Softball Mechanics - Does One Size Fit All?

I've been in softball a long time but I remember how I felt when I started coaching years ago.

You're eager to learn the best ways to teach your kids and athletes.

So, you go to clinics and the presenters will show  you how they teach softball hitting or pitching.

Then, you read books or watch videos and the authors do the same - they show you their way.

Each time you listen to a "guru" or an experienced coach or instructor, you've got the impression that their way is the only way - especially if they have worked with big names before.

Of course, you pick a few similarities on the basic concepts but there's also many differences between what each of them teaches.

Now, you're totally confused. You don't know who to listen to or what "technique" to use with your kids or athletes.

Finally, you pick the technique that makes the most  sense to you and teach it to all your athletes.

That's the problem.

Many well-intended parents, coaches, and instructors  literally try to "copy and paste" a technique on their kids.

Unfortunately, it just doesn't work.

One size does NOT fit all. You can't "copy and paste".

Every kid is different - they learn differently and have different body types.

That's usually when you realize that you can't do it but that you've got to tweak what you teach depending of the kid you work with.

A few years later, you understand that nobody agrees on one set of principles and that even the so-called "guru" or top-notch instructors, while they believe
strongly in their approach, they will modify to suit the athlete they work with.

In a nutshell, you can believe stronly in one approach or technique but you've got to personalize it when it comes to teaching it.