All about hitting???

Well it sounds like your son is a good player. At that age, kids are maturing differently. Therefore your son may be small now but given a couple of years he may be bigger than those kids who reached their peak at age 13.

Just tell him to keep working on his baseball skills. Everything else will come and when it does the worries will go away.

As for working out, make sure he is doing the correct exercises. At that age, you wouldn't want to do anything that may hurt his future development.

I am sure that the move from a -12 to a -3 will have to be playing some role. What length bat does he swing? Can he drop down an inch?

Proper mechanics will be the order of the day. As he is now learning to handle a significantly heavier bat any inefficiencies in his swing will be magnified.

Hitting is perhaps the most important skill a position player needs to develop some competence at. It will either hold your son back or propel him forward. His ability or inability to swing a bat and hit the ball well can not be hidden.

Work on forearms and wrists as well as legs and core. Make your son a "wrist roll" out of a broomstick a strap or rope and a 1 pound weight. Have him extend his arms out in front of him and roll the weight up the stick and roll it down again as many times as he can each day. Don't let it unroll itself, roll it down.

Slumps happen. I wouldn't worry too much, although I know it is hard not to.

The hitting experts will be here, soon, so I'll will give you another mom's perspective. I'm sure it is a matter of both. First of all, the switch from the -12 to the -3 is big. The -3 is heavier, so your son has to get used to it, and get stronger to get it around. That will happen in time, so don't worry. If he is facing better pitching at the same time, then no wonder he is struggling. They all go through this in one way or another. I remember when 2B got his first -3. He would swing 10 times and be tired. Your son will grow into it. He will get through it, and what doesn't kill him will make him stronger.

As a mom, I know you want to help him, and there are some pretty easy things that you can do. I do these things with/for my son.

1. Soft toss into a net. You can use whiffles or regular baseballs, and do it right in your back yard. Whiffles are cheaper, but he can take the swings and get the muscle memory down with his new bat. Or he can hit off a tee into a net. You can help him by putting the balls onto the tee before each swing. If you don't have a net, you can get a net for $100 online, or probably cheaper at a used sporting goods store. We also had a lot of fun with whiffle ball pitching machines.

2. Get a videocamera (if you don't already have one). You don't have to spend a fortune to get one that will do. I can't see what my son is doing "wrong" but he can. I tape his ABs, he studies them. He likes the big hits better, but when he has a bad AB, he can see what he did and make the correction.

3. If he doesn't have one already, find him a good hitting coach. We are lucky that a minor league player lives close by, and he is 2B's hitting instructor in the off-season. He doesn't have a fancy set-up, he's not associated with any "academy" or anything like that, but the guy knows his stuff. He charges $30.

Edit - floridafan is right. You can go online and get shorter (therefore lighter) -3 bats that you can't usually get at a regular sporting goods store. That may help a lot.
Edit (2) - ClevelandDad is right, too! The things you do outside of regular practice, like those things I suggested, have to be fun. My son always is the one to initiate them, and to decide when to stop for the day.

quote:

because he just got a bigger bat (went from a -12 to a -3) or a combination of both.

My concern is that this isn't just a slump and that he won't ever be that great hitter again. And if that is the case, could he still go places with baseball (college or even a high school starter)?

Jwls - I'll bet these thoughts have passed through many people's minds when results are not as expected.

I am guessing the -12 to -3 explains a lot these days. Hitting has a lot to do with timing and yes, going from -12 to -3 will screw up the timing imho.

My advice would be to encourage him. Take a long term view on things and don't worry about the next level just yet. Battle for little results each day. I used to challenge my son to figure out what his batting average was each day in the cages. For example, when you go into the batting cages, are you hitting 3 out of 10 hard, 5 out of 10, or 8 out of 10. In games, hitting one hard is the same as getting a hit.

Hitting nubbers is probably a timing thing imho. Obviously, if you can afford to have a top-flight hitting instructor work with him that may improve things as well. Sometimes, waiting on the ball a little bit more can help adjust the timing. When he starts hitting the sweet-spot again, he can start working on pulling the ball a bit more. Obviously, as he gains size and strength, this will also help him with hitting the ball harder. That is not something you can control right now so focus on those things you can. Also, help make this fun for him.

To answer your ultimate question however, for non-pitchers, the main tool is hitting imho. Defense is great but it is not enough in and of itself imho. You might find a coach who will live with a great defensive shortstop or catcher if the rest of the lineup is strong but sooner or later you have to hit. In order to make it in high school, he will have to learn how to hit let alone the level beyond high school. He can do it imho if you are patient and continue to encourage him and let nature catch up with his ambition.

