Best hitting system for little leaguer?

I am located in Tampa, FL by the way. I know finding a quality, certified instructor in your area is a big key as well. Again thanks for any feedback.

Slow down and enjoy the ride. Most of all let your son enjoy the ride. Don't turn baseball into work for him. He has plenty of time. He doesn't need a hitting system at six years old. He only needs to have fun hitting with dad. Right now you should be shooting for love of the game, not burnout. This isn't a sprint. It's a marathon. My son didn't play ball at three or six. But he enjoyed hitting off the tee in the yard and hanging around his older sister's softball practices. He's playing college ball. My daughter never touched softball equipment until she was seven and played college softball.

Thanks for the reply, I appreciate the good advise. Its funny because when I first saw he was able to play and that he wanted to, my first reaction was just that...to take it slow and keep it fun as opposed to making it work and burning him out. Of course a couple of coaches throw out the word potential, and he becomes so caught up in the excitement, that I start doing the same things i said i wouldn't. Thanks for the perspective check .

Burn out usually occurs when a kid isn't having success. People hide behind burn out when it is obvious the parent wants it more than the kid and the kid is struggling.  I say feed his passion if HE has it. It teaches him to work for his goals. 

 

Have to say I agree with this. In my son's early years we went out and had a catch when he wanted, hit him balls when he wanted, and let him take bp when he wanted.  He still has a way to go (entering HS this September), but a love for baseball is still what "he" has.  

 

I just wouldn't overburden him, and you, with tedious work at this age.  Most areas have facilities with baseball group-related training for youngsters.  Let him do that if it's possible.  It's more about meeting new kids and having some minor instruction then learning mechanics they'll use in HS at that age, but they are doing something fun they love.

Six year olds don't need baseball goals. I didn't see where it's the kid's passion. But it sure looks like an obsessed dad. If a kid has a sport shoved down his throat, even if he's good, he won't enjoy the sport if the dad is always on him to practice and his friends are doing other things. Six year olds don't need to be taking lessons. Preteens don't need lessons if the dad has any clue at all about the game. Quality lessons are for kids who have talent that needs refining. My kids first lessons where at fifteen. But baseball people have discovered there are many sucker parents of preteens dying to be separated from their money.

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not advocating getting a 6 yo lessons.  I was simply responding to his burn out remark. A 6 yo just needs to have fun. 

Thanks guys, as I said before I appreciate the input. I am new to this as this is my oldest son. I would like to think of my self as an excited father as opposed to "an obsessed dad". I think it is human nature to be excited when your child is excited about something at such a young age and he actually happens to be pretty good at it. I know I mentioned in my original post that he is the one wanting to play and who loves baseball...If he decided tomorrow he doesn't want to play any more so be it, but I feel it would be a disservice not to fuel any passion any of my children may have which I know was Redbird's point in his original reply. Again I appreciate everyone's input and perspectives, thank you!

Get him the hurricane hitter set it up in the yard and DON'T SAY ANYTHING to him other than a fast how to and leave it at that.My 2016 at this same age was consumed with baseball DURING baseball season.Just as he was with football and basketball during those seasons.Buy him a pitch back.I also bought him a collapable backstop of sorts that has a strike zone that clips on to catch the balls while pretending/practicing pitching.My point is all this stuff the kids can use by thierselves. When kids are  using this stuff theres a good chance they won't burn out with playing ball because if they get tired of hitting throwing they will just do something else.If you have a kid that all he wants to do is play baseball during the summer great.Better than playing videos in his room. Pitching,playing catch,hitting ground balls with him But for gods sake DO NOT over due it he's six.He might be playing soccer instead when he's 11.Theres also no reason to go out and buy everything all at once.Buy one thing at a time and if he makes good use of it next holiday get another item.I can still remember my guy coming in when he was @ 5-6 with a bloody nose from the ball hitting him in the nose from his pitch back.he was inside (with tears) long enough to realize he was not dieing.30 minutes later he was back out in the yard throwing again.Had a feeling then I could have a ball player on my hands.Don't forget fall brings on another activity

My son started hitting off the tee at eighteen months. Everyday I came home from work there would be balls all over the yard. But I never pushed him. The tee and his Little Tikes shopping cart of balls was his toy. At six he chose to hang out at his sisters's softball practices and hit off the machine and live pitching over tee ball. He thought tees were for kids who couldn't hit. 

 

Once he started playing organized baseball at seven baseball ended in July. He didn't touch baseball equipment until the next March. There were other things to do and sports to play. It didn't harm his baseball development. Year round practice didn't occur until high school.

 

 

 

Charlie, seems like this turned into a "burnout" thread.  While I agree at your son's age, he should be doing a lot of different activities/sports, you specifically asked about a "hitting system."  Here is my take.  Get him into a summer baseball camp.  Around my parts, they are grouped by age and go for a couple hours a day for a week or two.  They will begin to give him the basics and he'll have some fun.   

