Slumps

This reminds me of my son's team. Put in a power righty throwing 85 and they pound the ball and score 11 runs. Put in a junk pitcher/lefty/side-slinger and they faulter and get shut-out.

Have your son talk to his hitting coach. Maybe he is not staying back on the ball and letting it travel deep in the zone.

Also, a lot of "slumpers" get tense and anxious and this is counter-productive as a hitter should be relaxed and fluid. A hitting coach who played at Stanford once told my younger son that, in cases like these, try to do everything half-speed to relax. Breathe half-speed. Walk to the on-deck circle and batter's box half-speed. Calm the mind.

Keep it simple
Without seeing what he is actually doing, we'll have to guess. What I have done in the past and it has been successful for my kid and other players I've had. It sounds to me he's pressing a bit and pulling off the ball=Weak contact and popups. I had players who were pressing hit to their center opposite field. So lefthanded hitter would drive to left center and righty to right center, In a sense letting the ball get deeper in the zone, but not so deep he can't catch up to it and at the same time keeping him from pulling off the ball. Its easier for them to be successsful than going total opposite field and less thinking. To have a player who is a bit over anxious hit or try to hit totally to the far opposite field may get too selective and create a whole new addition to the slump,especially if he isn't a real successful op. field hitter to start with. The last thing you want him to do is thinking too much, letting the ball get too deep and creating more strike outs too. This is fairly simple but it worked. I am sure you'll get some additional ideas from other posters.


Good Luck

Many times a slump is more "in the mind" than mechanical

My guy had a 2 for 32 run where he was fit to be tied to start the season--he asked the coach for a day off to stay away fromt eh ball park--- he came back and hit over .450 for the SEASON and was MVP in the biggest tournament of the season-- some times a day off is great--just like at work-- a "free the mind day" can be beneficial

Go fishing, seriously get away from baseball for a day or two.

Based on your post I have $10 that says he has his weight on his front foot...when my son is trying to be agressive, for some reason he gets way too out front.

But really, go fishing!!!!!

I agree with Bum. You're calling the pitching inferior, so I'm guessing slower rather than crafty. It's screwing up his timing and he's not keeping his weight back to wait on the ball. He's going to see some slower pitchers in college for this very reason; they're effective. Hitting is timing and pitching is messing up timing.

Can't count the number of times I've heard quality players complain about slow pitchers....as if the pitcher 'owes' them a fastball! The vagries of pitching quality is as much a part of the game as DPs and HRs.

If you feel it's appropriate, go back to basics --- a little soft toss with practice (whiffle) golf balls in the back yard to work on timing, for example.

I'd say talk to him in whatever off-the-cuff, relaxed situation you can about the suggestions you've gotten here that make sense to you. You never know with teenagers what is bothering them. That might help with another baseball truism: A Full Mind Is An Empty Bat.

Best of luck to you.

.

quote:

A Full Mind Is An Empty Bat.

quote:

Many times a slump is more "in the mind" than mechanical

I am a real fan of reframing or changing mental approach...(a way of clearing the head, of getting fresh, if fishing is not an option..)

Maybe this helps....One of my favorites is knowing what you can control and knowing what you cannot.

You can control attitude, effort, preparation, and work ethic. You can always apply yourself there. You can always be a winner, walk away with your head held high, every day, in those areas.

Coaches, hits, avg., slumps, bad games, bad seasons come and go. You have to know that. You have to have the faith that your attitude, your preparation, your effort, you work ethic, will, in the end bridge those temporary gaps.

Often players hit a slump start tinkering too much with mechanics, and in the process get into their own heads and turn what should have a been a minor blip into a bigger issue.

Beyond that... Since I do know something about your team, I would say that a midseason comedown after last years stellar emotional season is a natural occurance. My guess is that the bats will sing as the season draws to a conclusion and the playoffs near. The mind naturally gears to prepare for the bigger battle it knows is soon.

Leave the seed of doubt alone, do your business. Attitude, effort, prep, and work ethic. I may be way off base but it was one of the biggest changes I saw between high school and DI ball.

44
.

Stay Back and let the ball get deep. Hit it the other way.

Son started season off not too hot but he relaxed and satyed back on all pitchers fast and slow. He is seeing the ball better and hitting balls up the middle and Right Center Field. Sometimes it is a timing thing, could also be he is a Senior Now and wants to prove something. Maybe a bit anxious.....?

