Hillhouse Pitching Clinic Experience - NC

[NVRGIVUP]

I just wanted to let everyone out there know how my experience was with Bill this past weekend. I am a head softball coach at a high school (no time for travel ball - I have 3 daughters! ) I have been giving lessons since I graduated high school *cough-cough*, in '95. I was taught alot of old school methods and in turn, had been teaching the same way until about 5 years ago when I ran across the House of Pitching website. Needless to say, it changed the way I teach and honestly, I feel bad for teaching the old ways to my students for all of those years!

In the past few years I have accumulated a handful of talent, but I was seeing a trend in our area with pitching. I couldn't believe the bologna that was being fed to these pitchers and their parents and they followed like sheep! Lord, if anything, they could at least do some research to know that what they were being told was DEAD WRONG! LOL So, back in June, I decided to drop Bill an email just to see what it would take to get him to come out and give a clinic. I gotta say everyone, it was pretty easy! Bill carries his own insurance, so all you need is an indoor facility (he is literally putting on clinics and lessons from 9am to 9pm - so he would rather be inside...I concur! ) Bill seems to be a 'first come, first serve basis'....so basically - you snooze, you lose! Take my advice - if you feel they same way I did about being frustrated at all the trash that is being taught in your area - invite as many pitching coaches/coaches as you can to the seminar (this is for the clinic package) and see how many 'egos' are out there! Most won't show up, but their students and parents will give it a go. However, when the parents sit and listen - it's like a light bulb gets turned on and they wonder why they were being taught counter-productive methods!

Hey, I'm not saying everyone agrees 100% with each others pitching methods - but we all have a duty to be a student of the game and find the best methods for each of our students. It's about them - not us!

So - long story...ummm - long , the truth of the matter is, Bill is a professional, down to earth, and quite a witty guy! Our clinic this past weekend was such a success, we are, no doubt, asking him to come back in the future! I know a few of you from this board attended - and to that I say a big THANK YOU!

 

[GatorGirl]

Sorry we missed seeing you there! We had a great time at the clinic and the private lesson. We were already learning some of what he was teaching, but his no nonsense style, humor and absolute absence of technical jargon made it easy for me and my 9 year old to digest. We have already started with the mirror and flag drill.

Highly recommend. Here he is with my DD Nina after the lesson!




GG

 

[CoachFP]

What's the flag drill?

 

[GatorGirl]

It is where you put the this flag called a windmilltrainer.com, but you can very easily make yourself(Bill even said this) and you put it on your throwing leg. As you do the circle in a mirror, you know your arm is hitting your belly if it hits the flag. Here is a pic.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

 

[Sweet Lou]

That product has some of the worst reviews I've ever seen on Amazon.

 

[Hillhouse]

The guy who originally made this called it "the Perfect-Circle". And he was very disingenuous with how he sold it. He would actually marketed as though it would help a pitcher throw different pitches because they could feel it hit their hand in different places for the various pitches. I found out to be very wrong and incredibly misleading. And I told the guy that who originally made this training aid. The hand goes through so quickly and hits the flag so fast that you can't even feel it. That's why I tell people to use it in front of a mirror so they can see it for themselves. I would be curious to see the reviews on Amazon and what the major complaint is from. I think this tool is an absolute great resource to help fix the two problems I explained in the video. Perhaps somebody who wrote a negative review of it was under the impression it did more for them than it actually does, which is to help correct the muscle memory of getting the hand through the hips.

Then again maybe it made people lose their vision??

Bill

 

[Sweet Lou]

Bill the reviews generally say it is cheap and looks used and frayed almost immediately, that the product has a good concept but is too small to go around all but the smallest legs.

here were the reviews Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Markwort Perfect Circle Pitcher's Training Aid

but it may be a knockoff as I see there is a similar product on amazon with nearly the same name but no reviews. though it looks identical to me Amazon.com: Markwort The Perfect Circle Pitcher's Training Aid, 15 - 17-Inch Circumference: Sports & Outdoors

I have a 9 year old who is just starting out so I'm always looking for gadgets that can help but I've bough more worthless garbage than useful stuff sometimes so I get leery and try to read actual customer reviews before getting anything these days.

It does look like it could be useful with pitchers just starting out to help learn the proper arm circle.

 

[Joe]

Great teaching aid, comes in different sizes.

 

[Hillhouse]

The guy who originally came up with this training aid idea was from the Philadelphia area his name was Mike Fairchild. I believe he passed away because absolutely nobody can get a hold of him anymore. I take a bunch of these with me to the clinics that I do and sell them after I explain what it should be used for. I absolutely tell people if they want to take a picture of it and make their own to go right ahead. Fairchild told me he had a patent pending on this. But since he died or was abducted by aliens nobody could get a hold of him anymore to buy them. So two different companies are now making a very similar product. Personally I endorse and use the "windmill trainer" because of my relationship and friendship with Gary Leland, owner of softballjunk.com and the Fastpitch TV show. I didn't realize the other place was making their own version too.

It is a great training aid. But there is no point in buying one unless you know your daughter has that problem for which this would help correct. Save your money until you know she has the problem or needs it. If you already know she needs it then you can buy them at a couple of different places. My advice is to buy it from someone who supports the game. I know Gary LeLand's various websites also them as does my own online store. Not to go off on a political statement here but I personally stop using Amazon when they refused to stop selling a book a few years ago written by a pedophile that basically wrote a "how to" Book on inappropriate relationships. Finally after oodles of pressure Amazon pulled the book from its website and refused sales. But the fact that it took that long to make that proper decision was really offputting to me for Amazon.

Bill