How to Get Out of a Hitting Slump

If you want to help your kid get out of a hitting slump, it’s best to be patient and try out some proven strategies for turning things around.

Baseball is cyclical, filled with ups and downs. A former professional scout once told me that good players are the ones who can bounce out of slumps quickly, while lesser players get swallowed up by slumps and start to press.

As parents of youth players, we shouldn’t be surprised when our kids get into slumps or think that we can force them out of slumps ourselves. But that said, we have a role to play when our kids hit adversity and there are steps we can take to help them bounce back sooner.

Take Your Kid to the Eye Doctor When He’s in a Baseball Slump

Taking your kid to the eye doctor to check his vision is so basic that it’s often overlooked. The fact is any changes to your kid’s vision is going to adversely affect him in baseball, as the sport relies so heavily on hand eye coordination.

If you’re so inclined, you can even go on Amazon and buy a cheap eye chart and test his vision yourself. Just be sure to follow the instructions about how far back he should be standing when doing the test.

This should be one of the first things you do when your kid is in a prolonged slump, as you don’t want to drive your kid crazy over his mechanics and approach when it turns out the issue is his vision.

Try Visualization Drills to Get Your Kid Out of a Slump

I initially resisted trying this when someone recommended it for my son, thinking it was like the hoaky sporty psychology lecture in The Natural (see YouTube video above). Yet, a former professional scout convinced me that these drills are effective at getting your kid to be more relaxed when they’re actually in a game. According to the scout, you should do everything you can to have your kid be loose and relaxed when playing.

“If you’re afraid of failing,” he told me. “You’re cooked.”

He advised that before my kids go to sleep, I have them close their eyes and visualize being in a crowded MLB stadium. The game’s on the line. They step to the plate. Have them picture they’re facing one of the best pitchers in the game (they pick which one).

“The pitcher’s in his wind up,” you tell them, “and you see the pitch (fastball on outside corner), and you go opposite way.”

Have them visualize success.

You can switch it up if your kid’s a pitcher, and have them close their eyes and pitch to Mike Trout or another great hitter of their choice.

You don’t want to overdo it, the scout told me. Do it for maybe five minutes at most.

Go to a Private Hitting or Pitching Instructor to Get Out of a Slump

Most of the time, slumps are going to be more mental than mechanical. But that’s not saying that mechanical flaws don’t cause slumps. If your kid is already going for lessons, sometimes it’s good for a new instructor to take a look at their mechanics to give a fresh perspective.

You should be aware that most club baseball teams don’t really tinker with your kid’s mechanics unless you’re additionally going for private lessons. I often wish that weren’t the case, but it’s the reality of club baseball. So if you want someone to really examine your kid’s swing or pitching mechanics, you’re going to have to opt for private lessons.

Also, do your due diligence before picking an instructor. There are plenty of instructors out there who do more harm than good. Get referrals from people you trust.

When you go to the first lesson, see if the instructor is meeting your kid where he’s at, and that your kid is receptive. Often the best instructor is the one who has the best chemistry with your kid.

Stop Being So Negative When Your Kid’s in a Baseball Slump

My son’s hitting instructor often jokes that he should wear a t-shirt with YOU ARE NOT IN A SLUMP on the back. And in a way it’s not a joke, because so much of baseball is mental.

I grew up in an incredibly critical family. We never focused on positives. So when my kids were messing up in baseball, it was natural for me to pile on and point out everything they were doing wrong. When they kept slumping, I figured I wasn’t being critical enough.

The idea of praising my kid after a game when he went 0-3 and made an error in the field was so against the grain that I literally cringed when someone brought it up to me.

Yet if the goal is for kids to be relaxed, I see how my negativity wasn’t helping the cause. So now I try, even though it’s so difficult for me, to praise them when they’re in a slump.

“I love the throw you made getting the kid out in the third,” I say.

“You didn’t get a hit, but you had a 9 pitch at bat and really made the pitcher work,” I tell them.

“You competed,” I say.

Again, this is really hard for me to do. But it does make my kids more relaxed in the game and actually has helped them get out of slumps. Go figure!

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR KID IS IN A SLUMP? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS.

Check out our tips for how to practice baseball with your kid: 3 Tips for How to Be a Good Baseball Parent in the Backyard.

For more on helping your kid not get too down on himself, read End Your Kid’s Baseball Tantrums After Striking Out .

Learn about great pregrame hitting drills: 4 Hitting Drills You Need to Do Before Every Game.

For ways to increase your kid’s pitching velocity, check out 4 Ways To Increase Your Kid’s Pitching Velocity.

For information about the emotional side of baseball, see Anger Management and Youth Baseball: How to Calm Down and How to Manage Your Kid’s Baseball Tantrums and Meltdowns.