In the Spring of 03, two of us at WebBall volunteered to join the coaching staff of an average group of 13-14 year olds in a local league. These were certainly not hand-picked players - in fact, while we did participate in the tryouts, we had no say in the final make-up of the team. We played the hand we were dealt.

After a very short pre-season including only a few practices and exhibition games, we took to the field with disappointing results. In the first 9 games only 1 win and 8 losses. Though we were handed some tough defeats with high scores against, pitching was not our biggest problem, hitting was. In many games we managed only a few hits and fewer runs, in some none at all.

Happily the team has turned around. As this is written, we have in the most recent 9 games won 5, tied 2 and lost only 2. In fact a team that beat us 13-2 early in the season was defeated by us this week 10-7. Quite a turn-around. And the difference is hitting and baserunning, and the people who deserve the credit are the players.

Update: Each season since, it seems we find more swings in need of repair. Sometimes the lessons learned in 03 apply. Sometimes we encounter a whole new challenge. When we do, we add to this list of case histories.

1 There is no magic answer for everyone. In fact, we knew from the beginning that the only way to succeed would be to observe, analyse, and correct each problem player individually. This is consistent with what WebBall has 'preached' over the years - you shouldn't try to turn out cookie-cutter players that all approach hitting the same way or swing the same way.

2 Each player is unique. Everything about them is unique: physical build, position on the growth scale, even eyesight. And beyond the mere physical is the mental aptitude for hitting: their ability to read the pitch and react, the amount of plate coverage they have, their ability to process new information, model pitches, and learn from experience, their willingess to take direction. Also the way they adjust after the first pitch and after two strikes or on a full count.

3 Hitting is about the variables. The ball is in motion and, as much as you try to teach hitters to keep their head steady, the players are in motion too. Heck, even the strike zone is a variable from one ump to the next.

4 Anything is possible. The batter who was, at best, someone who could lay down a bunt, might some day lead the team in triples. The batter who routinely pops up every possible pitch, can also hit line shots with the right adjustments. And most important of all, anyone can be a clutch hitter if they get in the right mindset, are looking for the right pitch, and have all the confidence in the world when they go up to bat.

5 Nothing works all the time. Batting averages are just that - averages. No matter how much they might improve as hitters, each at-bat is a new situation, nothing is guaranteed. What that means most is that coaches must learn infinite patience (not always easy).

6 Try again and again. Real practice works, pretending to practice doesn't. What I mean by that is not only the repetition to help with mechanics, but the willingness to keep working when the first corrections don't seem to help.

7 Not everyone needs help. Perhaps the most important lesson. Not everyone needs to have their swing tinkered with at the first sign of trouble. Some hitters just need time to get into each new season and if you can't see anything wrong then maybe there isn't - just be patient.

Now to the tough part. As noted above, different players required different help. And as we explain elsewhere on WebBall, hitting correction is about a lot of little things and the effect you see is not always the result of the cause you imagine. So rather than repeat the tips on the fault correction page, or give out more platitudes about keeping your eye on the ball, what we have done is develop a number of 'case histories' of actual ballplayers, the results they were getting and the problems we helped correct.