FiveFrameSwing
Banned
This has to be addressed, otherwise you are just babysitting.
Patience
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This has to be addressed, otherwise you are just babysitting.
Add to this ... that they repeat what is being worked on.
I will quiz young hitters. Today I quizzed a 9yo on the hitting sequence. I gave her a grade of an 'F'. Told her she would receive the quiz a few more times though out the hitting session. She received several A's.
Young hitters need to remain mentally engaged. I believe in quizzing them. Sometimes I tell the hitter what the quiz questions will be in their next session. I expect them to receive a grade of an 'A'. Not uncommon for a parent to take notes during this time ... they want their DD to receive an 'A'. Puts us all on the same page. I want the material learned, otherwise they are wasting my time ... they want a grade of an 'A'.
I don't believe in being overly patient. Set goals and expectations.
Could you give us (me) some examples of of your quiz questions to a 9yo on the hitting sequence? I am with you on knowing and understanding their swing and why they do certain steps to produce bat speed and power. Even 9yo should be engaged mentally. Unfortunately, I think this is the exception and not the rule. Just yesterday I was working on getting my DD to understand the shoulders resistance and then ......wait for it ......... shoulder snap. And we talk about synchronization and the importance of timing. But I overhear and witness other hitting lessons and this is not happening.
Also when a young player understand her swing you can better trust that when she is practicing alone or with her team she will more likely employ what you have taught her.
Most kids today have a very short attention span. Go watch a kids movie from today and compare to even a Disney movie from the 80s. It is night and day. The movie from the 80s is like watching paint dry when compared to today's kid movies. Add u tube entertainment and video games. Anything you can do to slow a kids mind down and make them have deep thought will benefit them. Watch a documentary, read a novel, listen to a sermon, take them to a good hitting coach.LOL
FiveFrameSwing
Banned
With young kids, and even older kids, I find that it is essential to ask them questions throughout the session. Otherwise a coach is likely to find that what they thought they explained isn't being understood.
Say you explained the basic hitting sequence of walking away from the hands. Then a quiz question of "what is the basic sequence?" is fair game. Answers generally come back in slightly different words and tell me their interpretation. Throughout the lesson I'll say "hmm, I forget, what is the basic sequence again?" ... and the answers generally get better and better.
After introducing "Rock the U", then the 9yo yesterday began answering ... "step away as I rock the U" ... that became her interpretation of the sequence.
After being introduced to the "gun site" in the swing, then I would occasionally quiz her ... "what part of our body finds the ball?" After she would get that correct I would ask "which two engines are responsible for getting our gun site aligned?" After getting that right, the questions are "how do you use the torso-engine to align the gun site?" ... "how do you use your hands & forearms to align your gun site?".
Other questions that are fair game for a 9yo are ... "what is the torso-engine"? ... "what does it mean to have leveraged hands?" ... "how do you catapult through impact?" ... many more basic questions.
You would be amazed how much a 9yo can retain if you keep asking them questions. In fact, if you aren't quizzing a young kid frequently then the odds are good that they aren't absorbing much of the information.
In terms of patience ... I don't believe in being overly patient. I expect an effort to absorb what is being taught ... and that gives me the feedback I need in moving forward and the rate at which concepts can be taught.
On occasion my feedback may appear hurtful. That isn't my objective ... but I would be a coward to give positive feedback for a sub-par job. I worked with a 10yo lady the other day that I told point blank ... "I'll be honest, you aren't meeting my expectations". Within an hour after her hitting session I received the following text-message from her ...
"Dear coach Chris, It's me XXXXXX. I just want to say I'm sorry that I wasn't doing what you were asking me to do in the beginning. And that when I come back, I will do a lot better. And I promise I will work on my rocking the U. Sincerely XXXXXX [heart symbol]"
I responded with my honest feelings ... "XXXXXX, you are my hero." Truth be told, she is my hero. I hated telling her that she wasn't meeting my expectations. I sincerely hated it. I am convinced she's going to be a big hitter ... just a small issue that I need her to focus on at this point, and then she's going to blossom in a big way.
I truly believe in keeping young minds actively involved. I believe it is easy for a young mind to drift. I believe it is easy for a young person to believe that they aren't responsible, when in fact they are 100% responsible ... and I try to leave that message with all of my hitters ... they are responsible for what they achieve in life ... not me, not mom, not dad, not billy, not sally, but they are 100% responsible for what they realize in life. Sure, people will try to help ... but ultimately they need to take ownership.
One more point when dealing with young kids. Let them know upfront that it is perfectly acceptable to fail ... as long as the attitude is that we will learn from failure. You don't want them to be overly concerned with failure ... otherwise they will freeze up ... more, you want them to be willing to fail as they seek success. I will give an example ... I'll set up a ball on a tee and intentionally mishit it. Then I look at the kid and tell them ... I failed ... I failed miserably ... no problem, failure does not define me, and it should not define you, what defines us is our attitude and work ethic ... I know exactly what I did wrong and I'll fix it on my next swing ... then I rocket one to the back of the cage ... then I look at them again and tell them, failure is acceptable, as long as we dig in and attempt to learn from it.
Cannonball
Ex "Expert"
- Feb 25, 2009
- 4,882
- 113
FFS, outstanding post!
I agree, ^^^^^^^^ but I have questions:
After being introduced to the "gun site" in the swing, then I would occasionally quiz her ... "what part of our body finds the ball?" After she would get that correct I would ask "which two engines are responsible for getting our gun site aligned?" After getting that right, the questions are "how do you use the torso-engine to align the gun site?" ... "how do you use your hands & forearms to align your gun site?".
Other questions that are fair game for a 9yo are ... "what is the torso-engine"? ... "what does it mean to have leveraged hands?" ... "how do you catapult through impact?" ... many more basic questions
Please explain all of this and hive us the answers to your quiz. Thanks
After being introduced to the "gun site" in the swing, then I would occasionally quiz her ... "what part of our body finds the ball?" After she would get that correct I would ask "which two engines are responsible for getting our gun site aligned?" After getting that right, the questions are "how do you use the torso-engine to align the gun site?" ... "how do you use your hands & forearms to align your gun site?".
Other questions that are fair game for a 9yo are ... "what is the torso-engine"? ... "what does it mean to have leveraged hands?" ... "how do you catapult through impact?" ... many more basic questions
Please explain all of this and hive us the answers to your quiz. Thanks
FiveFrameSwing
Banned
RH, I'll answer the questions ... but to do so I wish to ask you questions, which will put you closer to the feel point so that you better appreciate the answers. Are you interested in answering a series of questions?
Sure, fire away. I will answer to the best of my ability.
Are these private lessons at 9 years of age?
Are you charging 9 yo's parents for these lessons?
Is giving negative feedback make a kid enjoy a lesson and want to continue playing? (F for you) Not saying that you should give positive feedback for something that is wrong
Some of us do this for free, hoping your included it this group.
That being said, I do think you are incredibly knowledgeable and i have learned from you, I really agree that asking questions and looking for feedback is an awesome approach.
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FiveFrameSwing
Banned
My interests aren’t in babysitting. If a kid isn’t improving, then I believe in being direct. Should the situation persist for three weeks then we talk, homework is given, and if I don’t see evidence that the homework is being performed, then the hitter is directed elsewhere. Is this cold? I don’t think so. I think it is best for all involved.
