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Okay, so the highlights of this thread, regarding things that might be lacking in the first years transition to the BIG field, are:

 

1. Speed from base to base

2. Arm Strength, regarding throws

3. Hitting line drives, rather than grounder hops

4. Pitching reaching 60 feet

5. Catcher Blocking becomes VITAL

6. Swinging the heavier bat throws some kids off

 

Now, please list these in order from vital you have this to start with to..'eh, it comes with age.

Originally Posted by CaCO3Girl:

Okay, so the highlights of this thread, regarding things that might be lacking in the first years transition to the BIG field, are:

 

1. Speed from base to base

2. Arm Strength, regarding throws

3. Hitting line drives, rather than grounder hops

4. Pitching reaching 60 feet

5. Catcher Blocking becomes VITAL

6. Swinging the heavier bat throws some kids off

 

Now, please list these in order from vital you have this to start with to..'eh, it comes with age.

Just to quibble a little:

 

Regarding no. 1, it is not just speed from base to base. Speed and quickness has a huge effect on defense. For example, lots of kids who could play shortstop on the smaller field are not suited for it on the bigger field. And lots of kids who on the bigger field are defensively suited for 1st base or LF but can't mash enough to stick at those positions.

 

Regarding no. 6, I don't think it is that the bat is heavier, for the most part. In 2019Son's case he and his teammates were going from a -5 at 13U to a -3 in 14U, so the weight difference was minimal (though I suppose if your son is going from -10 to -3 that weight difference would be a big jump). But I think the bigger deal is BBCOR vs. the trampoline bats of 13U and below.

 

I'm not sure about ranking them, but the only one I think doesn't really "come with age" (vs. the kids' peers) is speed/athleticism. At least I haven't seen a slow kid become fast.

Originally Posted by proudhesmine:

My guy wasn't/didn't hold anything back.The reason he threw harder from 60 ft. vs. 54ft (you sure about 50 caco here 6th grade is 54 travel the same) is because he worked his tail off in the winter.

In GA the mound distance for 12u is 50', 13u is 54', and 14u is 60'.

 

The entire conversation I had with him could pretty much be boiled down to me saying "Is it my imagination or do you throw harder in your pitching lessons?"  His response was "No, it's not your imagination *insert catcher name* already has to tape his wrist and thumb to catch me, he's only 85 pounds, the last time I threw really hard at him it knocked him over and the ball hurt his hand so bad he couldn't catch for a week, since then I just throw about 75%, it's no big deal, it's easier to control the pitches when I throw slower anyway."

 

I think with an extra 10 feet he might actually be able to let loose...well that and hopefully at 14u they will have a kid back there that weighs more than 100#'s.

Where we are, my 12U son plays 50/70 for his travel team and 60/90 for his middle school team.  I much rather him be on the 60/90 for his own safety and the play of the game.  50/70 is just to small for 12 year olds in my opinion.  Thankfully he will only have a few more tournaments on the little field. 

 

The biggest thing I noticed when he started on the 60/90 filed.... he's slow.  Really really slow.  Sometimes I wonder if I am watching him run to first base in slow motion. 

 

The upside to the larger field, there is more room/time for infielders to read the ball and make a decent play.  Kind of slows the game down as others have said. 

Originally Posted by 2019Dad:
Originally Posted by CaCO3Girl:

Okay, so the highlights of this thread, regarding things that might be lacking in the first years transition to the BIG field, are:

 

1. Speed from base to base

2. Arm Strength, regarding throws

3. Hitting line drives, rather than grounder hops

4. Pitching reaching 60 feet

5. Catcher Blocking becomes VITAL

6. Swinging the heavier bat throws some kids off

 

Now, please list these in order from vital you have this to start with to..'eh, it comes with age.

Just to quibble a little:

 

Regarding no. 1, it is not just speed from base to base. Speed and quickness has a huge effect on defense. For example, lots of kids who could play shortstop on the smaller field are not suited for it on the bigger field. And lots of kids who on the bigger field are defensively suited for 1st base or LF but can't mash enough to stick at those positions.

 

Regarding no. 6, I don't think it is that the bat is heavier, for the most part. In 2019Son's case he and his teammates were going from a -5 at 13U to a -3 in 14U, so the weight difference was minimal (though I suppose if your son is going from -10 to -3 that weight difference would be a big jump). But I think the bigger deal is BBCOR vs. the trampoline bats of 13U and below.

