Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Pretty simple. Keep working on ingraining sound mechanics with those that want to keep playing. The band aid for the others that don't want to keep playing is to teach them to take the pitch.
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Pretty simple. Keep working on ingraining sound mechanics with those that want to keep playing. The band aid for the others that don't want to keep playing is to teach them to take the pitch.
I could see the approach if your working with your own kid. Do you coach high school/College ?
Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Fortunately, no. For those that do though, I know its a matter of having to play the hand that you are dealt; however, there's no physical reason that the girls can't begin working on a high-level swing at a young age - just like the boys. Its just as easy to teach and practice good mechanics as bad mechanics, the problem is that too many coaches at the younger levels don't know the difference or rationalize that its just for fun/takes more time than they have/would jeopardize winning/ can be left up to the coach at the next level to do it.
This is exactly why I no longer do the HS/College thing anymore... To many kids with varied skill sets... Also your time is so limited per season and regulations.. Sometimes we need to step back and realize the cards we're dealt as coaches.
With regards to high school.... Personally, I don't think high school coaches should look at this "too many kids with varied skill sets" and think they (the coaches) ought to be trying to change them all to fit one particular cookie cutter mold, like with hitting and pitching. Around here, the players who are good players come into the high school programs from different competitive/travel teams, and each will have slightly (sometimes major) different mechanics. At least with high school coaching, which I don't at all envy, there should be more of a mind-set to accept differences in hitting and pitching mechanics. particularly if the hitter or pitcher is working with a private coach. What I see happening more times than not is the coaches acting as if they are in come competition with each other, with there being much too much pride involved, resulting in harmful effects on the girls.
Coaching college.... I see that as being en entirely different beast than high school coaching.
- Nov 4, 2013
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I coach a high school team and the season is much too short and the skill sets (and mechanics) way to varied to mess around too much with them. Even if we wanted to change something major we just don't have the time. If they are doing something so terribly wrong that it makes it impossible for them to be successful we will try to tinker a little bit, but for the most part we just accept what we have and try to put them in a postion to succeed. In some cases I have talked to parents about something with mechanics that we see that is really messed up and told them this is something to work on in the off season and this is what we would like to see, but it's tough to do much in an 8 week season which is what we have here in South Dakota.
There is still a huge skills gap in college as well... Especially when your dealing with DIII student athletes.. Add on to that your time is so limited day to day. Our current high school coach has been real good at recognizing the different skill sets and doesn't mess with to much.. The old coach attempted to cookie cut all the girls knocking knuckles up thumbs down elbows about touching...
This "cookie cut" thing is what drives me absolutely crazy. You simply do not have that luxury to change all the players' mechanics for a season that lasts 2-3 months of the year, only for them to go back to their travel teams after. I am constantly amazed at those who live by this "cookie cut" mentality. Heck, there are 2-3 hitting styles I work on among my players. What works well for one may not for another.
- Dec 4, 2013
- 865
- 18
Doug can you elaborate on teaching 2 or 3 different hitting styles? Not 2-3 different sets of mechanics right?
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- Dec 4, 2013
- 865
- 18
I agree in not making a bunch of robots that are identically alike in all aspects. But I do believe there are some absolutes in hitting that would benefit all players if they master. Things that every kid on the team should do
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