need some advice on DD's pitching form

[Left Hook]

I made no mention of her pulling her hand back after release, not in my original response. Someone else brought that up, not me. YYet again BM only reads what he WANTS to see. Her hand coming back was nowhere near the top of my priority list. Her stride / legwork was at the top.

Ask several 10 yo pitchers what the most important thing is for them as a pitcher. They will tell you "Throwing strikes, striking out the batter, that;s my job". All you parents of 10 yo beginning pitchers, ask your daughters that same question and see what they say.

Ropee, you can call BS all you want. At the academies I taught at, we always gave a one-time first lesson / evaluation. Simple reason there, the parents and students wanted to be impressed with what the instruictor did, said and the improvement seen in a 45 minute to 1 hour lesson, before they committed to a 4, 6 or 8 week contract. So I had 45 to 60 minutes to make a very noticeable improvement in speed and accuracy.

I learned how to teach pitchers of different ages by working with them. They taught me the most effective teaching methods. They taught me as much about how to instruct as I ever taught them about how to pitch. If I didnt impress them in that 60 minutes, they simply went to someone else down the road.


I had them use my 'Foundation method', the fastball (Peace sign) grip. I would use my 'Slow weight speed drill' with many of them. At the end of that hour, they were throwing faster and 'mostly' strikes.

I got roped into doing a pitching clinic in, I think, 2002. I was told that the pitchers from a 10u team were coming in with parents and coaches. I assumed 3 to 5 kids. It was sceduled for 1 hour.

When they arrived, it was 14 kids, all the parents and coaches. They wanted all 14 to be able to pitch in their league and tournaments. I had printed up many copies of my Foundation Method and filled one out for each kid. It turned into 14 5-minute one-on-one sessions. They had three first year pitchers. One of them was a regular student of mine. Thew sponsor / head coach was named Bunyard. I recognized him as the sponsor of a team my father played against in the 60's and 70's. His Granddaughter was one of the players.

By the end of that time, it took me 80 minutes, they were all throwing pretty fast and very accurately.

They took the printouts home, exactly duplicated what we did that day and practiced it for a few weeks. 4 weeks after that clinic, they advertised and held their own pitching clinic for 8-year-olds. The instructors were the 14 kids from that 10u team! It was a huge success.

Just because whoever you learned whatever you learned cant do this, so you cant believe it, thats not my problem. Its not my fault that whoever you learned from couldnt do that.

If you are an instructor and whoever taught you that accuracy takes months,,, now I'm the one saying 'THAT' is BS.

Taking 3 or 4 months to get accuracy is NOT going to build a confident pitcher.

Not sure why any of this matters?

 

[JJsqueeze]

get rich by buying real estate for $0 down. I can show you how! I made $5 Million in the time it took to write this post. Please call the number below and have a checkbook ready:

1-800-Snakeoil

 

[FrozenRope]

Not sure why any of this matters?

More pages from Hal's Resume'....I assume. This is the most amzing fact yet.. not only did Hal teach 14 kids how to pitch in 80 minutes.. he taught them how to be successful instructors. Flippin amazing.

 

[FrozenRope]

get rich by buying real estate for $0 down. I can show you how! I made $5 Million in the time it took to write this post. Please call the number below and have a checkbook ready:

1-800-Snakeoil

That's Don Lapre's old number isn't it... I mean before he hung himself in prison of course.

 

[JJsqueeze]

That's Don Lapre's old number isn't it... I mean before he hung himself in prison of course.

Nice reference-you sent me to Google and Wikipedia to catch it.

 

[Ken B]

Hal,
My way can be slow and I worry about that with some kids/parents. Keeping them challenged and invested is the key. I also explain that learning to pitch is a process. Some kids are working on throwing to a target within minutes, some longer. Some kids just get it right away and we can move on. Some don't, and for now I don't allow throwing to a target until I see them using good form.

I believe that your students left with a smile. I believe that all of your students were better pitchers because of your experience as a pitcher and your gift to motivate and develop the mentality needed to be successful. In spite of my thoughts on the mechanics you teach, I would send my DD to you in a heartbeat. I know she would be a better pitcher because of you.

That said, I plan to continue with the process I'm using, which follows this general outine:
-Form first (which has the natural byproduct of speed)
-Control with good form.

I love what both Coaches Enquist and Candrea have said about their coaching path. They're both quick to admit that some of their beliefs and teaching have fallen to better ideas and techniques. Even now, they continue to study, evaluate and learn new ways.

I try to follow a similar path and would not be surprised that someday I say, "You know, that Coach Hal was right about..." For now, well, I guess I can only hope to give the kids even half of what you give in teaching the mindset and fun of being a pitcher. As for form/mechanics, I know it will continue to evolve, but I'm pretty confident I'm on a good path.


Ken

 

[halskinner]

More pages from Hal's Resume'....I assume. This is the most amzing fact yet.. not only did Hal teach 14 kids how to pitch in 80 minutes.. he taught them how to be successful instructors. Flippin amazing.

Ny Foundation Method is very simple and is quickly learned. They learned it in 80 minutes, practiced it and taught it just like they were taught. You find that amazing?

What I find amazing is that this information was first published in 1999. And you dont know about it yet? Oh well, it will probably take you 3 to 4 months just to get your head out of the sand,,, or BS,, or whatever you have it buried in.

 

[Ken B]

I've lost your book, but I believe I use your Foundational Method with every kid I see. It's one of the few things I haven't updated in my notes. Good stuff.

 

[Ken B]

Ny Foundation Method is very simple and is quickly learned. They learned it in 80 minutes, practiced it and taught it just like they were taught.

I think I can teach it in 60 minutes. Neener neener...

 

[halskinner]

If I can do it in 5 minutes, no doubt you can.do it in 60. Thank you for the kind words but you better watch out or some of the little minions will start calling you a liar too.

Ya gotta consider the source. They might come to the realization that they have been eating BS sandwiches and washing it down with their own snake oil sodas all this time. Watch your back.

I am also the proverbial student of pitching. I have been one long enough to know the good, the bad and the in between when it comes to safe mechanics.