 

Then you (dad) spend the next two years reading/viewing/learning everything you can about hitting.  There is a ton of stuff out there.Start with the hitting forum here at hsbaseballweb.  The Epstein book is worth a read.  There is some hitting stuff at thepitchingacademy.com.  Ripken has some stuff.  Etc.  This will give you two things: 1) the knowledge to pick a good coach/trainer and 2) the ability to help.  When your kid hits 10-12 years old, hell decide whether he wants to pick it up a notch or do something else.  If he decides to move forward with baseball you'll be prepared.  Good luck.    

I would never lock my kid into one system at a very young age. He might be better served if at this stage, you as the parent spend the next several years reading up on and exploring different hitting approaches even reading something like Ted Williams, "The Art of Hitting" to just get perspective in a hitters approach, the strike zone and the mental thinking of a good hitter. I really don't feel comfortable with the mechanized ways or cookie cutter approaches that some people feel a hitter has to have to be successful. In simplist terms hitting involves swinging at strikes and knocking the heck out of the ball. As a six year old thats all he needs to know. Don't crush individuality or lock a kid into a system now that might not be considered the best way to do things ten or twelve years from now when it starts to really count.

Don't worry about mechanics yet. If you have to do something, just have him start turning the barrel. The body will accommodate it.

When my son was we hung a plastic ball on a string, tied to a tree. He loved to hit it. I have a great picture of it. He was pretty good at it. 

 

My favorite baseball picture of my son was taken when he was about 6. He is sitting in on the bench holding a bat, incredible joy on his face. I would look at that picture when I started getting too intense when he was years older.

 

IMHO the best thing for a youngster to do is watch good hitters. Sitting with dad watching games on TV for FUN, without commentary, for example. I believe that little guys learn without trying by watching. I figured this out when my son had the same (wrong) arm slot as his dad. His dad didnt tell him to throw that way, he just had range of motion issues. 

 

My other piece of advice is to buy the best folding chair you can afford, and enjoy!

I am 100% with RJM and twotex on this one. He doesn't need any "systems" he doesn't need any lessons or special equipment, he needs to be 6 and treated like any other 6 year old.

 

It's ok to feed the passion, take your son to as many bb games as you can, mine began at 5-6 with dad and he actually sat and watched as dad explained what was happening.  They also spent endless hours watching the Braves on TV, maybe why his mechanics are similar to some pitchers.  BBscout (former proscout who is no longer with us here on the HSBBW) used to tell us an effective way to teach mechanics to youngsters is by watching.

 

You live in an area where there is good college baseball and good proball (FSL). If you feel the need to spend $$, a good investment is taking your son to as many games as you can to feed the love and passion within, everything else is meaningless at this age.

 

JMO

TPM is right. When my son was little we went to a lot of Reading Phillies, Trenton Thunder and Wilmington Blue Rocks games. My son analyzed the games to death. He did the same thing watching games on tv. I was surprised how much he learned playing his MLB video game.

 

The great thing about minor league games is if a little kid wants to leave early you don't feel like you're throwing away a lot of money like a MLB game. The baseball passion was fueled by talking to minor league players before games then following them through the minors. My son is twenty now. We've spent every Fathers Day since he was six either at a pro baseball game or at one of his tournaments.

 

Charlie,
Don't buy into thinking you need to buy him stuff to make him better.  Keep it simple and age appropriate.
Also keep in mind some of the best players in proball played sandlot baseball.

Thanks again guys, I appreciate the advice.

I wouldn't worry about his form at this age.   Just let him go out there and have fun and just focus on making solid contact.   I would recommend getting him the Ultimate Hitting Machine.  Check it out on eBay.    http://www.ebay.com/itm/baseba...;hash=item2a4df54422   Here's a video of it.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZk9-Ggf0ok  This is a great hitting aid for young kids.   Kids love to hit off it, and they can go out in the back yard and practice hitting on their own.   I would also recommend getting a net to hit into so he won't get tired of chasing balls.   Great product for kids to use to get a lot of swing reps in daily.  I can guarantee he will love it.  

The replies are coming from Dad's who can look back with a bit of perspective.  After 3 sons, two already in the working world, and one a freshman in high school I am glad I didn't know about (or could not afford lol) lessons, instructors or travel ball. 

 

Patience is the hardest virtue to master with son's that are young and playing a sport.  

My 3rd son is still learning since we just arrived at 60/90 fields a year ago.  