 

I'm not sure about ranking them, but the only one I think doesn't really "come with age" (vs. the kids' peers) is speed/athleticism. At least I haven't seen a slow kid become fast.

I'm going to quibble a bit with your quibbles.  Speed in OF is huge, especially CF, but I've seen some darn fine SS's with speed that is average at best.  Buster Posey, for example, was a SS in HS and he is slow as heck.  My son's HS team has a SS who is a natural catcher or 3B, IMHO. When an injury moved him to SS I thought the team's defense would really suffer. It has not.  He doesn't get to quite as many balls, but he's got a super-quick release and a cannon, so anything he gets to becomes an out.

Also, I have seen slow kids get fast as they go through puberty.  I was miserably slow as a kid but became fast in HS.  On the other hand, I had a kid in 13U travel who set records for his middle school track team in 5 or 6 events. He's now on my son's HS baseball team and his speed is only a little above average.

 

As for that bats, agree.  Up to 14U, players around here use 1.15 BPF bats. Regardless of the drop, those bats totally outperform all BBCOR bats.  It's night and day. 

As many others have said before most people on here have at least decent players for sons.  So when somebody here says the weight of the drop 3 is not the issue I tend to believe them.  However f I r the average kid those extra ounces are a killer.  And then the less lively alloy just is the cherry on top.  Many of these players fade off into the sunset.
Originally Posted by CaCO3Girl:
 

 

The entire conversation I had with him could pretty much be boiled down to me saying "Is it my imagination or do you throw harder in your pitching lessons?"  His response was "No, it's not your imagination *insert catcher name* already has to tape his wrist and thumb to catch me, he's only 85 pounds, the last time I threw really hard at him it knocked him over and the ball hurt his hand so bad he couldn't catch for a week, since then I just throw about 75%, it's no big deal, it's easier to control the pitches when I throw slower anyway."

 

CaCO3,

you've made reference to this sort of things multiple times (including hit batted balls hurting fielders).  Perhaps he should be playing at a higher level with better ball players.  You won't see this a majors level for his age group.

Originally Posted by Smitty28:
Originally Posted by CaCO3Girl:
 

 

The entire conversation I had with him could pretty much be boiled down to me saying "Is it my imagination or do you throw harder in your pitching lessons?"  His response was "No, it's not your imagination *insert catcher name* already has to tape his wrist and thumb to catch me, he's only 85 pounds, the last time I threw really hard at him it knocked him over and the ball hurt his hand so bad he couldn't catch for a week, since then I just throw about 75%, it's no big deal, it's easier to control the pitches when I throw slower anyway."

 

CaCO3,

you've made reference to this sort of things multiple times (including hit batted balls hurting fielders).  Perhaps he should be playing at a higher level with better ball players.  You won't see this a majors level for his age group.

I agree Smitty28, jumping him from 12u to 14u next year to try to fix this problem...I didn't know it was a problem when he began 12u.  Hence all my questions about the 60x90 field since he will be jumping from 50x70 to 60x90.

Originally Posted by CaCO3Girl:
Originally Posted by Smitty28:
Originally Posted by CaCO3Girl:
 

 

The entire conversation I had with him could pretty much be boiled down to me saying "Is it my imagination or do you throw harder in your pitching lessons?"  His response was "No, it's not your imagination *insert catcher name* already has to tape his wrist and thumb to catch me, he's only 85 pounds, the last time I threw really hard at him it knocked him over and the ball hurt his hand so bad he couldn't catch for a week, since then I just throw about 75%, it's no big deal, it's easier to control the pitches when I throw slower anyway."

 

CaCO3,

you've made reference to this sort of things multiple times (including hit batted balls hurting fielders).  Perhaps he should be playing at a higher level with better ball players.  You won't see this a majors level for his age group.

I agree Smitty28, jumping him from 12u to 14u next year to try to fix this problem...I didn't know it was a problem when he began 12u.  Hence all my questions about the 60x90 field since he will be jumping from 50x70 to 60x90.

I thought you mentioned that his 12u coach is skipping 13 and going strait to 14u?  Also meant to ask you why your 12u coach only allows your son to use a -10?

