In January 2010, we sought out some of the brightest, most original minds in hitting instruction and invited these experts from across the USA to meet our latest challenge...

"How do you decide what a swing error is and how do you correct it effectively?"

Each of the selected authors was given the same writing time, the same question, and the same guidelines as to length. While some editorial feedback was provided, and we formatted the articles for readability, our objective was to let the authors concepts speak for themselves.

The essays make for good reading, but more than that should provide you with some suggested templates and approaches for your own instructional efforts.

• Solve the Mystery
• Identifying Problems
• Detect & Correct
• Symptoms or Disease
• 2010 Hitting Results
• Voter Comments

Links below will point to charted survey results and voter comments. But the first commentary (below) is from WebBall Head Coach Richard Todd...

No hitting or pitching challenge we have done in the last 8 years (since 2002) has produced as low a voter response as this one. I blame no one but myself for that. I suggested the topic, and it's turned out to be a topic lacking in controversy.

You would think that different opinions on how to spot and correct faults would be valuable - and it is. But it did not stir the emotions. In fact some voters, as you'll read in the pages to follow, went so far as to suggest that none of the authors had anything much to contribute.

Not true. In fact, all 4 authors are experienced and knowledgeable hitting instructors. I have met some in person, have also read and listened to what they all say on the subject, and I believe there are great insights from each of them.

What this survey response has shown me is that while there are many in the WebBall community who value other opinions, there are also many who think they have it all figured out. To those I say this... I have been coaching 25 years and I'm still learning. More to the point, I am still WILLING to learn. And that is - or should be - the driving force for all of us in the WebBall community... the willingness to consider opinions other than our own.

In terms of percentages, of all the tens of thousands who came through the website during the survey period, about 5% participated as essay readers, and of those fewer than 15% of the essay readers bothered to vote.

That said, the trendline - from week 1 until the final vote was cast - showed consistency. In other words, we have confidence that the results reflect what would have happened had the voting period been extended and the vote tally higher.  Each author had an audience and supporters; and the winner deserves our congratulations.

To those who did vote and comment, thank you. Even those who voted against the authors, who rejected the ideas. That which does not kill us makes us stronger. We will learn from this - I will learn from this - and the next WebBall Challenge will be guaranteed to stir the pot to the boiling point.

- Richard Todd, March 12, 2010

• Charted Results
• Voter comments