I also did plenty of tee work and soft toss with him to keep the weight back and also let the ball get deep.

Good luck!

DOOER


Silly question from cynical mind


Why now in his senior year of HS is he trying to get college attention ????? what has been going on before now???

SuspiciousCynical Mind

You're caught in a slump...
You can't walk out...
Because you try too hard...maybe.

Why can't you see?
What you're doing to me,
When you don't believe a word I say?

We can't go on together...
With my cynical mind.
And you can't build your swing
With my cynical mind.

So, if an old skipper I know
Drops by to say "stay low"
Would I still see cynicism in your eyes?

Here I go again,
Asking where your swing's been.
You can't see these whiffs are real?
I'm trying...

We can't go on together...
With my cynical mind.
And you can't build your swing
With my cynical mind.

Oh let your SLG % survive,
And pry the fears from your whys?
Let's don't let your good swing die.

Dooer's son, you know...
I've never lied to you...
Mmm yeah, yeah...

Taking the existing batting gloves and tear them to shreds. Buy a new bat. If wife objects, let son make the request. (Momma's hurt as badly as Dads during slumps-in Little League, my guys got more new bats out of a couple bad games than any other plea.)

Adopt the mantra "Stay back, stay back, stay back".



P.S. If wife still objects, the divorce will be cheaper than the bat.

Since it is usually a mental thing for us...we usually opt for a haircut, changing a pre-game ritual, wearing pants up (if usually down) or vice versa....ANYTHING to just change a pattern to get into a new mindset. But NO MECHANICS changing at all! Actually...WE do similar things to help him out too...you know...sit in a different section of the bleachers, cross legs differently, wear different sunglasses, take a different route to the field! Like WE actually have any control at all over whether he hits or not! But it makes us feel like we are "helping"! AND, if it works? We are SURE to take the credit! Who says baseball players and their families aren't superstitious!

son in HS was in a MAJOR slump that actually went from the last 1/3 of last season through the first four games of this season....yep that includes his summer team. He had overanlayzed, changed his swing, griped about the umpires and basicall became a mental case. Like I said this season was looking like a repeat. As parents we are well trained and we also know we can't talk to a player on the filed, however, I have to say my husband is a genious (Men stop smiling) Anyhow, son is on deck, looking all too stressed when my husband yells out "Hey! I love you!" Son looks at him and then has to rush to the plate. HIts a triple and has not stopped hitting since then. Since that game my son is back into his hitting batting clean-up and having a great season. If you ask my husband why he did it I am sure there is a deep psychological reason but my response would be "See a little love goes a long way"

quote:

Anyhow, son is on deck, looking all too stressed when my husband yells out "Hey! I love you!" Son looks at him and then has to rush to the plate. HIts a triple and has not stopped hitting since then. Since that game my son is back into his hitting batting clean-up and having a great season. If you ask my husband why he did it I am sure there is a deep psychological reason but my response would be "See a little love goes a long way"

Allaboutbaseball...VERY GOOD! Sometimes, they just need something to take their mind off it, even if for a second.

If you (or, should I say, someone who can sing) would record that wonderful little ditty, Dooer could play it for his son's walk-on music. Nothing like a good laugh to clear the mind!

Although it needs to be spontaneous (much like allabout's husband's 'I love you'), a little lightheartedness or humor goes a long way when the player's mind is working harder than his bat....or arm.

When my son was pitching in LL, he had the bases loaded, no outs, and a 2-0 count on the batter in a close game. The second baseman called time, put his hand on his shoulder and said "You've got two balls (glances down meaningfully) and NO strikes." My son cracked up. And threw three straight strikes.

More recently, my son's roomie (we have a good time kidding around) was struggling on the mound. My son called time and as he jogged out (doubtlessly to tell him he was falling off to the left....I hate it when he does that), I yelled, "But you don't have time to teach him a slider!" The two of them laughed and he settled in nicely.

Thanks folks, a lot of good info, but not necessarily what I was looking for.

I know what his problems are, his coaches know what his problems are, and he probably knows what his problem is. Yes, it is in his head now and he is hitting off of the front foot and a lot of those other things too.

I actually did tell him that his mom and I still love him. What else can I say? I am sure that his coaches have already spoken quite clearly to him what the mechanical problems are. I am no longer his coach, just a dad. Mom told him to try meditating.

