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Better hitting thru better pitch selection

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[quote][i]Originally posted by amj[/i]
[br]I�m hoping to get some advice on an issue my son is having at the plate.  He can�t consistently pull the trigger on pitches that are in his ideal area of the strike zone.  This hasn�t been a problem in the past and the only new thing that�s occurred this season is some improved or slightly different hitting mechanics.  His vision is fine.  The usual comments from coaches like �be more aggressive� or �don�t be afraid to strike out� are ineffective.  Searching this forum turns up a single thread (called �recognizing a pitch� from 2013) with the same issue, but to no avail for us.

My son plays on a 14U AAA/Major travel team.  He�s considered a power hitter in the 3-4-5 slot.  All his life he has been a strong extra-base hitter to all fields, great discipline at the plate with a rare K, and mostly puts the ball in play or walks.  In 25 AB�s this season he�s had one double, one line drive single, and maybe six GB singles.  The rest were GB outs or short FO�s.

Starting a couple years ago I have talked to him a lot about his mental approach to hitting.  His mechanics are sound.  He seems to have a �light switch on� approach (aggressive decision to swing at every pitch, but flip the switch off if the pitch is bad).  He loads on every pitch and checks up on pitches just out of the zone.  We talk about studying pitchers, situational hitting, go to the plate with a plan, have an aggressive approach, etc.  I throw BP to him on the field so he can see, on average, what happens when he hits balls thrown to different areas in the zone.  He has always understood which pitch locations offer him the chance to drive the ball.  We�ve used video both at BP and from games to analyze his AB pitch sequence so he can see pitches he watched that he should have swung at, and ones he shouldn�t have swung at.  He�s knows after his AB if he took a pitch that he could have drilled.  We�ve talked about picking up the ball at the pitchers release point and focusing a bit less on all the other movement prior to that.  The problem remains, too often he will not pull the trigger and swing at a perfect pitch that he can drive.

I�m too old to throw 65-80 from the mound, so I throw as hard as I can from the L screen half to 2/3rds to the plate.  Occasionally I�ll drop in an off-speed pitch to keep him on his toes.  I instruct him to only swing at ideal pitches (a small and specific strike zone) and let everything else go.  If he swings at a pitch out of the ideal zone then he has to do push ups or something.  In this drill he succeeds most of the time.  But in a game he doesn�t.  Why?  I don�t think he�s being fooled by the pitch.  What is going on psychologically?  He seems cooled headed and not overly nervous.  Are there drills we can try?  I fear that information overload might be part of it, but it�s all instructional.  All of our talking occurs while we�re sitting around or during our father/son BP.  Before a game our conversations are very brief, 30 seconds, and might just highlight one or two things that we had been working on that week.  He acknowledges that he can�t be thinking about too much once he steps in the box.  Yet, I�m confident that if we can solve this problem, in the future it may boil down to one simple swing thought or become natural, once he figures it out.

I appreciate all ideas and input.

[/quote]

