**DISCLAIMER** RESULTS NOT TYPICAL!!

I get phone calls periodically from former students of mine who are in college or high school kids out of the Chicago area that are struggling. By listening to their symptoms and knowing their swings, I can give them idea of what I picture happening in their swings. Thursday, I received a call from a Springfield, IL high school student of mine, who felt "jumpy, like he was rushing at the ball . . . and couldn't stay back." I explained to him a few things about rhythm and tempo and gave him a tempo drill to do. The drill was difficult to explain without showing him, because he had never done the drill I was speaking of. He said he understood, thanked me, and ended the conversation.

Late Saturday night the phone rang again. I was out to dinner so I didn't answer it, but after the listening to the message, I knew I needed to return the call. When we spoke again, my student explained to me that he felt really good after doing the drill, had a good BP session, then proceeded to have a career day - which included 3 triples! We laughed about that because he doesn't run well at all. I reassured him that hard work always pays off in baseball, and he thanked me again, which was fine. But I told him I had very little to do with him having a great day. Sometimes when I find when my students making these phone calls during times where they are searching for their swing, hearing me reassure them about finding their swing again just makes them relax and feel good about themselves. There is uncertainty in any hitting slump, and just giving the hitters simple answers over the phone, may be the only thing they need to get their minds right again, thereby ridding the feeling of being "lost." So I do not for a moment think that I had anything physically to do with my student having a career day. I do think that I made him relax by telling him to get back to a few basics that made him feel confident about himself. Which is why I titled this post "RESULTS NOT TYPICAL!"