Posted by: Scott B (batspeed@integritycorp.com) on Fri Jun 7 13:05:09 2002

> > It's good to hear from another father struggling with his kids' hitting prowess. I have two sons 16 and 18 who are great kids, they like to learn, they work hard, watch video, read the internet, swing off the swing-away every night, swing off the personal pitcher if they're not swinging off the swing away, and then struggle in games. Very frustrating but I still feel they have it in them and success is just around the corner. We have always had a timing problem which we think we have detected as getting the stride foot down late. To counter this we make sure its early if not on time and we have seen tremendous results in the cage. It's like we go to Epsteins #1 position early, hold it until swing time and its made a tremendous difference. It looks a little unusual but we can't argue with the early results (in batting cage). When we are at the #1 position there is definately a weight forward look to it. But it has kept us from collapsing the back side and upper cutting and better yet, for us, it has kept us from pulling off the ball. Our bathead seems to cover the zone better. Rainouts have kept us from being game tested this week. My 16 yr old (lefty batter) did hit a line drive to opposite field in his one at bat this week (unfortunately it was caught)after having struck out 7 of his last 9 at bats due to a pulling off the ball problem. What is this forums' (panel of experts) opinion on this?
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> I need to add to my post. We think part of our improvement is related to the stride to hit v stride and hit technique. It's like we need to get the stride foot down before any rotation (foot at a 45 degree angle). If we rotate as we are striding we pull off the ball and the bat head is not in the zone very long.
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My daughter tends to try that early set-up step, also, but I'm only going to let her do that until she's stronger on the fundamentals. If they continue like that, it'll definitely cost them power. But until they can stop with the "K's", more power won't matter.

For that reason, i.e. loss of fluidity and power, I don't think Epstein advises this early loading. I can't place my figure on where he states this, but I advise you read through all the PDF's on his "images" subdirectory (www.mikeepsteinhitting.com/images). I'm sure you'll find one addressing this issue.

The timing issue is one of those things that only experience can teach them. They should definitely be in motion (counter-rotate, 45 degree timing step with the stride foot, & reestablish the point of balance) with every pitch. The "inward turn" of the linear hitter becomes the stride/open hips/counter-rotation of the rotational hitter.

Be careful to take nothing for granted. The excessive "K's" tell me that your kids may still be swinging down on the ball and/or casting. Video tape them against live (or machine) pitching (after they've forgotten this is "practice", and are really intent on hitting the ball). What's the VERY FIRST thing that happens in their swing. WHEN EXACTLY do their hands move? Which direction do they move? Does their forward momentum stop before the hands move? Does the front heel contact the ground before the hands move? Do the hips open before the hands move, and are the hips actually pulling the lead arm though, or is the bat getting upperbody help.

The problem with "de-learning and re-learning" during the season is that no matter how much you work, and regardless of how "rotational" they look before the game, when they get into the game it's just the hitter against the pitcher. Either the body goes on autopilot, usually resulting to half-rotational/half-linear mechanics, or the kid starts doing Epstein drills while the pitcher is sailing three strikes by them. It just takes time, and lots and lots of repetitions. We just never get there. When we did the last video about 10 days ago, even though my daughter looked like a rotational champ, the split frame video showed the bat head sailing off her shoulder TOWARDS the camera (which unfortuntately, was to her side, not in front of her). She was red-faced. She was casting her hands out before her body's rotation pulled the bat forward.

How is your son striking out? Is it on straight pitches? Is he going 3-2 with foul balls? Is he fouling 'em left, right, or straight back. Those are also valuable clues.

Mike also has some excellent PDF articles on where the hitter should position themselves on the plate, and the "plan" they take to the plate. He stresses that no hitter can adequately cover the entire plate (i.e. he's placing himself in the preverbal 2-stike mode on every pitch then). I won't try to reproduce Epstein's comments here - read his articles. But remember, swing mechanics are only half the equation. At your son's level of play, they need to become smart hitters too. The need to chart the pitchers and figure out what they most frequently through for a 1st strike pitch (and their percentage), their out pitch, and especially, what the pitcher's plan was for them the previous AB. I swear that I just have to chuckle when I'm at 1B, coaching the Pony kids. I'll watch a pitcher with average stuff take out our kids with the same pattern, same pitches, hitter after hitter. Yet the kids remain asleep on the bench. When you try to explain to them why they're striking out, they ignore you (they're Jr. Highers; I figure it's at least another 2 years before they listen to adult authority again ). But your guys are old enough to know better. They should get alot out of Mike E.'s articles on the mental part of an AB.

Well.. you probably knew all of this.

Nice chatting with you.

Scott B.