What are your thoughts and advice? How do you encourage your ball player without pressuring him? You see him putting in all this time and effort, but still see him struggling. Also any advice on how to minimize a slump and get the player out of it quicker?
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Swing at the 1st fast ball. Do not think!,
Bob
Not enough specifics to go on here. Typically, it's strictly a mental issue. Hitter's often don't recognize this and think that something is wrong mechanically. So they try to change some things mechanically, which will often not make it better, if not worse. And the batter getting pressure from the outside or from one's self also typically doesn't help.
Hitter's can use a little time off and a distraction from baseball and hitting so that they're not thinking about it at all. Then come back with a fresh mind and get back to the basics in terms of their hitting mechanics, being patient and applying a good batting approach at the plate.
"I ain't in no slump, I'm just not hitting" - Yogi Berra
TRUMAN- Being a little more specific my brother is a freshman on varsity and has 4 games so far and generated no hits. He has started every game and has done great on 1st base fielding wise and even pitched very well in the 2 innings he has been on the mound. He was hitting great in the varsity scrimmages and played on 16U and 17U this fall and did awesome. Now he can't get a hit to save his life, I am worried he may be too hard on himself. He has been hitting before school and finishing up lunch early to go hit again for the remainder of his lunch. I am worried it is going to get worse due to the fact that he is so focused on it and he is only gonna face better competition in the upcoming weeks. I can totally see how he maybe over doing it and making it worse. I have only ever been a football player and have no idea what I can say to him to make him realize he is more then capable of hitting the ball.
BigHurt posted:TRUMAN- Being a little more specific my brother is a freshman on varsity and has 4 games so far and generated no hits. He has started every game and has done great on 1st base fielding wise and even pitched very well in the 2 innings he has been on the mound. He was hitting great in the varsity scrimmages and played on 16U and 17U this fall and did awesome. Now he can't get a hit to save his life, I am worried he may be too hard on himself. He has been hitting before school and finishing up lunch early to go hit again for the remainder of his lunch. I am worried it is going to get worse due to the fact that he is so focused on it and he is only gonna face better competition in the upcoming weeks. I can totally see how he maybe over doing it and making it worse. I have only ever been a football player and have no idea what I can say to him to make him realize he is more then capable of hitting the ball.
From what your saying, it sounds like he's pressing too hard. A hitter needs to be relaxed, focused and confident when at the plate. From what you indicate, he's a good hitter. If he hasn't learned it yet, he needs to learn how to "flush it". . . meaning that what's happened in the past (e.g. not getting a hit in the last 4 games) should be flushed out of his mind and be only in the present, applying good hitting approach at the plate. And he should know by know that since baseball is a game of failure, what happened in the last 4 games doesn't matter as he may bat .800 in the next 4 games and the law of averages catch up.
And remember. . . playing on the varsity team, he's a "freshman" playing against young men quite a bit more mature than he. If he's in the top of the order, he's may not be getting the pitches he can drive as easily as if he was in the bottom of the order. He needs to be patient and look specifically for the pitches he can hit.
If he's a guy and learns quick and is very coachable, he'll learn how to deal with these more mature players.
PS: My son was a starting freshman of a HS varsity team, so I do understand many of the issues your brother is facing. My son wound up having the 2nd best BA of the team at the end of his freshman year. He was patient and was keen on not trying to over do it by trying to impress anyone. And he did go through some short term slumps. . . and still does as he begins his 4th year of pro ball.
Truman posted:BigHurt posted:TRUMAN- Being a little more specific my brother is a freshman on varsity and has 4 games so far and generated no hits. He has started every game and has done great on 1st base fielding wise and even pitched very well in the 2 innings he has been on the mound. He was hitting great in the varsity scrimmages and played on 16U and 17U this fall and did awesome. Now he can't get a hit to save his life, I am worried he may be too hard on himself. He has been hitting before school and finishing up lunch early to go hit again for the remainder of his lunch. I am worried it is going to get worse due to the fact that he is so focused on it and he is only gonna face better competition in the upcoming weeks. I can totally see how he maybe over doing it and making it worse. I have only ever been a football player and have no idea what I can say to him to make him realize he is more then capable of hitting the ball.
From what your saying, it sounds like he's pressing too hard. A hitter needs to be relaxed, focused and confident when at the plate. From what you indicate, he's a good hitter. If he hasn't learned it yet, he needs to learn how to "flush it". . . meaning that what's happened in the past (e.g. not getting a hit in the last 4 games) should be flushed out of his mind and be only in the present, applying good hitting approach at the plate. And he should know by know that since baseball is a game of failure, what happened in the last 4 games doesn't matter as he may bat .800 in the next 4 games and the law of averages catch up.
And remember. . . playing on the varsity team, he's a "freshman" playing against young men quite a bit more mature than he. If he's in the top of the order, he's may not be getting the pitches he can drive as easily as if he was in the bottom of the order. He needs to be patient and look specifically for the pitches he can hit.
If he's a guy and learns quick and is very coachable, he'll learn how to death with these more mature players.
