Teaching the high level pattern

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Oct 2, 2017
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I think this is a great topic even though Its probably not what @Mike-Coach-Q intended. That being said, We can always pick apart the swing and other skills and find "Flaws". The real question should be, in the context of the players age and development and their goals, are those flaws really that much of a hinderance? How much of those flaws are going to disappear as time goes on? Are they already have success in spite of those flaws? Whether its concerning hitting or some other skill. JMO
 
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Oct 2, 2017
2,283
113
I get the HLP can/does work. But I believe if you ask an 8-year-old to snap/turn the barrel as teacherman proposes, 95 percent of them are going to dump the barrel. Most girls simply do not have the hand strength.
I agree 100% it does work. In my experience, at that age not only do they not have the hand strength, they also don't have enough cordination and strength in the rest of the body to support the movement required in the pattern. IMO
 
May 16, 2019
415
63
I think this is a great topic even though Its probably not what @Mike-Coach-Q intended. That being said, We can always pick apart the swing and other skills and find "Flaws". The real question should be, in the context of the players age and development and their goals, are those flaws really that much of a hinderance? How much of those flaws are going to disappear as time goes on? Are they already have success in spite of those flaws? Whether its concerning hitting or some other skill. JMO
Yes, not my main focus but I'm happy to pivot (rear leg of course) and include age specific drills or videos. Yes, things my HS girls are doing my 10-12 yr olds are still not aware of. I have a hard time when we compare major league ball players to 8-10 yr olds and say she's not doing it like them.
 
Mar 22, 2016
505
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Southern California
I don't remember when you had brought Ellie for lessons but I do remember she was quite young. It was Pre Covid so it's been a few years. My Granddaughter is not as serious as I'd like either and I would get very frustrated but my wife reminded me that she is my GD and why can't I just enjoy our time together. Since doing that things are better for both of us and now at 12 yrs old she's getting more competitive and wants to excel at hitting and pitching.

BTW very few are wired like Maddie or Haley.
It was three years ago, I believe. The summer prior to Covid. She was 8. A year ago, Ellie was RAKING! It came to a point where I took it all for granted. She was hitting home runs over outfielders heads, racking up doubles and triples - all her in her first year of 10U travel ball. But something changed about September. She made less hard contact. Less balls to the grass. She dreaded practice some times. She seemed tired of the stress/emotional ups and downs of it all (they lost a tournament game in extra innings at midnight in an August game - thanks Big League Dreams!).

I've backed off recently and my goal at this point is to get just her to enjoy herself and get a little better every time she's on the field. She's grown defensively as a catcher and I see most improvement right now with her throwing. Her coach still bats her second in the lineup, so maybe I'm more "the sky is falling" than anyone else (besides her). The hardest part for me at this point is seeing her get down on herself. But damnit it's frustrating watching her not do the things she should be doing in the box, and trying to shut up about it.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
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So Cal
I totally agree , Maddie would have found success , she's that good of an athlete. Maddie doesn't want to be told what to do but help point her in a direction she wants to go and get out of the way. Maddie's 1st comment to me when I asked her what she was looking to work on, "I've been hitting ground balls for the last 6 months." Thanks for all the trust and support Eric... and friendship.

You have done a great job opening doors to new movements/feelings/concepts and allowing her to walk though those doors on her own terms.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Ellie just isn't wired like Maddie or Haley. She doesn't have the love for it like I do, or like I wish she did. So over the past 12-18 months, It's been all softball all the time. Too young to start that at 9 years old, and now practices and games and extra work are mostly seen as chores (she's fine once she starts doing it, but she'd prefer to be in her room alone). Stupid lock down and pandemic attributed some to that.

Any way, just venting/sharing. While Ellie has had success before, we're now at a point that it seems her confidence is minimal and she's struggling to make any hard contact. Which compounds the pressure she puts on herself and the frustration.

Keep in mind that Maddie and Haley didn't start working with Mike until they were in 14U, and heading into their freshman year of HS. Both were also experienced and competent TB players at that point, with a hunger to be their best. That said, I've never met any player with more determination to succeed than Haley. She's a rare beast, indeed.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
But damnit it's frustrating watching her not do the things she should be doing in the box, and trying to shut up about it.
I wasn't going to say anything else in this thread regarding since my behavior on here regarding Marcela invalidates my opinion on most things parent/kid/ball related. That said, if you cannot not show your frustration you are better off not going. I (permanently more than likely) screwed up my ball relationship (or just relationship period) with Marcela because of this..
 
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May 1, 2018
659
63
While I don't understand the hand thing teacherman does and how that translates to Barry Bonds swing.... my DD hands do what Bonds was doing (except bringing them down to his waist half the time). So maybe I taught her this by accident. idk lol
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
I think this is a great topic even though Its probably not what @Mike-Coach-Q intended. That being said, We can always pick apart the swing and other skills and find "Flaws". The real question should be, in the context of the players age and development and their goals, are those flaws really that much of a hinderance? How much of those flaws are going to disappear as time goes on? Are they already have success in spite of those flaws? Whether its concerning hitting or some other skill. JMO

From my experience with Maddie, some flaws can become a hinderance. Maddie came to a point where she was struggling more and more as pitching continued to get better, but her swing development had plateaued. It was during that time that I started recognizing some things that she was doing when she was successful, and were absent when she wasn't. When she started working with Mike, the movement pattern he instructs lines up with the things I was recognizing for her success, and it continued that when she fell out of that pattern, her hitting success also fell apart. IMO, we have to keep them developing for the future challenge, not just success now.
 

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