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My son is right handed. We were not sure until he was about six. shows signs of being ambidextrous in all sports he plays.I started batting him lefty in tee-ball at the age of four, and he continues to prefer to bat lefty, and throws right. He is now seven. He has fun doing it, and is a good hitter in comparison to the other kids his age. swings and misses about 30%(normal for his age), but hits balls on a line most of the time. When I switch him to righty it is about the same. He does get a little confused with hands when switched to righty.

 

Do I continue left handed hitting? Switch to right? or experiment switch hitting at this young of an age? 

 

 I am not one of those dads who thinks his kid is going to play pro baseballball at seven years old, just looking for a little advice.

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Does he show eye dominance? I have a son who bats left throws right. I wish I had made him throw and bat from the same side. I my opinion it is usually best if the top hand is the dominant hand but there are plenty of guys who have done it the other way. Right handed throwers get to play more positions but left handed pitchers are much sought after. The bad thing about a player batting from the opposite side is the exposure of the throwing elbow to the opposing pitcher.

 

Good luck,

 

Ted

Usually the better reason is for a right handed hitter to switch hit.  If someone is a good hitter left handed the advatage of switch hitting isn't quite as important.

 

Reason for this is all switch hitters end up hitting left handed a far greater percentage of ABs.

 

So unless a hitter becomes equally good both ways. Switch hitting could make him a weaker hitter over all. Even if he is a good right handed hitter and OK left handed, switch hitting becomes a disadvantage because he will be hitting left handed most of the time.

 

I'm sure everyone knows this, but it is because there are a lot more RHPs than LHPs.

 

But the good thing is, at your sons age you can try most anything and see what happens.

If I had known that my kid would maintain interest in baseball and would actually come to love it with a passion and spend many of his waking hours trying to get better at it,  I would definitely have started him off hitting left handed.  I might even have had him playfully experiment with switch hitting at some earlier point in his baseball journey.       But when he started, he seemed so disinterested and so undedicated to it, that I just mostly let him be and didn't push or coach that much at all out of fear of making it not seem all that much fun. My only thought is that at 7 whatever you do, don't take the fun out of it.  

 

 

Hudslefty: Welcome to the site. At this point I say go with whatever way your son is enjoying the game. If he is able to bat both ways let him; could be fun for you to as an "ace" pitcher. I imagine it's probably good for dexterity, hand -eye-coordination at a young age. 

 

My 2018 is primarily left handed everything (right, draw, eat, etc).  But at a young age he changed to throwing and batting righty because he was always watching his older brother who was always dominant right.  2018 "retired" from baseball when kids not coaches could pitch (and got plunked one too many times). It's been a while, but I used to hear from 2015 about the number of infield hits he lost, because he never learned to bat lefty..

Top level thought is as Sluggerdad said, keep it fun at 7.  Otherwise, what I'll add to what has already been said...

 

What is his likely body type?  If he is going to be a big guy, power hitters are desirable from both sides.  If he is likely to be more of a speed guy, there will be much more desirability from the left side.  I'll never forget when I was with son when he was introduced to a club coach of a team he hoped to play for.  The coach had heard a lot of good things about son but didn't know any details.  Son is small and athletic (visibly obvious to this coach).  Coach asked son if he threw left or right - "left".  Coach's eyes lit up a bit.  Coach says assumingly "so you hit left?".  Son - "no, right".  Coach became outwardly and verbally discouraged.  Even to the point where it was rude.  Very uncomfortable.  But the message became more clear than we ever felt before.  Quick lefty hitters = quite desirable.    

Originally Posted by cabbagedad:

Top level thought is as Sluggerdad said, keep it fun at 7.  Otherwise, what I'll add to what has already been said...

 

What is his likely body type?  If he is going to be a big guy, power hitters are desirable from both sides.  If he is likely to be more of a speed guy, there will be much more desirability from the left side.  I'll never forget when I was with son when he was introduced to a club coach of a team he hoped to play for.  The coach had heard a lot of good things about son but didn't know any details.  Son is small and athletic (visibly obvious to this coach).  Coach asked son if he threw left or right - "left".  Coach's eyes lit up a bit.  Coach says assumingly "so you hit left?".  Son - "no, right".  Coach became outwardly and verbally discouraged.  Even to the point where it was rude.  Very uncomfortable.  But the message became more clear than we ever felt before.  Quick lefty hitters = quite desirable.    

