differing hitting styles

I received an email today from the varsity coach, I do the Mod. team, wanting to have a sit down and discuss her projected needs and my upcoming off season program. I like the coach very much and she is the varsity coach and she does have the AD's full backing. But, she is a firm believer in knob to the ball, hitting the pitch to set up back spin and no upward launch angle. She knows I don't teach this. So, my plan is to let her know that I can teach both styles because you can't put every hitter in the same category and it's OK to fit a style with a batter. I'm thinking that both styles of hitting rely on the same basic mechanics.
Does this sound reasonable?

I wouldn't be able to do that. I teach what I teach because I believe in it so much. I couldn't teach some aspects of any swing where I think that what I teach is sub-optimal for my hitter to have success.

I wouldn't be the one to bring it up if I was you and I would try to direct the conversation to a different place if it looks like that is where it is heading. .

If you can't avoid it, I would concentrate on how you teach what you consider the 'common' mechanics if she wants to get into a very specific discussion on hitting instruction. I am sure there are more interesting things to discuss instead of hitting philosophies. I am happy to do a 'listen, nod and move on' without really committing to anything.

Like Cannonball, I am not going to teach bad or sub-optimal mechanics to any kid. And results win out.

Imo you stick with your plan and coach the kids to mechanics they work on with their hitting coach. DS hits for backspin on the ball which seems to be very prominent in baseball but DD is working on turning the barrel and an upward launch angle. We are doing what works for others around us.

Jj malone said:

Imo you stick with your plan and coach the kids to mechanics they work on with their hitting coach. DS hits for backspin on the ball which seems to be very prominent in baseball but DD is working on turning the barrel and an upward launch angle. We are doing what works for others around us.

Click to expand...

Actually, most places are getting away from the bold above. Instead, they are changing to studying launch angles and duplicating those they see from MLB Players.

Like the others, I have my beliefs and those beliefs are my focus during hitting sessions. However, I currently work with several college players and their coaches are not always open minded... In fact I just received a text from one a few days ago. She is coming home for the holidays and started the text with three words "Please help me!!". As we chatted, I learned that her coach is a big "knob to the ball" proponent. I have had success with other players that have been taught this concept so I started putting some material together for our upcoming sessions. Rather than focusing on the queue itself, I prefer to try to figure out why this queue is being used. Is it real? Or is it a feel? I recently found the video linked below and this is a concept covered.

https://youtu.be/wKsbjRknNUI

I plan to show this video to this player and then refer to the picture below as well. The last thing I want to do is tell someone their coach is wrong. That typically doesn't go well. So I will explain it as a "feel" concept while reviewing some of my "real" beliefs. If I am successful, she can return to the hitting she is most comfortable with (why she was recruited to begin with...) and adapt the 'thought process' of some of the other queues.



Edited to add: As far as having a conversation with the coach... Personally that is something I would be very careful with. From experience I have learned that teaching conflicting styles can be troublesome. But if you can approach it in a way that doesn't make them seem conflicting, it may help. When I speak with other coaches, I prefer to have them do most of the talking. I will ask questions about the queues they teach and may ask some pointed questions about the 'how' and 'why'. Once I can determine the 'how' and 'why' I can often find some common ground and build off of that. But I do not try to contradict them and never belittle them while I am working with their players.

I would steer clear of trying to teach the mechanics form another person that you know are sub optimal. I would teach what I know works....if the coach ever asks you about it let them know that you believe that you both understand and teach sound hitting mechanics but you just don't use that cue...each player and coach responds to and uses different cues and leave it at that...getting into a mechanics based technical conversation is probably not going to end well.

Teach your players what you know works. Then follow that with THE most important lesson. Teach them how to smile and nod at the coach while doing what they were taught by you in a game.

The argument between linear and rotational hitting goes way back. Rotational/modified seems to have won out if you watch some of the top level hitters in college and the NPF today.

There are lotsa different situation with HS softball. If you're a small rural community the HS coaches can feel more empowered with the softball in the area. The HS my DD's went to had all travel players on the roster. Most of the starters played for top level programs in the area. The HS coach played for one of the top level programs and big time college softball. She was smart enough not to try and change any of the players swing mechanics.

If you waffle on what you know works your players will suffer.

Thank you everyone for your insights. It's one of the things you have to learn to deal with and work around, if you want to keep your job. I'm teaching what I know to be right but it will be more openly about mechanics and timing. Good results can cure a lot of stubbornness and preconceived ideas.

FP26 said:

Like the others, I have my beliefs and those beliefs are my focus during hitting sessions. However, I currently work with several college players and their coaches are not always open minded... In fact I just received a text from one a few days ago. She is coming home for the holidays and started the text with three words "Please help me!!". As we chatted, I learned that her coach is a big "knob to the ball" proponent. I have had success with other players that have been taught this concept so I started putting some material together for our upcoming sessions. Rather than focusing on the queue itself, I prefer to try to figure out why this queue is being used. Is it real? Or is it a feel? I recently found the video linked below and this is a concept covered.

https://youtu.be/wKsbjRknNUI

I plan to show this video to this player and then refer to the picture below as well. The last thing I want to do is tell someone their coach is wrong. That typically doesn't go well. So I will explain it as a "feel" concept while reviewing some of my "real" beliefs. If I am successful, she can return to the hitting she is most comfortable with (why she was recruited to begin with...) and adapt the 'thought process' of some of the other queues.

Edited to add: As far as having a conversation with the coach... Personally that is something I would be very careful with. From experience I have learned that teaching conflicting styles can be troublesome. But if you can approach it in a way that doesn't make them seem conflicting, it may help. When I speak with other coaches, I prefer to have them do most of the talking. I will ask questions about the queues they teach and may ask some pointed questions about the 'how' and 'why'. Once I can determine the 'how' and 'why' I can often find some common ground and build off of that. But I do not try to contradict them and never belittle them while I am working with their players.

Click to expand...

On the same lines of that Antonelli video about Pujols, just show Gwynn talking about knob to the ball and then show them him actually hitting in the game. As Matt points out, what elite hitters feel is happening when they hit and what actually happens is often quite different. Now that high-speed video is so prevalent I wonder if this disconnect will start to diminish somewhat. Makes William's thoughts on hitting that much more interesting since he really didn't have that at his disposal yet his analysis was so sound..