T O P I C R E V I E W
amj	Posted - 04/01/2015 : 17:32:51 I�m hoping to get some advice on an issue my son is having at the plate. He can�t consistently pull the trigger on pitches that are in his ideal area of the strike zone. This hasn�t been a problem in the past and the only new thing that�s occurred this season is some improved or slightly different hitting mechanics. His vision is fine. The usual comments from coaches like �be more aggressive� or �don�t be afraid to strike out� are ineffective. Searching this forum turns up a single thread (called �recognizing a pitch� from 2013) with the same issue, but to no avail for us. My son plays on a 14U AAA/Major travel team. He�s considered a power hitter in the 3-4-5 slot. All his life he has been a strong extra-base hitter to all fields, great discipline at the plate with a rare K, and mostly puts the ball in play or walks. In 25 AB�s this season he�s had one double, one line drive single, and maybe six GB singles. The rest were GB outs or short FO�s. Starting a couple years ago I have talked to him a lot about his mental approach to hitting. His mechanics are sound. He seems to have a �light switch on� approach (aggressive decision to swing at every pitch, but flip the switch off if the pitch is bad). He loads on every pitch and checks up on pitches just out of the zone. We talk about studying pitchers, situational hitting, go to the plate with a plan, have an aggressive approach, etc. I throw BP to him on the field so he can see, on average, what happens when he hits balls thrown to different areas in the zone. He has always understood which pitch locations offer him the chance to drive the ball. We�ve used video both at BP and from games to analyze his AB pitch sequence so he can see pitches he watched that he should have swung at, and ones he shouldn�t have swung at. He�s knows after his AB if he took a pitch that he could have drilled. We�ve talked about picking up the ball at the pitchers release point and focusing a bit less on all the other movement prior to that. The problem remains, too often he will not pull the trigger and swing at a perfect pitch that he can drive. I�m too old to throw 65-80 from the mound, so I throw as hard as I can from the L screen half to 2/3rds to the plate. Occasionally I�ll drop in an off-speed pitch to keep him on his toes. I instruct him to only swing at ideal pitches (a small and specific strike zone) and let everything else go. If he swings at a pitch out of the ideal zone then he has to do push ups or something. In this drill he succeeds most of the time. But in a game he doesn�t. Why? I don�t think he�s being fooled by the pitch. What is going on psychologically? He seems cooled headed and not overly nervous. Are there drills we can try? I fear that information overload might be part of it, but it�s all instructional. All of our talking occurs while we�re sitting around or during our father/son BP. Before a game our conversations are very brief, 30 seconds, and might just highlight one or two things that we had been working on that week. He acknowledges that he can�t be thinking about too much once he steps in the box. Yet, I�m confident that if we can solve this problem, in the future it may boil down to one simple swing thought or become natural, once he figures it out. I appreciate all ideas and input.
9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
amj	Posted - 04/03/2015 : 11:14:19 Thanks guys. The fresh perspective is helpful.
CaCO3Girl	Posted - 04/03/2015 : 08:52:22 One last thing AMJ, I have taken a completely unofficial poll, which may have no basis in reality, but the general consensus is that players usually decide to get intense about their own training around summer of 9th grade and into 10th grade. This is when they see their peers getting intense and miraculously they start their own workout regimen to keep in shape and on track with their peers. Don't think your son isn't committed because he's not scheduling 100 pushups and 200 lunges a day on his own time....it will come.
hshuler	Posted - 04/02/2015 : 16:04:26 AMJ - First, I want to commend you for trying to prepare your son for the next level. There is no shame in that. But, I think he has wayyyyy too much to think about in general. He needs to focus pitch to pitch and not think about high school right now. The game should be fun and it doesn't sound like he's having much fun right now. My story - At 11, I was convinced that my son was done playing. At 12, about a 3rd of a way through the season, a little light went off. It had nothing to do with ability although he is groiwng like a weed. It was all mental. Now please understand that he is nowhere near where he needs to be but he's gotten better. He takes the game more seriously now and is reaping the benefits of the mental preparation. There is nothing that you can do to make him mature. It happens in their own timing. Another factor is that I stopped pushing him to hit or pitch extra...he has to push...this is his deal, not mine. I agree with CaCO, the burger idea sounds great. Don't want to get mushy but tell him much you love him and enjoy seeing him play the game and that you are proud of him no matter what he does at the plate. I wish you guys the best.
CaCO3Girl	Posted - 04/02/2015 : 14:33:51 A burger sounds great, and honestly, he may not even realize the pressure he has put on himself...you may need to lighten him up just to see if it agrees with him. I'm guilty of the same stuff amj, but I have heard through some people that have gone through this before that putting too much focus on baseball can just freak a kids brain out. Some kids, maybe not yours but some, equate their self worth as a person with how they are performing on the ball field, and that's not healthy at age 14. Another thought I had, which my son experienced first hand, was that as my little power hitter got older he had to adjust his swinging mechanics (hit the crap out of it hard wasn't exactly working anymore) to combat the new kind of pitching he was facing...i.e. the curve, the slider, the knuckle ball...many weird spins that if not hit in a certain way can produce little dribbles on the ground or the short little ever spinning in-field pop-up. My son went through this last year, coach had to completely re-vamp his swing over Winter, thankfully it was effective. Start with a burger, then go from there. Send me an email if you want to get into more specifics.
