Posted by: BHL (Knight1285@aol.com) on Mon Apr 12 00:17:07 2004

Thanks SBK
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> You are certainly right I am not bashing anyone in this post. In fact I acutally use rotational mechanics in my own swing and the swing that I teach others. I am just pointing out that teaching a nine year old to imitate the "exact" movements of a big leaguer is unrealistic and sometimes even counter productive for the child. Now do not get me wrong, using many of the movements are very productive but I challenge BHL to swing that 5 pound sledge hammer perform perfect mechanics.
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> I was mearly pointing out to many of the people reading these posts that not all ideas should be applied to every player from little league to the major leagues.
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> Dave

Hi Dave,

I "accept" the challange. It seems as if you use physiological development to decide which "habits" befit the bodies of age pool.

Yet who "decides?" Coaches.

So there will be not doubt where my intention lies, I wish, at this time, to applaud all instructors encouraging children to play in Little League.

What I am concerned about, though, is a coach trying to correct a child in a recreational league who wishes to emulate major league hitters. Some of these coaches even play children according who accepts or rejects their hitting philosophy.

Seen in this light, the entire youth league organization began with the purest of intentions, but turned tyrannical far too rapidly to give any youth a chance to adjust.

If I remember correctly, Ted Williams played sandlot baseball, where there were no coaches, just enthusiastic dreamers. According to Ted's memoirs in "The Science of Hitting," he was always emulating the precise movements of "Foxx," "Greenberg," and others. Seen in this light, we can argue children learned better when they emulated the sluggers than when some loquacious theoritician told the child to cease copying the nuances of professional hitters, and threatened them with benching if they defied orders.

Here is some simple advice--do not try to force philosophies on a youngster. Instead, designate areas where they can play the game, free from adult interferrence!

After all, Williams listened to the pros, not some adult. It's about time that the children followed suit, and their game returns to innocence.

Sincerely,
BHL
Knight1285@aol.com