Hitting during practice

Westwind said:

If a 9u softball parent would ONLY 1)play catch with their kid, and 2) buy a damn dozen wiffle balls and throw them for their kid and 3) start reading DFP, they would never have to pay for a lesson. Good luck trying to get them to do it.

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In my experience and observations, the kids who have parents willing to do the work with them - ESPECIALLY at a young age - are the kids who develop higher level skills quicker, and move to TB sooner, because they have out-grown the competition level of the rec league.

Although I've been around this place since very close to when my kid started playing, and I have made a determined effort to learn everything I can to help my kid be a better ball player, I've still had to pay for private instruction. Apparently, my DD's ability to hear the words coming out of my mouth faded. Surprisingly, though, those same words spoken by a paid instructor are heard clearly.

Eric F said:

Apparently, my DD's ability to hear the words coming out of my mouth faded.

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With my 9 YO DD at the moment, it has to be "This is good, this is good and this is good but you could improve on..." I am sure at some
point that will probably stop working as well.

Pattar, I think most kids are over coached, especially when it comes to hitting.

One of the best hs sports teams dd’s hs ever had was based on a group of boys that had a small diamond set up in a vacant lot and they played with a shared wood bat and tennis balls. They played for fun and played a lot.

Getting back to my over coached comment and my comments above about paid “lessons”, one of the most effective hitting coaches in our area charged $10 and threw you in front of a pitching machine to do the same 10 minute drill routine over and over. Parents complained that he didn’t “coach”. He was always visiting with the parents. His hitters can flat hit. He did coach. It just wasn’t fussing over every little thing. His process created a ton of good hitters and you felt confident when you left. He’d get laughed off of Twitter and tarred and feathered in the tech hitting forum.

Eric F said:

Although I've been around this place since very close to when my kid started playing, and I have made a determined effort to learn everything I can to help my kid be a better ball player, I've still had to pay for private instruction. Apparently, my DD's ability to hear the words coming out of my mouth faded. Surprisingly, though, those same words spoken by a paid instructor are heard clearly.

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I’m always quite pleased with myself when dd or one of the other kids I work with says “we did exactly the same things at the camp we work on here” or “the coach said that thing you always say about my swing”. And yet credibility doesn’t lessen the amount of eye rolling on those days when you are annoying your own kid, lol!

Westwind said:

I’m always quite pleased with myself when dd or one of the other kids I work with says “we did exactly the same things at the camp we work on here” or “the coach said that thing you always say about my swing”. And yet credibility doesn’t lessen the amount of eye rolling on those days when you are annoying your own kid, lol!

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My DD went to a basketball camp this summer at our local HS (I don't usually put her in camps but it was like 10 bucks so I was like why not..) and came back and said this to me. I know the coach who ran the camp, he knows what he is doing. At the moment this doesn't happen with her softball coaches (or to be specific her HC).. I won't say anything other than that

Eric F said:

Apparently, my DD's ability to hear the words coming out of my mouth faded. Surprisingly, though, those same words spoken by a paid instructor are heard clearly.

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you and me both!

if Rec League:
Lots of stations - LOTS.. as many as you can think of - If you focus the practice you know how long they last before fading out 1min per year old?

good thing about 10u is lots of parents show up: Put them to work.
You teach the parents (future assistants in there somewhere) and walk the field

Nets near the wiffle ball corner of the field
Near the nets: Super Duper slow motion no ball tee
Pvc pipe or some such at the hip hit the ball off the tee
Corners of the field-
Coach Pitch at the real plate
Wiffle ball front toss
Happy Gilmore tee -wiffles


Per Eric F: Removed the double Tee after reading up on his response..

Thuba said:

Double Tee - don't hit the back one.

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Please don't do this one.

Westwind said:

I’m always quite pleased with myself when dd or one of the other kids I work with says “we did exactly the same things at the camp we work on here” or “the coach said that thing you always say about my swing”. And yet credibility doesn’t lessen the amount of eye rolling on those days when you are annoying your own kid, lol!

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LOL... my DD is the opposite. "Guess what the coach told me today?.. and it worked great". This is followed by me eye rolling and saying "I've been telling you this for weeks".. LOL