Posted by: Mark H. () on Fri Nov 15 04:48:00 2002

I began teaching my 10 yr old son rotational mechanics about 2 weeks ago. He has made a noticable improvement in his power since then. Tonight his club team had a game. During pregame batting practice one of the coaches tried to get him to go linear even after he was hitting the ball well. Specifically he told him to hold his lead arm forward in the shape of an "L". My son wouldn't do what the coach told him to do, so the coach called me over, and I told the coach my son was doing exactly what I wanted him to do. He then gave me a lesson on linear mechanics, and I tried to give him a lesson on rotational mechanics. His main justication for promoting linear mechanics was that "all the coaches here teach this". Another parent pulled me aside and said that if I wanted my son to have playing time I'd better go along with the program. Any suggestions???
> > > *******************************************************************
> > > Always a tough question "how to handle the coach?" I would ask the coach to view clips of Barry Bonds. Point out what you are teaching vs. linear the approach.
> > >
> > > Make sure you son stays rotational. When he starts pounding the ball the coach will want/need him in the lineup. Nothing like success.
> >
> > Well you have already failed to avoid the confrontation : ) so you might as well get after it. Get the coaches email address. Send him a bunch of clips of MLB players (which we can help you with) and ask him for examples of MLB players doing what he wants you to do. With any luck at all, maybe rotational will be all his idea by spring. Seriously, this is a common but tough problem. Working it out can be difficult. Keep in mind there is always another team but you won't get another kid and your kid won't get a second baseball career.
> >
> > Mark H.
>
> Hi Mark,
>
> I see you post this same goal often and I agree w/ how Bonds and others swing. But do you happen to know what % of MLB is rotational vs. linear (or combo)? I'm just curious.
>
> Thanks and regards.

Depends on your definitions of course and I would be interested in others opinions on this, but, other than recovery swings after being fooled, I see little of what I would call linear in MLB. Shinjo and Gwynn come to mind but most are what Epstein and Mankin would call rotational from what I see. One thing's for sure, linear MLB clips are hard to come by. On the other hand, linear hand movements are taught more than anything else at the youth level. But when you study the successful hitters, they don't look like that. It's a wonder ANY of these kids succeed as hitters. In a lot of cases, I think the best athletes adapt or learn by emulation.

Mark H.