Making the most of 30 minute lessons...

[McKeister1]

My 9u DD has a new PC. Prior, her pitching lessons were always 1 hour long & she’s an attentive kid. New PC offers only 30 minute lessons if you’d like to visit weekly. Longer lessons were discouraged due to my daughter’s age and PC voiced she herself is freshest & most attentive for a shorter period. I’m so nervous, 30 minutes seems so brief!

Give me some tips on maximizing this 30 minutes...what has been your experience?

Tincher coach, if it matters!


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[Powerof9]

30 mins is fine at 9. You get there early do the prescribed warm up workout exercises, get loose throwing doing throwing drills and be mentally ready for the lesson. The magic happens in between lessons working on the things the PC identifies

 

[Towny9]

I agree with @Wtedalgo my DD is also 9 and does a 45 minute lesson every 3 weeks or so. I like it this way because it gives us time to work on fixing things in between lessons. I have found that when the PC point something out and we are able to work on it for a few weeks in between lessons, then the next lesson we are able to progress to something else.

 

[The Man In Blue]

My daughter only ever did 30-minute pitching lessons (which usually ran a little over). I always thought it helped keep the girls more focused and attentive. Unfortunately, youth sports tend to follow Parkinson's Law very closely.

As @Wtedalgo said, the keys are:

• be warmed up before the lesson (hopefully space is provided for this)
• use the lesson to learn, then practice what you learned at home. @Towny9 hit on the learning cycle -- learn, practice, progress. If you spend most of a lesson just practicing, the progression is much slower and it is an ineffective use of time.
• and I will add ... stay to watch others OR continue to work independently there, if the instructor will allow it (this is what we would do as long as space was available).

 

[Reaperjet]

Yeah, get there early...... See if you can throw After and, most important for me

SHUT UP.... lol, every time I speak up it becomes a whole discussion then I watch the clock tic!!!

 

[Ken Krause]

I do 30 minute lessons, and what Wtedalgo says is correct, especially about getting there early to warm up. It's a much more efficient use of time and money than paying me to watch your daughter warm up (although I have been known to jump in about overhand throwing when I just can't watch it anymore!)

Also agree that the magic happens in-between lessons. I will work with a student on something, and provide guidance, but it can be difficult for many kids (and adults for that matter) to make meaningful changes when someone is watching over them constantly. Having the ability to just kind of go off and do it on your own is where you really get the chance to dig in and find your way through an adjustment. Think about it in terms of music. If you have a part that's difficult to play you want to have some time to just go away, slow it down, struggle through it, do whatever it takes until you've learned to play it at speed. That's tough to do with an audience.

A lot of what happens in lessons depends on how well adjustments are being made. The other day I had a lesson where we just worked from 9:00 to 6:00. It was a new girl that had done HE pitching her whole life. She was having trouble not turning the ball face down at 9:00 before doing the rest of the motion, so that's all we worked on - palm up, lead the upper arm down, rotate internally, arm whip and brush. I'm sure it seemed like forever to her, and quite frankly I'm not sure that she will be coming back for a second lesson, but that's ok. It would have been irresponsible of me to move her along when she couldn't get that critical part down.

I have done longer lessons when needed, such as when the student can only come to see me now and then. But even then, how much we do depends on how quickly she gets the thing we're working on now.

The one thing you may find is that the lessons will be more intense and focused. You need to be on top of your game if you're going to maximize the time you have.

Most important, when you're given something to work on for next time, be sure to do it. In time you'll find the half hour is very efficient if you're not constantly going over things that were emphasized before.

 

[uncdrew]

It does go by so fast.

So maximize the time, as others have said. Be warmed up and loose, and have your dad shut his yap.

 

[_MIA_]

and have your dad shut his yap.

This is solid advice and for the most part is valid even when the Dad is the one giving the "lesson"...

 

[DrRiello]

If the PC is worth their weight they will give you a prescription when you leave on what to work on and drills to get you there. A really good PC will let you know what to expect by time you come back. Ie what to accomplish. If they are exceptional they will have all this documented.



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[Ken B]

Many of my sessions are 30 minutes--especially for younger kids or kids with a firm foundation. I prefer 60 minutes whenever possible with 14+ and when families are traveling an hour or more.