OT: teaching a kid to hit

[bsquared24]

My 6 year old hits ok but I would like him to really excel this year in coach-pitch. Suggestions from the Pack on some drills that would work well for this age group? All I do now is pitch to him and some soft-toss.

If I am to critique him at this point the biggest thing to work on is swinging hard and making good contact. We get a lot of contact but I feel like he is only swinging 75%.

 

[Cat Duck]

For starters, for 6U, make sure you are using a 26" long, 14 oz. bat, unless your kid is big and can really swing it. Watching the ball is the most important thing, because if you can just hit that ball at that age, and avoid striking out, you will get on base every time because the kids cannot throw anybody out. So, do the tee, make him keep his eye on the ball even after the swing, and for the love of God, do not yell at him for every mechanical thing he is doing wrong while you throw to him, like most Daddy-ballers do.

The kids who can stroke it into the outfield are the ones who will make All-Stars at that age. To me, either he can do it or he cannot, I would not waste time trying to develop that part yet. Practice starts to help more in 7U and really in 8U.

 

[Jaxdog]

Get him a big rubber tire and let him to swing as hard as he wants. He will try to break it in half, and it will translate to harder swings plus it will be fun for him. At that age, it’s all about keeping practice fun.

 

[TheStateUofMS]

My son is 8 and just really learned to swing hard. He didn't really know how to use his strength. To get his strength up do a little wrestling/tussling with him, maybe arm wrestling. For soccer, I would stand over the ball and tell him to steal it from me while I nudge him with my body forcing him to have to use his body weight to push me off the ball.

For mine it basically came down to him learning how to use his strength. To be clear, I'm not focused on making him stronger like lifting weights, just trying to get him to learn how to use his God given strength.

As far as hitting goes, I just get him to focus on all the little things: head down and watch the ball make contact with the bat, bend knees, swing level, elbow up, choke up on bat, small stride/step forward before you swing and repeat. I tell him it's all about repetition and developing the muscle memory. Mine is into science as well, so explaining concepts like muscle memory and forming good habits also appeals to him. He's become a solid hitter but still a long way to go. He does 40-45mph pitching machine right now, and the first few practice and games he could not even make contact and now he's either getting a hit every time or striking out but fouling balls off in the process. His biggest issue is picking his head up while he swings.

He's an exception fielder and has a cannon for an arm and extremely accurate-something else we've worked on as well. Really makes me proud when other parents and coaches talk about his arm strength. Threw a kid out at home plate last week from behind second base with his feet on the outfield grass.

Hope this helps!

 

[cowbell88]

Mine will be 6 in July. I can’t get in but about 30 min, until he’s ready to do something else. Mine likes to hit soft toss whiffle balls against a fence.

I put a dot or use the MLB logo on the ball when it’s on the Tee. Aim small, miss small works here too.

 

[tired]

First and foremost, at that age, you've got to make it fun for him. Don't force him to if he doesn't want to. If he enjoys it, the more cuts, the better. This is the age you can really work on fundamentals and mechanics. If any bad habits, try to get rid of them. A tee is a good investment, and alot of soft toss. To strengthen his hands/arms, make him swing one handed, while keeping good form/mechanics, using a tee and/or soft toss. Make sure he's using his lower body/hips well.

 

[drummerdawg]

Teach him to swing all the way through the ball. A lot of times little kids will stop their swing and drop the bat right after contact. Swinging through will help with power and depending on tendencies it can help straighten out hits if he's right handed and tends to ground out between 2nd and 1st (opposite for LH batters). My 6 year old (girl) had this problem but she's getting much better now since she's been swinging through contact.

 

[Drebin]

The kids who can stroke it into the outfield are the ones who will make All-Stars at that age. To me, either he can do it or he cannot, I would not waste time trying to develop that part yet.

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

Take him fishing instead.... my son played 8 years USSSA and is 17 now.... wish we went fishing more and baseball’in less.

 

[kired]

for the love of God, do not yell at him for every mechanical thing he is doing wrong while you throw to him

GET YOUR ELBOW UP!!

 

[Lawdawg.sixpack]

^^^ I got my son to hit our garbage can, to see how loud a sound he could make. He loved it.

