Don Sarno?

[Coachmom]

FYI...Don Sarno only takes students once a month---if you can get in. You cannot get a regular weekly lesson with Don Sarno. MANY kids in SOCal go to other coaches and Sarno and say they go to Sarno because of his name.
I know several pitchers that say they go to him but sometimes it's only every couple of months.

I'm not even sure Sarno is taking students any more as he has had health and aging issues. Several years ago we tried for a few months to get in with him and could not. Finally gave up and moved on.

 

[Greenmonsters]

IMO, Dan Pardo of The Price is Right was the best of the best.

 

[Coach Stan]

I am so sorry you are taking this very personal CoachFP. However, I am not sorry I expressed my personal opinion and will continue to do so even if it upsets a few on here. I thought that is what this board is all about discussing your personal views even if it is different than those who feel their opinion is the only opinion that is correct. I know how most of you believe Mr Hillhouse is the best instructor out there and I say good for you and you can toot his horn as long as you want I will never call you stupid. I feel Mr. Hillhouse is very good instructor and believe he develops very fine students.

NVfishing I am sorry my post distracted from what you was asking. Good luck to you and your daughter.

 

[CoachFP]

I know you all feel Hillhouse is the guru of pitching but IMHO Don is the best. If there is any instructor that knows how to teach it is him. Not only has he won numerous world championships but he has instructed many students from Olympians to beginners.

Coach Stan, I didn't say you were stupid, just your remark that this person is the best. What does that mean and how is it determined? I am sure he is very good and you think highly of him. That's good enough for me.

 

[eddie35]

Wow, lets agree they are both good. I have talked to bill on the phone a few times and bought his dvd very good instruction, but i have had the pleasure of taking my daughter to Don Sarno on 3 different times all were great lessons. IMO they are both very good.
Oh and by the way Don had a student by the name of Lisa Fernandez.

 

[Steve Huff]

What World Championships did he win?

Well I don't know every detail of every pitcher's career. This discussion is a little like who was the best softball player, Billy Boyer or Dick Brubaker? Well one was a speedy outstanding defensive player who could really hit and run the bases, and a dual attack more power hitting as well as quality pitcher? It is opinion. There are subtle differences I find between Hillhouse and Sarno. Hillhouse has a tendency to be cleaner in his mechanical approach. He is simpler in application (doesn't believe in a curve-ball; which I do especially against left-handers and expanding the zone), and he has the absolute right understanding of pitching to slappers, which a huge percentage of coaches do not! This is a point I harp on a lot throughout my coaching career. Sarno was great, no doubt, but I don't remember any World Championships, though I do know he won National Championships in the ISC. As far as International awards I think Ty Stofflet won a lot more as did Michael White though he played a lot of his career in New Zealand. As far as the video shown of Ana Pedroza, I think her mechanics are a little out of control, though she might have taken two lessons, who knows! They both are great coaches IMHO. But, I personally prefer Hillhouse's basic approach to pitching.

Some here won't like this, but Sarno did say something I love:

Softball Definition: "To consistently deliver a quality pitch to a good location and the difference between a pitcher and a thrower."

"Control is critical to effective pitching. With control, a pitcher is in command. She’s confident, poised and focused on the mound. Her ability to perform at high levels under pressure greatly increases with good control, as does her ability to carry out the strategic game plan. The ability to consistently locate a pitch both inside and outside the strike zone is usually the difference between winning and losing. Smart pitchers with good control keep hitters in the hole. They get the first pitch over and they get the first batter out. They understand that leadoff walks score 75 to 80 percent of the time."

 

[curiousgeorge]

As far as International awards I think Ty Stofflet won a lot more as did Michael White though he played a lot of his career in New Zealand.

steve, I wonder where you get your info sometimes. a simple google search proves this statement to be false. White has lived permanently in the USA since the late 1980's and was a member of the USA team since 1994. While born in NZ, I think his career was defined in this country.

I don't know if Sarno ever played for the USA team but I see he was put into the "ISC" hall of fame in 1980. That means the man had a stellar career. Hillhouse is still actively playing and has been on USA team multiple times. I know our lessons are on hold as his team is playing nationals and world championships in the next 2 weeks.

