My 12 year can't hit. Need help

[bdchorn]

Had a nephew that is be of went through the same thing. Weak swings if he swang at all cause he was worried about striking out. Took several talks with him to help at all. Had to convince him that a striking out while taking good cuts and trying to drive the ball was better then going up there and doing just enough to try and not strike out. It's 100 percent mental for him. nephew is doing much better this year.

This. I don't teaching is the problem. Sounds like a kid that's afraid to fail. Suggest you let him know it doesn't matter AT ALL what happens so long as he has fun and takes 3 good cuts. I'd bet things change instantly

[huntingjunkie]

Good news is we've narrowed it down to 432 possibilities. No one here has seen his swing and I would bet 999 out of 1000 still couldn't tell you correctly what all is wrong with his swing. You need a good hitting coach. There are many ex players that give "lessons" but there are a few that are exceptional at explaining, seeing and correcting a swing. My advice is to find the best hitting coach in your area and spend some money on lessons. Right now every day he is practicing all the flaws in his swing. Get them corrected, practice makes permanent.

Good point here. I've hit with kids for the past 20yrs and there are some coaches that just plain teach the swing wrong, but for the most part, kids have good coaches and better resources these days. With that said, a large percentage of the guys that I've seen give hitting lessons can diagnose a problem in the swing all day, but very few are good at relaying a remedy at how to fix the swing problem. This is obviously relative to swing mechanics...and if a player has created the muscle memory of swinging a certain way, it's nearly impossible to fix at full speed. It takes more than a 30min lesson too. It takes breaking the swing back down into small steps and retraining the body to get in good position....and it's been said that it takes 2,000 reps to create new muscle memory.

If mechanics are good, then all that's left is the approach - or lack thereof. Bad swings are usually the result of bad timing. When your timing is off, the swing breaks down more often than not...especially in less experienced hitters trying to ensure they touch the ball. The point is to hit the ball but when the swing breaks down because of timing, hitting - or driving - the baseball turns into just touching the baseball. Kids have a fear of striking out...which is fine, but you can't strike out with 0 or 1 strike. You can make adjustments with 2 strikes but less than 2 strikes a player should be taking the biggest hacks they can while still under control. Most all of the best hitters have this in common. Once you start the swing - finish the swing without an adjustment. Adjust your timing on the next pitch. Not your swing. You can make a swing adjustment with 2 strikes should you need to. Timing breaks down the swing...so a swing and miss early with another chance to make a timing adjustment is much better than the weak ground ball out early in counts because an adjustment was made to touch the ball.

Just my thoughts on the subject. So much goes into swing mechanics at the youth ages but seems very little thought is put into the approach.

[Gclyde12]

PM Gclyde28 as he was fortunate enough to be drafted by the cubs and spend a long time around the game. Knows his stuff

[T-roy66]

My question / suggestion is similar to some of the other guys. Question is in practice is he being pitched to with a machine? If so then he is having trouble picking up the ball out of the pitchers hand. Nothing bets having somebody pitch to him. Also when he is being pitched to throw pitches all over the place. This will get him use to seeing pitches similar to a live game. I used a ball on a stick to practice hitting by myself in the back yard. It was call a Pete Rose hitting device. It used a inner tube band that you wind up as the ball rotated around the pole you hit it to keep it going.

[oktx]

Check his eyesight. He can get in a groove in a cage because the balls are consistent. In the box he has to adjust to it. I have seen this happen to many kids. All great hitters had 20/20 or better vision. Ted Williams had 20/5. He could pick up the laces on the ball.

This first.

[lovemylegacy]

I feel like my influence on him has ran out. He's not getting results from my teaching when it comes to game at bats.

Get a batting coach.

[DJM]

I'm with the get his eyes checked posts.You can't fix mechanics if he can't see the ball.Good luck


DJ

[mjbtexas]

HAVE HIS EYES CHECKED. I didnt know I couldnt see until a sophomore in high school

[tradtiger]

I was fortunate enough to play this child's game much longer than most and the best advice I was ever given was given to me late in my career. No one cares if you strike out or ground out or fly out. They all equal the same result. As he gets older and truley grasp the game within the game then he will understand when it will be ok to take a weak swing just to put the ball in play to move runners or what ever the situation dictates but until then remind him that they call it offense for a reason, he needs to be letting it fly with every swing. Weak swings equal outs and singles. He needs to have the mindset of hitting nothing but doubles and homeruns and the singles will come as accidents. Also he needs to have in his mind that he is swinging at every pitch and then decide not to once the pitch is delivered instead of the other way around. It should be yes, yes, yes, no and not no, no, no hurry yes. Hope this helps

This ^^^

Taking an aggressive approach works to remove doubts. Gotta assume you're going to hit every pitch as far as loading hands and lightly stepping. Much easier to stop a swing when assuming you WILL hit a pitch than to start a bat after you decide (too late) that you need to swing.

Checking vision won't hurt, but, if he has been a good hitter before, approach can make all the difference. And, then there's "swing hard in case you hit it!"

[hopedale]

Give him something else to think about in the game next time at bat.

He has to get out of his own head -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5CkmKGQDb0 postion 2:22

[Cull hunter]

It is mental. Thinking versus reacting.

In college what always got me out was not moving until I saw the ball. Most lefties will get high on the front side when they start too soon.

Don't move till u see the ball and the reaction may come back.

[Cull hunter]

Thinking versus reacting. Don't move till u see the ball.

[wow]

Good suggestion on his vision. I will make an eye appointment today.

Have his depth perception checked. My daughter had this problem

[Pony1971]

Simple shift in desire.

Sounds like he is thinking....don't swing, don't swing, don't swing....either scared of getting hit or swinging at a bad pitch. By the time he realize it is a strike, he has to to just fling the bat.

Has to shift to swing, swing, swing, yes, yes, yes....and let it rip. He can then let up and not swing....can't do it the other way.

[Steel185]

Good suggestion on his vision. I will make an eye appointment today.

Yeah, when i was about that age and the pitchers started throwing curves some times, i didn't understand when people said watch the laces......I just couldn't see them. Finally i got my eyes checked and i was like 20/150. It was like watching everything in HD. I got a lot more confidence and thus a better hitter. It helped in fielding and base running also. I can't imagine my son (not old enough to play yet) trying to play and not being able to see, but when you are that age, and you've never seen that well before you don't know what its supposed to look like.