Over 20 years ago I saw the top HR hitter in JUCO pass on the draft to attend a division 1 school. The head coach at the university was an excellent pitching coach, and had a very successful side business with youth camps, books, etc. Most of his skill drills and methods were sound. Although, I have issues with a few minor things that were taught by him.
In this case he couldn't leave well enough alone back at the university with his new power hitting recruit that he'd been able to land. He was bound and determined to have him learn to go the other way. It wasn't an effort in trying to improve his contact on a hit and run or teach him to go with the pitch (outside pitches, breaking pitches, etc.) It was more of a "he'll be a complete hitter with an inside out swing" type of thinking. It turned out to be the epitome of paralysis through analysis. This power hitter was never the same after the swing tampering. Sometimes this type of mistaken thinking shows up in pro ball, too.
In the past, a couple of Major League hitting coaches and minor league developmental people got into this pitfall of trying to make some pretty good hitters perfect as well. One of the coaches in particular has screwed up, not one, but two hitters' swings over a period of time by over emphasizing their hips instead of the the slot position. Believe me, they were already good power hitters, but in an effort to add even more pop this hitting instructor accomplished the opposite. Those hitters were never the same either after the experimenting was done. My conclusion...
If it ain't broke-don't fix it. Work with hitters that actually need help.
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