A local organization starts their players all on the left side at 10u, no exceptions. Very, very rarely will one be allowed to go right-handed anytime from then all the way through HS Ball (same coaching staff, more or less a feeder program). Seems pretty foolish to me, but they are consistent with it, so everyone knows what they are dealing with.
teach lefty as soon as they start playing?
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The travel club my DD plays with sounds a lot like the one TheRogue is describing. We do the same thing. Everyone coming in at 10u bats left. Both of the new girls we picked up for 12u this year switched to lefty for the first 6 weeks of practice. One stayed and one went back righty. I got asked about that a lot at tournaments last year from other teams. I started telling them when the sonograms show that it's a girl in our county we bribe the doctor to spin the kid in the womb. They just pop out throwing right and batting left. I think a guy from Plainsfield actually believed me. Yikes.
The reason for switching when I asked a couple years ago matches what GD said. Stronger arm on the bottom had pulling the bat through generates more power. Then there is the 3 feet closer to first. No jumping back and forth for the short game hitters.
The thing that I realised as a coach this year with our 2 new girls, switching them to lefty for a while breaks down all the bad habits they come to you with. Even if the end up switching back to right, it seems a lot easier to retrain them to a good swing pattern than taking a horrific swing and making the changes.
The reason for switching when I asked a couple years ago matches what GD said. Stronger arm on the bottom had pulling the bat through generates more power. Then there is the 3 feet closer to first. No jumping back and forth for the short game hitters.
The thing that I realised as a coach this year with our 2 new girls, switching them to lefty for a while breaks down all the bad habits they come to you with. Even if the end up switching back to right, it seems a lot easier to retrain them to a good swing pattern than taking a horrific swing and making the changes.