One very positive thing here is that he is a fine defensive player. That indicates to me that he is a good athlete so that means that if you are patient and continue to develop, that he will indeed learn how to hit.

Thank you for the responses so far! I am feeling a little better already.

To answer some questions:

His bat is a 29. He just got it in August. He did a lot of research into the right bat for him (Exo) and we paid over $300 for it.

He trains with a very reputable baseball facility who he also plays for. Though, he is on a break for the next couple months due to injuries (hamstring/groin pulls) and money. So he will be working on this on his own. He has high school baseball try-outs in February and the school he goes to is very competitive in baseball. A lot of kids go there strictly for their baseball team. Hence my worry...


He takes a Strength & Conditioning class at school that is led by the Varsity baseball coach, so I hope he is showing them the proper way to get stronger (specifically for baseball).


2Bmom - I will definitely try those things. I've actually thought about getting a net to go with his tee. I think I will do it now.

My son's issue may also be his confidence. Although he is quite good, he doesn't really know it. If that makes sense. If anyone has any ideas on how to help with that also, I would love to hear. I can almost tell what he's going to do up-at-bat by the way he walks to the plate. Maybe that's where the slump comes from...???

Sounds like it is all under control, Glad we could help!

I apologise for my former sarcasam...

You absolutely did, floridafan!

I remember when son was the same age he had some of the same issues when moving up to a -3 bat. A coach friend of mine told me that kids this age have weak forearms and wrists witch makes it hard to control the bat head. Not being able to control the bat head can cause ground balls and striking out. Son worked on forearms and wrists and that did the trick. He is 18 and now at a JC and still works on keeping his forearms and wrists strong.

Yes he is going to have to hit, but he is to young to start worring about college. Many years ahead to get stronger. One great piece of advice my son was given once is "It is the process not the results". Get the process correct and the results will follow. Sounds like he is willing to put in the work to become better player and that is great to hear.

One way to help his confidence is for you to stay confident in him.

Good luck to your son.

How big were you at that age? How tall are you now? How big are brothers or sisters? He is small but not too small and he and you are doing the right things. Don't worry about college. Fast, good defense, able to lay down a bunt are all great skills until he grows more.

Good, jwls! That time in the back yard is our time, and I will always treasure it. I hope you both enjoy it.

Regarding confidence, you might read the Mental Game of Baseball. It's probably the most talked about book on this site. I read it when my son was struggling mightily, and it really helped me understand. He might not be ready to read it yet, but it will help you understand the thought processes he might be going through, and ways to change those thought processes in a more positive, productive approach.

I will definitely read that book, 2Bmom. And when I was reading your advice on how to help my son, I thought it would be good time for us to spend together. I'm actually really looking forward to it.

In answer to the questions on our family's sizes: my husband is 6'2 and I am 5'7. I was always tall, but my husband didn't have his growth spurt until he was 15. My stepson is 6'4 and also didn't have his growth spurt until about 15, so we have hope for our 'little guy'. His size has never been an issue in baseball until recently. It seems everyone is bigger than him and even with that, he used to still get away with it because he's fast, but now he struggles even getting to the point where his speed will come in handy.

Gimages - I love that quote! You're right, it will all come. I think I worry at times because I see his 'competition' getting bigger and stronger while my son stays small. Personally, I love him small, but it doesn't always work out in sports.

JWLS,
I hope some parents with younger kids (under 13) take a look at your post. Every player needs a transition plan to -3. Jumping 9 oz in one jump is huge. Even going from -8 to -3 is a big jump.

I have always recommended this transition unless a kid is significantly undersized.

<12 - Whatever size they can develop good mechanics with but have at least one bat that is no lighter than a -8 (even if it just a cheap one you hit in the cage with)

12U - Start transitioning to a -5 bat. You don't have to use it all the time, but take half your BP practice with it if possible. More in the off-season leading up to the 12U season.

13U - Use -5 predominately but purchase a -3 (Does not have to be a great one. Can even be a year or two year old model, which are usually very good anyway.) and start using it in BP. Use it in practice games some, or in games with slower pitchers.

14U - Trasition to the -3 almost exclusively (especially if you are in 9th grade and will be trying out for the HS team). Get a wood bat to use in BP and the off-season. Most are at least -3. (My son hits with a -1 wood bat this off season, to get stronger and develop better bat speed.)

