This season I am doing some work as a hitting instructor for a few different youth teams. Recently, I was with one of these teams during a tournament. On the first day the play was sloppy and some of the guys had a rough time hitting pitches with any kind of pop. Frustration soon set in for these guys and they began to press up at the plate by swinging at pitches they shouldn’t swing at, and watching pitches go by they should have mashed. After two games I heard one of the guys in the dugout say, “I can’t hit, I’m horrible.” There was only one thing to blame for his struggle offensively. Poor preparation.
The number one cause of inconsistent play offensively in youth baseball is lack of preparation. Preparation in the offseason. Preparation between games. Preparation before games.
Think of it this way. When was the last time that you busted your butt during training for a long period of time consistently? Once it came time to perform, were you nervous because you felt unprepared? Did you doubt your skill if you had a rough start or a below average performance? My hunch is that the answer is no. The reason I say this is that if you prepare all you can to be a great hitter both mechanically and mentally, you stand a much better chance of performing consistently than if you fail to prepare thoroughly.
Prepared hitters have spent so much time in the cages in the offseason that they can feel if something isn’t right in their swing. They are so in tune with their swing prior to the season beginning that they can stop many slumps simply because they can tell when something is not quite right.
Contrast this with the poorly prepared hitter I mentioned in the opening paragraph. Two games in and he’s doubting his ability as a hitter? Are you kidding? Mental weakness comes from lack of preparation.
If you say you’re going to do great things as a hitter, it’s time to get of your butt and get to work. Is it too late to prepare even if you were a sloth in the offseason? Nope. It’s never too late to build good hitting habits. Just remember, be willing to work today for the results others only dream of tomorrow.
