On Hitting (and Missing)

What's the difference between being a hot hitter and being in a slump? Sometimes it seems small and a matter of luck. When you're going good teammates and coaches say "stay hot" and your confidence builds. The ball finds open space. A player loses their footing or makes an error. You just keep getting on base and feel like you can do no wrong.

It's kinda like teaching. I say this after a "mid" year in the classroom. I was okay. Fine. Sometimes pretty good. Other times I just couldn't find it. In batting terms I probably hit around .250. I've made up this rule that a good day of teaching is when 2/3 of my classes go well. 3/3 is a great day. I can live with 1/3. 0 for 3 is a horrible day and stays with me for a while. The semester average was probably that I got a hit once every four classes. I didn't always strike out the other times. Maybe I grounded out or a kid made a good play on me. There's a lot of factors in performance be it in a classroom or between the lines of a playing field.

I'm helping out the coach of a school baseball team this season. Some of the kids are going great at the plate, a lot of them are not. It makes sense. They haven't had a lot of reps. They spend all offseason inside doing tee work and hitting off machines. You can't replicate the ball coming off a kid's hand or how a pitcher effectively moves the ball around the plate and switches up speeds and pitches. You have to stand in the batter's box, be judicious with pitch selection, get your timing right, swing hard, connect, and even with good pitch selection, good balance, good timing and a sweet swing the ball might still find a kid's glove. 

In hitting, as with teaching, sometimes only a minor correction is required. In batting your timing might be slightly off. Your head movement might be off. Your pitch selection might need improvement. Confidence usually requires a boost. Be careful not to overcorrect. Same as in teaching. After a bad class (or classes), confidence needs a boost. You need a good class. Participation helps. Good content helps. As with hitting, be careful not to overcorrect. Expect the ups and downs. Keep your head up when you're in a slump. Keep grinding. It'll come your way soon.