Just make sure it doesn't translate to stopping the swing after contact with the ball.

 

[NTDawg]

Make it fun. If he is competitive, some love competition some don't, turn it into a competition, ie points for line drives, points for "singles" "doubles" etc. If its fun they will want to do it. If its not fun they won't. As far as skills go at 6 I would focus on things that develop eye hand coordination over worrying about form.

 

[Shamoan]

i was told this week from a parent that has his kid on a very successful jackson area tournament team that get the child used to swinging a wooden bat. pitch to them with that bat and get them used to swinging that weight. when they pick up an aluminum bat, they swing harder because they are conditioned to a heavier bat and hitting will come much easier to them. i think im going to give that a shot. kind of a "train hard, play easy" approach.

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

6 is just too young to worry about almost any of that stuff. His body is going to go through so many changes that it can't really learn muscle memory at this point anyway. Keep it fun at this point. I do like the idea you have to swing hard and try to hit it as far as he can. Do it off the tee and pitch to him. Don't over worry about mechanics. Get the basics down of loading, striding and swing after the foot gets down.

Also hit with anything and everything, stickball, wiffle ball, hit ping pong balls with dowels.

 

[Junction John]

Great topic. Has anyone used the swing trainers that are basically just a ball

on a long stick? My son turns 6 soon as well, and I got it in part because it seems like it would be good for making contact and hand-eye coordination at least. We've used it a couple times in addition to me pitching to him.

Just wondering if anyone else has had it and what you thought.

 

[blacklistedbully]

nm

 

[blacklistedbully]

Of course there is a lot of generalization. As he continues to work on his swing, there will be different things he will need to adjust/work on. If you want to start with something really basic and useful, I'd suggest you emphasize getting him in a proper stance, teaching him the basic approach (body position, stepping into, etc), then tell him to, "swing the knob of the bat" or, "take his hands" to the ball. Often the natural inclination is to mentally try to hit the ball with the sweet-spot on the bat, and this can cause problems. If he goes at the ball with his hands or the knob, the bat will follow appropriately if you have him taking a proper stance and swing.

And absolutely tell him to, "see where it was", in other words, don't try to follow the flight of the ball from the bat...rather preach to him it is more important to keep his eye on where it was when it hit his bat. When he swings through he needs to feel his back shoulder go into his chin after every swing. That will help him keep his head still and train him to really focus on the ball at the point of contact. Tell him you care way more about him doing this than you do where the ball went or how hard he hit it. The where and how hard comes later and will more likely come as a result of him keeping his head still and eyes focused on point of contact.

Praise him every time he keeps his head still and, "sees where it was", whether he hits it well or not, or even hits it at all. Don't act like you give a dang about where the ball went after unless it is to back up the fact he did it by, "seeing where it was". Get his technique right and the results will eventually come. Praise technique...not where the ball went or how far it was hit.

Another also mentioned muscle memory. Dead-spot-on. It will take a certain number of swings to really get it locked in...thousands. I'd also add studies have shown the real difference-maker eventually is the ability to pick up from the pitcher's release point where the ball is likely to be when it's time to hit it. Gotta pick it up well before it actually gets to the plate. Again, this only comes from seeing it thousands of times, so though working from a tee has it's uses, particularly when working on stance, techniques, etc, it will be really important to get him as much practice as you can vs live pitching...not pitching machine, but live where he can begin to develop that part.

I coached a lot of high school and club girl's fast-pitch softball. I've seen plenty of young ladies look great in a cage with a pitching machine, then look lost vs pitchers. I'm convinced it's because they spent way too much time vs a machine and not nearly enough reading the ball coming from a pitcher.

 

[blacklistedbully]

I believe I would listen to this guy. He could hit a little bit. Sometimes pretty far.

 

[T-TownDawgg]

Contact. Contact. Contact. Power will come naturally.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Take him fishing instead.... my son played 8 years USSSA and is 17 now.... wish we went fishing more and baseball’in less.

I agree with this, and to strip clubs.

Whether he will be a D1 athlete was determined 6 years ago when you chose his mother as a mate.

