Posted by: skip (piks5@sbcglobal.net) on Mon Jun 25 18:53:10 2007

> Hey
> I'm a 13 soon to be 14 year old and I was wondering about distance of homeruns. I've hit two this year at about 300 feet(+- 15 feet) w/ an aluminum bat. I really have no clue if this is good distance for my age. I know not to obsess with distance but I was just curious.
> Has anyone used a Hit-A-Way? Do you like it? I own one and it seems to help a lot. Ever since I got it I've been going 3-3, 3-4 every game.
> I am a natural righty. I have been practicing hard on a lefty swing. I've got good batspeed and mechanics. I've been taking lots of batting practice from the left side. Is it too late to become a good switch hitter? Am I being advantegous when I take lots of hacks from the other side of the plate?
> Lastly I am hitter that hits for a high average(.400) and has good power(lots of doubles and other extra-base hits). I can also run fast. My coach still doesn't put in the 3 slot. I also bat 5th, 5th, 5th every game. What do 3 hitters do that 5 hitters don't? Our normal 3 guy is really good, but I still think that I'm good enough to switch off with him when he's tired. Again, I've been told that I shouldn't think too much about where I am in the order, but at the same time, I just love having a guaranteed first inning AB. And third seems just right for my skills, from what I've heard about the spot.
>
> Cage

It sounds like you are a fine hitter from your natural side. As you get older, and the pitching gets smarter and better, you will make progress and excel if you remain a hard worker and practice a lot. To be a switch hitter, that means double the practice. You, better than anyone, know your own habits. If you have already proven to yourself to be an incredible hard worker at baseball, than maybe switch hitting is for you. Otherwise, my advice would be to keep putting in the normal amount of very hard work to become as good as you can be from your natural side.

As far as your position in the batting order goes: It takes hard work and athletic talent to excel in baseball, but it also takes a good baseball mentality. For example, part of that mentality is to have a short memory-- if you are 0 for 3 yesterday it is forgotten, so that your mind is fresh to maybe go 3 for 3 today. Another part of the mental side is to not sweat the small stuff----- forget about where you bat in the order. That is some of the small stuff.

If you work hard and make the high school team, you might be happy to be batting 5th instead of 3rd--you'll see more fastballs and less junk.
skip