Batting

Question
My 11 year old grandson was hit by a pitch twice in one game last year.  This year he steps out on every pitch before the ball even gets to the plate.  He is upset with himself.  He says that he really wants to smack the ball but every time the pitch comes, he steps out.  Is there any way to try to correct this problem?

Answer
Ralph:  Thank you for your question.

You and your grandson are dealing with a very common problem, one for which I receive many questions here at All Experts as well as on my website at www.theoleballgame.com.

I have a page on my site which deals with the fear of being hit.  The starting point for getting past being hit is to provide him with a plan for what to do to protect himself.  Once he knows he has a way to do that, he can get back to concentrating on seeing the pitch at the pitcher's release point, putting a good swing on that pitch and hitting the ball hard.

The page is at http://www.theoleballgame.com/fear-of-being-hit.html or you can just go to the home page at www.theoleballgame.com and will see the page listed in the left column navigation, titled Fear Of Being Hit.

Should you have some additional questions please feel free to contact me, either here at All Experts, or you can use the baseball questions page on the site.

While a common problem, it is not always an easy or quick fix.  Players have been over coming this situation for over 170 years, it takes some time, patience and a plan.

Good luck to you both as you go forward.

Yours in baseball,

Rick