Finding a quality pitching instructor

LOL Amy that is funny! My DD loved that!

redhawkridge said:

I think you should rethink how and what you're looking for. Your comments about the dd wanting a style -- do you mean she has an image of how she wants to deliver a pitch? If so, I'd walk away from being a coach. I've worked with a few girls who want to pick and choose from my coaching -- I like that; I'll do that; I tried that but I don't want to use that; that's not what feels right; etc etc. This attitude kills the relationship a coach has with the player. Most of us use a system, where the delivery is a coordination of many parts working is unison and synergistically. The player can't pick and choose among the pieces what she'd like to incorporate in her delivery. Take it or leave it.
One small tip on finding a decent coach -- make sure he has pitching experience. Our HS has a pitching coach who pitched baseball not softball, but now he's read the books, watched the videos, and attended the clinics. He still doesn't understand what's really happening.
jim

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I have seen many instructors who played that I wouldn't recommend. I've also seen many I thought the world of. I don't believe playing experience is a prerequisite for instructing. You either have an understanding of how the body works, and how to communicate to students, or you don't. That goes for any instruction. Many who have played at a high level don't seem to understand the processes involved, as though things came so naturally to them they never thought about how they actually did it.

alexander58 said:

I have seen many instructors who played that I wouldn't recommend. I've also seen many I thought the world of. I don't believe playing experience is a prerequisite for instructing. You either have an understanding of how the body works, and how to communicate to students, or you don't. That goes for any instruction. Many who have played at a high level don't seem to understand the processes involved, as though things came so naturally to them they never thought about how they actually did it.

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Being able to draw from personal experience on the rubber can give an instructor an edge over one that does not have that experience. This is especially true when it comes to instilling a level of confidence into the student.

You must possess the knowledge AND the ability to communicate that knowledge to players of all ages. There are many instructors out there that have the knowledge but lack those communication skills. You just cannot talk to a beginning 8-year old like you would an 18-year old, it wont work.

I have seen instructors that were great with the real young ones but had to pass them on to someone else when they turned 14. That does not make them any less an instructor. They knew their strengths and they knew their weaknesses and let the parents and student know that from the beginning and they turned out to be exactly the instructor that student needed at that time.

Having played the game helps when you go to pass along experience and confidence. Many times those two strengths can become very evident or not evident at all in an instructor.

What Ernie might lack in personal experience as a pitcher, he more than makes up for with experience in the game and working with student pitchers that have excelled. And, he would not have the success rate he has unless he was also gifted at teaching and had excellent communications skills.

Many instructors excel in the clinic format but struggle in the individual setting. Many ONLY do clinics for that very reason.

Experience is not a pre-requisite to teaching. Unfortunately, sometimes gaining your knowledge from tapes or books is not enough and it shows up in the lessons.

While having played fastpitch is an asset for an instructor, it should not be a deal breaker. Many are like myself, played baseball, coached girls fastpitch at a high level for many years, listened and learned (learning) how to teach pitching years ago from competent instructors and have learned more through teaching many students through the years. It is possible to know and understand pitching without having pitched. The resume of those like myself goes far beyond reading books and watching videos. I have inherited many students over the years who were basically ruined by instruction from former men’s pitchers. Some athlete’s just do not understand what they do – my daughter was an excellent college pitcher but is a weak instructor – she just doesn’t fully understand the process. I have worked with many college pitchers in clinic settings, I would say after having conversations with them that many have very little understanding of the basics of the pitching motion, much less of how and why breaking pitches work.

So, yes having pitched is an asset, but is just a part of the package you are looking for.

Mark H said:

I wouldn't characterize Cat's hips as skinny. She's built like a woman. Just a very tall woman with long limbs and fingers. It's the turning over of the whipping loop that takes her arm around her hips. Same with Ueno.

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Actually, in Cat's case for a long portion of her career she did have a very narrow pelvic rim. There was a physiologic reason for it.

In Ueno's case, I have never met her in person but it APPEARS in pictures and film that her shoulders are wider than her hips. Now I know, as soon as I post this, someone is going to find a picture of Ueno that shows her butt to be bigger than a bass drum. Hence why I say it APPEARS.

Having said that, other than them both having long limbs, I'm not sure their respective anatomy has a lot to do with their respective pitching.

fivepotsofgold,

We also go to "Jenn H" religiously since my daughter started this past April. Yes, she is really booked solid, but she has about 5 other instructors that are wonderful. Jenn oversees everything and trains all of her instructors herself. My daughter takes pitching and hitting. There are instructors that teach just pitching or just catching. They are in Durham if you are ever interested and the website is USA Elite Training - Professional Girls Softball Training in Connecticut

fivepotsogold said:

LOL....finding a good coach can be hard.

We know of a good one ...every time we see a good pitcher we ask where she goes ..
"oh, Jen H." ... that woman is booked solid!

At 13, my DD really has to find a someone as we need to get her learning movement pitches ...
so far she has had only a few pitching lessns from a pitching coach ...

The search goes on ..

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kahenaghan
fivepotsofgold,

We also go to "Jenn H" religiously since my daughter started this past April. Yes, she is really booked solid, but she has about 5 other instructors that are wonderful. Jenn oversees everything and trains all of her instructors herself. My daughter takes pitching and hitting. There are instructors that teach just pitching or just catching. They are in Durham if you are ever interested and the website is USA Elite Training - Professional Girls Softball Training in Connecticut

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http://www.usaelitetraining.com/

On the home page of the linked website there is a youtube video. What are the thoughts of the drill they have the pitchers doing at the 20 sec. mark? I am referring to the hand position from 9 to release.

Mike

Sponge said:

So my post was....hey anyone know someone in st. louis that teaches this leap/drag leg drive, just like the elite pitchers, with movement combination of finch/osterman,Ueno style pithcing coach? ) sorry couldnt resist.

Sorry for the long post....

Mike

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My daughter is 13 years old and has been going to Rusty Elifritz for pitching lessons for the past 3 years. He is located in O'Fallon, MO. He teaches the techniques that you are looking for. Rusty is the varsity softball coach at Francis Howell High School and co-director of the Missouri Warcats Softball Organization (Missouri Warcats). Rusty is a teacher at Howell and works with the learning disabled students. He has the ability to teach complex subject matter like the leap/drag leg drive in very simple terms. Anyway, if you are interested send me a private message and I'll give you his contact information. Thanks.

national reg.

i have clicked on the links and i still can not find the national reg. i was looking for instructors in alabama. thanks for any help.

Sponge said:

Im am in the St. Louis area and what would you say is the best way to find a quality pitching instructor that is in line with the mechanics discussed in this forum. My DD is 15...we have been to 4 or so instructors over the years and as I have learned some were good to a point. As with anything it seems what fits you best and what style your DD wants. Plus some talk one thing and actually teach another. Do the folks on here have any references? Last thing I want to do is get into another set of lessons and find out its not the mechanics we want, which is what is talked about on here....

Thanks..

Mike

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Mike, just read this post since I just found this forum! We are in the STL area and use Sam Andrews. I highly recommend him.