Teaching Hitting to kids

Pick a theory you believe in and KEEP IT SIMPLE and BASIC @!!!

Rob, If the ball is low and the bat high you will start your swing down but the body tilts and changes the orbit to a slight uppercut.

Swing down is an old cue to stop kids from dropping the hands IMO

I think if I had to start all over I would examine ways to get a circular hand path. The human tendency is to swing straight at whats coming. The knob should be going to 2B at launch for a RH kid.

Turning hips only link properly with turning hands

You would enjoy Mike Epstein's material, he has quite a litany of these sort of things, how some of the cues we give hitters make no sense.

http://www.mikeepsteinhitting.com/

My experience in teaching young players 9-12 is that less is more. Most kids want to get in there and swing from the heels. Their swing is long and ultimately they pull their head off the ball. I like to teach a short swing roll the wrists at contact. This tends to keep the head on the ball and their contact is more consistent. As they get older they can lengthen the swing. My feeling is after you roll the wrists the ball is gone.

Will, MLB hitters don't roll the wrists at ball contact.......Why should any hitter do this?

Robinson1.mpg


Here is a good clip of Frank Robinson. It shows how the hands are palm up, palm down at impact. They are not rolling over at impact.

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...I like to teach a short swing roll the wrists at contact. This tends to keep the head on the ball and their contact is more consistent. As they get older they can lengthen the swing. My feeling is after you roll the wrists the ball is gone.

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Ouch!!!!

Impossible to have more consistent contact rolling the wrists v not rolling the wrists.

I guess I must stand corrected by those more knowledgable than I.

A first grader starts with simple math not trig. The same rules apply with hitting and younger kids. Keep it simple and give them simple sound fundementals that they can repeat over and over. The older they get the more advanced you can become in your teaching.

Mechanics are simple, and can be explained in an easy to understand way to youngsters. The mechanics that the good big leaguer has should be taught to the little guys too.

I like to start with blance - before, during & after the the swing. If you are not balanced, you cannot produce a consistent swing.

Rob:

Good advice by all.

In my opinion, the direction that the ball flys after contact, has a lot more to do with where it meets on the bat barrel, than which direction the bat barrel was moving.

I know that when I hit fungos to my outfielders (60'/90'), I sometimes hit a hard grounder with an upper cut swing. Likewise I hit an occasional line drive over my infielders with a distinct downward swing path.

I have also found that hitters who succeed in high school and beyond are more times than not, the ones who were taught “the entire book of hitting” between the ages of 9 and 14. Not just their favorite chapter or two.

The following are the "swing" and "hitting" skills that I teach to every 9-19 year old hitter

Hope they give you some ideas.

THop

MENTAL APPROACH-one pitch at a time
· Anticipate and capitalize on the “fastball counts”.
· Anticipate and capitalize on the “fastball situations”.
· Two Strike Swing or “approach”

STRIKE ZONE JUDGEMENT-Hit it where it’s pitched
· Pull “middle-in” strikes
· Hit “Middle-out” strikes to the opposite field
· Addressing the plate and setting up the same way each time

SITUATIONAL HITTING SKILLS-separating the men from the boys
· Hit and Run Play
· Hit behind the lone runner at second base with no outs
· Score the runner from 3b (with infield in).
· Score the runner from 3b (with infield back).

BUNTING-not just for weak hitters
· Bunt direction
· Sacrifice Bunt
· Drag Bunt
· Squeeze bunt
· Push bunt
· Slug/Slash/Butcher Boy bunt

SWING MECHANICS-the common denominators that 95% of professional hitters do (there own way) 95% of the time
· Flexible Grip
· Balanced and athletic stance with slight movement
· The load or move back (when)
· Stride (when)
· Find the ball early (vision)
· Down Swing (the beginning)
· Pull the knob “inside the ball”
· Throw hands late
· Finish-check points

INTANGIBLES-More little things
· Learn the pitcher’s “tendencies”, “pitch patterns”, “favorite out pitches” in the 1st & 2nd inning
· Learn today’s umpire’s strike zone and “tendencies” in the 1st and 2nd inning.
· Role of the on deck batter
· Stand tall when runner steals 3b (RH)
· Shrink strike zone when taking a pitch
· Fishing-out smarting the pitcher.
· Safety-Learn how to get hit with a pitch

THop,

Pretty good stuff in my opinion.

Could add what pitch pitcher can throw for strikes, to the mix. Doesn't take long to figure that out in most cases. I'm a big believer in the 2 strike approach/adjustment.

From a winning stand point vs a hitting stand point... I like hitters leading off an inning understanding full counts are different in that situation. 50-50 pitches near the black need to be taken. In theory, it leads to .500% OBP and 50% taking strike 3. (Evaluating the umpire that you mentioned is important). These 50-50 pitches would result in a very poor batting average if swung at. It takes a real team player and the right situation (job is to get on base/leading off an inning), but it can win games.

I've felt good and patted hitters on the back who have taken strike 3, leading off an inning, on legitimate 50-50 pitches with a full count because they're more interested in winning the game than being the star.

While this kind of thinking has nothing to do with scouting it has a lot to do with coaching and winning. Just as the other things you've mentioned.

PG Staff:

Thanks for the kind words. I have a lot of respect for the Perfect Game Organization.

I too teach my high schoolers to do the same when leading off an inning but this was always a hard sell to the AAU youth player (and parent) who were heavily, stat oriented (so I abandoned it then).

And I know quite a few scouts who appreciate the intangibles in hitters. Especially those hitters who have a great, physical upside.

Thanks again,

THop

With all these rules to remember, it's a wonder a player can even have room left in the brain to hit the ball.....That's alot of sharing the brain if you ask me......Alot of unnecessary mind clutter in the batter's box which is the place a hitter can least afford to have clutter.....Any clutter.......

Hitting behind the runner on second base with no outs.........This tells a right handed hitter to either take three strikes on the inside part of the plate, or, somehow change his swing mechanics and push one of them the opposite way........Either one of these options is unacceptable, IMO..........

"......because they're more interested in winning the game than being the star"

I would think a hitter should swing at anything close with two strikes, because, IMO, their interest should be in hitting the ball......Hitters should strive to be, well, hitters.......

Many Coaches say, don't be too technical with hitting instruction, it confuses hitters..........Well, how 'bout giving them a dictionary of instructions to remember for certain hitting situations?....Let's see, in this situation, you do this......However, if this changes, then, you do something else.....

I say, teach 'em how to hit and teach 'em thoroughly........Then, let 'em, well, hit.....

Blue Dog I agree with what you are saying. At the same time they need to understand the situation. Maybe they would let that 0-0 fastball on the outstide go but with a runner on second and no outs late in a game they need to understand that this is a good pitch to hit to the right side to move the runner to third. Now you have a runner at third and one out and anything scores him basically. I feel that teaching kids to hit and teaching kids situational hitting are two different things. If they can't hit they won't be in any hitting situations. Teach them to hit and then teach them situational hitting.

Bluedog:

I am no match for you. Good luck this semester (seriously).

THop.

THop, I give a view from the other side......Not saying I'm right or wrong.......Everyone can decide for themselves......You may be perfectly right and I may be perfectly wrong......Just saying what I do, that's all......

You're best at baseball excellence..........if you can call it that.

You know......where critical thinking is not allowed. Where everyone agrees with everything you say no matter how ridiculous it is........or they're banned.

Thop's credentials are there for everyone to see at Baseball Excellence.

He is not another anonymous hack without a profile, but an experienced instructor.

Is there a link?/

Thanx

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Originally posted by TRhit:
Is there a link?

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