help with coach:

[Go Cardinals]

My coach thinks that this is bad:

Anything close (99% of MLB hitters do this).

http://www.itsalreadysigned4u.com/shop/media/images/product_detail/photo673k.jpg

He wants me to have the knob facing the pitcher. He says my swing is too much like julio franco, and other mlb hitters... (his words).

the thing is, my hands at footplant, are almost vertical, and yet he can't seem to grasp that (haven't said that yet... haven't said anything other than yes coach).

Basically, I have to choose... destroy my swing and get playing time, save my swing (crucial stage of developement in my life) but not play as much, or talk it out with my coach.

I think that I need to talk it out with my coach... he told me once to watch video of gwynn... funny thing is that I've talked to gwynn about hitting excessively. One of his biggest things is the knob facing the catcher for your load.


Also, the coach wants me to have dead hands... He wants me to go straight down to the ball.

How should I approach this with my coach? This is getting ridiculous. Our "starters" other than 2 guys have BA's below .200. All of their hits are just little bloops... in bp.

He just said to me that I won't do well against the aces, so he can't play me... even though he hasn't really played me yet.

My motto has been, "keep proving and re-proving myself every single day."
Everyday I go out there... I have clearly beat everyone out there. I think (as do other people) that he is just testing me. When he should clearly put me in (other coaches tell me to get ready)... he'll say... "Ok, your going in for... oh never mind..." then he gets someone else. Or he'll look right at me like, "man, he should go in", but he always has to go for someone else. Always. Its like he wants me to fail. I get asked by people in the program and out if I am going to play varsity. Yet, to him... I'm bad... also, not to mention, only one other guy on the team does anything close to the knob rule. This is why I feel the need to talk to him. He is really singling me out. I honestly feel that I deserve it. I work harder than everyone. I hustle every play, but everytime I do something... he looks right over it. I hit a homer, then he'll tell me that it's because he gave me a nice pitch to hit. Any success, he gives it a reason. It's annoying. He does so in a childish manor...


How should I handle this mess?

[cubsphill]

wait for him in the parking lot after the game...

[Go Cardinals]

wait for him in the parking lot after the game...

we take a bus back... I've thought about after practice, but practice tomorrow is going to be hell if I don't talk to him before hand...

[cubsphill]

you missed my 'joke'. i meant rough him up a little.

[Postblank]

I wish I could hit half as poorly as Julio Franco and Tony Gwynn.

[Chris O'Leary]

My coach thinks that this is bad:

Anything close (99% of MLB hitters do this).

Are you talking about how he's holding the bat at the ready position?

He wants me to have the knob facing the pitcher.

At what point in the swing?

I think that I need to talk it out with my coach... he told me once to watch video of gwynn... funny thing is that I've talked to gwynn about hitting excessively. One of his biggest things is the knob facing the catcher for your load.

I wouldn't worry too much about what Gwynn thinks. He doesn't appear to understand his own swing.

Also, the coach wants me to have dead hands... He wants me to go straight down to the ball.

Why can't you act like you're following his advice but do your own thing? How's he going to know the difference?

[callyjr]

Be very careful but assertive. you have more knowledge about the swing then 95% of all HS coaches. Is he a teacher? Goto his class room during lunch or break and talk with him. Explain to him gently how you have worked so hard all summer to improve your swing, let him explain to you why he teaches it the way he does, He may have a valid reason in his mind why you should be swinging the bat a certain way. Is there internet in the rooms? Can you pull up a couple clips of Arod or Barry or anyone other then slap hitter like Gywnn. The worst that can happen is already happening(your not playing)

Send us the address to the school, we can send a couple dvd's of some pros to the baseball department

Cally

[Go Cardinals]

Are you talking about how he's holding the bat at the ready position?
At what point in the swing?

Toe touch... he wants vertical to be max you can load...

I wouldn't worry too much about what Gwynn thinks. He doesn't appear to understand his own swing.

The idea was because he said gwynn is the best hitter ever in his opinion... potential argument...

Why can't you act like you're following his advice but do your own thing? How's he going to know the difference?

I want to tip the barrel and get a running start with my hands. To him, this = long swing...

[Go Cardinals]

Be very careful but assertive. you have more knowledge about the swing then 95% of all HS coaches. Is he a teacher? Goto his class room during lunch or break and talk with him. Explain to him gently how you have worked so hard all summer to improve your swing, let him explain to you why he teaches it the way he does, He may have a valid reason in his mind why you should be swinging the bat a certain way. Is there internet in the rooms? Can you pull up a couple clips of Arod or Barry or anyone other then slap hitter like Gywnn. The worst that can happen is already happening(your not playing)

Send us the address to the school, we can send a couple dvd's of some pros to the baseball department

Cally

The head coach of the program is a teacher... he is varsity teacher though... This guy isn't a teacher. He's a pretty wild guy actually. I left out the part where is is very strict (no tolerance for anything) and has an ego (don't know how big, but its there). He's wild. I was thinking about emailing my swing compared to gwynn so he could learn that you don't squish the bug and chop down on the ball...

If you want the email addresses and or school address and you want give them clips... then please be my guess...

Do you think it would be appropriate to show him some clips of MLB hitters through email?

[Go Cardinals]

I wish I could hit half as poorly as Julio Franco and Tony Gwynn.

And yet, my swing is too much like the pros for him... I don't think he is smart enough to realize the contradiction there...

[Go Cardinals]

you missed my 'joke'. i meant rough him up a little.

He is 6-4 240... he is a beast...

Yeah I missed it... funny though...

[callyjr]

If you want the email addresses and or school address and you want give them clips... then please be my guess...

that was a joke, we cannot fight this battle for you. Its a part of you growing. Sounds like your gonna have to tell him to let you prove it to him. Then go and and prove it.

Cally

[Go Cardinals]

And cally, the problem is... how am I supposed to get better w/ out playing time?

[Chris O'Leary]

I want to tip the barrel and get a running start with my hands. To him, this = long swing...

Does he know that Bonds does this? Bonds has a very short swing. You might try that angle.

I don't know if I would fight hard on this point because I don't know if it's going to cost you THAT much.

Also, can he tell when you are doing this?

I think it would be a bigger deal if he was forcing you to...

1. Swing level.
2. Swing down on the ball.
3. Squish the bug.

[cosmo34]

Just keep doing what you're doing. I really doubt that he will bench you unless you "conform" or whatever he wants. Keep up the "yes sir....no sir", and roll with whatever he gives you, then come game time, do what you do.

Trust me the last thing you ever want to do change your swing(when it needs no changing at all) to meet someone else's ideas of what is a good swing.