Now do it in the game!

[iMlearning]

changes

I know I wouldn't say a word to our coach. Girls have good and bad tournaments all the time and maybe this will be a great one. I liked what Jake Epstein said to me when I asked a similar question. He just said to keep working on it. .. its a long process and it will start to creep into her game swings. Whatever you do, when she is in the box, she should not be thinking mechanics at all. Just track the ball and make good contact.
That's the approach we are taking.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Whatever you do, when she is in the box, she should not be thinking mechanics at all. Just track the ball and make good contact.
That's the approach we are taking.

That's what I've heard, but at some point, when a particular mechanic comes naturally in every setting except the game, I'm at a point of saying ''just do it.'' If you go 0-for-12, so be it. I'll let everyone know how the experiment goes.

 

[CoogansBluff]

An update on this - So DD was given the assignment by hitting coach to take her practice swing (stay tall in the stride and gain a little ground) into the game and forget about results. She had 14 plate appearances. As best I can tell, and I have some film evidence, she accomplished her goal 0 times out of 14. She merely said ''I'm trying. It's hard.''

Remember that these changes are things she can do easily in practice. That would be unlike, for example, turning the barrel, where she can do it in practice, but not without lesser production. In practice, she hits the ball well if not better when executing the things she was supposed to do in the game.

Not sure if there's a question or a point in this, except that I waffle on how best to handle this, whether to go cold turkey on some of these things and forget results, or whether to be patient and trust that these changes will slowly be assimilated. On one hand, the process-oriented philosophy makes great sense. But on the other, she was brought on the team to produce, not to bat .180. It's a deep, competitive team, and the difference between batting 3-5 and 8-10 doesn't take much of a slide. So it's tough knowing whether to allow her to swim when she's ready, or push her in the pool.

Also, would be happy to PM anyone who wants to see the difference between game and practice swings. Not sure that she wants a more public critique, though.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

It's not "whining." It is anticipating that if the results are less than optimal, that the coach will put pressure on her to switch back to what's been working, and heading it off before it happens. There's no need to put a kid between her parent, her coach, and her hitting instructor.

It is whining.

Most adults, through experience, eventually realize to live life by "doing the right thing".

Same for life in the batters box.

Your comment suggests a tone of being overly concerned with the 'results' than in the 'process'. Suggests that you haven't yet reached the point where you can honestly tell a hitter to not give a crap about the results, and instead focus on the process.

Don't get me wrong ... I care about results ... and if one follows a path with a good process, then the results will follow.

The day you can tell yourself that you don't give a crap about the results, and immerse yourself in the process, is the day you'll free yourself to become a big hitter.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

DD was given the assignment by hitting coach to take her practice swing (stay tall in the stride and gain a little ground) into the game and forget about results. She had 14 plate appearances. As best I can tell, and I have some film evidence, she accomplished her goal 0 times out of 14. She merely said ''I'm trying. It's hard.''

What do you mean by stay "tall in the stride" and "gain a little ground".

Good hitters do not "stay tall" as they stride.

If that is what she is doing then she's correct ... that would be difficult in a live game environment.

 

[CoogansBluff]

What do you mean by stay "tall in the stride" and "gain a little ground".

Good hitters do not "stay tall" as they stride.

If that is what she is doing then she's correct ... that would be difficult in a live game environment.

By staying tall, that's just the only phrase I know to convey not scrunching. I realize you might lose 'altitude' b/c of the stride, but not because of scrunching. The gaining ground is something you are more likely to frown upon, but it's having the back foot/toe closer to the pitcher at contact than from which it began. Which would be the result of the hip traveling more toward the pitcher than it typically does.

If your PM box is clear, I'll send you quick video of practice and game.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Will clear out some messages.

..... done.

 

[Cowdogz]

Your comment suggests a tone of being overly concerned with the 'results' than in the 'process'.

I think you read my intent completely backwards.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

I think you read my intent completely backwards.

That is possible. My apology then.

 

[JNew0872]

I fell victim to "whining" when I thought I was just informing the coach she was working on developing a new pitch. She'd been practicing the pitch for over a year and her pitching coach thought it was time to start using it in non-critical situations in games, maybe weaker teams and low in the batting order. I explained this to the head coach and I said the pitch was probably going to be a little inconsistent as she developed confidence using it in games. His reply, "We are not trying to develop here. We are trying to win games." So, based on my experience, do not say anything. I was concerned about results because the coach is very results oriented. I now tell her to focus on the process and results will come. I then remind her that where she is today is not the destination it is merely a stop along her journey and to get to her destination, she has to focus on the process so she has the results when it really matters. This was great advice from FFS:

"Your comment suggests a tone of being overly concerned with the 'results' than in the 'process'. Suggests that you haven't yet reached the point where you can honestly tell a hitter to not give a crap about the results, and instead focus on the process."