amj	Posted - 04/02/2015 : 12:46:25 Thanks for the thoughtful responses. Great input and questions. I can not be the only parent of a 14 YO that may be experiencing something similar and is looking for answers. The dialogue here may be longer than most posts, but hopefully it can help others too. I won�t know until I have a conversation with my son, but I think CaCO3 may be onto something. And I�m the guilty party. I am not his �coach�. Stopped doing that a few years ago. I�ve always been one to expose him to learn from other talented coaches. My role is to give him more individual attention. Work on things specific to him or fill in the gaps that can�t be or won�t be addressed during team practice. A coaching staff at this age doesn�t have enough time on the field, or sometimes doesn�t notice certain things about every single player. The other thing I do is try to build up his confidence, but certainly not in a cocky way. Be sure he believes that he is capable of great things. There seems to be a consensus around relaxing and opening up the strike zone more. As for the pushups, it�s not punishment and we do that seldom, more of just a way to create a pressure atmosphere. And he knows that. More often he earns points by hitting line drives or pitches in the zone, and if he earns enough points he gets a treat at Taco Bell. My preference is positive reinforcement for desired behavior. I think I gave the impression that his ideal strike zone is the size of a postage stamp. Actually it�s just from the belt to the letters. A pitchers �mistake�. Pitches low in the zone will almost always be a GB somewhere. At some point we can work on his mechanics to get the bat through that part of the zone for better contact but we�re not there yet. State of mind and pressure to perform may be the thing. He wants to be out there and is never forced. Frequently I offer take him to the field and when he says no, we don�t go. No big deal. He likes reviewing the video slow-mo, recognizes mistakes and makes adjustments. Relaxing may be the key, but CaCO3 provides the context where this makes sense. He�s been hearing a lot the last 6 months and now on a regular basis, that 14s after 8th grade is where it really begins. Everyone talks about 14U ball being about development such that your goal is to make your HS varsity or JV team as a 9th grader. His HS has one of the best programs in the state. He�ll be there next year. 40-50 kids tried out for the freshman team in January for about 15 slots. We have a lot of talent in our area. 2-3 good players who are friends that he�s played with over the years didn�t make the team. I think this may have been a wake up call that a roster spot is not an entitlement. He�s often been invited to play on teams because they know he�s talented and only had to try out and earn a spot twice when he was younger. And when he sees the D1 scholarships being handed out to current varsity players, there�s pressure to make the team. We talk about the 5 tools so he can understand his weaknesses and what he needs to work on. I�ve explained to him about PG, showcases, guys there watching and looking for talent and these will be venues that he needs to be prepared for over the next few years. It just keeps piling on. This is where I�m to blame for creating pressure on him. The coaches also talk about these things and I suppose he hears it from teammates, too. He�s a kid who wants to play at the next level, but he�s not self-motivated, at least in a consistent way, to do the hard work like some kids are. Hopefully that will change as he matures. I�ve stepped in to explained that he will need to work hard if he wants to make the freshman team next year. Both the coaches and I have badgered him a bit about knowing his role as a power hitter, and not just slapping singles or drawing walks. He is frustrated by his own performance on the field to the point that he borrows other kids bats thinking that will make the difference. I am guilty of putting all this weight on his shoulders, but the intent is to help him improve, be prepared, and succeed at the next level. I do know that if he doesn�t make a HS team it�s not the end of the world. Travel ball is always there and try outs again the following year, and I�ve explained that to him. I think the next step is to just go out and get a burger together and talk about it. Ask him if he feels more pressure to perform now than he has in the past, and if so, encourage to him to relax and just allow his natural abilities to take care of business.
CaCO3Girl	Posted - 04/02/2015 : 09:06:31 Hi AMJ, welcome to the site! You pose a question that a lot of parents have...why is my kid in a slump all of a sudden. I would say 95% of the time the "slump" is caused by psychological factors and 5% of the time by mechanics. I am sure you and your boy have been doing these drills since he was 6, this is what you guys do...but 14 is the supposed YEAR when everything starts counting. Will I make Varsity, will I do well in the PG game, will I go to Ft. Myers and do a showcase, will any of this be seen by a college coach/scout, and they have all been told for a long time that when you hit 14 you figure out if you can TRULY be a ball player, 14 is the great divide. That is a LOT to put on any young man! When you add that he is figuring out how to become a man and he sees his role model being disappointed in him...well crud, my brain would be hiccuping too! I would also ditch the push ups, they aren't productive as a discipline because he's thinking about which pitches not to hit so he doesn't have to do push ups and frankly there isn't that kind of time when you are in the box to make those decisions. Speaking of a box, expand his box! The idea that needs to be in his brain when that ball is coming at him is "Load...can I hit that pitch?"...he can be a little more discerning on a 1-0, or 2-0 count and wait for HIS box, but at a 0-1, and especially a 0-2 count he doesn't need to think about direction, bat angle, ball zone...his ONLY thought is can I hit that ball...if the answer is yes then you swing! You should look at the stats on how many home runs are hit on a 3-0 count...that is because the pressure is off. Take the pressure off. If he enjoys practicing with you then continue with that, but focus on ONE thing a week. It may be his back foot placement, hip turn, showing the belt buckle, arm loading, load reaction time....etc...and in the game tell him to stop thinking about "his zone" and the 40 other things and focus on the ONE thing you worked on that week...and remind him that he knows how to hit, he's been doing it for over half his life, and to just sit back, focus on that ONE thing and let his body do what it has always done. It may not be perfect, no one in baseball is, and you might want to remind him that he has chosen a sport where you can strike out 70% of the time and still be considered a Godlike figure!
Critical Mass	Posted - 04/02/2015 : 08:34:40 I love your commitment to you kid. That's awesome. He may be thinking too much, and that is just from me reading your post. I like the technical aspect of your instruction and while applicable...and you know your kid, i think it may be info overload. There has to be pressure to remain in that 2-3-4 slot on that team. If he can afford to swing freely for a few games with no consequence..let him rip it and see the results.
hshuler	Posted - 04/01/2015 : 21:44:06 Sounds like a classic case of not being relaxed at the plate and thinking too much. I have a question for you, are you his coach? I asked because we have adopted the approach of let someone else coach your kid on our team. Also, kill the pushups because he's never going to perfect. Personally, I don't think punishment for swinging at a bad pitch in bp is the right approach. Lastly, is he asking you to go to the cage or are you asking him? He needs to drive the process of improving, not you.
tuffmavrick	Posted - 04/01/2015 : 19:36:26 Just a thought maybe he is trying to hard to focus on getting a pitch in that perfect zone that you talk about. My son has hit for high average and has power to all fields but has a very large strike zone. Must of his homeruns have been on high out side pitches. We have been working on getting him to work on tighting his strike zone but in doing so his strike outs have gone up. Must have been called on pitches out of the zone the he probably would have hit in the past. It maybe something that he will have to work through. The two things I tell my son is have fun and hit line drives. That may work for you.

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