they are the coach and must be given the benefit of the doubt unitl you KNOW that they are wrong.
> >
> > Have you never run into a kid who is "uncoachable" because they want to do what they see on TV? Whey want to look like McGuire or some other athelete. (Of course much of that is created by the attitudes reflected on this site because people use pros as models for teaching kids. But thats another issue) Kids can be uncoachable for a number of reasons. The point is Max can be the problem, not the coach. Does it sound resonable that a coach wants to change a kid who is hitting great??? I have never heard of it. So why advise him to ignore the the coach?
> >
> > One of the lessons young people can learn from sports is to deal with problems in a reasonable and sensible way. In this case Max can learn to talk this out and reslove this problem and convice the coach or be convinced. Either way the situation is resloved and Max may become a better hitter. He will certainly be a better person.
> >
> > It's about the kids, isn't it?
> >
> > Joe A.
> >
>
> Depending on the situation and the coach, your advice may be exactly right, but sometimes, you have to defend yourself or your kid against well meaning help or maybe against a big ego combined with small knowledge.
>
> If they do talk it out and the kid convinces the coach, then the coach has taken hitting advice from the kid by definition. Many coaches in my experience don't work that way. Especially, the ones who don't really know much to begin with.
>
> Mark Hanson

Mark,

I am not suggesting that the Max and the coach dicuss hitting methods. I am suggesting that they discuss why they have, what seems to be, a big difference of opinion about Max's hitting.

Max says he is hitting "great." The coach wants him to change something, suggesting that the coach thinks he can do better. There must be a differenc of opinion about Max's hitting. This is the core of the problem, not what ever mechanics they are talking about.

After resolving the real probem of their different opinons I think the other things will fall into place. It will atleast better define what the problem is. The solution to most problems becomes more evident once you properly define what the problem is.

One of the things you said implies something that is a big problem in sports for kids. If I am wrong, sorry, put is a pet peeve of mine.

You said that "sometimes you have to defend yourself or your kid." I think one of the biggest problem coaches have is the participation of parents in team issues. Some coaches even invite it because they think that including parents will help. It won't, it makes situation worse.

Parents, being parents, only think about their kids. They want them to get every oportunity, play as much as possible, get the benefit of every doubt. They want their kids to be "happy" playing sports. They are not really concerned about other kids. Much of what they "think is fair" is not conducive to a "team" concept. I have heard parents bad mouth other players and coaches because their kid is not playing enough, or not playing the position they like. Many parents don't really care about the team or the game, only their kid. Which is ok for parents and is probably how parents should be but it dosen't work on a team.

This is probably nothing that can be changed. Parents should care about their kids. But, undertanding that they are not fair minded or team minded when it comes to their kids, they should never be involved in team dicessions. Uneless it concerns the kids health, safety or overall wellbeing outside the game, team dicessions and discusions should be between the coach and the player only. Allowing parents in into team issues is inviting big problems.

Joe A.