Been going through this process for the past five years, starting when my son was 8.  We enjoyed studying the guys in the Bigs, and watching what they do with their feet, knees, hips, trunk, wrists, stance, etc, when they swing.  It was and is something we still enjoy doing. We started working on our own when he was eight years old.  Just the simple things like knocking knuckles and proper grip, stance etc.  Each year going forward, we have corrected something different and have fine tuned his swing.  We started with some lessons when he was 10, and did those off and on for about two years (until we felt we had the basics down, we could study the good guys online, watch lessons online, and fine tune on our own).  Our goal was/is to try and fix one - two swing flaws per year (in the off season).  Doing it this way, has allowed him not to become overwhelmed, and the changes are easy to make.  I have read and heard that it is hard to break bad habits, the older the player gets.  Your son is young, and probably not in need of lessons, but that doesn't mean you can't start introducing some of the basics (proper grip, etc.) so he develops good rather than bad habits that you have to correct later (when it is harder and frustrating for the player).  A good swing entails many different things.  From the ground up, certain things have to happen.  Good technique must be repeatable without thought.  That is the goal.  We never tinker with any swing changes during the season, but we always pick out something that he could be doing better, set a goal, and work to make that change in the off season.  So far, so good.  We enjoy our time together, and his swing is pretty darn impressive.  One more year until high school ball.  Then the fun really starts (as I have read on here).  Good luck, and have fun with your boy!

Wiffleballs.  He can play all day long with his friends, it's fun, and even travel teams in h.s. use them. 

I always see this.  Not sure why.  My son would tinker in between innings

 

My son decided to change his swing with the first LL all star game when he was eleven. It was then he decided to wave the bat and swing from his heels like Gary Sheffield. In the stands I said to myself, "What the hell are you doing?" He hit a one hopper off the fence for a double. 

 

A friend with a son on the team knowing I wouldn't yell anything asked if I wanted him to yell something the next time my son came up. I responded, "Yea, go Sheffield."

 

The next at bat he tripled off the fence followed by a homer that cleared the maintenance shed behind the fence for his first LL homer. He never used that swing again. He went back to his traditional swing the next game and continued hitting well. 

Get one of these:


http://www.amazon.com/Bow-Net-...&keywords=bownet

 

One of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Rawlings...eywords=Rawlings+tee

 

And these:

http://www.amazon.com/Rawlings...s=Bucket+of+Baseball

 

And just let him hit...

My older son uses a SwingAway.  I think using it on its own to get daily swings on their own coupled with soft toss might help a youngster alot.  Can never go wrong with tee and ball.

Raffy Palmeiro's dad used to make him take 200 perfect swings every day.  Regardless of your stance on PED's, he had a beautiful swing.  Please don't hijack the thread on PED use.

When my son turned 12 I installed a batting cage in my back yard, much to the dismay of my wife. initially cost me about $300 (pipes from Home Depot used net on Craigslist). Since then I added lights. Now give lessons on the side have more than paid for it. Best investment in my sons hitting I ever made. 

 

I fondly remember when 3 friends and I were coaching 6--7yo LL teams.  We would compete amongst ourselves coming up with new ways to make ground balls, fly balls, etc fun for the kids by using competitive games to keep repetition from being boring.

 

I think the best I came up with was a whiffle ball game I continued to play for years with my two sons in the front yard of our house.

 

The name of the game is One Strike.  You pitch a ball to the batter at the maximum appropriate speed for his age and ability.  If he hits it, you give him a single, double, etc based your judgement of the quality of the hit, (there are no outs for a ball hit fair; in our yard, a HR needed to go over the house)  and you keep a running tally of men on base and runs scored as you continue to pitch.  If the kid misses or hits a ball foul, that's a strike,  he's out, and it's the next kid's turn. 

 

You can play with one kid, or a bunch,  but 2 or 3 is best for a fast-moving competitive game that the kids will keep playing until your pitching arm falls off.

I have been working at D-BAT facilities as an instructor for the past 2 years, and have seen many 6-7 y.o.'s in lessons with instructors.  80% of the time it's a waste of time/money for the player/parent, and the instructor is usually glancing at the clock frequently waiting for his next lesson (which hopefully isn't another 6-7 y.o.).  On the flip side, 20% are VERY productive.  If a kid at that age can have fun while learning mechanics and competing, then at a young age the player can start to learn how to be a leader on his team while being a very solid player with (hopefully) a concept at the plate.

 

IMHO, figure out how your kid learns most effectively (by seeing, by feeling, or by hearing), then find him an instructor who can work within that realm while you set an expectation for the instructor to primarily teach in that manner.  For example, if your kid is very active and doesn't necessarily learn well in a sit-down, chalkboard fashion, I wouldn't recommend an older, lower energy instructor who talks for minutes at a time to explain things, but rather a younger, more energetic instructor who can keep your son moving and learning at the same time.  Most importantly, though, if your kid isn't excited about his lessons or is even indifferent about the whole process, then forget it - if he isn't begging you to go hit and talking about his lessons all week, it isn't worth it.

 

And don't worry about finding an instructor who will put him on a long-term system... Eventually he will sound just like dad when he's coaching your son

Take it easy the kid is 6!  To me just getting him exposed to the game is important.  His power will come as he gets older.  Working of the tee and live BP on a regular basis will build a good foundation for him.  Good fundamentals work and building his love for the game is important at his age.  Enjoy!!!