Originally Posted by bballdad2016:
Originally Posted by CaCO3Girl:
Originally Posted by Smitty28:
Originally Posted by CaCO3Girl:
 

 

The entire conversation I had with him could pretty much be boiled down to me saying "Is it my imagination or do you throw harder in your pitching lessons?"  His response was "No, it's not your imagination *insert catcher name* already has to tape his wrist and thumb to catch me, he's only 85 pounds, the last time I threw really hard at him it knocked him over and the ball hurt his hand so bad he couldn't catch for a week, since then I just throw about 75%, it's no big deal, it's easier to control the pitches when I throw slower anyway."

 

CaCO3,

you've made reference to this sort of things multiple times (including hit batted balls hurting fielders).  Perhaps he should be playing at a higher level with better ball players.  You won't see this a majors level for his age group.

I agree Smitty28, jumping him from 12u to 14u next year to try to fix this problem...I didn't know it was a problem when he began 12u.  Hence all my questions about the 60x90 field since he will be jumping from 50x70 to 60x90.

I thought you mentioned that his 12u coach is skipping 13 and going strait to 14u?  Also meant to ask you why your 12u coach only allows your son to use a -10?

No, current coach is not skipping 13u, 80% of the team are 2021's, 13u is appropriate for them.

 

Coach only allows a drop 10 because...well I don't know, coaches decision, he's a bat purist...I have no idea.  It did come up one day and I asked and he said "nah, I like him swinging the bat he's got".

Originally Posted by CaCO3Girl:
Originally Posted by bballdad2016:
Originally Posted by CaCO3Girl:
Originally Posted by Smitty28:
Originally Posted by CaCO3Girl:
 

 

The entire conversation I had with him could pretty much be boiled down to me saying "Is it my imagination or do you throw harder in your pitching lessons?"  His response was "No, it's not your imagination *insert catcher name* already has to tape his wrist and thumb to catch me, he's only 85 pounds, the last time I threw really hard at him it knocked him over and the ball hurt his hand so bad he couldn't catch for a week, since then I just throw about 75%, it's no big deal, it's easier to control the pitches when I throw slower anyway."

 

CaCO3,

you've made reference to this sort of things multiple times (including hit batted balls hurting fielders).  Perhaps he should be playing at a higher level with better ball players.  You won't see this a majors level for his age group.

I agree Smitty28, jumping him from 12u to 14u next year to try to fix this problem...I didn't know it was a problem when he began 12u.  Hence all my questions about the 60x90 field since he will be jumping from 50x70 to 60x90.

I thought you mentioned that his 12u coach is skipping 13 and going strait to 14u?  Also meant to ask you why your 12u coach only allows your son to use a -10?

No, current coach is not skipping 13u, 80% of the team are 2021's, 13u is appropriate for them.

 

Coach only allows a drop 10 because...well I don't know, coaches decision, he's a bat purist...I have no idea.  It did come up one day and I asked and he said "nah, I like him swinging the bat he's got".

-10 is not the right bat at 12u.  Should be -8 to -5.  Time to "break" that -10 and move to something heavier. 

So you made the choice to move him to 14u then?  Grad year and playing age are two separate things.  So your 12u coach thinks he needs to swing a -10, but you are skipping 13u and jumping right into 14u with BBCOR?  Im slightly confused or I am missing the intent of skipping 13u. 

 

Golfman and I were posting at the same time.  I completely agree with him.  Find a old, used, -5 that he can swing with in the cages or off the tee at home. 

Last edited by bballdad2016
Originally Posted by bballdad2016:

So you made the choice to move him to 14u then?  Grad year and playing age are two separate things.  So your 12u coach thinks he needs to swing a -10, but you are skipping 13u and jumping right into 14u with BBCOR?  Im slightly confused or I am missing the intent of skipping 13u. 

 

Golfman and I were posting at the same time.  I completely agree with him.  Find a old, used, -5 that he can swing with in the cages or off the tee at home. 

12u coach thinks everyone should swing a drop 10 because it's the lightest bat allowed to be swung.  Our team ranges in size from 4'8 85#'s to my son at 5'7 and 145#'s.  I don't think the coach thinks my son NEEDS to swing a drop 10 I think he wants him swinging a drop 10 because he's allowed to. 

 

School year cutoff is September 1. My son's birthday is beginning of August.  He is one of the youngest kids in his class but a majority of 8th graders are 13/14, and during the school year they will turn 14/15.  So most of 8th grade plays 14u, so that is what we have been advised by several people to move him to...especially since he isn't one of the 85 pounder kids.

