Hitting with the Proper Effort Level

Question:

My 15 year old is playing freshmen ball, excelling behind the plate but struggling with the bat. He has problems tracking the ball, recognizing location, getting out in front of the plate. I’m telling him to use the pitches he calls for as a catcher as an aid in tracking ball rotation and spin. He’s short to the ball with his hands but sometimes is slow getting them there. Too often he’s fighting off the ball as it gets into the plate too deep. The ball’s hitting the bat as opposed to the opposite happening. He’s now ripping his hands through the zone quicker but if the bat head isn’t meeting the ball out in front, hand speed is being negated. Using Vision Training drills in trying to help the ball tracking, using Harvey D’s book to keep his head straight in fighting through what he perceives to be a slump. And in this case, he needs success FIRST before he gets the confidence. We need help in Boston, can you simplify my approach in helping him?

Answer:

When kids start to struggle they start trying harder, this leads to jumping at the ball and all kinds of mechanical breakdowns, as well as visual problems because of excessive head movement. Before you overhaul his swing check his effort level, his hands should be at 100% but throughout his swing he should be able to stay on balance. Keep doing the vision training drills, it will only help his tracking and reaction.

You mention in another post a spinning around the front foot. It sounds like he is casting his hands and spinning off the ball, make sure his weight transfer is correct and he is getting his weight from back to center, have him try to drive the ball right back through the middle while staying inside the ball.