Agreed, but of course the proper response to that guy is "Do you happen to recall who holds the All Time Record for Stolen Bases?"

Son used to play around with hitting from the left side with a "hit-a-way" hooked to the basketball goal when he was young.  Tried switch hitting when he was 11-12 in travel ball, but didn't dare do it moving to the big field at 13, nor when trying out for high school at 14.   He was 16 and when he successfully started switch hitting.  Wound up hitting a home run that year at the 17U WWBA from the left side.  I am pretty sure that helped him get recruited. 

Both my kids throw right and bat left. I was fast. Their mother was a track star. I figured there was a benefit hitting from the left side. My son got his first glove at age two. By five it was obvious he was a lefty. I never changed him. It ticked me off I couldn't play short after LL. He was a shortstop until a pro scout/travel coach suggested he be moved to center. My daughter was moved to center from short on her travel team and in 7th grade.

Thanks for the reply. No does not show particular eye dominance. Or we have not paid attention to that. At this point occassionally I just throw a bucket of balls at him or he hits from tee from right side. He does a lot of different sports-we just blend in baseball here and there in the off months. Thats when I have him practice from right side, all of his at bats in games are lefty so far.
 
 
 
Originally Posted by Ted22:

Does he show eye dominance? I have a son who bats left throws right. I wish I had made him throw and bat from the same side. I my opinion it is usually best if the top hand is the dominant hand but there are plenty of guys who have done it the other way. Right handed throwers get to play more positions but left handed pitchers are much sought after. The bad thing about a player batting from the opposite side is the exposure of the throwing elbow to the opposing pitcher.

 

Good luck,

 

Ted

 

Thanks for the reply. Right now he really just hits lefty. he plays a lot of different sports, so we just blend a little baseball in when it is not that season. That is when i will throw an occassional bucket of balls, or have him hit from a tee righty. During the season so far it's just lefty.
 
Originally Posted by Shoveit4Ks:

Yes, keep it up, especially if he shows that he is good at it. You never know what that could bring.

 

Thanks for the reply. Right now he only hits lefty. He plays a lot of sports. When it is not baseball season occassionally I will throw a bucket of balls, or have him hit from tee righty. during baseball season so far it's all lefty-don't like to mess with his swing. But- we'll see where it goes and what he wants to do.
 
 
 
Originally Posted by PGStaff:

Usually the better reason is for a right handed hitter to switch hit.  If someone is a good hitter left handed the advatage of switch hitting isn't quite as important.

 

Reason for this is all switch hitters end up hitting left handed a far greater percentage of ABs.

 

So unless a hitter becomes equally good both ways. Switch hitting could make him a weaker hitter over all. Even if he is a good right handed hitter and OK left handed, switch hitting becomes a disadvantage because he will be hitting left handed most of the time.

 

I'm sure everyone knows this, but it is because there are a lot more RHPs than LHPs.

 

But the good thing is, at your sons age you can try most anything and see what happens.

 

Thank you for the reply. I agree to never take the fun out of anything. He plays a lot of sports. Surfs, water-polo, soccer etc...We are a surfing-beach family and don't get too serious about anything. When all is said and done he loves Baseball, and has a uncanny understanding of the game for a seven year old.
 
At this point it is all lefty because that is what he prefers during baseball season. In the offseason I occassionally throw a bucket of balls, or have him hit off a tee righty. Never the same day he hits lefty. Don't want to screw up his swing. I have also had to convince his coaches to keep him on the left side. But he hits well so they are OK with it. I'm thinking he is only seven. So it's all fun for many years to come. we'll see where it goes from there. Thanks again....
 
 
 
Originally Posted by SluggerDad:

If I had known that my kid would maintain interest in baseball and would actually come to love it with a passion and spend many of his waking hours trying to get better at it,  I would definitely have started him off hitting left handed.  I might even have had him playfully experiment with switch hitting at some earlier point in his baseball journey.       But when he started, he seemed so disinterested and so undedicated to it, that I just mostly let him be and didn't push or coach that much at all out of fear of making it not seem all that much fun. My only thought is that at 7 whatever you do, don't take the fun out of it.  

