Modeling pro swings is a double-edged sword, and most coaches use this method. I’m hoping this post will help you rethink the approach.
I recently listened to a podcast interview with a man in the contracting business. He has a team of contractors that help homeowners with small and large projects. It’s a typical small-business model, but he said something that stuck with me and can be applicable to teaching:
“I will pay for good advice, but it has to come from the right person and at the right time.”
He used Warren Buffett as an example. Paying for an hour of Warren Buffett’s time would be worthless for me because he’s at a different level than me. Of course, I would listen to interviews with him, but paying for one-on-one time would not give me a return on my investment. He’s in a different league, solving different problems. I would not be able to act on the advice he gave me, even though it would be good advice.
I think about MLB swings like this. If I sat down with Aaron Judge, he would probably give me really good advice, but I likely wouldn’t be able to act on it. He’s at a different level, solving different problems than I am. But what if I had the ability to talk to Aaron Judge when he was in college or just getting into the minor leagues? Now that would be more valuable. He’s at least in my atmosphere, where his advice would translate better.
This doesn’t mean I won’t watch interviews with him or study his swing. It means I need to put his swing into context. The swing I’m looking at — what part of the season was it? Who was he facing? Was he on an unbelievable home run streak? What was the count? What was the pitch? What was the location? All of these factors matter in understanding how I can apply what I’m seeing to my own swing.
Last note for brownie points: watching his Home Run Derby swing or BP swing is totally different than watching his game swing. Context matters. So saying, “Have you noticed how Aaron Judge does this? You should do the same thing,” is a weak approach. Not saying it’s wrong — just saying it can lead to confusion rather than clarity.
Am I wrong? Comment below or send me a DM through the VIP
