Proud of my kids - Hitting Instructor Bragg

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Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,855
113
I just wrapped up my summer hitting session. I am so blessed and so proud of the players I get to work with. BB and I decided to do this joint venture this summer outside at our cages. We had so many girls come. In fact, we had 6 school districts represented and the age group was from 10U to HS. Like most nights, I left there tonight soaking wet. My students really got after it all summer. They came in unbearable conditions. For example, last Thursday, the heat index was 119. Tuesday of last week, it was 115. Parents came as well. Tonight, some parents filmed the wrap up as I went through various drills for all my students to give them something to work on until we start lessons again. Two parents tonight came into the cage at least for a portion of the lesson. The improvement has been amazing. Here is the thing, it isn't the instructor. These kids really listen, communicate well and get after it. More than once I've said to one of the players from another school that I am going to have to figure out how to get them out in HS ball.

A few observations:
  • These players want to be pushed.
  • If you, as an instructor, set higer expectations, your players can achieve them.
  • Laugh at yourself and with your students. If they mess up, that is why they call it practice. It doesn't mean that you are less intnese if you laugh once in a while.
  • One dad said that this was the first time his dd wanted to go to lesson. That let me know that I am doing something right.
  • If you are a parent you should be able to go, ask questions and have a dialog with the instructor. You are paying for it!
  • If you use a Tee, you have to also do something dynamically with the ball. I have the ball in motion a couple of ways in a lesson. Why? Because they can take what they work on with the tee and then test "adjustibility." IOWs do that repetition with a ball in motion that isn't always in the same location.
  • My lessons sometimes go over. I won't cheat you out of your time. I have to make sure that that the hitter I am working with "gets it" with regards to what we are working on each night.
  • Some of my students paid and some didn't. I appreciate so much parents that understand this.

I know we have members on this site that have so much ability to work with others. I wanted to thank them for constantly contributing to this site. It helps parents out and isn't that what we should be about if we have the experience? For some of you that have these abilities, please consider this, we have some players out there that parents can't afford lessons. If you can help them at all, the payoff is more than you could ever realize. One young lady I worked with has just accepted a position on a very good team. She was so excited. Her parents will have a chance to "work off" the fees. When she told me about this team, I thought I was going to cry. Finally, we have some members here who's dds I worked with. This site helped them get in touch with me. They know first hand that what I post here is what I do in person. They have great dds who make me laugh and who are so much fun to work with! For you two, you have much to be proud of in your daughters.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Out of curiousity how do your lessons differ (if they do) depending on the age? I understand if you don't want give away your trade secrets so feel free to ignore..:D
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,855
113
Out of curiousity how do your lessons differ (if they do) depending on the age? I understand if you don't want give away your trade secrets so feel free to ignore..:D
Yeah, don't want to give away trade secrets! LOL To be honest, I don't differ. I have high expectations of all and coach the same to all. Naturally, when I work with a younger players, it might take them longer to get the cues down as to what I mean. When I say, "stay back" is not what others might call, "stay back" and so I explain what I mean. (Stay back the difference for me between being a spinner and controlling the middle.) My lessons are a running dialogue with my students. So, I need feedback. I have to prod a younger player just a little more. It might take more lessons and overlap of concepts for younger students so I work that in. I am a little "sillier" with young hitters. I want them to laugh some and have fun. However, I will continually comment when the aren't "getting it" with regards to what we are working on. As with teaching, if we are starting another phase of instruction, I have to "go back" to a previous concept maybe a little more with a younger student. To be honest, I have the same high expectations for all of my students and I really believe in what I do. Therefore, I do what I do regardless of age. I hope this answers your question. If either one of the dads who's dd took lessons wants to add anything, feel free to add anything either positive or negative. I'm wearing my big boy pants today. Tomorrow? I don't know but today = big boy pants. LOL
 
