The Over the Wall Gang

I’ve have recently realized one of my own mistakes with my 4 year old, Chase’s hitting approach.  While trying to encourage him after hitting a couple of his first home runs, I realized soon that I had made too big  of a deal of the result (the home run) and paid too little attention to recognizing and rewarding a good swing.  Now all he talks about is home runs and has been developing a upper cut that I am trying to cut off before it becomes a habit.  I thought this article was helpful on the subject.  It is a little more geared toward an older player, but it is never too early to begin good habits.

THE OVER THE WALL GANG

By: Bruce Lambin

World Champion Baseball Coach and producer of the Baseball Training Series

www.TipsFromTheCoach.com

Visiting Youth league websites, I amazed at the number that glorify those that hit Home Runs with prominent listing on the Home Page of the website with catchy headings such as the HOME RUN CLUB or the JACK PACK .  There listed are the names of every kid from 8-15 that has hit one out of the park. What I don’t see are listings of standings and won/lost records. Of course, the object isn’t winning. The object of Youth Baseball today is HOME RUN DERBY!

What message are these sites sending to their young players? Swing for the fences. Singles don’t get you recognized. Winning doesn’t get you recognized. Playing the game the right way doesn’t get you recognized. Swinging from the heels with a $300 featherweight bat gets the glory.

There are posts in youth league chat rooms from concerned parents begging for info about how they can increase batspeed and power in their 8 yr old! This is absurd. Neither of my sons hit one out of the park until they were in High School swinging –3. Of course by then, they were big and strong and had earned batspeed by hard work. When they were in youth league they batted .600. They learned to go with the pitch. They learned to move the runner up and get him in. They learned to bunt and work the count. They learned to play the game correctly.

What are the consequences of this fixation with HRs? Poor swing mechanics. Watch these little Babe Ruths, They are dropping their backsides trying to get loft, pulling their front shoulder out, while straightening out their lead arm and sweeping the bat. If someone happens to pipe one inside belt high they may on rare occasion launch a deep fly. Even a blind hog finds an acorn occasionally. But anything on the outer half of the plate, he is helpless on, either missing or rolling over a weak grounder to SS. It never occurs to them that with no outs and a runner on 2b that their job is to hit the ball to the right side and advance the runner or knock him in. They are thinking 2 run bomb!

They are going to be out of the game earlier than their talents offer because they are fixated on bombs. HITTERS DON’T HIT HOME RUNS, PITCHERS THROW THEM. If a pitcher can paint down and away at the knees, rarely will anyone hit one out and if he does it was luck. He wasn’t trying to hit it out. It is only when the pitcher makes a mistake and leaves it up does the ball leave the yard and even then the hitter didn’t try. He just wanted to make good contact and hit it hard and got lucky.

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So, what can you as a parent do to discourage swinging for the fences?

1. Put emphasis on hitting to the opposite field. Todd Helton’s Dad discouraged him from hitting anything except oppo all through HS.  As they get older and do hit a big fly, give them a High 5 but don’t make a big deal about it. Make a big deal of the oppo gapper.

2. Teach a short and consistent stride on the ball of his foot.  I like to say “stride to hit, don’t stride and hit”.  Don’t blend the stride and hit into one motion.  Some players actually are better off with no stride at all.  The bottom line is to stay on balance.

3. Teach proper hand positioning at contact.  Knocking knuckles lined up (with younger players it helps to draw a line on the batting gloves).  Teach them to stay inside the ball, let the ball get deep into the plate.  Help them not to yank the ball when it is way out in front of the plate, but instead wait longer and drive it up the middle.  Working off the tee will help with this because you can position the ball further back in the stance and hit to the opposite field.

Remember, to take some time to enjoy some quality time in the backyard with your kid this week.  These years will be gone before you know it.  Enjoy the game together!

Coach Ray