My 12 year can't hit. Need help

[ShockValue]

Do you have any videos?

[Shane]

It also sounds like he might be dipping his back shoulder and/or leaning back (just a guess without seeing video). But if he's not making solid contact, and he's hitting everything to the opposite field dipping the back shoulder and upper-cutting it might be an issue. ??

All of that is common when a kid is afraid of getting hit.

[systemnt]

in.. ive got theories..but im more willing to listen on this one

[gonehuntin68]

The batting cage is good but you need to pitch to him so he is used to a live arm or find someone that can pitch to him. When he does go to the batting cage, take him to a much faster speed then what he will see during the game. It's much easier to time the pitches from a machine then it is a live arm because every pitch is the exact same speed so faster will help some. You also say he seams to be hesitant at the plate, this could be do to him being afraid of being hit by the ball and only a live arm and lots of repetition can fix that. Can't really help other then that without being there to see his swing and exactly what he is or isn't doing. Just remember he is young and the more practice he gets the better he will get but just make sure you don't burn him out because that can have a opposite effect if he is not enjoying what he is doing.

[hunter68]

Sounds like he is really struggling with confidence and/ or getting hit by the pitch. Here is what I have done with several kids and even though I was a big hitter I grew up believing in this process because it work for me.....pitch to him with a wiffle ball. He will not be scared to get hit. You can throw some wicked curves with descent velocity and he will loss all fear and will be able to concentrate on hitting the ball and not getting hit, etc. This has worked for me time and time again. Give it a shot. Good luck to you!

[systemnt]

is he getting pitched at in the cage or is it a machine?

a throwing arm is MUCH MUCH different than a machine...
my 7 yearold came from cranking hits off a 45mph machine...to coach pitch and it was an adjustment to the arm..
we don't even use the machine to batting practice anymore...

[TxAg]

It sounds like he's scared of getting hit by the pitch. The first couple of years of kid pitch are tough on a lot of batters, because most of the kids pitching don't have great control. Even the biggest and toughest 11-12 year olds still don't want to get hit by a pitch. They just have to find a way to go up to the plate looking for an opportunity to drive the ball into the outfield instead of going up to the plate worried about getting hit.

Soft toss and tee work is good. Pitching machine work is good. But there is zero chance of getting hit by a pitch during those drills, so a kid can be fearless and just hit. Put the ball into an unpredictable kid pitcher's hand though, and it's a different world.

+1

I know I was scared of the ball when I was that age. I quit playing baseball because of it.

[BrandonA]

My mind has gone blank but a long time member on here played Semi-Pro ball and I believe he gave batting lessons. Hopefully he will chime in. Maybe somebody can think of his name.

[systemnt]

My mind has gone blank but a long time member on here played Semi-Pro ball and I believe he gave batting lessons. Hopefully he will chime in. Maybe somebody can think of his name.

C something ...has a house in the woodlands...I think...or rents one...don't remember...

but yeh..I agree...sometimes all it takes is someone else to coach...

[DFWPI]

Pushing him too hard? My boys played ball thru high school, but honestly, I never paid much attention to the game.

Now HS and college softball, different story. My daughter played 4 years of college, a d her freshman year, she was the strike out queen. The next year she worked really hard during the off season, a lot of time in the cage as well as live pitching. She went from a lot of strike outs to number 65 in the nation as the hardest to strike out. (The stats they keep on players, geez) She was struck out 4 times that year.

I have seen this, and still see it as daughter is now a varsity softball coach, that girls can hit in the cages all day long, but different when facing a live pitcher. Not sure if your son is seeing a lot of different pitchers in practice or just a machine, but you might have different pictchers throwing to him in practice.

*I HATE SPELL CHECK AND PREDICATE TYPING*

[bigbad243]

My 2 cents are the following:
Just because he is hitting to opposite field doesn't mean he is late, he may only be bringing his hands through, which happens when you don't use your lower half.

Hitting in a cage is for mechanics, won't necessarily help with confidence at the plate. Same for soft toss, etc. Same reason mlb players are thrown into minor league games or other simulation type situations.

All you can do from here is get someone else working with him and build him up, encourage him.

[BrandonA]

C something ...has a house in the woodlands...I think...or rents one...don't remember...

but yeh..I agree...sometimes all it takes is someone else to coach...

Yep CMlambin, Chase...I just needed a nudge to remember.

[Sleepy]

Definitely sounds mental.

He is either scared of getting hit, or he's scared of striking out. I think at one point, I had the same issue. It consumes almost every kid at some point in their baseball career, especially when kids get to the age that their velocity starts picking up.

He needs confidence, and practice will probably not do that for him. He needs game time confidence. My suggestion is this. Tell him to go to the plate with his mind made up that he is swinging at the first pitch. Tell him not to worry about striking out or swinging at a bad pitch. Sounds like he's guessing at the plate rather than reacting. If he goes to the plate with his mind made up that he is swinging at the first pitch, he will already be loaded and if he hits the ball as well as you say he does, he will react to where ever the ball is thrown. He may even be able to hold back if it is a wild pitch.

I am a righty and always swung left handed, be it baseball or golf. In baseball, I was a dead pull hitter. A lot of that is due to my mind set at the plate that I was swinging. I did not develop this mentality until probably middle school or high school. There were times when a coach would tell me to take the first pitch, and I hated it. A lot of times, I swung at the first pitch, and in my opinion, the first pitch is usually the best pitch you're going to see.

[1RutNBuc]

Do I need to have a talk with my wife??? You just described my boy to a tee! Everything except the left handed part! As a 11yr old everything was solid oppo, I've chalked it up to slow reaction time. Now as a 12, he has started to pull and is "seeing" the ball much better! He's good to go now right?!?!?!, Wrong, he's now turned into an anxious dancing penguin! He'll be fine though, just needs to find his groove and like said above, commit to swing and let the pitch dictate if you don't! I did discover that he pulls his lead shoulder a bit, which has caused some weak ground balls and "end of bat" dinks, working on keeping fat bat in the zone a little longer! We shall see about 5:00 if it translates!

[TejasNW]

I think you have identified it correctly. It is a mental thing. Sadly, that is much more complicated than correcting mechanical. Getting some good sports phyc advice is best. But to start with I will add this:

Help him give himself permission to hit the ball!

From personal experience I had a coach that was all about taking the first pitch and forcing the pitcher to throw strikes. Good strategy, I know. But for some hitters starting out behind the count before being allowed to swing; or being worried aout being yelled at for swinging at pitch that feels good (and you KNOW you can hit) if very unproductive. (and stressful)

Who is coaching him to believe that striking out is a bad thing? Peer pressure? Let him know an out is an out. If you don't hit the ball and put it in play; then you have not done your part for the team.

Maybe give him permission to attack and crush the first pitch he likes. If he does not crush it, then he can worry about strikes and balls. But he gets one free pitch at every at bat to do what he likes. Have permission to pick one toss and attack it. After that he can worry about the count.