I believe

[bigboyk]

I believe that if dad tells you DD has 5 pitches, she doesn't.
I believe that if your daughter has 5 pitches you don't have to tell anyone about it.
I believe that you believe your 12 yr old DD can throw a 60 mph fastball.
I believe your pitching coach will tell you your DD can pitch 60 mph, as long as you continue to bring$$.
I believe sitting on a bucket at pitching lessons, does not make you a pitching instructor.
I believe that if you've never thrown a pitch in fastpitch softball, you can't tell anyone how it should be done.
I believe that you believe your DD's PC is the best and I think my DD's PC is the best.
I believe that I certainly have a better view of homeplate than the umpire, no matter where I'm sitting.
I believe there has never been a wild pitch, only passed balls.
OK that's what I believe, what do you believe?

 

[Coach JV]

I believe there is a lot of truth in your statements
I believe my dd PC told her to 'open up and throw, that one was only 50 mph. (she is 11)
I believe that 6 months ago I thought the above would never come from PC mouth

 

[calgofo]

I believe that if dad tells you DD has 5 pitches, she doesn't.
I believe that if your daughter has 5 pitches you don't have to tell anyone about it.
I believe that you believe your 12 yr old DD can throw a 60 mph fastball.
I believe your pitching coach will tell you your DD can pitch 60 mph, as long as you continue to bring$$.
I believe sitting on a bucket at pitching lessons, does not make you a pitching instructor.
I believe that if you've never thrown a pitch in fastpitch softball, you can't tell anyone how it should be done.
I believe that you believe your DD's PC is the best and I think my DD's PC is the best.
I believe that I certainly have a better view of homeplate than the umpire, no matter where I'm sitting.
I believe there has never been a wild pitch, only passed balls.
OK that's what I believe, what do you believe?

Disagree with that one. If you had, God forbid, brain cancer, would you want only a neurosurgeon that has had brain cancer.

 

[bigboyk]

I believe we have some self proclaimed pitching experts amongst us!!
I took golf lessons from a local pro once, he told me "don't take lessons from anyone until they prove they can hit the ball",I apply this approach to my DD's PC.
We all have access to internet and DVDs but that doesn't make you a pitching coach.(just my opinion)

 

[halskinner]

Say a pitcher knows how to throw 3 different movement pitches.

If that pitcher can throw those three pitches with 2 or even 3 different pitching styles, I believe the batter's perception of that pitcher will tell the batter she has 6 or 9 different pitches because they do look so different.

The perception of the threat is easily manipulated by a smart pitcher.

 

[curiousgeorge]

Amy, the reason I disagree with your analogy is that college basketball, football and other such sports are more strategy. Teaching the X and O's. And there are multiple coordinators helping using cameras and video of their opponents.

Mark H used Ernie as an example. His name is associated with many pitchers but none pitch what he does in his videos. It's also my understanding that it's not very accurate to give too much credit there for development of said pitchers. Having attended a camps of a PC is hardly reason enough to give credit. In most of the cases of people associated with Mr Parker, that's been the primary role. Please know, this is not a slam or knock of Ernie. I've never heard him take credit for anyone's success but a lot of people sure give him a lot of the credit for people whom he wasn't assoicated with much.

Socalsoftballdad, if your daughter relates well to a female for whatever reason, then I applaud you for seeing that. If you think it has to do with gender differences regarding pitching mechanics, I think you're quite misinformed. I'd be interested to see what Bill Hillhouse would have to say on that one but I doubt he'd reply. I subscribe to his philosophy on gender and the fallacies being spread about the drastic differences.

I believe having pitched gives a great advantage but it doesn't guarantee to make a good coach. All things being equal, if I could see a PC that can physically demonstrate as well as teach, that would be ideal. When taking my DD to a pitching coach once that had never pitched (a male) my father (DD's grandfather) questioned that logic and used the analogy of the absurdity of Priests giving marital counseling, considering they have not and cannot marry so on what is their reference? I'm sure my dad read that somewhere on something else.

Curious George

 

[curiousgeorge]

... the problem is not many people believe a lot of what's written in history books these days!!

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

Socalsoftballdad, if your daughter relates well to a female for whatever reason, then I applaud you for seeing that. If you think it has to do with gender differences regarding pitching mechanics, I think you're quite misinformed. I'd be interested to see what Bill Hillhouse would have to say on that one but I doubt he'd reply. I subscribe to his philosophy on gender and the fallacies being spread about the drastic differences.


Curious George

For my DD, it is not necessarily what they are teaching (proper mechanics) that is much different, it is the PCs style and the way she is teaching that is important and the fact that the PC experienced exactly what my DD is going through at a young age makes a difference in her ability to relate to a 7 YO pitcher. IMO, it is the X factor (maybe you call it soft skills) that someone who has experienced this journey as a girl fastpitch player can relate to. Again, there are wonderful male PCs and if they are getting results, by all means use them. Lastly, I was not addressing whether there are gender difference in pitching mechanics, that is a whole other thread

 

[halskinner]

[Mark H used Ernie as an example. His name is associated with many pitchers but none pitch what he does in his videos. It's also my understanding that it's not very accurate to give too much credit there for development of said pitchers. Having attended a camps of a PC is hardly reason enough to give credit. In most of the cases of people associated with Mr Parker, that's been the primary role. Please know, this is not a slam or knock of Ernie. I've never heard him take credit for anyone's success but a lot of people sure give him a lot of the credit for people whom he wasn't assoicated with much. "


Hi George. If I am reading into what you are saying correctly, I must reply.

I am 99% sure that Ernie will agree with me here.

The 'Pitchers' you say he is associated with are surely the international and Olympic pitchers you see. None of them stand anything much to learn from a video, even one of Ernie's. Those videos are for beginners and mid-level pitchers. I doubt there would be much an 18-u pitcher might learn either.

You have to understand that when pitchers of high caliber come to a coach for instruction, it is usually with one or two bjectives in mind; "I want to increase my speed" Or "Show me how to turn my riseball into a killer up-and-in", or something on those lines. They might spend a full day or even more working on ONLY that.

The elite pitchers everyone refers to would not come to Ernie Parker to take some one-on-one lessons for anything you are going to see on any of his videos. They will meet with him for 'fine tuning' something they do to make it even better than it is. He has a long time proven track record of doing just that.

When I was instructing, there were some things I would teach a 14u pitcher that I would NOT teach an 8 year old beginner. Things I would teach a college or international level pitcher that I would not teach a 14u pitcher. Especially when it came to how they should think and the mechanics the older and stronger pitchers could handle.

There are a handfulof things I would teach a pitcher if I worked with them personally that are not in my book. Trying to put those things down in print never came out correctly or was understood well at all, it had to be taught in person and demonstrated. I am sure Ernie has some teaching methods he uses in person that he had trouble getting across on a video and they never got on a video.

Don't make the mistake of selling Ernie or his videos short. They are great for the pitchers at the levels they are intended for.

 

[Poseidon]

I have had the Physics and Anatomy and the Kinesiology classes way back in college and I could never figure out why I needed them. I wish someone would have told me.

Hi Amy,

We do tell our students (over and over and over,....)! They just don't listen at that point in their lives

Michel
Professor in Kinesiology