Hitting Instrucrtor

[oregonfp]

OK so I thought I would seek the advice of the all knowing board on an issue that has arose. My DD is freshman starting on varsity at a large HS. She put in a ton of hitting work in the offseason in order to make the varsity team. Her swing looked great during tryouts and the first couple of weeks of the season when we played some very good teams but now she is stuck in a bit of a hitting slump. Over the course of the last two weeks she has gone around 2-20 and her swing is starting to regress. I know her swing very well and know a lot of the issues she is having with it, but she is not responding well to my instruction(shocker). The main issue I am seeking advice on is that her hitting instructor is a HS coach and wont take any appointments until the HS season is over. My DD really likes her hitting coach and responds well to his instruction. It is truelly uncanny how fast he can get her to fix her swing. With that being said the type of swing he teaches is not all that popular around here(calls it linear-rotational) and most instructors teach something different. DD's TB coach is pushing for us to go to a different instructor, who he prefers, but that would mean some big changes to DD's swing. I respect both of these instructors and both have had former pupils go on to play college ball. So the question to the board is what should I do? Do I just wait it out for a month and a half until HS season is over and have our current HI fix her swing in time for TB? or do I take her to this new HI and see how things go there?

 

[rdbass]

OK so I thought I would seek the advice of the all knowing board on an issue that has arose. My DD is freshman starting on varsity at a large HS. She put in a ton of hitting work in the offseason in order to make the varsity team. Her swing looked great during tryouts and the first couple of weeks of the season when we played some very good teams but now she is stuck in a bit of a hitting slump. Over the course of the last two weeks she has gone around 2-20 and her swing is starting to regress. I know her swing very well and know a lot of the issues she is having with it, but she is not responding well to my instruction(shocker). The main issue I am seeking advice on is that her hitting instructor is a HS coach and wont take any appointments until the HS season is over. My DD really likes her hitting coach and responds well to his instruction. It is truelly uncanny how fast he can get her to fix her swing. With that being said the type of swing he teaches is not all that popular around here(calls it linear-rotational) and most instructors teach something different. DD's TB coach is pushing for us to go to a different instructor, who he prefers, but that would mean some big changes to DD's swing. I respect both of these instructors and both have had former pupils go on to play college ball. So the question to the board is what should I do? Do I just wait it out for a month and a half until HS season is over and have our current HI fix her swing in time for TB? or do I take her to this new HI and see how things go there?

Can you further explain the highlighted?

 

[oregonfp]

Can you further explain the highlighted?

Its a little hard to but the biggest difference I see in swings is that with hers there is a noticeable negative weight shift. This is also why our TB coach wants her to change.

 

[oregonfp]

I think the instructor, if you go to one, should be looked at as not just for bad times, but good times, too, so the mental aspect stays level.
QUOTE]

This is the major reason we are contemplating a change. I would like her to go to an HI at least every other week if not every week but from the end of February until late May/early June our HI is not available. Her problems right now started as mechanical issues, which in turned lead to mental problems, which are leading to further mechanical issues.

 

[rdbass]

Its a little hard to but the biggest difference I see in swings is that with hers there is a noticeable negative weight shift. This is also why our TB coach wants her to change.

Sorry, for all questions. Would you consider this a 'coil' move. I'm just trying to understand the 2 different coaching. Also 2-20 not sure if I'd go running back to hitting coach. Trying to see what you believe in teaching your DD is correct also.Video would be great to further this discussion.

 

[Greenmonsters]

While she is reluctant to listen to you, if you describe what you're seeing in her swing to her current HI, he very likely would be able to quickly talk your DD through whatever slop has cropped up in her swing. IMO, mid-season is not the time to start with a new instructor teaching a new mechanical approach.

 

[oregonfp]

Sorry, for all questions. Would you consider this a 'coil' move. I'm just trying to understand the 2 different coaching. Also 2-20 not sure if I'd go running back to hitting coach. Trying to see what you believe in teaching your DD is correct also.Video would be great to further this discussion.

As our instructor states it is a linear move back and to center hip slide with head steady. The main issue right now is that her weight is staying back on her back foot through her swing. Thus she is not generating any power, thus she is grounding out. I will see if I can dig up a video of her.

 

[Bobby B]

Going to another instructor during the season would mess up your daughter more unless you could show him a tape of what she is doing in the games which most of the time is making some small adjustments but getting her confidence back. I think the big problem is that girl's softball don't get enough live pitching. That's the fastest and best way to get back their confidence. But someone who can throw good live batting practice that helps the hitter. Not throwing lob pitches or 60 miles per hour. Batting practice is for the hitter not for the pitcher and get her to hit up the middle because that's the biggest opening on the field and when you're hitting up the middle you cover the whole plate and you can't be pulling your head off the ball. Empty head, full bat of hits. Full head, empty bat. I hope this helps your daughter

Bobby B