Thread by @SteveEnglishbey

Anyone who is familiar with my teachings knows that I am pretty thorough and pretty detailed oriented [a process 20 yrs. in the making]. Any newcomers are subjected to a basic process as regards the first time they hit with me.

The process works as follows: I very much understand what I refer to as the "high standard." And I know the process by which individuals go about the process of developing/working effectively towards that high standard.

I also very much know that both parents [typically dads] and players either think or have heard many things about "how the body works" as regards high level hitters. Many of these things are simply false.

From my vantage point, my initial goal is to convince the player----but ESEPCIALLY the dad---that I really know what the hell I am talking about as regards the high standard and the developmental process.

This initial meeting usually takes about 2 hrs. wherein I spend MOST of the time analyzing the player's swing AND mostly explaining to the DAD [typically] how an elite level swing ACTUALLY happens.

This typically entails any number of demonstrations of a high level swing that I variously demonstrate [and though I realize it is self-serving I would argue that NO ONE can do this better that I can].

I will only bolster this [for now] by saying that I was a relatively elite level athlete [good genetics and high motivation early on],AND I have since those early days, spent THOUSANDS of hours physically doing "stuff".

Again, THE goal in this initial meeting is, in large part, to convince the DAD [typically] that I do understand that there are many competing ideas about hitting, but the fact is that you have come to THE right place as regards a teacher that knows his stuff.

The effort here involves trying to convince the dad that, in the context of long term DEVELOPMENT as regards his son/daughter, he has indeed, come to the right place.

I ALWAYS tell the parents, both prior to, during, and after hitting with me, that I am NOT an instructor that is focused somehow on ...."this weekend's games."

True development of one's potential does not work that way ,as I try to explain.

My experience as an instructor is this: Those parents/players who see this process as nothing but this weekends tournament , are destined to fail.

I had a recent experience with a dad/hitter [a 14 yr. old] wherein I found out that they were NOT going to hit with me again [after going thru the 2 hr. process I talked about above].

The main reason [as someone told me who knows the dad]: The dad asked the son if he wanted to go back with me to hit. "No."

When I heard about this I said: "Think about this. Let's say the dad asked the son about his thoughts about his first day going into high school: Dad: "son, how'd you feel about school?" .....Son:"I didn't like it and I don't want to go back." And the dad says: "Oh...ok...."

I do realize that the analogy is not perfect in that school is pretty much a mandatory situation.

But my point here is that the dad completely failed to understand my basic goal, ie., convince him that I know how to develop hitters and that it is a long term process.

His complaint was that his son did not swing enough. As if him swinging----for ONE DAY---was somehow going to make a substantial impact on his son's flaws.

So, he combined that complaint with his son's "feelings" and concluded that they should not return.

Now, I can anticipate the critics, i.e., Steve, you are just whining and blaming the consumer and the dad has every right to chose how he does.

To which I reply: Well yes, in that context, you are certainly correct. BUT.

The basic argument against this is this: I have been around long enough to realize that most "consumers" in this context, simply do not know what I know.

Based on 20 yrs. and THOUSANDS OF HOURS of ....."doing it, thinking about it, and teaching it." And I would add to this assertion that I have said many times:

Just because I am arrogant does NOT mean that I am incorrect!!

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