This has been basically a season long slump, 12 games. Yes, he has had a couple of good hits, including a couple of well hit balls to the opposite field. But these have been the exception, not the norm.

So the question is, do we talk about it as a family or let him figure it all out on his own. He does get a little agitated when it is brought up.

quote:

Why now in his senior year of HS is he trying to get college attention ????? what has been going on before now???

TR, a lot of reason's, most of which we have no control.

One, he is primarily a outfielder. I think that he is strong in all of the tools, but probably not exceptional in any of them. Examples: Close to 90 throwing with accuracy from RF, 7.1 60 yards, hit 11 doubles and 1 HR last year against very good pitching (probably faced 10+ D1 pitchers). I get the impression that college recruiters do not break down doors for outfielders unless they are exceptional.

Two, he played football. Passing leagues and workouts cut into summer baseball and no fall baseball. His choice, not mine.

Three, we did not have the money to send him to multiple showcases or camps. Those that he went to he showed OK, but not exceptional.

A couple of schools expressed mild interest, but wanted to see how this season went.

He is a 3 year starter on a sometimes nationally ranked team, in a good area of the country for baseball.

We were not looking for a scholarship (though that would be great). We were looking for a school that showed enough interest that as a walk on, he would have a good shot. Many knowledgable people have said that he can play at the next level with the tools that he has now.

Unfortunately, his current season is not going to garner much attention unless he straightens out soon.

Dooer-
Must be the Northern Cal weather?? We are going through something similar although my son is quite a bit younger. It sucks-he's frustrated, we feel bad but all we can do is wait it out. He's working like a mad-dog at practice, soft toss, tees etc...but there are only so many game time swings. We can commiserate together. Good luck!

quote:

Originally posted by Orlando:

More recently, my son's roomie (we have a good time kidding around) was struggling on the mound. My son called time and as he jogged out (doubtlessly to tell him he was falling off to the left....I hate it when he does that), I yelled, "But you don't have time to teach him a slider!" The two of them laughed and he settled in nicely.

It is indeed tough to come to grip with the fact that a person can indeed fall off to the left...those of us on the right recently have almost perfected the technique of falling off to the right!

Dooer:

Has your son's considerable skills really vanished or are they merely in hiding? You know that he is as good as ever...it just has to come out.

He does need to relax...I'd let him find his own way. The best you can do now is just relax...show him how that is done.

He wants to do well I'm sure...that in itself is most of the battle...it will come back.

quote:

Originally posted by Bum:
Have your son talk to his hitting coach. Maybe he is not staying back on the ball and letting it travel deep in the zone.

I agree.

Getting anxious can cause you to get jumpy and over-eager which will make things worse and not better.

This is what you do...everytime i get in a slump i do it and mentally your laughing at yourself like what the heck am i doing, and actually relaxes you...i'm serious....shave your head with like a number 2 razor or so...then before the game before infeild drink a red bull.....do this before the next game and post back on here how it went......i'm serious it'll work.

I did exactly as you stated 4luvofthegame...I went to the middle of the infield before the game...shaved my head with a no. 2 razor...and drank a Red Bull...

They took me in for questioning.

But hey...I'm laughing at myself...the slump is over!

Dooer...
Lot's of good advice here. I've seen similar occurances when stud underclassmen become the senior leadership on the team, and feel the need to carry the team. They start pressing, and trying to do more. They stop allowing the game to come to them. Then a slow start to the season increases the anxiety and makes matters worse.

Ya gotta relax.

Easy to say... Not so easy to accomplish when, in your mind, so much is riding on your success. I think you've gotta get the focus off of your own success/failure, and redirect to the success of the team.

I'm not suggesting for a moment that your son is not a team player, or that he is selfishly placing his own goals above those of his team. On the contrary... Players can be so driven to help the team that they agonize over any element of their game that falls short of their own expectations. Always keep in mind that there are eight other batters in the lineup. ...eight other defenders on the field. They've got your back, and know that you have theirs. Relax and trust in the team. And when you have a bad stretch, be it one at-bat, or a long string of them, stay focused on the team goals. Play within yourself.

Sometimes a different spot in the batting order can get you different pitches, or simply alter your perspective. Whatever... ...different answers/solutions for different players. Talent will prevail.

Case in point...