Regarding bat size, I went to justbats.com and used the bat coach.  I entered your sons height and weight and it recommended a 32 inch -5.  A -10 is the smallest he can legally use, but is it helping him develop as a player?  I would question whether the 12u coach is playing to win or to develop players.

 

My oldest was the opposite of your son.  He turned 14 in 8th grade.  My youngest is like your son, he will turn 13 at the beginning of 8th grade.  What does that really mean?  Nothing after puberty.  They will all grow, just a matter of when. 

 

Its a marathon, not a sprint. 

Originally Posted by CaCO3Girl:
School year cutoff is September 1. My son's birthday is beginning of August.  He is one of the youngest kids in his class but a majority of 8th graders are 13/14, and during the school year they will turn 14/15.  So most of 8th grade plays 14u, so that is what we have been advised by several people to move him to...especially since he isn't one of the 85 pounder kids.

I'm betting that a few have advised you to have him repeat 7th grade, too. 

When my son was 13, we went to a try out/practice with a potential new team.  Most of the kids there had already played with the coach.  When he told the kids it was time for BP, everyone of them pulled out a wood bat.  They did not use wood in the games, just for some BP.  But it really helped with their longer term mechanics.  My son is a bigger kid who has been swinging a wood bat since 12, so that coach was a plus for us.  

Originally Posted by MidAtlanticDad:
Originally Posted by CaCO3Girl:
School year cutoff is September 1. My son's birthday is beginning of August.  He is one of the youngest kids in his class but a majority of 8th graders are 13/14, and during the school year they will turn 14/15.  So most of 8th grade plays 14u, so that is what we have been advised by several people to move him to...especially since he isn't one of the 85 pounder kids.

I'm betting that a few have advised you to have him repeat 7th grade, too. 

LOL, yeah I heard that from a few people...lectures on how I should have held him back in second grade or something to that affect.  My response was "It will do more damage to him as a PERSON to remove him from his friends, than any value we could measure in his baseball skills/opportunity."

 

  In my eyes, he is a person first and a ball player second, not sure he would agree...but there has got to be more than baseball in what makes up a kid.

Originally Posted by bballdad2016:

Regarding bat size, I went to justbats.com and used the bat coach.  I entered your sons height and weight and it recommended a 32 inch -5.  A -10 is the smallest he can legally use, but is it helping him develop as a player?  I would question whether the 12u coach is playing to win or to develop players.

 

My oldest was the opposite of your son.  He turned 14 in 8th grade.  My youngest is like your son, he will turn 13 at the beginning of 8th grade.  What does that really mean?  Nothing after puberty.  They will all grow, just a matter of when. 

 

Its a marathon, not a sprint. 

I agree in the marathon vs sprint analogy, hence why I am not throwing a hissy fit that a 12u coach won't let him swing a -5 bat...does it really matter at 12 what he does?

 

What does matter to me is he get on the best team he can that gives him significant playing time...I think that will be a 14u team, guess time will tell.  In the meantime I started this thread to see where some of the holes in his education might be in making that big jump, that way he can have a couple of lessons prior to tryouts to iron out any deficiencies that can easily be fixed with a few practices, while taking advice from a knowledgeable person....lol, which obviously isn't me!

 

Thanks everyone y'all have been great!

I have followed this thread from the beginning. There are some additional things you should think about. You need to take into account the level of the teams you are facing. You mentioned that you feel your son hurt 10 players during a recent tourney. This could be a result of playing against a low level team and not a result of his hitting.There is a huge difference between high level majors teams and some AAA teams. The game is much faster. We are fortunate enough to play on one of the best teams in GA, so I have some experience with all this.

My son is in the same situation as yours. The best advise I received, yesterday, was stay at 13U next year, The game speeds up and it's a good transition. About 1/2 thru the season most 13U teams play up to get on the bigger field. If still necessary, make the move up at 15. If you truly feel your some needs more, tryout for a true majors team and see how he stacks up. I received all the same advice as you did. I searched out the best unbiased opinion I could find before making a decision. Here in GA there are plenty of people that will give you advice, just make sure they actually know something. I could go on about bats, pitching, arms etc but I won't.

