What makes a good hitting instructor?

First and foremost he has to know what he is doing--not all teachers know as much as the other

He also has to be able to communicate with the student and the parents

Word of mouth is the best reference

Just my thoughts

Sarcasm. Calling at as you see it. Not afraid to hurt feelings. Condescending.

I just thought I'd say it before you guys.

Results.

CV

Assuming that the coach knows what he is doing, in my opinion the most important trait is to be able to clearly express what he wants the player to change and why. My son has had lessons from former major leaguers, minor leaguers, college coaches and the best ones have been able to clearly make their point. I think that most of them knew what they were doing, but some just could not express it in a way that a kid could understand.

Other things are organization. The coach should make a record of what he worked on with the player at the last lesson and have a plan on what he will work on at the next.

He should give the player specific instructions on what he wants the player to work on between lessons. I think that it takes a while to become a good hitting instructor. The instructor should have good experience as a player and should have spent quite a bit of time with other instructors, to learn new and different approaches.

The coach should show patience as not everyone will catch on quickly. Sometimes it takes several lessons for the light bulb to light above the players head.

I also think that video review of the swing is necessary from time to time. Slow motion is a good thing for swing analysis. This is just my opinion, but I have seen probably 100 hitting lessons over the last 5 years from 5 different instructors.

The appropriate knowledge and then the ability to communicate that knowledge to the player. Different coaches have different styles and they do not necessarily work the same with each player. For example, my older son works with a hitting coach (you know who, Advisor) and my younger son works with the same coach. However, a couple of times that coach hasn't been available and younger son has worked with his partner. He finds the partner to be easier to understand and is able to implement his teachings a bit faster. The fact of the matter is, the two teach the same style of hitting, they just do it in a slightly different way. Thus, it may take some "shopping around", even in the same facility, to find the right coach.

I would be leery of any instruction facility......Especially where batting cages are involved..........

My advice would be to find someone who taught their kid how to hit and did a good job.....

BlueDog - why do you say that?

In a word, what you should look for in an instructor...

RESULTS!

Any good instructor should have a track record of good results.

Jim Lefebvre has a indoor facility in Arizona and he has lots of proven results. In fact, he has been responsible for at least two players (that I know of) becoming first round picks in the past few years.

When your hitting instructor is responsible for making you millions of dollars... Well... That's RESULTS!

I have to agree with PG and cvsting...Results! Bluedog, I have a couple of questions: Why should parents and players be leery of facilities with batting cages? I don't see the relationship...and..While I appreciate your comments on parents that have successfully taught their kids to hit, do you really think they exist in sufficient numbers to qualify for recognition? I don’t. I know a few parents that even bring their kids to me for lessons because they somehow think I am responsible for instructing my son. While I did learn some hitting buzz words, threw BP, and soft tossed the cover off hundreds of baseballs I know about as much about hitting as an old “Iron Mike” with a weak spring.
Fungo

patience and a sense of humor.

Will,

Those two items are needed for everything

CV

"While I appreciate your comments on parents that have successfully taught their kids to hit, do you really think they exist in sufficient numbers to qualify for recognition?"

Fungo, no I don't, but the numbers are growing......But, you got a better shot with the parent than with most so-called hitting instructors......

"........ I know about as much about hitting as an old “Iron Mike” with a weak spring."

Fungo, that's more than most hitting instructors know......I'd take my shot with you vs. any hitting facilty instructors......And, perhaps you had more to do with your son's success than you're letting on.......

On long Island we have several indoor facilities ranging from 3000 to 33000 sz ft. They are opening up another one every time you turn around. Its become strickly money maker for most of them and thats there primary interest. playlikeaprobaseball.com is the newest and largest facility and I have been very impressed with there interest and dedication into producing a better ballplayer.They have an excelllant staff that cares for the kids. And thats what its all about. Build confidence, skills and learn from those who have made the journey

Hitting can't be taught in hour sessions in batting cages every so often........And, that's what you get with hitting facilities.......Oh, a player may learn a thing, or two, that might help his hitting somewhat, but, he won't learn enough to reach his potential.....Anyone who takes this route is fooling themselves, I assure you.....

Learning to hit to your potential takes a much bigger investment in time and effort than this route provides......The kind of time and effort a parent would provide....Or, a competent instructor who teaches on the field with live pitching and lots and lots of video.....No pitching machines and batting cages......

