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Private Lessons: Help or Hindrance

While speaking with another coach the other day I came to an interesting realization. In the 12 years I have coached I have not had one, not one, player improve when they take instruction over a long period of time. I have seen some kids improve when they work with someone for a short while and then work on their own but none of the kids that go for an entire off-season and sometimes through the summer ever get better and most were worse. I should say that these kids are often working with very good instructors who know their stuff. My observations are that the kids that spend an extensive amount of time taking lessons become very analytical in their swing and pitching mechanics to the point that they cannot let their own athleticism take over and execute what they have learned. They become robots that over think constantly and freeze in situations where they need to perform, rather than think about their mechanics. I think that these kids develop a bad habit of always thinking about the mechanics of the swing every time they have a bat in their hands instead of letting a learned swing work for you. My advice, for what it is worth, is to take lessons (if you want them) for only about 3 weeks, then hit or pitch on your own. Don't think about mechanics all of the time. On your first few throws or swings in a work-out, think about what you need to do; then, clear your mind and let yourself do it while you focus on your location or picking up the ball out of the pitchers hand. I am curious to find out if some of you other coaches that have been around a while have seen the same things.
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