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I'm helping coach a 18U select team that is really 17U kids but we have no 17U select ball in the area.  Anyway they are mostly Juniors anyway so they should be playing 18U.  

 

The issue is we can't seem to get a hit.  We make contact but its mostly ground balls.  Our team BA is .199 slug .220 and OBP .320. We bunt well and manufacture runs when we can. It seems to be mostly mental with these guys at this point and I'm out of suggestions for them and would appreciate any advice.  

 

Thankfully we play defense well and pitch well but we can't score enough.

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Who the heck did the selecting?  Just kidding. 

Assuming you have a chance to work with some of these guys aside from just playing the games, I would suggest you go against what may be the natural reaction.  Instead of turning the focus toward more consistent contact, instill more aggression.  Controlled aggression, anyway.  Have them dial in a laser-like focus on their strike zone that is still plenty big to allow for aggressive AB's.  Have them think about driving those pitches deep into the gaps.  Praise hard-hit balls.  Continue to use small ball but only where appropriate - don't allow it to be the band-aid.  If the pitching level is different than what they are accustomed to, make the appropriate  adjustments.  If they are hitting a lot of ground balls, they may be a hair behind.  Have them get the front foot down a bit quicker.  Make sure they are quick and short in the first half of their swing so they are getting on plane early enough.  Contact isn't good enough.  Drive the ball.  Drive the ball.  Drive the ball.

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