Amanda Refines What She Taught

Classof2020 said:

I'm sorry if it sounded disrespectful toward her in my OP. It wasn't meant to.

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I think only one poster may have had that impression.

it's not disrespectful at all, I think someone like Amanda would be the first to admit that if you love the game you are constantly evolving. Everything she puts out there is positive, encouraging, aimed at empowering girls and young women to be their best, you can't do any of that if you stop learning.

sluggers said:

When a person pitches "for real", they don't need to understand why things happen. (Nobody stops a game in the 3rd inning and asks the pitcher how she threw a riseball.) After someone stops pitching, she starts thinking about "why" she was successful and so many others were not.

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Of course, we all know that seeing what these pitchers are doing when they actually pitch is often better than having them describe what they do when they pitch can be quite different. Amanda seems to have the right acumen in this regard--she's modifying the description to better match what she actually does. Not all quality pitchers are able to do this.

If you wonder why don't you ask her. She is a member here.

I'm sure like any student of the game, which most of us are, she has a wealth of resources. I agree her teaching has evolved as all of us should.
I love the fact that I've never heard her imply that her way is the only way, or best way. Or try to provide "expert" medical advice why you should do it her way.
Haven't seen her post in a while but if you follow her on fb, she is super busy.

I didn't realize Amanda was a member here but that's awesome!!!. Like mentioned earlier...she seems like someone who is truly passionate about the game and wants to help promote it while helping teach girls along the way. There is so much great advice here that I'm sure even someone of her caliber can pull plenty of information from.

I think that Amanda is great! And I'd love for her to participate on DRP more often.

RetiredCoach said:

I think that Amanda is great! And I'd love for her to participate on DRP more often.

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We love her, too. I follow her on fb, and my daughter initially taught herself to pitch by watching Amanda's videos. I wish that, in addition to the traveling clinics they host for players, her group (and other I/R believers out there who have mastery and can explain it) would host clinics for PC's and team coaches throughout the country - and have it be sponsored by ASA or NSA or whatever (maybe they already do this and I just don't know about it?). It has been my very limited experience that, as a parent, I am almost always going to prove completely ineffective when trying to tell a coach ANYTHING except, "Good game". In their eyes, I'm just another screwball parent of a pitcher (pun intended!) who doesn't know what I'm talking about.

Well hi! Not sure what to answer first, because there is a lot! Haha

First of all, this thread makes me laugh, and I love that I got a chance to read it. Thank you, all of you, for noticing that I have evolved in my teaching. There definitely are a lot of factors that make for my older videos to have "changed" in my teaching

1) You get nervous on camera
2) I was young (was probably 23-24 when I first made those videos, now I am 28)
3) I study and talk to other pitching coaches
4) I learn what really happens when you pitch instead of what you THINK happens when you pitch
5) I am always open

I have never spoken to Bill Hillhouse. Have watched some of his videos and have watched some of his Missouri pitchers. Think I saw someone mention that earlier in the thread.

How I learned a lot about mechanics was growing up with an exceptional pitching coach who was pretty much teaching me biomechanics without actually CALLING them that. I did video analysis with her 4 times a year (or so) and she always had a check list of things for me to look for regarding my mechanics. Head and eyes over belly button, stacking, balance, knee under hip. The list could go on forever. IT was brilliant. So not only was I learning to feel what I was doing, I was literally learning about pitching mechanics like I was in school.

When I was playing in college, if you would have asked me the day before I had a career ending foot injury in Feb of my senior year, if I wanted to coach softball I would have told you no. I felt like I was burnt out, and honestly, I don't think I thought I would be a good coach. I have always been one to second guess myself and other people see things in me before I see them in myself. Others thought I would be a good coach, but ehhh I didn't feel like it. I get hurt, I get thrown into a completely different role to help my team, and here I lie with my own blog, Facebook page, pitching videos, etc.

The more you teach and coach, you learn different ways to communicate the same thing. You learn more detailed ways of explaining mechanics as every player hears the same phrases in a different way. It makes you a better coach.

So I love the word "refines" used here because I think it is very fitting.

I love to talk pitching with anybody and I am never set in my own ways. There are always different theories and different methodologies, and clearly for SOMEONE who is teaching them, they worked or else they wouldn't be teaching it that way. Every pitcher is built differently and has different strengths and weaknesses in their body. Even down to their fingers are shaped differently, so every pitched should be somewhat customized.

Thanks for noticing my hard work and growth. My confidence grows too. We are all growing. We never stop.

chinamigarden said:

If you wonder why don't you ask her. She is a member here.

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Ask me what?