need some tips for hitting more efficiently

Well, for starters, good luck with your tryout.
It's kind of difficult to give you tips on your swing when nobody on this board has seen it (to look for mechanical errors, adjustments, etc.)
If you've been struggling lately and you have been hitting good before that it is very possible that it is something going on between the ears...
I have gone through a very similar experience, i was the middle of the lineup guy that cleaned up after the clean up guy..whatever he didnt drive in..
One thing that can help is just go over your swing in your mind...stick to the basics, it gives you less chances to screw up..baseball is, after all, a negative game, failure and how you deal with it..
Make sure that you have lots of confidence in yourself..and if you cant actually have it, act like it..I know one thing that went on with me was when i was hitting good before the slump was that no matter what the count was, i was confident that i could take what the pitcher threw me and that i could hit it hard somewhere..when i got into the slump i lost that confidence and i started trying to be a contact hitter..
something to chew on

I went through the same problem. I went from the number one hitter to number 8 on my JV team. Well im 16 now and playing on a 18 and Under team and the main thing that has kept my swing improving is im relaxing and having confidence. I just tell myself , "This guys no problem, i can hit him easily". If you believe it you can do it.

It sounds to me like your thinking a little bit too much at the plate. I also went through a similar slump at the beginning of the summer. After talking to my coach about what was wrong with my swing and what I could do to improve, he told me that my swing was mechaniclly good, but that probably thinking too much at the plate. He suggested that I take a couple deep breaths, or even -bear with me here- sing a song in my head, any thing to get my mind or of the pressure or anxiousness of getting a hit. This helped greatly, and i went from starting out at a measly 2-16, to 16-30 with 5 doubles. Don't get me wrong, please keep focused on the task at hand, but relax in the process.

quote:

Originally posted by jamison_thirdbase33:
It sounds to me like your thinking a little bit too much at the plate. I also went through a similar slump at the beginning of the summer. After talking to my coach about what was wrong with my swing and what I could do to improve, he told me that my swing was mechaniclly good, but that probably thinking too much at the plate. He suggested that I take a couple deep breaths, or even -bear with me here- sing a song in my head, any thing to get my mind or of the pressure or anxiousness of getting a hit. This helped greatly, and i went from starting out at a measly 2-16, to 16-30 with 5 doubles. Don't get me wrong, please keep focused on the task at hand, but relax in the process.

Good advice

Garry

i hit the best when i don't think about what im doing wrong. Some good advise that was given to me is "don't think, swing as hard as you can in case you hit it". When you are in a slump your timing is off, SEE THE BALL HIT THE BALL.

just take a deep breath and tell yourself see the ball see the ball see the ball see the ball see the ball see the ball see the ball. i was struggling at the start of the year as well. then r hitting coach told me to do that i went on a tear.

Especially for leadoff hitters, you want to make solid line drive contact. I try and do the same. I keep my elbows up to my face level, and come down to the level of the ball as I swing and line it hard. It is good for me because I am not a power hitter. Good luck.