Why Johnny Can't Hit!
By Tony Scoglio
Hitters Practice 3 1/2 Hours Per Year?
According to a major baseball/softball equipment manufacturers marketing and promotions statement, “The average baseball/softball player practices hitting only 3½ hours per year.”
You may be asking yourself, "How did they they come to this conclusion?" Well here goes, stay with me. "Baseball/Softball last 16 weeks at the high school level. If you practice 5 days a week, 2½ hours per practice, this is a total of 80 days, or 200 hours per season. Half of this time (100 hours) is spent playing scheduled games. Of the remaining time (100 hours), 50 hours is spent practicing defense, and 50 hours is spent practicing offense.”
“Generally, 15 players divide the 50 offensive hours, giving each player 3½ hours or 200 minutes of hitting practice per season. If the player is not training during the off-season, or taking private instruction, the player actually practices hitting about 33 seconds per day, per year.”
This is for an ability that is considered by the majority of sports experts to be the most difficult skill in sports.
You may be asking yourself, "How did they they come to this conclusion?" Well here goes, stay with me. "Baseball/Softball last 16 weeks at the high school level. If you practice 5 days a week, 2½ hours per practice, this is a total of 80 days, or 200 hours per season. Half of this time (100 hours) is spent playing scheduled games. Of the remaining time (100 hours), 50 hours is spent practicing defense, and 50 hours is spent practicing offense.”
“Generally, 15 players divide the 50 offensive hours, giving each player 3½ hours or 200 minutes of hitting practice per season. If the player is not training during the off-season, or taking private instruction, the player actually practices hitting about 33 seconds per day, per year.”
This is for an ability that is considered by the majority of sports experts to be the most difficult skill in sports.
- Comparatively, a musician practices no less than 3 1/2 hours per week or 182 hours per year.
- Basketball players practice shooting 40 times as much as baseball/softball players practice hitting.
- Competitive tennis players play year round, taking lessons 1 to 2 times per week, in addition to practicing 3 to 4 times per week, hitting 500 to 1000 balls per session.
- Most Olympic athletes practice four to six hours per day, 300 days per year, or 1200-1800 hours per year.
Even if a baseball/softball player extends playing time with summer and fall leagues, you’re still only looking at 10½ hours of actual hitting practice, per player, per year. That's only if they are still practicing 5 days a week. Most fall-ball teams don't practice at all.
It’s no wonder, that so many players and coaches lack a basic understanding of the fundamentals of hitting, at every level of experience. Ted Willaims, last of the .400 hitters said, "Everybody knows how to hit -- but very few really do."
Marv Bittinger said it best, in a book he co-authored with former Chicago Cubs manager Dusty Baker, “Hitting is probably the most over coached yet under taught skill in all of sports. Many coaches believe that they know how to hit merely because they are older and have played the game at some level. We do not mean, of course, to be critical of anyone who volunteers his or her time --- baseball needs all the caring, dedicated coaches it can find. But hitters need a foundation, a philosophy --- yes, even a plan of attack --- with which to go to the plate. Once a young person understands that there are certain actions in the process of hitting that absolutely must go right, successful hitting becomes achievable.”
Parents and players need to understand that lessons are not to take the place of practice, but to make practice worthwhile. Frankly, there just isn't enough time during the season to expect a coach to focus on each players hitting. And without enough time, proper instruction and training "Practice doesn't make perfect", it makes imperfections permanent.
It’s no wonder, that so many players and coaches lack a basic understanding of the fundamentals of hitting, at every level of experience. Ted Willaims, last of the .400 hitters said, "Everybody knows how to hit -- but very few really do."
Marv Bittinger said it best, in a book he co-authored with former Chicago Cubs manager Dusty Baker, “Hitting is probably the most over coached yet under taught skill in all of sports. Many coaches believe that they know how to hit merely because they are older and have played the game at some level. We do not mean, of course, to be critical of anyone who volunteers his or her time --- baseball needs all the caring, dedicated coaches it can find. But hitters need a foundation, a philosophy --- yes, even a plan of attack --- with which to go to the plate. Once a young person understands that there are certain actions in the process of hitting that absolutely must go right, successful hitting becomes achievable.”
Parents and players need to understand that lessons are not to take the place of practice, but to make practice worthwhile. Frankly, there just isn't enough time during the season to expect a coach to focus on each players hitting. And without enough time, proper instruction and training "Practice doesn't make perfect", it makes imperfections permanent.
For information contact: Tony Scoglio direct at (708) 990-9000, Email: tscoglio@gmail.com, website: http://tonyscoglio.blogspot.com/
_________________
No comments:
Post a Comment