Thread: Help - Travel Swing vs. High School Swing??

My daughter, who is entering high school and also plays travel softball (has for 6 years) is now being taught 2 different swings. The travel coach teaches one way and my daughter has responded REAL well to it - the high school coach is teaching a completely different way and my daughter is in the middle confused? Both are kind of insistant on their way is the best way... What is the best way to deal with this situation?? Since we are new to high school, I do not want to rub anyone wrong before school even starts.

I think she should stick with the swing that makes her most successful at the plate. If it happens to be the travel teams hitting coach's way then so be it. Her numbers at the plate on her high school team should speak for her success with her swing and high school coach shouldn't have a problem with that.

There are girls that actually aren't playing HS anymore, because of situations like this. We generally tell the girl to smile and shake her head and go ahead and hit away.

Just what is it that the HS coach is wanting?

A good high school coach will ask if you have a hitting coach or a pitching coach and not change things, unless you are struggling. MOST are a teacher that got the bid to coach based on extra $$. Some do coach travel ball and go to clinics to learn. I work with our girls at our local high school, because I'm asked to. A good coach knows his limits. I would suggest , you talk to him and find out why he wants to change the swing.
Post as Amy suggested. Many good hitting instructors on here can tell you if the coach knows what the heck he is talking about. We might disagree on who teaches better, but agree on many things.

I have heard before that girls are dropping out of highschool ball and sticking to travel and that is what I am trying to avoid as my daughter will only be a freshman. It isn't so much what the HS coach is wanting, it's more "My Way or the Highway" and I am not sure if it is ever appropriate to talk to the HS coach. The travel coaches are already aware of this and we are trying to work thru it.

Guess I should mention the HS Coach played "Professional Ball" as in competed with and against say Jennie Finch, and others on the USA Team. The travel coaches are both newly graduated from College and had an outstanding year in college playing softball. They have taught our travel team a new swing that is used at their school and my daughter has really improved with it.

I coach both, so I would disagree. Talk works out many issues in life. Many colleges do not teach kids correctly. I have been to more college camps than I can count. I teach what team USA teaches and I have worked with Finch pitching, but with Bustos when it comes to hitting.
So just becase they came out of college and played softball doesn't tell me much about the ability to TEACH. Some have it and some don't.
I hear kids told to take hands to the ball, Squish the bug, swing level and this from so called coaches . So be careful.

I agree with you on talking and will wait another day or 2 of camp, see how it goes before I meet with the HS coach - THANKS SBFAMILY!

Originally Posted by sluggers

From my experience with a multitude of coaches, talking isn't going to work. Her HS coach is convinced of the rightness of her cause, and nothing you can will dissuade her.

You probably be seen as a meddling parent. The coach might think that your DD is uncooperative, uncoachable or "not a team player".

What to do?

There is something called "the smile and nod", which every player should have in her bag of tricks. When someone suggests doing something differently, the player should look at the coach and give the best "little girl with big eyes" look and nod vigorously while smiling. The player then does what the coach suggested once to demonstrate that she understands what the coach said. Then, the player goes back to the way she did it before the coach made the suggestion.

In my opinion this is probably the best course of action. Assuming your dd swing is good enough to be succesful in travel it will probably be good enough in HS. Just remember that HS SB is seasonal (much like flu) and as such, will pass without serious morbidity/mortality (much like flu).