The best thing is to skip the push phase altogether. Most kids won't do it if they are not told to do so by someone in efforts to get strikes or to follow some video they saw on line. Any kid, whether learning the proper way (ie, to throw it hard, not guide it) or not will have the same gains once they get going. Many outgrow and ignore the push instructions from the adults around them because the results will be there when they use the proper natural form. You can't baby them and have them throw half distance to a glove target because you can't see the results of that. You got to let them rip at full distance and often also into a net. The results will make sense to the kid.
You must learn to crawl before you walk and you must learn to throw before you pitch. Quite possibly the worst advice and biggest mistake people make is having a beginner throw at full distance while focusing on results. I have found it extremely effective to throw at very close range typically into a tarp while focusing solely on the mechanics, specifically a natural IR whip. By removing the temptation to steer the ball they learn to relax and trust their mechanics. Once they have learned to throw using proper mechanics they are then and only then ready to learn to pitch.
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