Your Kid’s Swing Isn’t Your Kid’s Swing
Every fall, a family walks into the cage with a phone and a clip. A big leaguer, slowed down, frame by frame. “Make him look like that.”
I get it. The clip is clear, the swing is beautiful, and the player is paid to do it. But that swing belongs to that man’s body. Copying it onto a thirteen-year-old is like handing him someone else’s glove and asking why it does not fit.
Same Cue, Different Kid
Tell two hitters to “get your hands back.” One was already loading late and cleans it up in three swings. The other was already stiff through the hips, so the same cue makes him tighter, slower, and more confused. Same words. Opposite result.
That is the whole problem with one-size-fits-all mechanics. A cue is only good if it fits the body hearing it.
What Actually Differs From Player to Player
Before I change a thing, I want to see what is already there:
- Build and levers. Long arms and short arms do not move the bat through the zone the same way. Neither one is wrong.
- Mobility. A hitter who cannot rotate his hips freely will find another way to get the bat around. Coaching the symptom without finding the limit just moves the problem.
- Strength and tempo. A kid who is still growing into his body needs a different load than one who has already filled out. Some hitters are rhythmic, some are explosive.
- Vision and decisions. Plenty of “mechanical” slumps are really late decisions. Check the eyes before you rebuild the swing.
The Athlete Matters As Much As the Body
Some players want the reason behind every change and will study it on their own. Some play best when the cage is loud and a teammate is next to them. Some need a direct challenge. We cover the three kinds of players in every dugout in a separate post, but the point here is simple: the same correction lands three different ways. A coach who delivers it one way every time is only coaching one of those kids.
Test It, Do Not Guess
Personalized does not mean vague. It means we pick one thing, change it, and check whether it worked. Film from the same angle. Pick one measure. Retest on a schedule instead of judging every swing. If the number moves and the kid feels it, keep it. If not, it was a guess, and we drop it.
What a Parent Can Do This Week
- Ask whoever is coaching him: “What did you see in his swing that is specific to him?” A real answer names his body, not a pro’s.
- Be wary of any plan that looks identical for every player on the roster.
- Film one swing a week from the same spot. Do not coach it from the bleachers. Just keep the record.
- Let him tell you what feels different before you tell him what looks different.
The goal is not a prettier swing. It is a swing he can repeat under pressure, in his own body, when it counts. Colossians 3:23 says to work at it with all your heart. We would add: work at the right thing, built for the right player.
On the 8th Day, you start over.
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