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So my 10 yr old has a tournament game and I took him hitting at the cages.  He asked if we can hit on the field, which has a 181/230/181 fence around it.  He started off kind of slow, then had some pretty decent pokes to the outfield and then as I tell him, we have to wrap up just a couple of more, he sends one over the fence near center a solid 190-200+!  His first out of the park hit.  Does it count since it was only BP?  I try and throw pretty hard to him.

 

Either way, I couldn't wipe the grin off his face the rest of the day.

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I would enjoy it for your son. He will hit one in a game very soon.

 

I will never forget the first my son hit. He was nine and I was coaching first. It was a no doubter over a 200' fence. I gave him five and congratulated him as he rounded first. His teammates met him at home and the celebration was on (this was the first time any of this TB team had ever hit a HR). After the game some of the parents asked me why I was so calm. I told them it was bc I had taught him to act like it was something he did regularly. The real reason was bc I had croc tears in my eyes and couldn't see my way to home plate!!! He's hit quite a few since and I can only really remember one other, his most recent that would cleared a 250' and maybe a 275' (no kidding)!!!

Originally Posted by Dadof3:

So my 10 yr old has a tournament game and I took him hitting at the cages.  He asked if we can hit on the field, which has a 181/230/181 fence around it.  He started off kind of slow, then had some pretty decent pokes to the outfield and then as I tell him, we have to wrap up just a couple of more, he sends one over the fence near center a solid 190-200+!  His first out of the park hit.  Does it count since it was only BP?  I try and throw pretty hard to him.

 

Either way, I couldn't wipe the grin off his face the rest of the day.

Dad:  I'd count it. No other 10 yr old has hit one (tourney, league, or BP) off that hard throwing ace.

I'd count it!  You'll always remember it.  I remember Ryno's first HR like it was yesterday.  Since he has never been fast, inside the park, or "little league" HR's were out of the question.  He would hit the ball farther than everyone else, but what would be an HR for a decent running kid, would only be a double.

 

Anyhow, early in his 10 year old All Star Season, the Coach asked Ryan to bunt.  He had never been asked to bunt before, and it showed.  He fouled the first one, and then, fouled the second one.  I am mortified, because he didn't do his job.  Next pitch, he puts it over the fence.  At that moment, I thought the coach should ask him to bunt more often...

Definitely count it!  Definitely enjoy it!  You never know when that next one will come.  

 

My son hit three homers in little league before he was 10 years old  -- well, in fairness 2 were legitimate homers, the first was really a 4 base error -- it won a championship in walk-off fashion though  (and was one of the events in his baseball life that made him want to come back for more.)

 

Between those little league "glory days"   and this summer as a rising college freshman he hadn't hit another one until just a couple of weeks ago  -- a grand slam of all things.   8 years is a long time between homers!   So you can imagine how pumped he was.

 

Maybe your kid is bigger and stronger than mine and there are  lots more to come for him.  But even so, there is nothing like that first one. 

Last edited by SluggerDad

Well, still no HR, but on Sat he did jack one 200+ in a game but the fences were 230.  He was pumped about that.   He is doing OK this season.  3rd in BA, and that is because he is so anxious to hit, he swings at a lot of bad pitches.  No strike outs but a lot of hits right to ss or 2nd.  Some weak hits, but not many, just a lot of grounders.  I am trying to teach him to be patient and to let him know that swinging at a bad pitch will result in a bad hit.  Any other thoughts on how to teach him to pick his pitch?  He did better these last two games, so maybe it is working.

My son once had a hitting coach that said Home Runs are accidents, shoot for solid line drives and you will eventually get enough lift for a HR.

 

As for advice on what to swing at, that same coach said "This is your box" and showed my son a pretty small strike zone, until you get to strike two ONLY swing if it's in this box.  Seemed like an effective strategy for 10u.

Well, no HR during a game this season, however he was just a couple feet shy of one when he hit half way up a 4 foot fence.  He ended season well though by really pounding some doubles.  For him and his speed (or lack of) that is pretty darn good.  He lead the team in BA and slugging % as well as doubles.  He had 6 more then the next closest kid.  I will admit it did seem like something just "clicked" for him the past two tournaments.  I am thinking it had to do with being patient and seeing the results (good line drives).  He also wrapped up the season with a couple of great plays in the outfield as well.   Now that the season is over, I am looking forward to some free time before football season starts. 

HR's are exciting, no doubt, and they always put at least one run on the scoreboard, but are they necessarily a good thing in the dead bat era?  In the 2014 season my kid's HS won its league easily despite not hitting a single home run (and not giving up one either).  Even without home runs, the team scored in double digits more often than not and had a habit of putting games away early.  2015, while they battled to a tie for second in league, the #4 hitter hit 2 home runs and the #1 hit one.  #3 and #5 reportedly cleared the fences in practice fairly often.  A couple other guys were close as well.  Some fans of the team feel that the home runs that they did hit hurt them more than they helped because they fell in love with hitting the long ball, and so their failure to score as much and as often as the 2014 squad resulted at least partly from the guys swinging for the fences instead of swinging for line drives.

'03- be patient, they will come. Just have him really work on getting the lower half doing its part.

