Q: How do you prevent from dipping your shoulder when you bat?

A: My son used to have the same problem. Every at-bat he'd get behind in the count, start pressing, and try to win the game with one swing. He'd dip his back shoulder, flail at the ball. Pretty soon he struck out every time he stepped to the plate.

I don't have to tell you how embarrassing that can be.

We tried everything: special bats, braces, hitting coaches, personal trainer, sports psychologist - we even pulled him out of school to help him focus on the game. Nothing worked. He kept dipping his shoulder, he kept striking out. It got to the point that I had to stop bringing dates to the game. That boy was ruining my social life.

I realized I was being too hard on him, that I had taken the fun out of the game. It's a game, right? It's supposed to be fun. I figured I needed to do something to help him relax, to help him take his mind of hitting, to help him get out of his own damned head.

I bought him a puppy, a beautiful Golden. I pulled him out of practice, let him miss a few games and do nothing but spend time with his puppy. He played with that dog all day and all night. They played fetch. They ran through the woods. He even took that dog fishing. It got to the point where that dog was his best friend in the world.

That night, I kidnapped that dog. When my son woke up the next morning he found a note:
                                               
                                      If you ever strike out again,
                                            the dog dies
                                                           - A Fan

Since then, he's like a whole new person, so driven, so focused. He's been crushing the ball. He's completely cured of dipping his shoulder.

He's far and away the best hitter in his Little League. I've started bringing dates to the game again. Those high school girls love to party with a winner.