fear of ball

Question
My son is a solid player. He pitches, plays short and third. In a fall tournament he was hit in the shin by a bad pitch while at bat.We have worked on hitting over remainder of the fall and he is killing the ball in soft toss and off the tee. Yet when pitched to he is late and his mechanics change significantly...all for the worse, One of his coaches has diagnosed this as follows he first looks at a pitched ball to see if it will hit him...then he decides to hit it.

We are currently working on the right way to turn away from the ball to eliminate his baling out.

Can you offer any advice or drills that will work with an 11 year old? I'd like to get this behind him before the season starts up?

Thanks
BK

Answer
Brian,

Thanks for the question.  This is always tough.  I coach 14U players right now and it isn't a problem anymore, but I have dealt with it in the past.  The problem is, that it is in his head.  I will recommend this...do not work on the right way to turn away from a ball.  Tell him to turn his back to the ball if it is coming at him, but don't work on it.  If you work on it, he will think about it, and then when he is up to bat, he will be thinking about that instead of what he should be thinking about...pitch location and swing.

My son and my team members works with a former MLB player who hit .300 over a 9 year career.  We work on their swings and mechanics with a lot of tee work and soft toss.  This is where the form is developed and solidified.

But they do have to take it from the tee to an actual pitched ball. What I have done in the past is to use tennis balls instead of baseballs with batters who are apprehensive due to getting hit.  I will buy some old tennis balls or cheap ones and use them for batting practice.  They don't fly as far so they are easy to pick up if you don't have a cage...and most of all, they will not hurt if they hit the batter.  I throw them ball after ball, occasionally sending one at their hip or back or head and see what they do. Once I am satisfied with their swing again, I mix in the baseballs and after a mixture and some time, the kid doesn't think about it anymore.  

I suggest not mentioning any way to "get out of the way".  We let nature take its course if you will.  

If he fields and catches without fear of the ball, he will get back to where he was.  It will just take some time, maybe a lot, and effort on his and your part.  

Work the swing on the tee every day.  My son takes 100-300 cuts per day off the tee with whiffle balls. I watch for about the first 50, make sure mechanics are good and then he goes on his own.  For your son at his age, maybe 75-100 swings per day. Then give him a good 5 sessions or so with just tennis balls hitting 75-100 per session.  Then mix in a few baseballs.

Don't tell him why you are using tennis balls.  Just tell him it is because it is easier to round them up as they don't fly as far, and they are easier on the bat. These expensive bats need to be taken care of.

In time, he will be swinging right and staying in and drilling the ball.

Have fun, love your son, and play ball!!

Mike Boss