 

My son had his first practice with a new team tonight. His first swing on his first AB for the new coach produced a line drive oppo HR. He fouled off the second pitch and then punched the third pitch over dead center. Then he had the last AB for the practice and on his last swing he pulled one that cleared the 16' scoreboard by 10ft or so. He one-hopped a 275' fence last Friday while I was tossing BP to him and his best bud. Everybody likes the dinger, but I was also very proud of the scorchers up the middle that the SS and 2B couldn't handle. 

Congrats, As others said above, count it until he does it in a game, positive reinforcement at a young age.

 

Every so often son's 1st comes up, he was 10 on a 12 year old team, hit it off scoreboard, the coach (a truly great coach and man) went and got the ball and after the game had everyone circle up while he inscribed the ball, son still has it.

 

To flash forward to last week, in a big wood bat tournament son hits one 390 feet, the fence was 395, bounces and hits fence. 

This was against a good team so OF got there quickly. Glad to see a good swing & mechanics.

In the spring he hit one 450 (metal bat) but vs a HS with no fence, though it was only a triple due to a speedy LFer who was playing way back, we were no less proud.

 

At each age you bump the bar up and enjoy it when your son exceeds it,

I envy you - those early years are a real blast

 

Son's coachs credo:

"Homeruns are doubles that go out"

Homeruns are definitely fun. My oldest hit is first in a rec game at 11, Crushed it. Only HR he every hit. Still talks about it.

youngest boy hit a lot when he was younger, first one at 9, something like 20 as a 12 year old on 200' fences. At 13 he went to big boy fields and fences, Generally 300 to hit it out. Didn't hit one until he was 16 again. 16- 18 hit probably hit 20, but there was a 3 year gap where by 15 he was frustrated. So enjoy em when they happen. But always shoot for line drives 

So 7 mos later, my still 10 year old, soon to be 11 is getting ready for this year's baseball season (11u) He is one of the youngest on the team.   Well yesterday they decided to take advantage of this beautiful weather and hit in one of the local fields.  This was a softball field with 225' fencing.  He cleared the fence once (about a 10' high fence) - just foul.  He did hit the fence once and a few more that went 195'+.  If we had been at the field he first hit them over he would have easily had 6 or 7 over.  The field from last year (181, 220, 181) is the primary field they play their rec season at with over 90% of the games being played there so he has.  This is going to be a fun year - even if he doesn't hit one out, he is smacking the ball hard!  Opening day cannot come soon enough!  I am sure you all feel the same, but I just love watching my sons play baseball.

A special moment with Dad and son. Does it count? Absolutely it does. That in itself is all it needs to count for at the end of the day. As he grows and learns the game he'll more than likely have many teaching him more hitting basics, etc. and there will be another special moment that counts. When he sends his first one over during a game. But for now, soak this in. Kids never remember their best television days. But THIS day with you, yeah....he'll remember it. As will you. Congrats Dad.

YGD

CaCO3Girl posted:

My son once had a hitting coach that said Home Runs are accidents, shoot for solid line drives and you will eventually get enough lift for a HR.

That's exactly what my son's travel ball coaches preached.  They didn't want them to get caught in trying to always hit the long ball.  Just hit it hard (line drives) and the long ball (HR) will come.

In HS (varsity) I think he only about 4 total. In legion he had about 5 or 6 (My memory is hazy).   Most fields were about 315-320 down the line and about 360' to dead center.  Get to college (JuCo and then D2), CF is now ~400' and 330' down the line.  The LC and RC gaps were now deeper.  He hit two his freshman year, none his sophomore year and 6 HR's (one a grand slam) his third year (at the D2 - third in the conference).

But what really got him noticed while he was a sophomore at JuCo was hitting 27 doubles his sophomore year (broke the school record and was ranked 2nd nationally in that statistic for D2 JuCo players).  As one parent commented, he was an "RBI hitting machine".

The two HR's that stand out the most was 1) a grand slam during his junior year.  Took the ball the other way over the RF fence.  To be fair neither team had their best pitchers on the mound (non-conference) as there was 8 HR's that day - 4 by both sides and it was true slugfest.  Final score 23-17 or something like that. 

The second one was his first HR at the D2 university.  Second game of the season.  Team trailing by one in the 7th inning (of a nine inning game).  Comes up to bat with no outs and one on.  Figured the coach would give him the bunt sign.  He later told us coach gave the "hit away" sign.  With the count 2-2 he blasts one toward LF.  Ball is starting to die, but had just enough carry to hit the top of the wall (about 340') and bounce over.  Umps signal HR.  The best part was capturing both on video.

As YGD and other posted, count it for now.  That is a special moment between you and him.  The real ones will come soon enough.

Just an update:  My son had his first home run in a game early this rec season, a grand slam off a very good pitcher.  He followed that one up with another in the rec season.  He then went into travel where he hit 8 in 19 games, he has struggled these last couple of games, so he is now 8 for about 21 games, but I think we have his hitting back on track.  Not only does he lead his team (and the township in hr) but he also leads his team with walks at about 17 or so.  So he has really learned to hit his pitch.  He is pursuing a great club team for his upcoming 12u season next year.  I just hope the good Lord make it happen for him.

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