Feb 20, 2015
643
0
illinois
How long are your lessons normally? I live in your neck of the woods and may have to contact you at a later date for some help with my own DD. We did some lessons in the Marine area this summer. The girl we went to I really like and she was a good instructor, but her lessons were only 30 minutes, and it really was just not enough time. A parent or other player would go into the cage as a "loader" or toss front toss, but in 30 minutes we would rush through 3 or 4 buckets of balls, and time was up.
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,855
113
My lessons are also 30 minutes but you can book an hour. You won't do anything as a parent but ask questions and sit there watching me work. Don't confuse quantity of swings for quality. I don't know how many buckets a hitter will go through with me in a lesson. I don't count them. We are also considering the Marine facility for lessons this winter. However, I have a price point that I won't cross and so, if I can't give lessons for that number or lower, I'm not going to give lessons. BTW, I don't use machines in my lessons. IMO, often, and this is a generalization, people feed a bucket of balls and let a hitter swing but don't coach during those swings. I'm constantly asking questions of my hitters. Maybe if I had a machine I might reconsider but it would have to be a machine that throws a high percentage of strikes.

Edited to add:

BTW, in this last session, I had students from Triad, Collinsville, Highland, Waterloo, and Edwardsville.
 
Last edited:
May 22, 2015
410
28
Illinois
My DD was one of the girls that took lessons from Cannonball over the last few weeks. Everything he says is spot on....the guy knows his stuff. DD has taken lessons from a few different instructors over the last few years. Ultimately it just got too expensive for us to do more than a couple of months a year, and I can't say that I ever really saw an improvement. It really seemed like they were just teaching old school stuff, going through the motions, and taking my money. I was honestly about to give up on hitting instructors all together. I can honestly say that DD got more out of working with Cannonball for 5 or so weeks than she has from all other lesson she's taken combined.

How do his lessons differ? First off he loves doing it. You can tell that he lives for this stuff the first time you see him. He's not going through the motions, and he wants all the girls to be the best they can be. Secondly he really connects with the student. He takes a little bit of the seriousness away and jokes around a little bit. ( I already knew this because he was my history teacher in high school, and it was one of the few classes I enjoyed lol.) It really helped my DD relax, be comfortable, and have fun. That being said he still knows how to get the most out of them. Thirdly is his positivity. DD left every lesson more confident than the week before. Sure, there are corrections, but never a negative comment. Fourth, he breaks things down and explains why we are doing what we are doing. You have questions....he has answers, and explains them so that DD and myself can 100% understand. If you have a DD that listens and is willing to do the work, he can help tremendously.

DD had to cancel lessons last night because she had a tryout, and she was legitimately disappointed lol. She just really looked forward to it every week.

Thanks again for working with DD!
 
Feb 20, 2015
643
0
illinois
You sound like someone my DD would really benefit from. Our travel season just ended and the team kind of unraveled at the end. The coach has said that he is not going to coach next year. The last couple of tournaments were ugly to say the least. DD has not decided if she is going to do the tryout gauntlet in the next couple of weeks. I think she will still play for the high school either way.

Our instructor did not use any machines either. Tee work, and front toss (by a parent or other player) and she would watch and give tips as they went through. She would give them a drill to do and they would complete a bucket of balls with that drill and then on to the next drill. It just seemed very rushed, and like I said 3 or 4 buckets and time was over. I am not trying to knock or badmouth the instructor, so I hope it is not coming across as such.
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,855
113
mudrunner, your dd cracks me up. She is also very talented. She listens to everything I said and is a hard charger. That makes it a lot of fun.

Il softball fan, no, it didn't seem like you were being critical of the instructor but rather simply stating the truth. I feel rushed all of the time and yet, I have so much I want to do.
 
May 22, 2015
410
28
Illinois
She couldn't wait to see what crazy stuff you would have her doing lol. One time your bouncing balls off the ground, next time your throwing straight at her, next time she's sitting in a chair to start her swing lol. The variety is awesome, and it was all stuff she hadn't seen before. It all was a little unorthodox to what she had seen in other lessons, but after seeing and doing them it all makes sense.

On a side note she did make the team she tried out for, but not sure we're done looking and ready to accept just yet. Every year she's tried out for one team and made it, and plans to go to tryouts for 5 or 6 teams to see which she likes best. She was swinging under the ball on a few at last nights tryouts. Her lower body looked great and she was swinging hard. I recorded a few misses and played them back for her and she new exactly what the problem was and how to fix it as soon as she saw it.
 

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