"It's just staying the course and doing the daily work and routine," Skaalen said. "Yeah, there's been a little bit of pressing going on. It's been a combination of things. We've hit a lot of balls good and haven't hit with a lot of luck. But I'm seeing some really good swings."

The A's begin a two-game series against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night that caps off a season-long nine-game homestand. Thus far, fans have been teased by an offense that shows glimpses of breaking out, only to crawl back into hibernation.

That leaves a sizable task for Skaalen, 54, who spent the past two seasons as the Milwaukee Brewers' hitting coach before getting hired by Oakland in December. His resume includes eight seasons as a minor league manager and a three-year stint as the San Diego Padres' farm director, giving him a wealth of experience working with young hitters.

His current challenge with the A's is working with proven, veteran hitters who have started slower than expected as a group. Jason Giambi (.208), Matt Holliday (.226) and Orlando Cabrera (.223) are among the core players trying to find their strokes for a team that's scored an American League-low 121 runs.

For Skaalen, an even-keeled sort with a dry sense of humor around the batting cage, the trick is knowing how much hands-on instruction to give to hitters who probably know their own swings better than anyone.

"The best thing is he's really positive," Giambi said. "We'll just talk about hitting. I try to take in all the information I can get. We'll talk back and forth, whether it's pitch selection, or how did that swing feel. I'm more of a 'feel' guy than a technical guy." Regardless of the hitter, Skaalen stresses the importance of timing knowing when to start the swing on every pitch. That's the main idea he and Giambi have focused on.

"He needs to get started a little sooner, and I think all the other components of his swing will come together," Skaalen said Saturday morning.

That afternoon, Giambi homered twice against Toronto.

No one logs more time in the batting cage than Holliday, a coach's son who is forever searching out ways to improve. Over the winter, Holliday decided to abandon the left leg kick that had always triggered his swing.

Earlier this season he brought the leg kick back, and now he and Skaalen are trying to dial it down just a bit.

"(The key is) quieting down the leg kick a little bit, just to make it easier for him to get into a hitting position, because his swing works," Skaalen said. "It's all about getting there on time, so you see the ball better, see the ball longer, and you've got more time to react."

A's manager Bob Geren likes the fact that Skaalen has experience working with younger hitters and established major leaguers. The A's lineup features both, and Skaalen thinks it's only a matter of time before things click for the entire offense.

"We've sputtered because we haven't had the consistency that you need through the lineup," Skaalen said. "Combine that with the fact that we've had some good games pitched against us, and it's kind of where we are. But where we are is not where we're going to be."

A's vs. Royals ?Today: in Oakland, 7 p.m. ?TV: CSN-CA