Baseball question, can average to poor hitters be transformed into good solid hitters by the right

[coach66]

Baseball question, can average to poor hitters be transformed into good solid hitters by the right

coaching or is that a stretch? If we could improve our hitting we would have a pretty decent baseball team but I have to say this is one of the weakest hitting teams I've ever<div>seen us put on the field. I appreciate the new bats and believe it has returned the game to what it needs to be but sometimes one wonders if they went too far in the other direction. It seems</div><div>almost impossible now to hit it out of Dudy Noble.</div>

 

[Todd4State]

Baseball question, can average to poor hitters be transformed into good solid hitters by the right

Talent certainly comes into the equation. I could have the same coach as Matt Kemp, the same training as Matt Kemp, but that doesn't mean I can hit like Matt Kemp. Certainly, all hitters are not created equal.

Coaching can certainly make a player better from their baseline, though. I don't think there is any question about that.

Work ethic plays a part too- some guys spend more time in the cage than others.

Experience helps more than anything- being put in a situation where a hitter has to perform, and hopefully learns from their failures, and also from their success. You can go to baseball-reference.com and you will see a direct correlation between experience and players getting better that's very easy to see, and then most begin to tail off around age 36 if they make it that long. Also, as far as college, you can see a correlation between hitters their freshman year and their junior/senior year as far as improvement in most cases.

The main job of a hitting coach a lot of times is to find and correct mechanical flaws in a swing rather than outright teaching.

 

[shotgunDawg]

Baseball question, can average to poor hitters be transformed into good solid hitters by the right

The answer to your question is that it depends on the person and their work ethic, but you can't take a poor hitter and make him a good hitter, however, you can take a poor hitter and make him serviceable by using him in the correct roles and asking him to have a certain approach at the plate. So basically you can only improve the metal side of hitting on average. Improving the physical side of hitting is very difficult because it is very tough for hitters to correct flaws and hitches in their swing, and improving natural hand/Eye coordination is almost impossible. For baseball players, their actions, the way their body moves, and their tools don't tend to change. For example, if you have ever seen video of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, or Gary Sheffield as high school players, you will see that, with the exception of pure strength, they look almost exactly the same then as they do now.

 

[Coach34]

Baseball question, can average to poor hitters be transformed into good solid hitters by the right

think about it- we have given up 2 HR's all season at home- in 30 games. The park needs to change if the bats are going to remain like this.

As far as hitting, experience helps. Thats the bottom line.

 

[bulldogcountry1]

Baseball question, can average to poor hitters be transformed into good solid hitters by the right

are that way for two reasons - Either they lack talent or they are mechanically unsound. Average guys with little talent generally make it to D1 by outworking everyone else. These are the guys who take extra BP, extra grounders, etc. They pick up most of the mechanics early because that's what they have to do to keep their careers going. Then, you have the mechanically unsound guys of varying degrees of talent, or what people call "raw". Either they found the game later than most others or they have been skirting by on their talent because they are so much better than everyone they compete against, until they get to college. These are the guys that are frustrating to follow as fans. You just sit around and wait for them to reach their potential and then they are gone about the time you start to see it.

Like Todd said, hitting coaches are mainly just looking for flaws (which can still be subjective). It's all about fixing those flaws, repetition, and experience. Hitters need to get to a point to where they aren't thinking too much at the plate. If you go up there thinking about "weight back, shoulder in, hips closed" you are screwed already. You should only be thinking about the situation in front of you.

I think that's where we are struggling. the learning curve is slow for some of these guys. Combine that with Cohen trying to do too much sometimes, and these guys are going up to the plate with 100 things going through their heads.

 

[Dubs.sixpack]

Baseball question, can average to poor hitters be transformed into good solid hitters by the right

Mitch Moreland was a good hitter here that had natural strength. He worked hard but had a very unorthodox swing. When he got to the Rangers, they changed his stance to standing more upright. Example of coaching mixed with talent and hard work took him from a 17th rounder to a major leaguer. A guy like Ed Easley on the other hand had talent, great swing (didn't need much coaching), but not the work ethic and that has him sputtering in Double A and on the verge of ending his career. Scott Deloach (bear with me) is a good example of what coaching can do. Not much pop, not a great swing, not a great talent. But, he was very coachable and worked hard to give us solid AB's. He learned patience, what he could and couldn't hit and ending up leading the league in on base % his senior year due to being able to take the marginal pitch, work the counts in his favor, and spray the ball to all parts of the field. Agree with Coach that HR days at Dudy are over and think we need more Deloach's (just maybe with more talent). We need system guys like him because Mitch Moreland's and Tyler Moore's aren't coming as often to play for Cohen or Dudy anymore. It's not worth it. Cohen had some pop guys at UK but that park plays a lot smaller. So to answer the question directly, it's a combo of work, talent, and coaching. Although I think the best coaches won't tinker swings as much as help with mental approaches at the plate. Feel like Cohen tinkers a little too much, creates thinkers at the plate rather than reactors, and backward's K's are a result.

 

[rugbdawg]

Baseball question, can average to poor hitters be transformed into good solid hitters by the right

extra base hits. You replace 7 ofour singles (plus the huge amount of walks we get)in any given game for 2 doubles and 5 singles, you are looking at a completely different record. Porter is there. Rea is getting there, I really likewhat we have seen out of him lately.Renfroe SHOULD be there by now. I'm not sure why he is not. Bradford was there but has regresseddue to his injury. Norriswas there but the injury is holding him backas well.

 

[coach66]

Baseball question, can average to poor hitters be transformed into good solid hitters by the right

games. He is a great looking prospect with a swing problem.

 

[tcdog]

Baseball question, can average to poor hitters be transformed into good solid hitters by the right

IfI was a power hitter I would not want to come the Starkville.South Carolina plays in a power hitter friendly Park. Several other venues in SEC better to hit in than The "Dude". But on the other hand pitchers should love it.

 

[kimmer]

Baseball question, can average to poor hitters be transformed into good solid hitters by the right

If you could do that simply by coaching then player recruiting wouldn't be the cut-throat, root-hog-or-die spectacle that it is. The hiring of hitting coaches would be. Sure coaching is vital, but hitters, or potential hitters, either have the tools when they walk on a college field or they don't. If they have the physical tools then a hitting coach can transform a poor hitter into a good one. If they don't have the tools then no amount of coaching is going to make them 'good'. Better, maybe, good, no-way.

I would liken it to this. Tiger Woods swing coach can help him be more competitive but did not, and cannot turn him into an elite golfer. Your average scratch golfer could get instruction from Tiger's swing coach, putting coach, and every other coach till the cows come home and will never get close to even getting a PGA card. Difference? Talent matters. A lot.

 

[Todd4State]

Baseball question, can average to poor hitters be transformed into good solid hitters by the right

Watch his at bats last year. I agree he is not there yet, but he is on the right path. He played at a small academy school and was by far the most raw recruit we had last year.

But, last year, Renfroe was hitting in the .100's and striking out almost everytime. This year, he is hitting .255 with a couple of home runs and he has gotten some clutch hits for us.