Posted by: Scott B (batspeed@integritycorp.com) on Wed May 22 13:27:38 2002

Hey Chip,

I understand both the irony and frustration of seeing kids playing to less-then-their potential. However, I think we should all refrain from "bad-mouthing" other coaches, even the obstinate ones. If that coach is teaching "linear mechanics" (LM), he's only teaching what about 95% of instructors are teaching. Moreover, to ask him to spin a "180" to "rotational mechanics" (RM) is tough. Even if he saw the stuff put out by guys like Jack Mankin and Mike Epstein, and believed everthing he saw, he'd be hard pressed to immediately change what he coaches in the middle of a season. Ragging on the local coaches is just not helpful, no matter how much it hurts to see the kids underperforming (and especially, if it's your kid).

I've been on all sides of this issue. I started coaching a Little League team because no one else volunteered to do it. My background was college tennis. I was both a good tennis player and decent coach. So, I learned from everyone I met, coached with, or saw on TV. I endured scorn (and still do) from the local "experts" who had H.S., College, or Professional/Minors experience.

In some cases, that criticism was justified, but again, I was still learning. I delegated a lot to the "experts" who volunteered to help, but who couldn't be bothered with the nitty-gritty details of running a team, attending meetings, or umpiring other league games (a requirement for managers). I learned a lot the first year.

The second year, I still delegated, but was more decisive. Our team when 5-0 the first 1/4 of the season, but finished 6-4 (and third place) at the 1/2. At 5-0, everyone loved the manager. At 6-4, the word was out that the "manager ran the kids into the ground" everytime a hesitant kid got caught stealing. At 6-4, I had open rebellion in the stands amongst a couple of parents, and even one of my coaches complained that "you only play your kids" the first time I sat his .100 avg son on the bench (despite the fact that I had two kids on the team, and the one NOT hitting played less than anyone else). I developed a very tough skin.

To get back to the subject of hitting, I taught my kids what I knew. I knew how to hit a tennis ball 120 MPH on a serve, and about 80 mph on with a "forehand" shot, using a tennis racket. So, not surprisingly, I taught my kids to swing level to the plane of the ball, to keep the hands inside the ball, and to drop the back knee (i.e. like an "L") to meet the height of the ball on low pitches. I taught my kids to rotate the hips at the swing, to enhance torque, just like we did for tennis. And boy-oh-boy, was I criticized. Most of the league managers, and the entire board, hated me.

Funny thing happened, though. My kids hit. They hit well. They also pitched well, though again, I taught them from my college tennis perspective. They won the second half of the season, came in second for the league playoffs (we lost our star pitcher 3 days prior, but that's another story), and we took the 1st in the city championship against 20 other teams. My own son hit .600 with about 90 RBI's that year. It was a very good experience.

But since I had received so much criticism, I decided not to manage the following year, and instead to help out on two different teams, while I studied baseball more seriously. And study I did. I bought over a dozen books, about six on hitting alone. I found out how off-base I was in my hitting instruction. So, I became a self-taught "expert" on hitting. My kids developed excellent swing mechanics (based on the books), and became good contact hitters, though my son's power seemed to drop.

The teams I helped coach couldn't hit, even with all my expert coaching. I managed a winter ball team, and again, we couldn't turn the corner. During this year, other "expert" managers were selected, so I had no team to manage, so again, I went back to "school". I was focused on pitching at the beginning of the season, because I figured I had the hitting "thing" down pat. After all, I could spot flaws in a kids LM swing in seconds, and always had good drills to help them out. Most hit better, but many could not, and especially, my own kids bats went quiet. They had hit the 13-14 yo barrier, and better pitching, and their LM swing wouldn't work for them.

So, to make a short story very long (sorry), I "went back to school" on hitting, attended clinics, heard about RM, saw Jack's Web site, bought his tape and Epsteins, and .... stopped coaching hitters or about 3 months, while I worked to understand RM. It hurt, because my kids team just flat-out couldn't hit, and in my opinion, they've never played with a better group of athletes (2-3 kids with consistent pitching in the 65-80 mph range!). My own kids are still trying to make the transition, using Epstein's drills.

So, take it easy on the coaches, professional and volunteer. Talk baseball with them, and be patient. Most coaches really want to help their kids. Most are open to new techniques, drills, and methods. But LM and RM are 180 degrees opposite. They couldn't be more different, and it takes time to understand and change what they may have been taught for 20 years.

Oh, and if you should see a Tennis coach teaching kids to swing a bat the screwy way he swings a racket, give him some "space". He just might be teaching them RM by accident, which isn't all that bad.

Regards... Scott