 

Originally Posted by slider8:

       

I have followed this thread from the beginning. There are some additional things you should think about. You need to take into account the level of the teams you are facing. You mentioned that you feel your son hurt 10 players during a recent tourney. This could be a result of playing against a low level team and not a result of his hitting.There is a huge difference between high level majors teams and some AAA teams. The game is much faster. We are fortunate enough to play on one of the best teams in GA, so I have some experience with all this.

My son is in the same situation as yours. The best advise I received, yesterday, was stay at 13U next year, The game speeds up and it's a good transition. About 1/2 thru the season most 13U teams play up to get on the bigger field. If still necessary, make the move up at 15. If you truly feel your some needs more, tryout for a true majors team and see how he stacks up. I received all the same advice as you did. I searched out the best unbiased opinion I could find before making a decision. Here in GA there are plenty of people that will give you advice, just make sure they actually know something. I could go on about bats, pitching, arms etc but I won't.

 


       
Please come back and do go on!  I think you make a lot of sense!
Originally Posted by slider8:

I have followed this thread from the beginning. There are some additional things you should think about. You need to take into account the level of the teams you are facing. You mentioned that you feel your son hurt 10 players during a recent tourney. This could be a result of playing against a low level team and not a result of his hitting.There is a huge difference between high level majors teams and some AAA teams. The game is much faster. We are fortunate enough to play on one of the best teams in GA, so I have some experience with all this.

My son is in the same situation as yours. The best advise I received, yesterday, was stay at 13U next year, The game speeds up and it's a good transition. About 1/2 thru the season most 13U teams play up to get on the bigger field. If still necessary, make the move up at 15. If you truly feel your some needs more, tryout for a true majors team and see how he stacks up. I received all the same advice as you did. I searched out the best unbiased opinion I could find before making a decision. Here in GA there are plenty of people that will give you advice, just make sure they actually know something. I could go on about bats, pitching, arms etc but I won't.

 

Sent you a PM

Originally Posted by CaCO3Girl:
Originally Posted by slider8:

I have followed this thread from the beginning. There are some additional things you should think about. You need to take into account the level of the teams you are facing. You mentioned that you feel your son hurt 10 players during a recent tourney. This could be a result of playing against a low level team and not a result of his hitting.There is a huge difference between high level majors teams and some AAA teams. The game is much faster. We are fortunate enough to play on one of the best teams in GA, so I have some experience with all this.

My son is in the same situation as yours. The best advise I received, yesterday, was stay at 13U next year, The game speeds up and it's a good transition. About 1/2 thru the season most 13U teams play up to get on the bigger field. If still necessary, make the move up at 15. If you truly feel your some needs more, tryout for a true majors team and see how he stacks up. I received all the same advice as you did. I searched out the best unbiased opinion I could find before making a decision. Here in GA there are plenty of people that will give you advice, just make sure they actually know something. I could go on about bats, pitching, arms etc but I won't.

 

Sent you a PM

My kid was in the same situation - summer (tweener) birthday.  I think what level you play depends on two things.  First, do 13u play a transitional distance?  In our area, they play 54/80 at 13, with several tournament options at 60/90.  So the jump from 13u to HS was not dramatic at all.  Second, what is the level of coaching?  My kid stayed "down" because he hooked up with an outstanding coach - learned more in one year than he did the previous 3 combined.  And playing better (not necessarily older) competition is always a plus  So things to think about. 

Dadof3 posted:
CABBallFan posted:

 They ID pitch and location and go hit the ball instead waiting for it to travel to them.  Right handed hitters doing this will ground out to Short a lot.  

How do you "teach" waiting for the ball?  I think this is what mine struggles with the most.

Tee work and /or side toss emphasizing correct contact point for inside and outside pitches.

Cool to see this thread revived after two and a half years.

With a little distance since then, I'm not sure it matters what bat size they swing at 12U.  But I'll add that what I see now was in fact a big problem is swinging and missing. As you move up, kids who have serious swing and miss issues at a certain level (say, 13U). . . well, those tend to get worse as they move up. I don't know how to characterize the underlying skill -- hand/eye coordination, I guess? -- but bat-to-ball skills are really, really important. Kids hit puberty at different ages and the huge strength differences at 13U tend to even out a little over time. Kids who struggle with BBCOR at 14U gain strength as they get older and those struggles subside. But velocity goes up and breaking balls get a lot better . . . and from what I've seen swing-and-miss issues tend to get worse, not better.

2019Dad posted:

Cool to see this thread revived after two and a half years.

