Softball Training: Marc Weekly on “What Makes For a Good Hitting Coach”

Marc Weekly was a successful college assistant coach at Tennessee and in nine years with the Lady Vols team was part of a 479-146-1 record and a staff that was honored five times as the Southeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year (2005, 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2012).

Two years ago, however, Marc realized that his “true calling” wasn’t at the college ranks but helping younger players develop to get to that level.

“Ultimately, I realized that my real passion is helping kids develop their swing while they navigate the world of travel softball in search of a college home if that fits their ability.”

As we profiled last month, Marc decided to open his own hitting academy in Knoxville, Tennessee… click HERE to read that article.

The coach’s bio also includes a successful run at the younger levels, too, as he coached The King’s Academy—a private school in Seymour, Tennessee—to three Tennessee high school state championships and was thrice named as the Tennessee high school state coach of the year.

Having mentored players at all levels—he was even the coach for the 2019 Junior Olympic Cup champions—Marc certainly knows his way around the batting cages and, in today’s article, highlights what he believes makes for a good hitting coach for those in the market to find one or even be one!

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I’ll approach this inquiry from the perspective of both an athlete and parent searching for a hitting coach, as well as someone aspiring to become a hitting coach.

I think it is important to consider both perspectives, since the roles should complement one another for success.

Finding the Right Fit

In searching for a hitting instructor, you must consider your goals and expectations.

Many players are beginners and want to learn the basics from the start. Others want to do well in high school, while many want to compete at higher-level travel ball, with aspirations of playing at the collegiate level.

To truly commit to the process requires dedication from both the athlete and her parents. I get to know every one of my parents—I want to know what their dreams are for their child, especially when the young hitter starts to develop a proper swing around eight and nine-years old.

Also, knowing the goals of the athlete at the start of her career makes for a more successful transition between realms of competition.

From helping the player navigate middle school, to starting travel ball, playing for her high school, and possibly the next level, I want to know what team they’re on, who their coaches are, and everything about their process. This helps me learn who they are and what truly motivates them, which is evident in each weekly lesson.

“Just because you take dance lessons for eight years does not mean you’re getting into Julliard.”

The dedication of a parent is unmeasurable.

The key to being a good hitting instructor is understanding that it’s not just about the mechanics—it’s about honesty. You must keep it real as you notice progress or deficiencies. This is where the question of, “Are you willing to wholly invest in your players or are you just wanting to make a buck?” comes into play.

At the end of the day, when you’ve been working with a student for at least a year, you should have a good idea of their potential skill set. It is important not to look at where the arrow is at, but rather where it is going to land.

Understand Your Audience

So, let’s dive a little bit into the mechanical side of it.

There are some amazing hitting coaches out there in both baseball and softball, and I’ve been fortunate to work with many of them, collaborating and learning about different strategies and ideas.

However, as many reading this probably know, everyone on social media knows how to teach hitting, although many have never done any of it.

I believe that, in softball, you must spend countless hours, days, and months getting each young player to understand how to drive her back hip and stay balanced. If the player does not truly understand the bottom-half of her swing, then the top-half will always be inconsistent.

Although there are varying different degrees of teaching, it is critical to understand your audience when giving instruction. You may not be able to use the same terminology with an 8-year-old that you could with a 15-year-old.

“Exit velocity” and “launch angle” can undoubtedly be useful terms, but not to an eight-year-old!

So, to be an effective hitting instructor, you have to know and understand each of your players, their ages, the skill level they are currently at, and the skill level you think they can get to.

After this, spend all of the time that you can communicating these observations to the athlete and her parents, in order for everyone to stay on the same page.

Honesty, although it can be tough at times, is better for everyone in the long run.

There is nothing wrong with telling a parent:

“Hey, I don’t think she’s where she needs to be. It may be a good idea for her to take a break from lessons to really work on one specific thing at home for several months and then come back and try again.”

What to Look for in a Hitting Instructor

Lastly, returning to the quote above, not all great hitters become great hitting instructors. Most great hitting instructors have a successful background and have coached players at various levels that have gone on to play successfully at a high-level. Similar to other careers, having a solid coaching background is important, as it helps gain validity.

Make sure when you get a hitting instructor, you’re choosing someone that has immense knowledge and makes the lesson both fun and productive for your daughter.

Parents, as you know, it’s a grind out there. I have such a tremendous amount of respect for all of you. I’ve been there: traveling around the country, trying to get kids to multiple sports, navigating all of the hurdles that life throws at us.

So… if you really want your daughter to have a good hitting approach, find someone that buys in to her 100 percent.

As one considers being any type of coach, he/she must identify what the true motivation is: “Am I in this to wholly invest in my athlete or am I simply looking for a paycheck?”

There is no wrong answer, it’s just that your answer will determine your approach. There is no prerequisite to becoming a hitting instructor – anyone can call themselves one.

However, just because you were a great baseball or softball player does not mean you will be a good hitting instructor. You do need to understand hitting and know how to teach it to an athlete.

Identifying specific areas for improvement and being able to effectively explain those to your athlete is key. You should also understand the athlete’s goals as a hitter—slapping, power hitting or wanting to work on hitting to the opposite field—ultimately, a hitter should strive to be well-rounded in all facets of the game.

Knowing a player’s goals will help you form the best learning plan for her.

Ultimately it comes down to this: “Can I teach in a way that each individual understands and applies what works best for them?”

To do that, you have to fully invest in each player and have a true understanding of where they are at right now and where they want to get to.

— Marc Weekly of the Marc Weekly Hitting Academy for Extra Inning Softball

Marc is happy to answer any questions on hitting or any other subject relevant to fastpitch. If you have a question, send to [email protected] and we’ll make sure he gets it!