Balance between technical coaching and just playing

[mcastles]

Hi

I would like to gather some thoughts on the balance between teaching/practicing the technical aspects of proper hitting vs spontaneous/reaction hitting. What I am observing in 12-14 age range girls is that the clearly tend to over think when hitting in a pressure situation (i.e. game or tryout) and therefore become robotic and tenious, rather than aggressive to the ball. Their swing is weak and reluctant. When I asked them, some will say "I was trying to do everything I was taught". When they loosen up, like during practice, they hit much better and have a lot more fun.

You folks know exactly this situation, so please give me some of your experience on the balance of technical vs just laying it out there. Just as a note, these kids are not just learning to hold the bat, and have few years experience, but clearly can improve, plus the competition is going up. The old adage of "you think, you stink" kind of sums it up.

thanks in advance

 

[PEPPERS]

IMO practice is the time for thinking on the mechanics and games are the time for instinct to take over. The swing needs to be practiced enough that it is an automatic response to the pitch and location. A hitter needs to be loose in the box and slight rhythm and movement gets the muscles loose to react quickly. At that age many kids have the fear of failure, they need to know that if they fail 7 out of 10 times that is great average.

I tell them to think ever pitch is a strike and stride to contact and hold back the swing when they realize at the last minute it is not a ball they want to swing at. Think yes, yes, yes and no at the last minute not no, no, no and yes to swing at the last minute, usually it’s too late at that point.

The mind set IMO in the batter’s box should be (SEE IT AND HIT IT), (TRAC IT AND WACK IT) or something like that.

The old saying in hitting (YOU THINK YOU STINK).

 

[quincy]

Couple years ago I was over coaching DD during games. She was more worried about me then hitting the ball. I told her that I was not going to say anything when she was at bat, only clap. Took a game or 2 before she believed me but after that she took off as a hitter.

I take that philosophy with all the hitters, stay out of their way during games and results will happen. The HC DD is an OK hitter but does not have a chance with all the jawing she gets when she is in the box.

 

[Jim]

Practice is also the time to work on your mental approach to hitting. Instead of working solely on mechanics, take time to trust your swing as you should in a game. If you misshit a ball, don't immediatly start breaking down your swing mechanics... Just try to see the ball better or focus on the ball longer. This helps to clear the mind and makes the dynamic movement of the swing much more fluid and natural.

 

[mcastles]

thanks to all, great points.

I am going to try focusing them on the goals of practice vs the game. Also, I have found that 'practicing' pressure situations seems to help. Visualization of a game situation is a powerful tool, such that when you are in that situation you are calmer because it feels like you have been there before.

Also, as stated, the psyche of a young teen girl is fragile and very fearful of making a mistake, so they over compensate, thus causing the spiral. Going to try to decompress and insert a lot of fun factor, because in the end, if it is not fun, then what's the point!

Hope this loosens things up a little

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

Couple years ago I was over coaching DD during games. She was more worried about me then hitting the ball. I told her that I was not going to say anything when she was at bat, only clap. Took a game or 2 before she believed me but after that she took off as a hitter.

I take that philosophy with all the hitters, stay out of their way during games and results will happen. The HC DD is an OK hitter but does not have a chance with all the jawing she gets when she is in the box.

I have learned that DD only wants to hear me cheer, never coach or criticize during a game - at all - ever. Her current coach does not "coach mechanics" during a game - at all - ever. He figures that practice is for coaching and games are for leading. I like that philosophy.

 

[RichK]

I agree it's often tough and at times counter-productive to try to coach or reinforce hitting mechanics in game situations.

But if the ultimate goal is to bring mechanics you've worked on in practice into live game hitting, I think a coach/instructor is is going to need to work/fix/instruct those mechanics (or at least make the hitter aware of problems) IN those game situations. Yes, they might have a few bad games or at bats, but they'll be moving toward a better game swing.

I like this approach: every hitter likely has a few things they are working toward or working to avoid. A few keywords or cues are useful if a hitter is clearly not bringing their practice mechanics to the plate. That should get them working -- not overthinking.

 

[stiksdad]

I agree with most we try to work on mechanics at the beginning of our hitting practices proper mechanics our taught reinforced corrected over and over, then we work the mental side situational with a specific goal in mind for the situation. The biggest thing I have found to improve a hitters performance is to let them know it is ok to fail. No thats not the goal, but they need to be in a comfort zone to improve and then transfer that to live situations. I try to take the pressure of the players as much as I can, this has worked for me, now they embrace the challenges they face during games with much more confidence.

 

[theaddition]

Her current coach does not "coach mechanics" during a game - at all - ever. He figures that practice is for coaching and games are for leading. I like that philosophy.

My belief is that is a failed philosophy. By that I mean it is absolutely, positively, necessary to "coach" a player during a game, particularly at younger ages. But I believe it is done at the college level. In fact, I know it is because I spoken with
college coaches from all 3 levels as well as a few Div. II and div. III baseball coaches.
I'm not referring to pre-game coaching. I'm speaking of coaching during the game, making adjustments to the pitcher and
adjusting the swing mechanics. For example, 2 evenigs ago my DD played a highschool game against a team coached by her summer travel ball coach from last summer. This coach knows my where the hole in my DD swing is. I told her where
they were going to pitch her the night before the game. I also told her as I always do, not to swing at any pitches that aren't in your "wheel house" unless you have to (2 strike on her). Wait for a mistake. She didn't really hear me. 1st 2 at
bats, 2 K's on 9 pitches total. As usual, no coaching from the coaches. I sat quietly in the stands shaking my head. I could see she was upset, hugely so. No coaching from her coaches. After her 2nd k I stood up and motioned to her to come over to me. When she got to me, she was yelling about the ump hurrying her and the pitcher quick pitching blah.blah blah.
I had to tell her to shut the mouth and listened to me. She did. I told her what she was doing wrong mechanically and mentally. When her team was up to bat again, she grasbbed her bat, went behind the dugout and took some dry swings correcting what we discussed. Her next at bat (you can see where this is going, can't you?) 3 pitches, all outside-low, her hole, 1 ball-2 strikes, didn't swing at any of them. The next pitch, for some odd reason, was coming inside based on the catcher's set-up. The pitcher missed the spot and left it right their, I'm pointing to middle-middle. She jumped all over it and it landed at least 250' dead center.
Was this in game coaching? I don't care what you call it, but I did what I needed to do to get a smile back on the kid's face.
I've been told by the ASSistant coach not to do this thing that the coaches will handle it. Well they don't, So I continue to.
You can't tell me and expect my to buy into it, that college don't coach their players during games. It just aint so. They do.

 

[Wellphyt]

I never coach my DD or any player on their hitting mechanics during a game. IMO it does more harm than good. We work on mechanics between tournaments, and sometimes in between games during tournaments. However I always tell them that when they get to the plate they need to swing the way they are comfortable swinging.

Here is what I teach my DD and any other kid who will listen, regarding what to do when they get to the plate. This is basically right out of "Science of Hitting", with a little of me thrown in for good measure:

When you get to the plate you should not be concerned or thinking about your mechanics. You've practiced hard on your swing all week and it is now automatic. Nervous? Nothing wrong with being a little nervous. Being a little nervous can be good. It means you are alert and it's your bodies' way of getting ready to compete. You should be thinking of only two things:

1. Get a good ball to hit. 2. Remember what to expect from the pitcher on any given count.