Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum batting help

My son is in a bit of slump. He started off this year drilling the ball. but the last few weeks he hasn't touched the ball. It started when he crushed his fingers. he lost the ball and hit low on the bat. hit it hard enough that he busted his finger open. but he is a trooper. he was back out the next inning. but now he wont hardly swing. Seems like he swings when he knows he wont hit the ball and no where near as hard. So far I have done soft pitch. He kills it. but when you pitch it he backs down. I need help

That is a tough one to fix. Does he wear batting gloves?

How old is he? It's likely he has become shy of getting hit by a pitch. I remember when I started kid pitch I was terrified of getting hit by a pitch. Got hit by one and realized it wasn't so bad and I was fine. Likely something he's just going to have to get over. I think continuing to pitch to him may help him get over it.

Make him bunt everytime he's up. If it only happens in a game it's in his head.

He wears gloves. hes only 7 so I figure time will be best bet. but what im running into is this kids drive. When he strikes out with out touching the ball it tears him up. Then he comes to me for guidance I don't know what to do. I was not much of a baseball player. That cant bunt in his league. When he is at the plate it looks like he don't try. put him in the cage with soft pitch he will go 10 for 10. ive tried everything the coaches have told me to try. just thought I would see if yall had any ideas.

Let him hit off a pitching machine for a week at 55 MPH. Once he knows the machine won't hit him he will be back to hitting good again within 7 days.

I don't know what to tell you it happened to me when I played. I played with the 11-12 year olds when I was 10 due to my bday and we had a player that could throw 70 age age 12 on another team. I got hit batting against him in a game and it screwed my head up and I couldn't get the funk worked out. I would still hit ok but not like I did before that I would get to nervous. I played one more year after that but gave it up because it was screwing up my turkey hunting time.

Try the protex batting gloves. Think I have the name right. The have a "hard" shell that protects the back of the hand. It should help get it out of his mind.

Yeah it's defiantly a mind thing he has going on. Little thing like some protective batting glove like K Bush said might be a confidents builder. Worth a try. Hate to say it but getting hit again might help him. Seen kids snap out of that fright hit by a pitch by getting it again. Just be positive Everyone gets in a slump

I am not trying to say that you are, I am just cautioning against it. At seven years old, try to refrain from putting too much pressure on him to perform. Of course support him in every way and encourage him, but don't show frustration when he doesn't. At his age, the game needs to be fun for him and he will continue to want to play. The fact that he gets upset when he strikes out shows that he wants to do well which is a great thing, but also suggests that he may feel pressure to do well. Once again, I am not trying to tell you what to do or say that you are doing anything wrong. I just saw first hand some good friends who were damn good at baseball that couldn't care less about the sport because their dads put way too much pressure on them to succeed, starting at an age not much older than him. Keep at it and keep it fun for him, he will come out of it. Best of luck.

He's def scared of the ball. Maybe get him a cage over his helmet. I got hit by a pitch in the eye when I was in LL and wore a cage the rest of the year.

Or does his finger still hurt? Is it broken?

Finger is good he never complains with it. They have to wear a cage in his age group.

55 for a 7 year old? Damn, if he can hit that consistently I'd move him up to the JV team.

Sounds like it either hurts when he swings or he THINKS its gonna hurt. Maybe throw him some wiffle balls and see if he will swing hard at them. If he does, but still won't swing hard at a baseball, it's hurting him somehow. Maybe even jarring his hands. Lots of kids hate hitting when it's cold because of the sting of the vibration when hitting one off the handle. Make sure he's holding the bat more in his fingers than in his hands and make sure when you pitch to him you keep the ball middle of the plate and away so he will hit the ball with the sweet spot of the bat until he gets his confidence back.

EDIT... Make sure he KNOWS it's a wiffle ball so you can tell if he is swinging hard when he knows it won't hurt.

Similar thing happened to me playing soft ball for church years ago. Think of it like "target panic" when shooting a bow. Gloves will help him and hitting a few while practicing will as well but its not going to change till he gets his mind right. It took me a little time to get my head straight and I was crushing em again.

That's what I was thinking. Only the best hitters on my 9/10 team (maybe 2) can hit a ball coming out of the machine that fast.

Start back small with him. Hit off a tee. Soft toss to him. Have him just bunt the ball to keep his eye on it and then ease him back into pitching. Build his confidence back.

No kidding. If I remember the speed for the machine when my son was 7 was 32.

I have done the 55 mph with baseballs in a pitching machine with girls 8 and under fast pitch softball. Trust me if my girls could hit it I know the boys can.

Softball?? Been getting brushed back??