It seems to me that the change from -12 to -3 was too big a jump for him. He's probably not ready yet and its affected his bat speed. Try going to something more in between or a shorter bat and move up as he grows.

I'm going to guess that at 14 he has to use a -3 bat or will very soon (HS ball.) My almost-14yo is just a bit taller but quite a bit heavier - but slower! He has used a 33-30 in most of his ABs this fall. Most of his teammates - some bigger - are using -5 and -8 bats.

When he was swinging a lighter bat in LL, he was prone to swing with his arms, which a lot of kids seem to do with the light bats as they get bigger/stronger. Think "swatting at" instead of "turning on" the ball. We would do tee drills or soft toss with a weighted sleeve or wood bat to get him using his legs/torso more and his arms less.

If he has to use a -3, the best advice is tee work to improve his technique and his strength. A hundred or so swings off a tee or in the cage with a heavy bat and my son is gassed, so we only do it about twice a week. He realizes that while the heavier bat may cause him to be late on an occasional fastball, it will pay dividends a year from now.

One thing I notice as kids move to the big field and are using heavier bats. They are not nearly as successful at getting on the high fastball. Best thing is to quit trying to hit them, as they umps aren't calling them strikes anyway!

John

Yes, unfortunately my son needs a -3 for high school ball. He is my first and I wasn't aware prior that the high school standard was that. I'm not sure if my son also didn't know, but he told me in July that he needed a bigger bat. After a lot of research on his part, the new bat was bought in early August. At first he did well with it because it slowed down his swing with helped his timing, but now it's become a problem. And I guess because he was fine with it when he first got it, I wasn't sure if that was really the problem or not.

I do recommend (now that I know) transitioning to a bigger bat a little at a time. It's more expensive, but seems worth it.

Also, I just ordered the book 'The Mental Game of Baseball' off Amazon, so thanks for that tip! I can't wait to read it!

quote:

In answer to the questions on our family's sizes: my husband is 6'2 and I am 5'7.

My son was 5'4" at fourteen. At sixteen he's 6'1". My daughter was 4'8" at twelve when many girls are topping out in height. She was 5'10" two years later. I'm 6'1". Mom is 5'8". There are several 6'2" men on both sides.

Like my kids, your son is a late bloomer. He can work hard on his fundamentals. Then if he can genuinely play the game everyhing will fall into place when he grows. One major difference is I had my son swinging a -3 wood bat from the time he was ten years old (about 4'8" at the time) in batting practice. But you can't go back in time.

He's probably going to go through some rapid growth. Be careful with the physical training and it's possible effects on growth plates. Chances are he'll experience some pain since bones, tendons and muscles don't always develop at the same rate.

When he grows he might appear a little uncoordinated at times. It's normal. When my daughter went through her rapid growth spurt she looked like a new born calf coming out of the batter box.

Here are a few other ideas/suggestions. Where is your son trying to hit the ball? Are there certain pitches he connects with better than others? Is he striking out predominately on pitches outside the zone? Is he grounding out to the SS?

Because my son is slow (I'm hoping he gets faster once he hits puberty!) he has become selective as to where he tries to hit the ball. Since he hits from the right side (switch hitting is a work in progress) he tries to wait on the pitch and put it into RC. Not as dramatic as a HR, but he knocks in a lot of runs.

Because he is selective, he walks often and seldom strikes out. Occasionally he will strike out, sometimes looking, because he didn't get the pitch he could hit well. That is not always a bad thing with a runner on first as a badly hit ball may result in a DP.

Work out the big core muscles to get a base to work from (then develop the wrist and forearms and smaller muscle groups). Get the foundation built first.

As for the hitting he is still young so dont be concerned. Throw him alot of bp and just work on hitting the middle of the field.

As he gets a little older and stronger really work on his lower half at the plate. Size and strength do matter BUT little guys can torque and leverage balls to and thats done with for the most part the lower half of the swing.

Google Hanley Ramirez swing and that is how the lower half should work.

With Hanley's swing you will notice

his hips beating his hands

hands stay back

bend in the front leg that snaps back HARD with violence.

a lean back thru contact

Google-Hanley Ramirez Swing

At Contact-If you draw a line up thru the middle of your body-your chest should be on the backside of that line. Your line should go from your back knee, hip, shoulder, ear and be slightly backwards. Not straight and certainly not forward.