Skills Video with slow mo side by side.

[Eric F]

OK, just my opinion and my opinion plus roughly $7 will get you an extra value meal at Micky D's. I know several "hitting instructors" and parents who put side by sides up and think that without a doubt their hitter/child matches a MLB Player. In fact, there are some that sell snake oil doing this. However, anyone who really knows what they are looking at just might bust out laughing their bottom side off. I worked very hard with my child trying to have her match Pujols. I think she matched his swing a few times .................. in my dreams.

...but, yet, she went on to set hitting records in college, so maybe being a perfect video match to AP wasn't such a big deal after all. This exemplifies my previous point. The side-by-side invites comparison, which might not get the intended response. If she can crush, use video of her crushing, and let that tell her story.

 

[Greenmonsters]

I forgot to put side by side Hitting comparison with a major league player. I used my dd swing compared to Joe Mauer (her swing resembled his the most). I did my own skills video and was wondering if I should put it in there. Here is the link of video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waZrvhruEAk.

Being brutally honest, only onclude the side by side comparison if you want coaches to think that you and your DD think that she swings like Joe Mauer. Inevitably, some would thank you for the warning and not wasting any more of their time.

 

[SWPadad]

Thanks for the responses. My intentions for the side by side was to show the baseline mechanics of her swing compared to an elite hitter. My dd is also a slapper which i think Joe Mauer does not do. We are in the beginning process of the recruiting trail and trying to find out what to do. She is only in 8th grade so we are starting to tread waters in the shallow end of the pool haven't got to the deep end yet.

 

[Perfect Circle]

 

[obbay]

IMHO- those comparisons are cool and great for discussion amongst peers and coaches, but I think a college coach who does this for a living, seeing a recruit video with an MLB player side-by-side might not find it helpful.
Even though you don't mean it this way, there is the subliminal message: "Coach, in case you don't know what a good swing looks like, let me help you understand. here's a comparison of my 17 y.o.DD's perfect swing that is just as good as a pro who has been playing baseball longer than she has been alive".

To me hitting (and pitching) mechanics are a complicated watch-like assembly of moving parts and perfect timing. While it is great for us to compare similarities between our kids and pro's, the comparison also highlights differences that we may be inclined to overlook.