Teach Grounders, or teach for power?

quote:

Line drives should be taught.

td25 .... I agree. AND since the "Poster" questioned why a Coach would teach YOUTH players the strategy to hit fly ball???... Hence the debate. Furthermore, I don't agree that there is a tremendous difference in strategizing towards different hitting types amongst youth hitters.

When I Coached Youth Travel League Teams, I preferred and taught hitters to ATTACK the "Top-half-middle" of the baseball! Strike it as intended and you get your screaming Line drive! Miss on top by 1/16th of an inch and you get a hard hit ground ball that gives us several ways to reach base and perhaps advance the runner or score a run.

As one Coach alluded to earlier, there is nothing worse than watching hitter after hitter Pop-up or fly out giving you "no chance" offensively.

And NO, I am not suggesting that anyone should teach a hitter to "swing straight down on the top of the ball" as someone apparently misinterperted.

quote:

Originally posted by Prime9:

quote:

Line drives should be taught.

AND since the "Poster" questioned why a Coach would teach YOUTH players the strategy to hit fly ball???... Hence the debate.

The "Poster" never diferentiated between YOUTH players and players at other even higher levels.

As one other poster mentioned, hitting ground balls as a goal is teaching hitting hoping that the other team fails to make the play. It does not prepare a player to compete at the higher levels.

quote:

It seems kids are taught to play poorly by many coaches and instructors

Quincy, I thought "kids" were youth players.
No matter, I agree with you. The object should be to hit line drives. lol

A kid could hit a gb everytime he gets up at the hs level and have a good average and a good obp. One level up and he never sees the field.

Look to mash or get out of the box and let someone hit that is.

quote:

Originally posted by Prime9:
When I Coached Youth Travel League Teams, I preferred and taught hitters to ATTACK the "Top-half-middle" of the baseball!

The ball can only go down if hit above the center line.

I teach hitters to hit the baseball in the face. Miss a little either way and your going to be just fine.

quote:

The ball can only go down if hit above the center line.

No kidding. My attempt to articulate the obvious ...... obviously hasn't been successful. Coach_May again stated what should be the obvious.

Prime,
Thanks for the props and I appreciate it. I would agree that all players should be taught to hit the center the ball. I do feel some players should be taught to properly lift the ball while others should not. For instance in my lineup I have 4 players that have home run capability and I talk to them and teach them the correct way to lift a ball. The other players who in no way shape or form have that ability I teach them to "center" a baseball, however I do not got get into the lifting of the baseball and concentrate on getting them to hit line drives. When they mature and show the ability to hit the long ball I will work on the lift.

Ted Williams "Learned long ago balls in the air win more ballgames than ball on the ground."

The question was production.

Balls in the air produce more runs. Wise, winning coaches... know this. Everyone else still trying to form an opinion.