» GETTING MORE POWERFUL HITS

by Monty
(Colorado)

My son is nine and is a talented fielder/pitcher but lacks any power in hitting. He is frustrated because all of his teammates hit it harder and farther while he’s usually lucky to hit the ball past the infield or reach base on an error. He has a good-looking swing (to an untrained eye at least) and makes contact almost every at-bat (good hand-eye coordination) but almost always hits weak grounders. Part of the problem may be that he’s skinny — only 54 pounds — but I don’t think that’s the whole story. He’s had batting lessons and we’ve tried various bats but it hasn’t helped much. Any ideas or tips to improve? I’m getting desperate because now he doesn’t even look forward to batting in games; and what kid doesn’t want to bat?!

THE COACH’S ANSWER

Thanks for the question Monty!

Well, don’t take this the wrong way Monty, but my first answer is to relax… He is only 9 years old. Don’t forget the basics as a youth baseball parent which is to simply encourage him with as much positive info as you can give him. Build up his strengths such as fielding, throwing, speed, etc… Hitting a baseball is not an easy task and takes some time.

Is he a smaller kid? Not quite as much strength as other kids yet? Kids develop at different times and can quickly catch up as their strength improves. In many cases, some of the top teams have kids that are bigger, stronger and have developed faster. In my opinion, I think those kids are at a disadvantage because they are not forced to learn the proper techniques for success. They simply excel at this age because they are just that much stronger than the others. The kids that haven’t developed yet are forced to learn proper techniques in everything and when they finally catch up in strength, they become a much better player than those other kids. Many of those early developers will then get frustrated and choose not to play. If your kid is a big and strong kid now, keep that in mind. Teach him the proper techniques.

As for what I would recommend to get him to hit the ball harder??? Without actually seeing him hit and working with him, it is nearly impossible. Continue working with a knowledgeable hitting coach to teach proper swing (you should also attend to learn what he is teaching). Also for you… Take him to the cages and get him repetitions. The more cuts he takes in a controlled setting will help him develop confidence in games.

NOTE: Be sure to give him good strikes to hit. Nothing is worse than working on hitting with a person that can’t throw a strike on a consistent basis. My favorite drill is a simple short toss which makes it easier for you to consistently throw strikes. You can simply sit on a bucket behind a screen and firmly toss balls to him from about 15 feet.

I hope this helps! If anyone else has tips, please comment below.

colin99

Craft The Perfect Post That Ranks and Converts!

Download this cheat sheet to optimize underperforming posts on your website.

By subscribing, you agree to get emails from me, Matt Giovanisci. I'll respect your privacy and you can unsubscribe any time.