 

[BlueRidgeMtns]

Run a pole through the tire so when you hit it, the tire spins. Let’s you follow through.

 

[bsquared24]

I agree with this, and to strip clubs.

Whether he will be a D1 athlete was determined 6 years ago when you chose his mother as a mate.

Ha, I doubt he will be a D1 athlete based on genes but it's a lot more fun to play sports when you are good at them. Odds are he tops out at 5-10 so baseball has more promise than football or basketball. Fortunately he is smart like his mom.

 

[PineGroveBully]

Give him a wiffle ball bat, point to bumblebees in the yard, and tell him batter up!

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

All solid coaching advice, if he is 6 year old Ted Williams or Tony Gwynn. I just don't see doing any of this with a 6 year old. Maybe 12.

One thing I disagree with is your statement on trying to hit the ball with the sweet spot of the bat causing a problem. Ultimately that is what must be done. I can name you a bunch of mental pictures that hitting coaches tell players but no single one works for everyone. Ted Williams tells you in his book to swing with a slight uppercut. I just heard Henry Aaron talking about swinging down on the ball. Tony Gwynn had the hands inside the ball and the knob of the bat to the ball. Charlie Lau had the 10 absolutes. None of those swing thoughts worked for me. I had to come up with my own for my success.

However my thought process at 6 was way different than it was at 10, than it was at 12, than it was at 17, etc. I just don't see trying to make a 6 year old do those things you describe.

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

Not really. I just watched an interview with Jake Mangnum where he said the scouts told him they wanted to see more power from him. He is a pretty good hitter. Mike Kelly hit .401 in the SEC choking up 2 to 3 inches on a bat and when he came back after getting drafted by the Cubs he was standing straight up with his pinkie wrapped around the knob of the bat. They wanted more power out of a centerfielder.

I can name you quite a few contact guys in throughout big league history who where very large men but never really hit the number of HRs they could have. Joe Mauer was 6-5 225 and batted .306 for his career. He only hit over 20 HRs in one season. Paul O'Neill 6-3 200+ .288 career left handed and played in Yankee stadium and hit between 16 - 24 Hrs in those years.

You need to develop your swing to hit for power. Your body needs to unlock all that speed and timing, then learn how to control it.

 

[blacklistedbully]

I appreciate that, and agree. Some of the very best ballplayers have had approaches that were unorthodox, but it was what they needed for them to be most successful.

That said, with regard to, "not trying to hit the sweet-spot", I wasn't suggesting they not actually hit the sweet-spot, rather take an approach of, "hands-to-the-ball" that when combined with a proper swing ultimately still aims to put the sweet-spot of the bat on the ball. What I'm really getting at there is to discourage the kid trying to focus on "placing" that spot on the ball. I think it too often has the effect of breaking the wrists too soon and perhaps over-extending, slowing down the swing.

Finally, I absolutely agree there is an age when it is too soon and development of muscle-memory is not yet possible. Not sure when that age is, but I do agree. I also think too many parents push their children to the point they burn out and lose any joy and interest. I probably did that with my youngest daughter in basketball. She was truly special through middle school, and I made her work on her fundamentals a little every day. Made her an even better player, but by the time she got to high-school she no longer wanted to play.

Shame on me for not realizing she didn't want to be pushed the same way my older daughter did on softball and volleyball.

ETA - Said it b4, and will say again to the OP. I'd listen to Bruce. I'm sure he's forgotten more about hitting than I know. What I know was mostly learned from being the assistant coach to the HC for girl's fast pitch in high school and his assistant at a club-level he ran in the summer. Now he was a hitter, having played through college and subsequently in the minors for the Cincinnati Reds. But it's not like he taught me everything he knew. I just picked up stuff from him on batting as we coached together.

And as Bruce said, there are multiple, differing opinions on the subject from the most credible of people. Bruce is way more credible a source than am I. Goes without saying.

 

[Bigdawghouse83]

hit off of a tee....the big leaguers do it. My kid and I worked on spraying the ball between short and first and made a game out of it for an Icee after hitting. Hit .400 the freshamn yr. at ICC. Also, get a a hitting coach cause your Dad bitching even though you say the same as the hitting coach. We used the same guy for 9 years.

