In this post I am going to talk about the hitting instructor as a resource. Also, without mentioning them I will put pitching and fielding instructors into this catergory, assuming they are different people but the same basic resource: individual instructor.
The one on one lesson is a very sticky topic, but is a resource that I believe has a role in the game, just not as big a role as most instructors would like you to believe. For the purpose of this blog we are going to assume you are hiring a top notch instructor who is highly recommended.
The 1 to 3 ratio. This is the number of lessons compared to the number of days your child should hit on their own between lessons. Meaning for every lesson you take them to, they should work on the skills they were taught 3 days. This insures two things, one your child is putting the work in on their own, and two your child is not becoming to dependent on the instructor. Of course instructors will take a kid who comes 5 times per week, but trust me this is hurting more than it is helping. If a kid goes to an instructor to often they are always being told what to do and they will lack the ability to make adjustments on their own when they are playing in a game. Making adjustments is what baseball and especially hitting is all about, by taking that skill away from a player you will offset any gains they have made as far as mechanics go.
One on One lessons should be a half hour long. This assures your child is getting enough time to work on their swing and they are still within their attention span. This is especially true for younger players (13 and under). Half hour lessons give your kid enough time to get in about 3-4 buckets and depending on the size that is around 200-250 swings. That is plenty of swings to make adjustments, but it will not wear your kid out. I started out doing 40-45 minute lessons but realized the last ten minutes were a waste of mine and the kids time as well as the parents money. Good instructors can work inside this time frame, anything else just helps them pay for their new Hummer.
Good instructors never use a pitching machine. Pitching machines may serve a purpose in certain situations but private lessons is not one. The progression of a lesson or throughout the course of a set number of lessons should be tee, soft toss (from the front), short toss (usually seated overhand throws), and then regular batting practice. The reason a pitching machine is no good is it creates timing issues and hitters get jumpy because it is not a fluid motion. Sometimes the ball gets stuck and the hitter is waiting and waiting, and other times the person feeding the ball has no rhythm, and hitting is all rhythm. If you see an instructor doing this grab your kid and run away.
Good instructors will work with a stance you feel comfortable with. Not everyone stands the same and instructors should not try and make them, they should allow a kid to feel comfortable and teach them the important steps involved in the swing. No matter what stance you have there are certain parts of a swing every hitter must do, but those parts and mechanics can be attained regardless of stance. Don’t get carried away, make sure you have two feet down at the beginning both hands on the bat please.
If your child goes to private lessons and then does not put in any work on their own you are wasting your money. Also, if this is the case I would make sure your kid wants to play the sport and you are not the driving force behind the lessons. Your child must have accountability when it comes to lessons. If you have spent hundreds of dollars and your child is not any better, you should check his or her interest level. Also, do not start your child on private lesson before the age of nine. I would prefer a little older but some parents can’t wait.
I hope this helps if you have any additional questions or comments feel free to email me at samflamont@yahoo.com