With a little distance since then, I'm not sure it matters what bat size they swing at 12U.  But I'll add that what I see now was in fact a big problem is swinging and missing. As you move up, kids who have serious swing and miss issues at a certain level (say, 13U). . . well, those tend to get worse as they move up. I don't know how to characterize the underlying skill -- hand/eye coordination, I guess? -- but bat-to-ball skills are really, really important. Kids hit puberty at different ages and the huge strength differences at 13U tend to even out a little over time. Kids who struggle with BBCOR at 14U gain strength as they get older and those struggles subside. But velocity goes up and breaking balls get a lot better . . . and from what I've seen swing-and-miss issues tend to get worse, not better.

I had an old Casey Stengel-like high school coach. One of his sayings was, “Stay away from curve balls and girls. Both will break your heart and leave you sitting on the sidelines.”

Last edited by RJM

My son is going to the "middle big field" 54'80' and will be bbcor and full field next year.  He is swinging a drop 5 right now and is doing very well with it.  He wrote the name of his miracle league buddy on his bat and her name is fitting - "Hope" as a way to play for her.  Team practice officially starts in two weeks and I was researching this topic looking for any little bit of advice.  Not sure why though because even if I gave it to my soon to be teenager, he would likely not listen to me.  Now if a random stranger off the streets told him the advice, he would take it to heart.  The joys of parenting!

Dadof3 posted:

My son is going to the "middle big field" 54'80' and will be bbcor and full field next year.  He is swinging a drop 5 right now and is doing very well with it.  He wrote the name of his miracle league buddy on his bat and her name is fitting - "Hope" as a way to play for her.  Team practice officially starts in two weeks and I was researching this topic looking for any little bit of advice.  Not sure why though because even if I gave it to my soon to be teenager, he would likely not listen to me.  Now if a random stranger off the streets told him the advice, he would take it to heart.  The joys of parenting!

Just so happens I just came in off the streets and I have randomly been called stranger many times.  

If his primary issue on the big field is waiting for the ball (assume you mean hitting), he should take an off-speed approach... let it get deep and think oppo, uless it's hanging.  If he can become consistently proficient with that approach, everything else usually comes relatively easily.

The load (regardless of pitch) should result in a fairly balanced position that will allow a quicker attack of a FB or a pause and fire on off-speed.

cabbagedad posted:
Dadof3 posted:

My son is going to the "middle big field" 54'80' and will be bbcor and full field next year.  He is swinging a drop 5 right now and is doing very well with it.  He wrote the name of his miracle league buddy on his bat and her name is fitting - "Hope" as a way to play for her.  Team practice officially starts in two weeks and I was researching this topic looking for any little bit of advice.  Not sure why though because even if I gave it to my soon to be teenager, he would likely not listen to me.  Now if a random stranger off the streets told him the advice, he would take it to heart.  The joys of parenting!

Just so happens I just came in off the streets and I have randomly been called stranger many times.  

If his primary issue on the big field is waiting for the ball (assume you mean hitting), he should take an off-speed approach... let it get deep and think oppo, uless it's hanging.  If he can become consistently proficient with that approach, everything else usually comes relatively easily.

The load (regardless of pitch) should result in a fairly balanced position that will allow a quicker attack of a FB or a pause and fire on off-speed.

He just had a lesson with a new hitting instructor yesterday who worked on this very thing.  (3rd lesson with this coach)  I really like his approach and it seems to be clicking with my son.  The only thing I am not sure about,is the coach only uses wiffle balls to warm up and a hard foam ball for side toss and live (due to how his place is set up - cant hit real baseballs.)  Is that an issue?

Is that an issue....my vote is yes. Not to be too Zen here but if you are trying to become better acquainted with a baseball and how it moves, you kind of need a baseball. Hitting lessons aren't only about how the kid is moving his body it's how he moves the bat to the ball.  You can't mimic the fall and spin of a baseball as it moves towards you. So my guess would be while those drills are fine for keep your head in, don't step out, move your hips this way....they will fall short on actual contact with the baseball.

JCG posted:
Dadof3 posted:
CABBallFan posted:

 They ID pitch and location and go hit the ball instead waiting for it to travel to them.  Right handed hitters doing this will ground out to Short a lot.  

How do you "teach" waiting for the ball?  I think this is what mine struggles with the most.

