In a SLUMP! Big time!

Why would you tell him to bunt, you are not the coach.

My suggestion, sit back and relax and don't say anything, he doesn't need anymore pressure than he has already put on himself.

He's headed off to college next year, so why the worry? Forget the pro interest (and tell him to also), if it's meant to be it will happen, if not he has a great option. And if the coach replaces him with someone else, he'll find his way back, it happens.

Try yoga techniques before an at-bat to calm the nerves. Do everything at half-speed. Adjust the gloves at half-speed, walk to the plate at half-speed, etc. Breathe slowly. And don't step into that box until you KNOW you're going to hit and actually feel sorry for the pitcher.

quote:

Originally posted by Momof1B:

but I know a parent or two is given him the business because their kid isn't playing and has put more pressure on 1B.

Gosh, weren't we JUST talking about these doggone parents elsewhere on here? They just won't go away!

What gives? geez

As a player the last thing I would want to hear is someone telling me I was in a slump. I'm sure your son knows that and he wants to get out of it more than anyone. IMO I would say do anything you possibly can to let him know what he did right.

.
Faith.

Put your faith in your approach. Results will come and go like the seasons...always have, always will...regardless of talent or level of play.

…attitude, effort, work ethic and preparation do not come and go. When the results do not provide the success to drive your confidence, focus on what you can control…put in the time, have confidence/faith in your methods….and your work ethic…and your code of character. Leave the rest. It will be what it is.

We talked about this in another thread, you are in it for the long term. Hard to see that when you are in a slump (or not getting PT). Maybe you will have an “athletic epiphany”…Maybe…but I can assure you that your best chance is commit to relentlessly wearing down the fates and circumstances through character, faith and hard work. Don’t leave it to luck or the fates…or play the victim…get back to work.

The baseball Gods reward a grinder…a player who believes in the right things, and “practices” them…relentlessly.

In the words of that great baseball coach, Dr Seuss…



Kid, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet slumps and end up in the pits, Slumps that scare you right out of your wits.

There are grounders to infielders, not beyond, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go on, though your swings maybe foul. On you will go though the power hurlers prowl. On you will go though, the statistics howl.

You’ll grind onward and up, past many a bad streak , though your arms may get sore and your cleats they may leak. You’ll get crossed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange calls as you go.

But be sure when you swing, use conviction (don’t cower)… for that is the way to true light-tower power. And do not forget to listen (educational)… and so not to confuse the linear with the rotational.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)
Kid, you’ll move mountains!

So…be your name household, (not Mantle or Christy Matthewson Mays) you’re off to Great Places! These are YOUR days!

No time for the victim.
No…get on your way!



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As someone told me and i told my son, visit OPPO. he lives behind 2b if your righty and behind ss if your a lefty.

I just read a great article on the subject:

slump busting

I like Bum's advice a lot. Slow it down. Start with just working hard to make contact late. Foul a pitch off late. Work middle to backside. Think about having a quality at bat and not about getting a hit.

This is just my opinion. If you have a bad Monday and you bring Monday to Tuesday with you there is a pretty good chance that Tuesday is going to be a bad day as well. Then you bring Monday and Tues to Weds and then there is twice the chance that Weds is going to be a bad day. And on and on it goes.

It is the exact opposite of a person that has a great Monday and brings that positive energy into Tues with them. There is a very good chance that Tues is going to be a good day.

Baseball is no different. You have to learn to focus on WIN. Whats Important Now. How you prepare for your next at bat. How you approach your next at bat. How you get in the box. The very next pitch. Etc etc. When your carrying all that negative baggage with you to the plate the odds of success go way down and they are already stacked against a hitter anyway. Your only going to be happy 1 out of every 3 times if you hit for a good average.

The mental approach is so important and thats an understatement. How do you approach a situation with a positive attitude and with confidence when you have had so much failure recently? Well first of all you work your butt off to prepare for success. This give you confidence that you have prepared for success. You believe in yourself no matter what the past has brought you recently. You focus on WIN. And you expect success because you KNOW your going to have success. You stop letting the bad Mondays cause you to have bad Tuesdays.

And you put the game in perspective. Its a game. Its not life and death. "Whats the worst thing that can happen to you?" "You strike out?" "So what?" "If your not having fun whats the point of all of this?" "Have some fun and prepare for success and then let the cards fall where they fall."

When a kid wants it so bad - too bad they tend to fight the game. Learn to relax, prepare for success and just play.

quote:

Originally posted by YoungGunDad:

quote:

Originally posted by Momof1B:

but I know a parent or two is given him the business because their kid isn't playing and has put more pressure on 1B.

Gosh, weren't we JUST talking about these doggone parents elsewhere on here? They just won't go away!

What gives? geez

Of course that is bound to happen and right, wrong, or indifferent why wouldn't it? Can't have a free pass for game after game, week after week.

Thanks for the article, it is what they started working on, taking out the stride, last practice he worked on 50% swing, then 75% swing..I think at this point he is trying to hard.

I know he will come out of it, and then be like " Good Grief, why didn't I do that all season" . He just needs one good hit and he'll be back in the groove.

TPM, the bunt was just a just kidding, I am sure if the coach wanted him to bunt, he would give him the sign. Kinda like I am hoping his Dad is kidding when he says it's my fault for taking him for his annual eye exam and he has new contacts.

When my sons were temporarily not hitting, we never talked about it. Never acknowledged it. Refused to give it a life. Consistently, from when they were young.

I never brought up my business slumps at the dinner table, didn't mention them to my wife until they were over. To avoid giving them a life. Same thing.

Mom, I know how you feel, my son who's a Jr. has been struggling as well. It gets even harder when the coach starts taking him out and putting in a pinch hitter. He is still having quality at bats, even if he strikes out. The hits just aren't coming though and it's obvious the coach isn't going to wait for him to get through it. I understand the coach wants to win and is going to do what he needs to do to win the game. Meanwhile though, son is trying to get out of this "hitting slump". Also, the dad of the player who isn't the starter but gets put in if my son comes out is "complaining" to us that he doesn't understand why his son isn't playing much. His kid is a Sophmore, but really what are we supposed to say to him? Honestly, it's not what I want to hear when my son is the one struggling and I know he thinks his kid should be starting in his place. So far, through this slump he has only not started once. But, if he doesn't get on his first or sometimes second at bat, coach takes him out. He only had one at bat last game after he struck out. Have a feeling he's not going to start next game. It's just tough to see him go through this when he wants to play in college, he even recently attended a jr day he was invited to at a d1 college. Hoping summer ball will change all this around, but still have almost half of the hs season left.

My son has been in a mini-slump. We took him to see his favorite hitting instructor. The instructor said what are you doing in batting practice, and my son said trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong. The instructor said, don't do that, just try to hit the ball to right center (son is righty).

The instructor gave him other thoughts and a drill to work on. The difference in the sound of the ball leaving the bat in the first 10 minutes of the session versus the last 10 minutes was amazing. BOOM.

Son came out of the 30 minute session feeling much better. Game tomorrow so we will see.