As a coach, one of the worst things you can do to a player is over-complicate the message and force them into a swing that’s not suited for their body type, athleticism, strengths or personality.
Sadly, as I travel the country, I see more and more round pegs being jammed into square holes.
There is an art to teaching.
Teaching isn’t just reading a book or watching a video on the subject and then trying to regurgitate the information back to the player. Teaching comes from a place of personal experience. Sharing stories that not only sympathize with the player in their current situation, but provide solutions, giving them a roadmap to success.
There is a fine line to walk when you’re a teacher
How much information should I give them? How do they learn? What do I know about the player that can help me choose the appropriate words to use in this situation?
Or perhaps…
Do I tell a hitter something’s wrong, or do I present him with a problem and ask to tell me the solution? Do I have enough time to let them figure it out on their own?
It’s important that your words are delivered with purpose and clarity. Your message should be tailored to fit the specific needs of the player. And sometimes all it takes is for you to be silent and simply throw the baseballs.
When a hitter walks into the cage, he shouldn’t be working on someone else’s swing. Embracing the individual leads to maximizing their own uniqueness. Too many times I walk into a facility and see everyone swinging the same swing – or someone else’s swing.
Not every swing will produce the same results
Teaching is not trying to integrate a 17-step process to hitting that leads to confusion and low-quality work. There isn’t a “drill package” that will fix everyone’s swing.
Teaching is identifying 1 or 2 areas to strengthen and then focusing on them to maximize the opportunity for improvement.
Walk In Solutions
There is power in observation.
Before you open your mouth and suggest something to a hitter, especially someone you’ve never met before, take the time to observe how their body moves. Allow the player to swing the bat without commentary from you and showcase not only their weaknesses, but more importantly their strengths.
A teacher’s job is to identify and maximize a player’s strengths, rather than point out the obvious weaknesses without providing solutions. It’s common practice for coaches to point out only the weaknesses, leading the player to believe that he doesn’t have any strengths! Grow the player and identify what they do well.
In other words, walk in solutions.
Anyone can point out what the player is doing wrong, but it takes a leader to provide the hitter a solution.
For example – it’s easy to say, “You’re late on the ball.”
This is a common theme for a lot of young hitters because they have been taught to let the ball “get deep” or to “let it travel.” As in most things in today’s society, hitters and coaches have interpreted this in the most literal sense by letting the ball get so far back that it beats them, thus not creating enough space to drive the baseball.
If a hitter is late on the ball, instead of pointing out the obvious without providing a solution to the problem, suggest that they find a way to hit the ball off the L-screen.
And then leave it at that.
Get back behind the screen and give them a dozen or so chances to figure out a way to hit the ball off the L-screen. In the meantime, watch how they fix their timing issue on their own without you having to say another word.
This is an example of teaching but not teaching.
Sometimes the best lessons in life come from opportunities to figure it out on our own.
Communication is key when teaching lessons in hitting and in life. And the timing of your communication is crucial to getting the best results in a given moment.
Players need experiences that stretch them. They need challenges where they develop responsibility and ownership.
So how do you teach without teaching?
Present the player with an opportunity. Trust them with the responsibility to fix something on their own. Will they make mistakes? Absolutely. But don’t forget, you did too when you were growing up. Will they sometimes not have a solution to their problems? Yes. But if you “power coach” them and continue to leverage your control on the player, you’re actually hurting their development.
The goal of teaching is to move them from teacher-control to self-control, developing the player to the point where the teacher isn’t needed anymore.
So the next time you feel the urge to teach, give up control and create opportunities for the player to walk under their own self-control.
Inspire someone today.
Love,
KW
For more than a decade, Kevin Wilson has been one of the most respected hitting coaches in the game. He works behind the scenes as a private hitting consultant to some of the best hitters in Major League Baseball. In 2013, Kevin was the hitting coach for the USA Baseball 18U National Team. Team USA beat Japan for the Gold medal at the IBAF World Cup in Taichung, Taiwan.
He is the author of the Amazon #1 Best Seller The #GoodBatting Book and co-hosts a popular podcast, KWB Radio, that showcases unique conversations with the pros. If you want Kevin to speak at your next event or if you want take advantage of his popular 2-day KWB Experience for players and coaches, contact Kevin today!
Follow Kevin on twitter @KWBaseball and visit his website KWBaseball.com