Tee work and /or side toss emphasizing correct contact point for inside and outside pitches.

And aiming...if the coach says put it to the right side of the cage, down the middle, left side....the kid learns to wait for his moment.

Dadof3 posted:
cabbagedad posted:
Dadof3 posted:

My son is going to the "middle big field" 54'80' and will be bbcor and full field next year.  He is swinging a drop 5 right now and is doing very well with it.  He wrote the name of his miracle league buddy on his bat and her name is fitting - "Hope" as a way to play for her.  Team practice officially starts in two weeks and I was researching this topic looking for any little bit of advice.  Not sure why though because even if I gave it to my soon to be teenager, he would likely not listen to me.  Now if a random stranger off the streets told him the advice, he would take it to heart.  The joys of parenting!

Just so happens I just came in off the streets and I have randomly been called stranger many times.  

If his primary issue on the big field is waiting for the ball (assume you mean hitting), he should take an off-speed approach... let it get deep and think oppo, uless it's hanging.  If he can become consistently proficient with that approach, everything else usually comes relatively easily.

The load (regardless of pitch) should result in a fairly balanced position that will allow a quicker attack of a FB or a pause and fire on off-speed.

He just had a lesson with a new hitting instructor yesterday who worked on this very thing.  (3rd lesson with this coach)  I really like his approach and it seems to be clicking with my son.  The only thing I am not sure about,is the coach only uses wiffle balls to warm up and a hard foam ball for side toss and live (due to how his place is set up - cant hit real baseballs.)  Is that an issue?

If he is getting instruction that is on target and/or addressing a specific areas of need AND he connects well with the instructor, there is a lot being accomplished.  He can offset the downside by working those same drills/instruction on his own with real baseballs and in the workouts with his own team.  

With most coach/instructor/boss relationships, he will always experience pros and cons.  He needs to be able to weigh those, find the positives and address any missing aspects in other ways... unless the cons outweigh the pros.

Communication is important as well.  At some point, he should let the instructor know that he thinks the instruction is great but is concerned about the lack of use of real baseballs.  Each side may learn something valuable and a good relationship is more likely to flourish.

 

Dadof3 posted:

He will be getting lessons through his team starting in two weeks with  real baseballs as well, so maybe the two will work hand in hand or should I seriously consider a coach that works with baseballs only?

See how it goes.  However if he is missing the ball by a hair talk to the instructor about it.

Im not a fan of substituting.  Not baseballs, not swimming pools with those keep you in one place mini pools, not simulators for pilots.  Nothing replaces the real thing in my opinion.

Great thread, and glad it's revived or I probably wouldn't have found it. Two things I'll add (only one of which actually is in line with the OP).

Transition to the big field: the outfield is HUGE in comparison to LL. Balls that get to the wall now require a cut-off to reach the plate...most good LL outfielders can make the throw from the wall to home, not likely to be the case the first year on the big field. Cuts become very important. The infield is also bigger: Although my son is a lefty, I made him take half a zillion grounders at short and third and make the throw to first--giving him perspective that the throw on 90' bases is not so simple. That kept him from getting excessively irritated for the first few games at 1B while the left side of the infield got used to the distance.

Using real baseballs: my son can't stand proxy balls, even in a cage. (In fact, he doesn't even like cheap baseballs (like the synthetic leather covers) that one can actually afford to load up on). The sound and the feel off the bat are important to him, and fake balls just don't cut it for him. We like to do BP on a real field whenever we can (besides seeing where the ball actually went versus speculating in the cage, the pick-'em-up between rounds is a good opportunity to discuss what went well/poorly during that bucket). He'll leave the "greasers" laying on the field and only pick up the good balls. I call him an ball elitist. For training, using alternate balls is ok (heavy balls, wiffle), but for BP, it's real or nothing.

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I had a father I coached with LL that was a college pitcher...he didn't even throw them in BP. he would kick them off to the side and throw them out!! Ball snob.

The biggest problem my oldest found was being a left handed hitter with some power but not impressive speed was hitting a bullet on the screws and getting thrown out at first on a 9-3. That used to drive him crazy, especially in the spring with the lush thick 3" high grass, the outfielders would cheat in because they couldn't hit the ball far enough to hurt them. Even a bomb would stop where it landed and maybe be a double.

I do think 13u baseball would be much better with BSR's instead of the BBcore. At 14u things start to change quite a bit.

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