Thank you this makes a lot of sense, he has always seemed very confident at the plate up until now. Stepping up his IQ is what the coaches are working on with him for the physical abilities are there. I will remind him to just move forward and look towards the next AB and not the past ones. Thanks for the insight!
Tell him to adopt this concept which ties into Truman's flush it out idea. Tell him after everything he does he has 3.5 before he moves on. When he fails or messes up he has 3 seconds to be mad at himself internally with good body posture / expressions. If he wants to cuss himself then he can cuss himself as long as it's in his head. But he only has 3 seconds because after 3 seconds it's time to get back to work.
After he does something good then he has 5 seconds to enjoy it internally. I have no problem with a big smile or high fiving a team mate but don't make it a spectacle. You only get 5 seconds to enjoy your success because after that it's time to get back to work. You get more time for success because it's more fun to enjoy success than to kick yourself after failure. But end of the day no matter what you do life doesn't stop just because you screwed up or did something great - it will continue on and you either need to continue with it or get left behind.
Yeah getting out and going back to the dugout sucks and it seems like 3 seconds isn't enough time to be upset but you still have a job to do. That job is to be a great team mate while your buddies are hitting. Take your 3 seconds and be ticked off but get back in the game to support your buddies so your team can win. Now will this get him out of his slump - who knows? But it can help keep them from starting.
Also, this is easier said than done. I wish I could say I follow this as well as I should but it does work when you put effort into it. It helps you become a mentally stronger person.
Hope that helps and hope your brother gets to hitting but don't let it become a monster that feeds on itself.
this is exactly why we teach our hitters to not focus on HITS. They cannot control that. If they could, then every player would hit 1.000....but they can't. We focus on hitting the ball hard. If he is doing that, then he is fine.
If he isn't hitting the ball hard, it is most likely poor pitch selection. Tell him to hit the first fastball he sees.
Coach2709, good idea on having a short flushing time to express one's frustration AND to express joy for the successes. It's good to keep a level head in controlling those emotions (but NOT easy) for as you say . . . "you still have a job to do" either at the next at bat or the next defensive play.
Coach2709- I will suggest the 3/5 sec outlook to him. I really like that and think he can get a lot of use from it, if he is willing to stick to it. He is still very positive and encourages his teammates to the fullest, I think he feels more like he is letting his teammates down by not producing.
REDBIRD5- That is the second time I heard that in this chat. I don't pretend to know baseball, but I am going to put that bug in his ear to hit the first fastball he sees. He started off the first game making poor contact with the ball and lately he is hitting it hard, just right at someone every time.
Bob, Truman, BBallman and coach are spot on.
Don't think. Just hit the first fast ball. What's past is the past.
I remember when my son went through such a slump just before he tried out for JV (8th grade). He was hitting the ball hard, but it always right at a defensive player. He was also going through a growth spurt so his timing was a little off. In time he relaxed and the hits began to come.
FOXDAD- We were just talking yesterday how my brother looks like he is getting taller and he is still to hit a major growth spurt, I didn't even think about it as it relates to timing. Not saying it as a excuse, but that never even crossed my mind.
BigHurt posted:Coach2709- I will suggest the 3/5 sec outlook to him. I really like that and think he can get a lot of use from it, if he is willing to stick to it. He is still very positive and encourages his teammates to the fullest, I think he feels more like he is letting his teammates down by not producing.
REDBIRD5- That is the second time I heard that in this chat. I don't pretend to know baseball, but I am going to put that bug in his ear to hit the first fastball he sees. He started off the first game making poor contact with the ball and lately he is hitting it hard, just right at someone every time.
Sounds like he's fine. Just keep hitting the ball hard. They'll start falling in.
BigHurt posted:He started off the first game making poor contact with the ball and lately he is hitting it hard, just right at someone every time.
THAT'S baseball, my friend! If one is hitting it hard, what more can one ask? Eventually those hard hits will get through and often for multiple bases. :-)
redbird5 posted:this is exactly why we teach our hitters to not focus on HITS. They cannot control that. If they could, then every player would hit 1.000....but they can't. We focus on hitting the ball hard. If he is doing that, then he is fine.
If he isn't hitting the ball hard, it is most likely poor pitch selection. Tell him to hit the first fastball he sees.
I agree with this 1000%. The ball off the bat tells you tons of information that you can use. Focus on hitting it hard and the easiest pitch to hit hard is a fastball. Look early in the count for that fastball and don't be afraid to use the opposite field.
redbird5 posted:If he isn't hitting the ball hard, it is most likely poor pitch selection. Tell him to hit the first fastball he sees.
worth a repost
Guess it is settled he is gonna attack the first fastball he sees! lol
Remember right handed hitters like the ball "up". Above the waist. Eye to brain. They see the "full" ball. Track the HR from right handed MLB hitters - high % above the waist.
Bob <www.goodwillseries.org>
Consultant - Thanks will check the site out forsure! Read a article saying the hardest thing to do out of all sports is to hit a baseball. I am so grateful for all this information.
