Posted by: Tom (mentzert@hotmail.com) on Sun May 18 20:37:26 2008

Based on what I've seen in 20 years of coaching some kids are just more relaxed and disciplined at practice. Familiarity with the coaches, you as the Dad, or even a teammate who has good control give your son a level of comfort. If you haven't already done it, video tape your son during practice and at the plate in games. I'm betting you will find something changes mechanically in his swing, it may be small but significant. I've done it and I've seen it. Whether it is the pressure of the game, uncertainty of a pitcher's control, nerves, etc. the bottom line is something makes him alter his mechanics come game time. As for "quality" hitting instruction I think you can clearly see from the many posts on here that all hitting instructors agree where to start, but getting to the end product can vary greatly from coach to coach and player to player.