 

[goodknight]

Have him take swings right and left handed off a Tee. Not to make him a switch hitter unless he does well but will improve his eye hand coordination. IE he’ll see the ball better and not be me one eye dominant. One more thing using the Tee. If able have him swing with one arm, front arm. RH box swing with left hand keeping elbow in etc.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

You need to hire a professional. At 6 years old, it's time to get serious. I mean how else is he going to get good enough to make the big leagues or get a scholly to pay for college?*

Seriously don't worry about it. If he has fun playing baseball, just get off your *** when he's ready to play ball in the yard and put in the time. It's all about exposure at this point. Tiger Woods was a 3 handicap at age 6 because he had already taken a few billion swings thanks to Earl shoving it down his throat... Say what you want about Tiger being great, but he's also a supremely weird MoFo from all that pressure.

Now if you want to do him a real favor, just make sure you are just as concerned about his reading and cyphering as his ability to drive the ball into the right field gap.

 

[jdbulldog]

Ha, I doubt he will be a D1 athlete based on genes but it's a lot more fun to play sports when you are good at them. Odds are he tops out at 5-10 so baseball has more promise than football or basketball. Fortunately he is smart like his mom.

Are you sure you don’t mean it is a lot more fun for Mama and Daddy when your 6 year is good at playing sports.....just saying or asking.

Consult with someone who really knows the basics and let them teach him a few times. Once you learn how then pass along to the little man. Be consistent. But.....let him enjoy the time with his buddies and do not stress over each at bat and each game. Otherwise you will have forfeited some of the best times of your life.

 

[T-TownDawgg]

I have no doubt your experience in this subject supersedes mine. My experience with kids is that if they are going for power and missing more pitches than they hit they lose interest and/or get frustrated quickly. The attention span for most kids at this age is a real obstacle in organized team sports.

 

[tcdog70]

In my 20 years of coaching Dixie Youth. I found you could take a kid and a bucket of balls and soft toss. Where they would have to keep their eye on the ball and catch it in front of the plate, thus swinging through the ball. Also , I made sure my batter was positioned where his dominate eye was always open to the pitch. I found that kids (8-9) that couldn't hit **** would drastically improve after several sessions of soft tossing. This is something parents can do.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Told them two things. Drop the bat on the ball and watch the ball hit the bat. Keeps their head in all the way to contact and gets any loop out of their swing.

It's all about repitition. Get a bucket of balls up and stand a few feet awat from a fence. Stand facing them and toss the ball straight up and have them hit it into the fence before it hits the ground. Gets them a lot of contact and helps you work on just meeting the ball.

Worked for all my kids in baseball, softball and at home.

 

[ksc31]

My son is 6 and is currently playing 7U competitive ball. These are some things I have learned during his first season. First, whoever tells you 6 is too early to start hasn’t been to a competitive tournament lately. If you don’t start early these days, it will be hard to catch up unless your kid is just gifted. The biggest thing at this age is getting them in the right position to be successful wether in the field or batting. Teach proper techniques(ex. Having glove turned the right way when catching) . They will make mistakes at first but it will pay off in the long run. Biggest thing with hitting is balance/strong stance first. Then make sure they are not casting with their hands or dropping their hands(think golf swing) and are swinging with their hips and shoulders. Find some articles and videos that have good drills and show them to your son. Then video his swing off of a tee and show him what he is doing good or needs to correct. That helped my son a ton. Here is a good article. The inflatable ball drill is a good one: https://baseballnotes.com/brum-swing-flaw/

I wouldn’t recommend using a tire and only use the smaller weighted balls on a tee at this age. They are not strong enough to power through tires or even the heavier weighted balls and that causes them to stop their bat and not finish the swing which decreases power. Lastly, have fun and enjoy every minute of time you get to spend with your son.

 

[hatfieldms]

I disagree that if you do not get into competitive ball at 6 you will be left behind. I help runs. For some kids it is great, for many but it runs the risk of burning them out by the time they are 10-11 years old. Imo 10u is the perfect time to jump into competitive