Senior on my son's D-1 team... Flat tore up the league his freshman and sophomore years. Followed up with a very dissapointing year last spring in his junior year...approaching the draft...upper classman...(insert reason of choice here). Who knows. ...and ultimately, who cares other than him.

He opened this spring with a 1 for 23 stretch that would be devastating to anyone, let alone a proven team leader. Got benched, but the coach never gave up on him. Kept getting him back in the box as much as possible. He finally had a breakout game four weeks ago, and has never looked back. His turnaround has been remarkable since that time. He's been on a tear, raising his average from a dismal .043 to well above .350. Now has the second highest BA on the team. In fact, he's leading the team, (and perhaps the SEC) in conference play, with a blistering .630 average against conference oponents.

When pressed for the source of his turnaround, he said something to the effect that he had to get to the point where it stopped bothering him. He stopped dwelling on past failures or the last at-bat, turning his full attention to a right approach for the next at-bat only. Nothing else mattered.

Baseball's a funny game that way. Can't play the game the right way if you're too high or too low. You have to treat good days and bad days alike. Leave 'em in the locker room when you go out to the field. ...cause the only important at bat, is the next one.

Dooer... Your son will come around. Don't know if it's time away from the field, more time in the cages, lighter attitude about the game, hypnotizing, breathing through your eyelids, or a well-timed distraction as noted in another post above. Different strokes...

He'll be okay when he let's go of the minutia that you can't afford to bring to the plate with you. All the best to him and his team for an outstanding second half of the season.

Now, as for his parents... BEEN THERE...GOT THE TEE SHIRT... I recommend sedatives until the ship is righted, and all the positive reinforcement you can muster. It will not be easy for your son to set aside his anxiety if you are pulling out your hair over it.

No “slump” talk around our house! A slump (if such a thing exist) is nothing more than a self induced state of mind. Go back and read O44s post. He nailed it!

quote:

You can control attitude, effort, preparation, and work ethic. You can always apply yourself there. You can always be a winner, walk away with your head held high, every day, in those areas.

Coaches, hits, avg., slumps, bad games, bad seasons come and go. You have to know that. You have to have the faith that your attitude, your preparation, your effort, you work ethic, will, in the end bridge those temporary gaps.

Former President Roosevelt spoke of fear in his inaugural speech but could have been talking about a batting slump --- “Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance”
Fungo

maybe like what was mentioned in an earlier post but with a twist. Instead of parents pulling their hair out they run to the stands, shave their heads with a No. 2 razor and drink a couple of red bulls. Might not work on our anxiety but it sure would relax the kids that are playing and definately take their mind off of any type of slump. Hey- you do whatcha gotta do!

I'm with ya' allaboutbaseball...just be prepared to answer a lot of questions.

Why don't we all send "good KARMA" thoughts to Dooer's son! Can't help but have a great game with all those positive thoughts.

A baseball slump is a negative state of mind that will not allow you to have sucess untill you wake the "F" up and become positive. There are many people that spend days , weeks , months , years and lifetimes in a slump , the slump of life. Negative people who are sure that everything that is going to happen to them is going to be bad and finding reasons to fail. Hitters in slumps are doing the same thing. Im not going to get a hit because Im in a slump. Poor poor pitifull me. Positive people create positive Kharma and positive results will follow.

That's a great idea CaBB. I'll pick up a couple of gallons of Karma on the way home from work tonight. If we all did this and poured it into the karma slot on the backside of each of our towers then I'm sure Dooer's son's slump would be over soon...and a lot of PC repair shops will have their hands full.





The KARMA slot is next to this...right?

Call me dense, but what is the difference between a #2 and other razors. Does it work on shiney heads?

Well dense Dooer...there really is something to this razor number thing. Take a look...

MARTENSITIC STAINLESS CHROMIUM STEELS
These steels have excellent properties for forming and grinding sharp edges and, after hardening and tempering, also good resistance to corrosion. Sandvik 6C27, 7C27Mo2, 12C27 and 13C26 in a hardened and tempered version are supplied under the trade name Sandvik Chromflex. Their special characteristics include good resistance to wear, high fatigue strength and very good flatness as well as uniform mechanical properties along and across the rolling direction (isotropic properties).


Sandvik Grade...Chem. composition %...Condition........................Examples of applications

6C27.................C 0,32,Cr 13.7...............C 600-1000, H 1500-1600.....Components in electrical shavers, kitchen spatulas.

