Mean ole instructor

[halskinner]

PITCHING ACCURACY – EARNING THEIR WAY BACK TO THE RUBBER

This is a training method that is used on a pitcher with at least a little pitching experience.

Every pitcher has an off day, a day where it seems half their pitches do not go into the strike zone no matter how hard they try. Their accuracy just goes South for whatever reason.

Here is a simple method for them to find the strike zone and recall, if you will, the muscle memory they have apparently misplaced for the moment. I will warn you in advance; the kids HATE this method.

You are catching for your young pitching student. Once she has warmed up, put her at full distance and if she cannot throw 7 out of 10 in the strike zone, move her closer to you. Put her at half the normal distance and again, try 10 pitches. If she still cannot get 7 out of 10 into the strike zone, move her three steps closer and try again.

Now have her also slow the pitch down and now she has to put the ball IN THE GLOVE, not just in the strike zone, IN THE GLOVE. If you have to move that glove more than ½ the width of the glove in any direction, it’s a miss. If she can put it in the glove 7 out of 10 pitches, move her back 3 steps and repeat the process. If she cannot do 7 out of 10, move her 3 steps closer again and slow it down even more, repeat that process.

This is the point they start to hate this, especially if any of their peers are around and watching.

This is how they earn back the rubber. Once they have thrown accurately enough to make it back to the halfway point, go back to using the strike zone. If accuracy stay constant, keep moving them back 3 steps until they reach the rubber.

If at any point they cannot hit the strike zone 7 out of 10 times, move them up 3 steps again and keep this going, back and forth if necessary, until they reach the rubber and stay consistent.

Any time they have to move up again, they will be unhappy. They never seem to mind when the instructor has to come off the bucket to chase a wild pitch. This is done to save the instructors knees also.

Many times, if the question is asked (and it always should be asked before the session starts) the lack of accuracy is a result of the student not practicing during the week. Many times they just could not find an hour during the week or the parents could not. If that is the case and, after they have warmed up, their accuracy is not there, I add one more thing to the session; If the pitch is off to the point I cannot catch it while on the bucket, the student chases down that ball, NOT ME. I do not clean any messes for her she makes at home and I am not cleaning up any messes she makes in my pitching lane either. She can do that herself.

The first time the pitcher spends most of her 30 minutes chasing down the balls and trying to regain her lost accuracy, guess what? Somehow the parents find the time and make sure the pitcher practices during the week so the next session can be spent on learning more and not on regaining lost accuracy.

It seems that paying the instructor to do what the parents should be doing during the week, is excellent incentive for the parents to put more importance on keeping their commitment to their kid’s practices.

If I had to do that for 3 weeks in a row, I then had to have a talk with the parents and let them know that I have other students on a list waiting to get in that WILL practice during the week to improve and at some point soon ‘ I ‘ would decide this is a waste of their money and I will drop them as a student.

At that point they can then go to the bottom of that list if they want to. Or, they can go to another instructor who will be happy to keep taking their money and having it be a major waste of everyone’s time.

I am there to teach and also catch for their kid while I do that. I am not there to catch for their kid and also teach when there might be time to do that.

MEAN OLE INSTRUCTOR!

 

[BoardMember]

Move em up, Move em Back, Hit the Zone, Hit the Glove......Should be part of any instructors routine. It's actually a form of circuit training for pitchers.

I handle things just a little differently regarding practice outside of lessons, BUT for the same reasons you mention. Because I'm NOT a paid "practice catcher".

Players/Parents are NOT allowed to make an appointment with me until they have practiced twice for at least 30 minutes since our last session. If they practice once a week, their lessons are every 2 weeks. If they practice twice a week, their lessons are every week. If they practice once every two weeks their lesson are every three weeks. Bottom line is they can't book a lesson with me until they have completed at least 2 practice sessions outside of lessons.

This accomplishes many things. The players who practice more, get more lessons, more often. The players who practice less get less lessons, less often. Some players only get lessons once a month. Some players never return. MOST players practice the 2 consecutive days after lessons and call me to insure they get "a slot" before I'm booked. This insures that the most serious students are practicing close to the last session, when the memory of the lesson if still fresh. In otherwords.....IF YOU SNOOZE YOU LOSE.........NO ONE GETS CONFORTABLE with a "weekly slot".......

Using this method, I find that the attrition rate of my students takes care of itself. The parents/players get frustrated when they call and I'm already booked. They move to someone else who will offer them a "weekly slot" regardless of how much they work.

I've also "cut" many students over the last 25years for various reasons. From lack a ability, or drive to learn. To the ultimate "eye roll" of disrepect during a "talking or teaching point".

I have always offered 2 types of lessons. A "Training Session" for 1 hour......and a "Tune Up Session" for 1/2 hour........The cost is the same, but the focus is very different. Some kids who haven't been able to practice for whatever reason need a "tune up" to rehash/refresh a lesson. Some more accomplished pitchers need to "tune up" a certain pitch, or mechanical flaw.

Also, the initial evaluation session is free.

I NEVER charge college pitchers........I reward them for their accomplishment.

 

[Natural]

Mean........