Tip of the Week

Pitch Counts Debate

"I know you have been playing for a couple of weeks, but your season begins tomorrow." Kids look at me like I am confused, but I insist that they must believe that the season can start again in their mind. It is no fun getting off to a slow or terrible start with the bat or on the pitching mound, but that is common for many baseball players, experienced or not.

"How many swings you take this week?" is one of the first questions I ask of my students. After hearing their answer, I follow that up with I hope you took that many ground balls or fly balls too. That statement about the defensive baseball side usually surprises them.

Helping players develop a good hitter's mindset is a constant coaching task. It is best when players go into the season with it. As a hitting coach, there are two things I preach, so baseball players do not get down on themselves, a common thing with the difficulty of hitting a baseball. First, I want them to have the right goals.

Choking up on the bat seems to turn most hitters off, nowadays. So, instead of trying to convince kids that is a good strategy when they have a 2-strike count, coaches can suggest two other 2 strike hitting approaches. One, tell players to think of hitting balls back through the middle when they get to two strikes. That plan prevents over-swinging, a common thing for hitters.

I have helped many youth overcome bad swing mechanics, some in a short period of time. With most, it takes a good amount of time but they usually achieve some level of success. But overcoming bad throwing mechanics is much more difficult. For parents of young players, learning the correct way to throw a baseball so they teach their kids the right way is essential. Having their child take a throwing lesson or two at an early age may make all the difference for their baseball future.