7C27Mo2............C 0.38, Cr 13.5..............C 600-1000, H 1700-2000.....Meat saws, doctor blades, compressor valves.

12C27................C 0.6, Cr 13.5................C 700-1000, H 1800-2100.....Knives, scissors, skate blades.

12C27M..............C 0.52, Cr 14.5..............C 700-1000........................Kitchen knives, scissors.

13C26................C 0.68, Cr 13.0..............C 700-1000........................Razor blades, scalpels, butcher band knives.

19C27................C 0.95, Cr 13.5..............C 700-1000, H 1800-2000.....Knives for plastic/synthetic, fibers, paper.


I guess instead of a simple ol' no. 2 we should have been referring more properly to a Sandvik 13C26.


And as far as it working on shiny heads...which type of head are you referring to Dooer?

Speaking of #2's- had a huge accident around our house 2 weeks ago. 16 yr old son in backyard, cutting his own hair with a shaver and a #2 guard. Asks us to come trim up the back for him. Dad goes out, takes a BIG swipe with the trimmer, I hear swearing, screaming-come running. Poor son has a huge bald spot of the back of his head because he had taken the guard off the shaver and his dad didn't know he was just supposed to trim up the hairline. Older son laughing hysterically, all of us yelling-nieghbors probably thought we were nuts. My husband was bummed out all night because of what he'd done. My son, bless his heart, reassured Dad it was ok and he'd be fine (hair looked terrible). Next day @ game son hits a grand slam!!! So last night he's trimming up his hair and has Dad do the exact same thing for luck. May or may not work today for big game but it's nice to know as a mom that my son isn't self-conscious about looking stupid.

So a #2 to answer your question is the size of the guard on the electric shaver or trimmer that people use on their heads.

Your son will never look stupid while he's swatting grand slams!

Players take pressure differently.

I am sorry Dooer, but you have to take the pressure off of your son, you have one of the most visible high school player Northern California on your son's team and your son may be trying to show the scouts that he is a player. All the press of how good your team was suppose to be also could have an affect on it as well.

The decisions of playing another sport going into his senior year and not being the best he can, may be catching up with him since he had success in his previous year playing in the summer and in the fall. He needs to understand that if he wants to get back in his previous form, it is going to take time and he needs not to think about being the "returning first team all leaguer on a section champion. School record holder for RBI's. Top returning hitter" but more about staying inside of the ball and going up the middle!

Here is an article that may help:

http://ssbaseball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=399305

When ever you question your abilities, your abilities will be in question...

My son is batting about 290 and for him that is low – at least in his mind. Took him fishing on Saturday and I didn’t say anything about baseball until he brought it up – took about an hour or so. We talked calmly and I was just a sounding board for him – he knows his swing better then I do. He ended up telling me he was pushing, needed to stay back a bit and when he saw something he liked he was gonna hit it hard. He went 2 for 2 and walked once yesterday – will this continue – who knows. He did have the advantage of hitting against a fastball pitcher yesterday – probably like most of our guys – he loves fastballs.

Friend of mine told us once – if your not getting hits – don’t forget there are 9 guys out on the field whose job it is to make sure you don’t get a hit – sounds obvious but at times I think we forget that

quote:

Originally posted by CaBB:
Speaking of #2's- had a huge accident around our house 2 weeks ago...

... on second thought, nevermind.

quote:

Originally posted by catcher09:
My son is batting about 290 and for him that is low – at least in his mind. Took him fishing on Saturday and I didn’t say anything about baseball until he brought it up – took about an hour or so. We talked calmly and I was just a sounding board for him – he knows his swing better then I do. He ended up telling me he was pushing, needed to stay back a bit and when he saw something he liked he was gonna hit it hard. He went 2 for 2 and walked once yesterday – will this continue – who knows. He did have the advantage of hitting against a fastball pitcher yesterday – probably like most of our guys – he loves fastballs.

Friend of mine told us once – if your not getting hits – don’t forget there are 9 guys out on the field whose job it is to make sure you don’t get a hit – sounds obvious but at times I think we forget that

Excellent idea. Fishing sounds like great therapy and it's a lot cheaper if you already have a boat.

Some slumps are just inevitable and they just can not be stopped. You can rip-rap your brain trying to figure them out, but it usually is of no use...you just keep sliding further along...

See for yourself...