How does a beginner learn to swing? How about a more advanced player who has a bad swing, how do they learn a new swing? Let's think for a moment about how a baby learns to walk.
Do we give them detailed mechanical or physical instruction on how high they must lift one leg and what is the ideal distance to step ahead of the other? Do we go over the critical nature of the performance of the toes in walking and how each one must be used in order to move oneself in the most efficient and balanced manner? Do we show them what a bad walking motion is and contrast it with a good walking motion? The simple answer to all of the above questions is 'of course not, that's silly'.
Fortunately, most children learn to walk BEFORE they can be told HOW TO by mom or dad.
Rather, they see adults walking and they learn by seeing and by emulating in their own efforts.
Sometimes they lose balance and fall.
Do we then explain to them how they left their toes angled down to far resulting in them getting caught on the floor causing the fall(using a baseball "trusim", they dipped their back shoulder or rolled their wrists too early, etc.
) Can you imagine the difficulty a toddler would have learning to walk if they understood such instruction and were actually THINKING with every step how high they are lifting their leg and how far to step and how each toe was angled in order to perform the PERFECT step? It would probably prove to be the most excruciating and frustrating event of theirs and their parent's lives.
Followed only in the frustration level of when it came time to teach them how to hit a baseball :-) .
I think it's important to tell players how to swing properly, but I think it's even more important to SHOW them how.
Whether it's personally or with pictures and video.
Doing all three of those is even better.
Show them stop action photos of the best hitters in their sport performing the moves that are important to a good swing.
I think pictures are great, but live demonstration and video are by far the best.
Videos of the best hitters in the world taking their best swings is a good teaching tool.
The problem for some coaches/instructors is that there are no actual videos of the game's top players swinging what they teach because no one actually swings that way.
If your instructor can't show you video after video of great hitters doing what they are trying to teach you, I would find someone else.
Find someone who's goal is that you don't have to think so much in order to learn, and you learn how to not think so much when it comes game time.
Over-instruction runs rampant with young players.
I see it and hear it during games from coaches and parents and I've seen it with instructors during lessons.
Sometimes we have to remember that less is more when teaching young players how to hit.
Less is more and keep it simple.
Over-instruction, especially during games, gets players thinking too much.
When it would be better to get them to think less and just let it happen from their practice reps and from the miracle of what the brain can do from watching the best players perform.
By the way, I suggest more of that.
A lot more.
That is watching the best players perform their best swings.
Watch and learn.
It works.
Strive to get players to stop thinking so much(about their mechanics).
And take time to watch a baby learn how to walk(or remember when yours learned to).
But do both of you a favor.
Don't tell him/her how to correctly position their toes.
:-)