I was wondering how many of you or your sons switch hit? I've heard soooo many times how important it is for a RH to be able to hit LH. Yet, it doesn't seem like there are many that actually do it. I think my son would like to learn to hit LH (he's mentioned it anyway) but is it really worth spending cage time working on it? Should he work to be an excellent RH hitter or good/above average RH/LH hitter?

Keep in mind he's 13 so that may contribute to your answers.

Good luck with it. I'm a big fan--even though my 06 does not do it full time, any longer. He did all the way to 9th grade, but his RH was so much stronger that the coaches left him that way.

Beezer - I guess anytime a player has more selling points he will be more valuable. Being able to switch is a plus. I'm like you in that I don't that many kids are switch hitters. My own son is a L/L although he won't be hitting this year - just pitching. (I love those new emoticons!). On his HS team, we only had one switch hitter and that was our catcher who was R handed of course and hit L. I assume he couldn't hit on the R as I never saw him try that. I don't really know about his college team yet - if there are any or not.

This never crossed my mind to have my son do this. If you get a chance, HBO runs a 1 hour special on Mickey Mantle. He was taught to switch hit from the earliest age by his father and grandfather - one was lefthanded thrower and one right. They pitched batting practice to him everyday and he practiced both ways.

I think if one always were raised this way, it may have a chance to work. Also, you have to consider the natural abilities of the player. Some may be naturally gifted in this way.

My oldest son switch hit not for an advantage but to just show he could...lol

The youngest is R/R and practiced switch hitting (equal time from both sides)from the time he was 6 yrs old but I couldn't get him to do it during travel ball because he didn't want to let his team mates down. He did SH until after the 5th game of his freshamn year in high school. His first 6 hits in HS were from the left side, fe said it was real easy because the pitching was weak...but when he went to the right side he stuke out twice and decided that he wasn't going to give the coach the idea he couldn't hit from the right side...he finished up hitting .440
During the fall of his freshman year he was working with an alumni of his HS who was in the Angles farm system. This alumni was drafted out of Austin Peay and was number 4 in NCAA consecutive game hit list before being drafted. He was a "light" power guy so the Angels put him on the left side of the plate...he had never done it before. We went from hitting in the high .300's to in the mid 100's...after 5 years he told them he wouldn't do it anymore. He was working with my son in the Charlie Lau theory of hitting. Basically it is about plate coverage and hitting the ball where it is paitched and to all fields. He made a statement to my son "why would you want to hit 85% of the time from you WEAK side?" "If you learn how to hit to all fields with authority, their is no need to switch hit."
I left it up to my son on what he wanted to do and he choose to stay just R/R...he hit .450 for 4 years in HS.
When he got to college in AZ, they LOVE LH hitters and he found that they could hit .250, not play fundamental ball and would play everyday because the coaches thought there was some advantage, even thought they could only pull the ball.
Is it an advantage to SH...I think if you are normally a lefty then it coule because you won't be on the right side very much. If you are right handed, "why hit 85% of the time from the weak side?"...

quote:

Originally posted by Mde5:
Basically it is about plate coverage and hitting the ball where it is paitched and to all fields. He made a statement to my son "why would you want to hit 85% of the time from you WEAK side?" "If you learn how to hit to all fields with authority, their is no need to switch hit."

Mde5 - Thanks for the input. I'm certainly not a hitting guru or I wouldn't have asked the question in the first place but this certainly captures my opinion. Additionally, it seems very much like the way he's currently being taught. My only concern is that I didn't want it to be detrimental down the road. I'm not sure how important it is at the HS level but can definitely see it being a concern at the college level.

Beezer,
I am not a hitting guru either, but some try to debate that. I know for my son he just didn't want to take a chance on being average from the left side. Now he use to go hit with some guys and a few were natural lefties. People thought my son was the natural because his swing was "sweet"...but he was a small guy in HS and didn't want to give up what little power he had just to hit lefty. Him and I have discussed the "when you have kids, we'll teach them left handed when they start standing"...either way, from either side...they have to use the whole field and hit it where it's pitched...low and away or up and in...if they want to be on the field...IMHO

quote:

Originally posted by Mde5:
Him and I have discussed the "when you have kids, we'll teach them left handed when they start standing"

Funny story....we've got a toddler son as well (he's 1 1/2) but ever since he was born, my son tried to "make him" a lefty. Doesn't look like it worked.

It's funny because me and my buddies at school were just talking about this. Ever since Ryan Doumit made it to the big leagues everyone around here all of a sudden thinks catcher's are supposed to switch hit. The truth is, in my opinion, switch hitting is a plus, not a necessity. All switch hitting does is, basically, you don't have to worry about the curve ball. The way I see it if you can hit the curve ball, there is no reason to have to switch hit. Now, I would love it if I was a switch hitter, I actually tried. I'm batting 1.000 from the left side (1-1) but it never worked out so I just had to adapt and learn to hit the curve ball.

-Kevin

I switch-hit up until freshmen year. I realized that my right handed hitting was too good to only hit from that side about 10% of the time, so I gave that up. I also realized that I don't struggle against a right handed breaking ball, right handed.

I switch hit, but I'm thinking about giving up the left side. From the left side, I've always been a little streaky. The right side I have more power and quickness. The one thing I liked about switch hitting was I also had the capability to bunt the ball from either side of he plate. Bunting is my offensive strength. I had two varsity RBIs last year and one was off a squeeze play