CG

 

[CoachFP]

As I researched, Sarno won the ISC Tournament in 1970. That is no small feat. Ty Stofflet's career is legendary and Michael White has won more ISC World Tournament games than anyone.

 

[Steve Huff]

Agreed about Sarno. But I am referring to international play. White could not play for the US until sometime late in his career. He was a New Zealand citizen, not a US citizen. The reference was World Championships. He pitched for many US teams, but not the National Team that early. And I don't think the 1994 date is correct. I actually saw him in the pre-world championships in Salt Lake City I believe in 2000 wearing the US uniform for the first time, playing in a tune up in the Larry Miller Toyota tournament.There are many Aussies and Kiwis who do the same. Chubb Tangaroa and Bill Massey were other Kiwis who pitched here for hire. Michael Piechnik from Canada did the same. He played here most of his career, but pitched for Team Canada in ISF and ISC tournaments as well as Pan Am games.

I get my information from my head. You can do the research and correct me!
BOLD HIGHLIGHTED statements above I now believe to be untrue since White pitched in the Pan Am Games for Team USA.

I just looked it up myself on the Team USA website. It says he decided to become a US citizen after he competed for New Zealand in 1996, where he won a gold medal for Team New Zealand. However, I also see he competed for the US in the Pan Am games in 1995 and 1999. So I remain confused. It also says on his Oregon Ducks website that he pitched for Team USA in the world Championships in 1994. I give up!

"The former Wellingtonian will play in his sixth world series in Christchurch this week. He has won two gold medals (1984 and 1996) and two silver (1988 and 1992) with New Zealand. But he donned the US uniform in 2000 and picked up a bronze to complete his world series set, losing the semifinal to the Black Sox as the New Zealanders chalked up a second successive title." This is from the USA National Team site. Someone is wrong, but which. I didn't think he became a citizen until 1999 or 2000.

"The 1996 World Championship final was a classic game between defending Champions Canada and consecutive Two-Time Runners-Up NZ.
Canadian Pitcher Darren Zack, rated No1 in World Softball against the outstanding NZ hurler, Michael White. Both teams were stacked with excellent talent and scoreless game until the 5th inning when a Taifau Matia triple followed by a squeeze push bunt from Dean Taikato gave the Black Sox the 1-0 lead.

A massive 2 run automatic HR from Paul Walford made it 3-0 after 6 innings. Then a double from Thomas Makea in the 7th scored Dion Nukunku for a 4-0 World Championship victory. However an incredible pitching performance from Mike White dominated this game. His perfect game in a World Championship final, supplied by brilliant NZ defence made this an unforgettable Black Sox success."

I retired from play in 1989 as he was a lot younger than me. I don't know all the details. But I do know he wasn't playing his whole career for Team USA in International play

 

[Hillhouse]

Thanks for sending me this link... I'm not going to engage in the debate that was on the earlier pages but I will clear things up for Steve Huff. Before I do, let me say that I've met Don Sarno and he seems like a great guy. He had a hall of fame worthy career and it was an honor to meet him. I think I met him in 2001 (or there abouts) at a USA National team camp. He wasn't there instructing, just observing.

Mike White has been in the USA since the 1980's. I am not sure when he got his citizenship but 1994 was the first time he was eligible for USA softball activities, which means thats when he became a citizen and got a USA passport. We played on the same team at the 94 Olympic Festival. He was on the USA team in 1995 for the Pan Am games, then went back to the NZ team for the 1996 ISF Worlds (which he won by throwing a perfect game in the final vs. Canada). He went back to the USA team in 1999 for Pan Ams and stayed with USA for the 2000 ISF where we were teammates again, playing in South Africa. He was a citizen in the early 1990's. I was on the US team for the first time in 1993, Whitey was not on that team so I assume he was not a citizen then. But once getting his citizenship in 94, he was immediately put on the team. Like a lot of pitchers born in NZ, they would play the North American summers here on club teams and go home to NZ for our winters. I also did that for about 10 years.

Bill