College Freshman

This will probably go against what most people will say, but if it doesn’t work, toss it. It’s one thing to be coachable, it’s another to be a coach’s experiment.  Little tweaks are one thing, fundamental changes can completely derail you.  

@4arms

Been there done that so I understand.

I can tell you from my son's college experience that being a freshman is  a lot of work, and from son now being a coach, it does sometimes seem like a never ending adjustment to his pitchers. Keep in mind that it does not happen overnight.

Explain to him that it takes time to make adjustments and your son needs to relax and go with the flow. And you as well!

Suggest speaking to his hitting coach, ask questions, and get in the cage as much as possible.

Practice makes perfect!

Shoot me a pm if you wish.

I agree with TPM. Talk to the coach. Maybe your son can explain why he feels he was struggling and this change is uncomfortable and unathletic. My favorite coach saying I've heard in the past couple years, "the software needs to match the hardware". A change that works wonders for one kid might completely derail another.

Define athleticism.  As one who gives lessons, I see players who are athletic and have success at one level to not have success at the next because they are fundamentally not sound but have lived off their athleticism.  I'm not saying that is the case but it may be.  If the fundamentals are being changed it can feel horrible.  Sometimes you have to work through failure to get to success.

I would say we started hitting lessons late in his career due to him relying on his athleticism.   Then when he started playing for a reputable summer team during high school we realized that hitting 90mph plus with advanced off speed needed additional coaching.   He finished his high school years on a very successful note and drew multiple workout invites before this last years draft.   The issue right now is the timing of learning an adjustment and him feeling like he only has so much time to master it before spring arrives.  I can see him working through it during live AB's but it has definitely thrown off his timing right now and I can tell his confidence has taken a hit because of it.

Unless your kid is a top recruit stud get used to being uncomfortable. Playing time has to be earned every year.

My son started at second the second half of freshman season after the starter failed following his quality freshman season. My son hit .300 and was excellent in the field. The next fall he discovered a JuCo All American second baseman had been recruited. My son had to win another position. He rotated between short and center while to two top recruits (MLB player’s son and Gatorade POY) stumbled. He essentially started the season at short and finished in center. At one point while hitting .244 my son told me he feared he was an Ofer from not starting. He ended up over .300.

Junior year another Gatorade POY was recruited for center. My son was moved to right. When he injured his leg he was moved to first to keep his bat in the lineup.

By the time his career was over he had been a regular at second short, center, right and first with multiple starts in left and third filling in for injuries.

He was put at third for a weekend with almost no practice. He asked if I remembered when he filled in for an 18u team as a 14yo at third. He had the same feeling. He felt like he was target practice for a bazooka on a few balls.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Unless you’re one of the team studs take nothing for granted. Hit and you play.

@4arms does you son understand (and agree with) the why behind the adjustments? In the minors my son has seen some coaches who have "their way" which might not be the best way for every player. Out and out rebellion leads to a "non-coachable" label but a few knowledgeable and respectful questions or observations could build a rapport with the hitting coach and actually might change the changes (if that makes sense). At the top levels you have to know your swing inside and out which doesn't mean you don't listen to your coaches but it does mean you know what adjustments make sense and which ones might harm your swing.

@PTWood He understands the explanation behind the adjustment and feels comfortable having open dialogue with the hitting coach but the expectation is essentially that you need to "fail their way".  Unfortunately the change came after he started fall scrimmages 1-5 with some weaker than usual contact.   I'm sure if he came out 4-5 with barrels he would've been left alone but it is what it is.   His main concern being a freshman isn't whether or where he'll play as he's accepted the chance this could be a development year and he's happy to play at all.  For him it's a matter of how much patience the staff will allow him to master the adjustment because he feels a bit uncomfortable feeling the new movement and as a result his timing is a little off in live AB's.   He's concerned about how the HC and AC will view him if he ends the fall and his numbers are way down.

Let me try to be a better encourager than I normally am.  At my son's school, the player who has lit it up every fall has tanked in the spring.  Now it seems you don't want to be the hot guy in the fall.  4 years of it.  But some of the best hitters in the spring are the ones who struggled in the fall so encourage your son to keep his head up, hit as much as he can, ask for feedback, and work hard.

I have a sign in my building that says "If you won't allow yourself to fail in here, you can't succeed out there."  Same mindset with fall ball for most coaches.  While learning something new, there is always a degree of failure.

@4arms gotcha!! Tough dilemma. Sounds like he has the right approach!

How much extra work is he putting in? Both of mine said they had to put about 10 extra hours in a week at a minimum just to get up to speed - that is before any major mechanical changes and just to get used to the college game. When you show up to workout on your own at 10pm and there are already six guys there it really puts it into perspective how much additional effort you need to be putting into it.

I'll also say this - there is going to be an adjustment period. There is going to be an even bigger adjustment period when dramatically altering mechanics. It is probably worth him pulling a coach aside or having him meet him at the facility to go over film/get on the same page. If it doesn't feel good the way he's doing it they need to have a conversation about tweaks and comfortability. If they aren't willing to at least have that conversation - good luck

As far as him being in his head. You've heard the stories about mental toughness and sports - you either rise to the occasion or you don't.

It's frustrating but these are some of the things you have to consider when choosing a program. Is it a my way or the highway regime or is it a try this and let's see how it works type deal. Some are set in their ways and would rather see failure with their methods, others want you to do what feels right for you and then they decide whether it works for them.

Either way - they're college baseball coaches. I can almost guarantee if you are putting the work in and seeking out help thru the proper avenues they are going to be willing to try and work it out with him.

My son went into a D1 program and at the end of the first semester, coaches told him he was a "pleasant surprise." At the end of the season, he was scheduled to go to the Northwoods, had the car packed, and then told him no, we want to mess with your arm slot. We took video of what they were telling him to a friend who is a reputable baseball coach and asked him for thoughts  — he watched for two minutes and said oh yes, he needs to do what they're saying. I agree on the conversation with his coach. Son developed great relationships with his pitching coaches by making it a conversation rather than a "you do this" kind of deal.

I echo what PABaseball asked about your son's extra work. It is not uncommon hitters are spending 10+ hours weekly on their own time hitting, adopting changes suggested(required) by the instructor.  My kid was fortunate his hitting coach has a similar philosophy and he also surprised him at the end of the season and told the kid he expected more power and would be ok if his Ks bumped and his average drop below 300 to get it.