 

 

 

Thank you for the reply. I agree to let him do whatever he wants to do. He plays a lot of different sports and it can only increase hand-eye coordination. Right now it's all lefty during the baseball season. Occassionally I throw a bucket of balls or he hits from the tee when it is not baseball season. I never have him do it on the same day because he gets a little off his swing.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Originally Posted by Ripken Fan:

Hudslefty: Welcome to the site. At this point I say go with whatever way your son is enjoying the game. If he is able to bat both ways let him; could be fun for you to as an "ace" pitcher. I imagine it's probably good for dexterity, hand -eye-coordination at a young age. 

 

My 2018 is primarily left handed everything (right, draw, eat, etc).  But at a young age he changed to throwing and batting righty because he was always watching his older brother who was always dominant right.  2018 "retired" from baseball when kids not coaches could pitch (and got plunked one too many times). It's been a while, but I used to hear from 2015 about the number of infield hits he lost, because he never learned to bat lefty..

 

Thank you for the reply. I agree completely to always keep it fun. We are a beach-surfing family and don't take anything too seriously. He plays a lot of sports for a seven year old. Surfs, water polo, soccer, etc.... When all is said and done he loves baseball, and has an uncanny understanding for the game. He likes to bat left handed and can do it well. Thats what he bats during his baseball season. Occasionally during the off-season I will throw a bucket of balls, or have him hit off the tee right side. Never on the same day-so not to confuse him.
 
Hard to tell his body type for the future. Right now he is slightly taller than most his friends, slender and fast for his age, but he is only seven.
 
I do have to convince some coaches to keep him lefty, because he is right handed. But he hits well so they are OK with it. The one's that understand baseball push it. I'm thinking-He's only seven man, so just having fun with it at this point.
 
 
 
 
 
Originally Posted by cabbagedad:

Top level thought is as Sluggerdad said, keep it fun at 7.  Otherwise, what I'll add to what has already been said...

 

What is his likely body type?  If he is going to be a big guy, power hitters are desirable from both sides.  If he is likely to be more of a speed guy, there will be much more desirability from the left side.  I'll never forget when I was with son when he was introduced to a club coach of a team he hoped to play for.  The coach had heard a lot of good things about son but didn't know any details.  Son is small and athletic (visibly obvious to this coach).  Coach asked son if he threw left or right - "left".  Coach's eyes lit up a bit.  Coach says assumingly "so you hit left?".  Son - "no, right".  Coach became outwardly and verbally discouraged.  Even to the point where it was rude.  Very uncomfortable.  But the message became more clear than we ever felt before.  Quick lefty hitters = quite desirable.    

 

Thank you for the reply. Since all he really knows is lefty and he prefers it although he is right handed I'm just letting him do what he wants. And he is having success at it. I'm hoping that if he wants to bat righty too, it's a natural transition to his strong side. He only bats lefty during baseball season. Occasionally I will throw a bucket of balls, or have him hit off a tee right handed. Never on the same day-so not to confuse him.
 
Glad it worked for your son.
 
 
Originally Posted by keewart:

Son used to play around with hitting from the left side with a "hit-a-way" hooked to the basketball goal when he was young.  Tried switch hitting when he was 11-12 in travel ball, but didn't dare do it moving to the big field at 13, nor when trying out for high school at 14.   He was 16 and when he successfully started switch hitting.  Wound up hitting a home run that year at the 17U WWBA from the left side.  I am pretty sure that helped him get recruited. 

 

Thanks for the reply. His mom is fast too, played soccer in college, and he inherited that speed. I do not plan on changing him unless he wants. For now he really only bats left handed during baseball season. occassionally between the other sports and off time from baseball I throw him a bucket of balls, or have him hit from tee right handed. Never on same day as left hitting as to not confuse him. He is only seven and were just having fun with it. But he can hit righty too, so wondering how to incorporate it.
 
Originally Posted by RJM:

Both my kids throw right and bat left. I was fast. Their mother was a track star. I figured there was a benefit hitting from the left side. My son got his first glove at age two. By five it was obvious he was a lefty. I never changed him. It ticked me off I couldn't play short after LL. He was a shortstop until a pro scout/travel coach suggested he be moved to center. My daughter was moved to center from short on her travel team and in 7th grade.

 

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