Blue Dog

What do you describe as a "so called hitting instructor"?

Blue dog,

I agree with your last post, somewhat. I do agree that if a parent is willing to take the time to study video, read, go to seminars, and watch a lot of hitters and learn as much about hitting as his free time allows and than takes a good part of his free time to teach his kid, well that is the best hitting instructor any boy could ask for.

But, going to a good hitting instructor in the winter is better than sitting at home playing video games and eating potato chips. remember all of the kids do not live in the sunny south as you do and they have no choice but to hit indoors in the winter in cages and hitting in cages is better than no hitting at all.

I dare say there are not many hitting instructors that offer daily classes on a field in the winter, unless you live in the deep south or southwest.

My point is, getting swings in the winter is better than no swings and if they have to be in a cage, so be it.

CV

1. Knowledge
2. Ability to convey that knowledge

bluedog,

hitting live BP is further down the line of my important steps in working with a hitter. I would rather break it down to a front toss so we can control the environment a little more.

I understand the live BP on a field concept (and agree with it)but that is usually after a hitter has shown his competance in a more controlled environment.

It's a tough question. I guess if a dad doesn't have the time or desire to take on the task, then you have to go with results and who can communicate best with "your" son.

I gotta tell you though, I wouldn't trade this time for anything. While I admittedly don't have the knowledge that many instructors do, my advantage is that I know my son's swing and I know how to communicate with him. Further, there is so much information available through books, DVD's and the Internet ...and tools like video that it is, IMO, possible for a dedicated father to successfully teach his son how to hit a baseball.

Granted, to be successful, requires herculean efforts and it is not for the faint of heart. From what I've seen there are very few with the time and desire to go this route. I do believe though, that if a dad is willing to spend the time to learn, then there is probably no one better qualified for his son. JMO.

I do believe that a father can be the most important instructor. This is provided he knows what he is doing.

Let's face it... No one cares more or can spend as much time with one player than has parents.

Personally, I think a combination of a high level instructor and dad's involvement, work best. I think dads should always be present during the instruction, if possible. Then the dad has a better understanding of what the instructor is teaching.

If dad does not learn anything, maybe you should look for a new instructor. Being on the same page can be important.

All dads do not have the time to get this involved.

Most fathers are not qualified to be a hitting instructor of a kid that has a chance to go somewhere. The main problem is that the kid knows it.

However most baseball fathers are qualified to support, encourage and reinforce on an ongoing basis what a better source of hitting instruction is suggesting for the kid.

A good hitting instructor might strengthen the father-son relationship along with accelerating the player’s progress by including the father.

PG,

My post is a mirror of your post. You beat me by a couple of minutes and I didn't see yours till I posted it. I think you said it a little better.

Going back ten years to when my last played there was not the emphasis on instructors.

Fortunately I have a baseball background and hitting was my thing-- none of them took lessons

Would any of them gone further with lessons --Who knows !!!!

But three of the four played college ball and played well and got their degrees so I guess we did ok without a hitting instructor.

If there were hitting instructors back then would we have used them ??--probably so because there is always someone who will know more than I do and there is always a new perspective to listen too--but the instructor is not necessarily the end all-be all

PG

quote:

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If dad does not learn anything, maybe you should look for a new instructor.

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...or a new dad!

"I understand the live BP on a field concept (and agree with it)but that is usually after a hitter has shown his competance in a more controlled environment"

Redbird, I pitch lots of wiffle balls......Underhand, overhand, slow and fast......Almost always filming.....I like doing it on a field because I want to see in what direction and how far the ball is being hit.....I do very little tee work.....

I find that hitters learn better in an on the field environment....They get to see the results of what they're doing.....They're also learning to block out distractions......

There is such a thing as a batting cage swing......If you can't see exactly what the ball is doing, you may overlook a swing problem that isn't obvious......Such as, why is that ball hooking so much?.....

BlueDog,

Again....I understand why hitting on the field is valuable.

To be the biggest advantage to hitting on a field is ball flight...mainly pulled balls and balls hit to opposite gap.

I usually avoid tee work in working with a kid unless his swing is so screwed up that he cannot hit a front tossed ball.

Bluedog

I also believe in the instantaneous feedback afforded by working on the field versus a cage. It allows him the ability to "see", "feel" and "digest" instantly, on a conscious and subconscious level, the results of the swing.

