The worst coaching advice I ever got
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When I was growing up, a coach told me something I believed for years. "Hit the ball on the ground. The infielder has to field it AND throw it. That's two chances for him to mess up instead of one." Sounds smart, right? It's terrible advice. Sure, it works in tee ball. Maybe little league. But the second you face real competition? Travel ball. High school. Kids who can field and throw? Ground ball to short = routine out. Every time. (even if its an error, out in the statbook) I didn't figure this out for years. I spent my whole youth career trying to stand like Pujols and beat the ball into the dirt. And it worked.... until it didn't. When we played good teams, I was useless. The fix came around 8th grade. My dad and I made one adjustment: Stop hitting the ball TO infielders. Start hitting it THROUGH them. More aggressive. More intent. Line drives that force defenders to make plays instead of giving them easy ones. If they catch it? Tip your cap. That one shift changed everything for me. Now here's the tricky part. Because sometimes the advice that sounds the most logical is the exact thing holding your kid back. There's a lot on the line here. At-bats. Confidence. The love of the game. Make sure the advice they're getting is actually making them better. Talk tomorrow. Trey |
Trey Hannam Training
Written for Hitters, Parents, Coaches. My Goal is To Be The Coach I Wish I Had.
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