As Redbird says, I also believe that a mix of front toss and live BP is best for training. I use front toss to work on hitting inside, outside, high and low pitches. I also use front toss for muscle memory to "groove" a new adjustment that we are working on.

It is a continuous and on-going process. Just when you think his swing is "perfect", he gains 10lbs. or grows another inch! ...what fun it is!

Unless you have a bundle of money, IMO, it would be very difficult to pay for the instruction time that is truly required. Perhaps combining an instructor into the overall plan like PG suggested wouldn't be bad, but I'll take him as far as I am capable first. When I do hit a roadblock, or if his results aren't improving. I'll be the first to look elsewhere for help.

I would look for two specific things: An instructor who uses video to both evaluate the player and provide him with feedback; second, an instructor who will evaluate videotape frame by frame BEFORE deciding what the player needs to work on.

Those would be threshhold requirements. Certainly there are other areas worth looking into as well if you get past the first two.

BlueDog,

I am sure we'd all like to be on the field all the time if possible. One problem is that we all don't live in the "Sunny South".

SBK

Living in the south has its advantages for sure, but you have pheasants!! Hard call!

Callaway,

The person who knew my swing better than anyone was my dad. Even in college, he could fix it in about an hour or so.

I applaud you for your effort with Boom. I think he will only get better as he gets older.

SBK, you could move.....

We're hoping/planning to move after this summer. I've never been a big fan of pheasants or the cold weather.

Jason

".....I do very little tee work....."

"I usually avoid tee work in working with a kid unless his swing is so screwed up that he cannot hit a front tossed ball."

Wow...Ichiro is a noted devotee of tee drills. I wonder how much better he'd be if he kicked that silly habit...

What I don't like about the tee is that it gets the head/eyes facing down, not out. I just don't like that as a starting point. Keeping the had facing down doesn't facilitate good shoulder movement, etc.

To me, its just as easy to throw the golf size wiffle balls to my kid as he uses the swiftstik. I can work him under the hands, low and away, etc., and get lots of reps. And you get the instant feedback of ball flight. When we got to keeping that inside FB fair, he was salivating at the thought of ripping doubles down the left field line when they try to bust him inside!!

Not that tee-work can't be beneficial. its just not my thing.

(and Ichiro's swing mechanics are not what we're after - although you can't argue with his results, its a bit too linear for us. Singles are great, but we love gappers!!)

if it aint broke don't try and fix it--His results speak for themselves

"and Ichiro's swing mechanics are not what we're after - although you can't argue with his results, its a bit too linear for us. Singles are great, but we love gappers!!"

Edgar Martinez is another one.

A proper batting instructor will video the student in three venues. Hitting off the tee. Hitting BP, and hitting in a game situation.

He will maintain a database of videos that have great hitters for the student to watch.

Then he will run the videos side by side in a stop-start fashion so that the student can see the difference in his technique in comparison to correct and excellent mechanics. He will explain each aspect of every single difference and take the student through the correct technique first in slow motion several times using hands on adjustments, then in slow-motion in a hands-off mthod using verbal correction. Then increase the corrections amd proper methods in half-speed until the techniques are achieved in fluid motion, then increase the techniques to full speed, all the while stopping the training and making ajustments as needed.

Then he will take the student through each phase of hitting emphasizing the correct way to execute proper mechanics "live" in three venues.

All of these sessions are copied and the videos and given to the student as part of his training history to be used for his own purposes.

IMHO it takes a program like this to have some impact on the hitting habits of a player I recommend at least two seasons of this type of instruction.

quote:

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Originally posted by brute66:
".....I do very little tee work....."

"I usually avoid tee work in working with a kid unless his swing is so screwed up that he cannot hit a front tossed ball."

Wow...Ichiro is a noted devotee of tee drills. I wonder how much better he'd be if he kicked that silly habit...

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1) I didn't say that tee work was not important. I use it for many reasons, but, if someone is paying me money to tach their kid, I would rather them apply the concepts in a dynamic environment rather than a static one.

2) I am not belittling Ichiro or his accomplishments. Don Mattingly is one of my fave hitters of all time and he religiously used the tee.

3) I would venture to guess that I have taken many more swings off a tee than you and understand the value of tee work.