Should I learn the pitch to teach it most effectively?

[Eugene Stryke]

I am a rec. ball coach at the lower levels right now. My d is 9 and is getting her first pitching lesson soon from a pitching coach. I am still working on many aspects of the game and haven't thought about tackling pitching yet.

I want to learn to pitch myself. Unfortunately, softball in general is not that popular in my neck of the woods and regrettably there is no men's fastpitch, which I would surely play for fun if it existed. (not going there with slowpitch).

Here is my question:

Wouldn't it be a good idea for me to learn to pitch myself to teach it effectively in the future. I particularly want to learn to throw breaking pitches like the roll-over drop and the curve. I am 44, in good shape and a pretty good athlete, so is it realistic for me to learn the windup from a coach and from there learn the breaking pitches?

How many of you pitching coaches pitch yourselves?

 

[bobbyb]

I would say its a good idea...if you have the want to.

I do not think you have to learn to pitch physically to teach pitching...but it does give you a perspective that is useful. I have a uhh...a few years on you and I can do it. I do 3 oclocks, 12 oclocks with each spin pitch and can leap/drag...but when it comes to full throwing with leap/drag...my location is non existent. Its not bad if i slow everything down...I just don't do the full motion enough. I do the others often enough with the pitchers...that I can stay consistent.

 

[CoachFP]

It might not be a bad idea to try it. But don't demonstrate anything unless you can do it yourself most of the time.

 

[abbygale]

And if you work on your pitching, your daughter will end up being one of your top batters.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

You don't teach your DD to throw overhand, bat, catch, etc without knowing or at one time learning yourself. This is no different.

My advise ( because I learned and taught mine ) video the whole experience. We had sooooo much fun learning together, laughing our heads off. But I didn't video it, and I really regret that 7 years later.

 

[bigboyk]

Would you take golf lessons from a guy that couldn't hit the ball, would you take swimming lessons from a guy in a life vest??? IMHO, if you can't do it, you can't teach it!!! Many claim to be experts but if you hand them the ball you would get a dumb look and tons of excuses!!!

 

[GOINGDEEP]

I disagree. If your daughter was learning some other individualized sport that was new to you: Ballet or gymnastics, would you learn those? How about motorcycle racing (they have this for kids)?

Let it go and leave it to the pitching instructor. Kids need to and can figure these things out. Let her ask you questions but you can ask the coach. If you don't like what the coach says, you can read up on it or find a new coach.

My father never got that involved and never caught for me after age 12. I say let the bird out of the nest on this one.

It takes a lot of patience to learn to pitch and most of us as adults don't have it.

I wouldn't learn ballet if my DD begged me. ( I have no interest in it ) This guy sounds like he has an interest in something involving his child. Who are we to discurage him? If he can't do it, well he can't do it. But never trying is not a good signal to send out to our kids.

My dad taught my brother and I to pitch, we both played D1. He is 65 now and still plays and catches ball with the grandkids ( teenagers and college age ). He traveled to 11 states last year watching 3 grandkids on the field. Some fathers love this sport, it's the closest thing to a game most men grew up on.......BB.

We all fuss at parents who don't get involved, here is an example of one on the fence. Don't knock him off, encourage him to learn something not only for his DD but for himself.

 

[MandM]

I say go for it- if anything it will give you a better appreciation of your daughter's frustrations as she goes through the process herself, and how much work is involved. Also, I believe it will help you to help her as she gets older as you will have a better understanding of what she needs to so and (hopefully) how she can accomplish the goals that the pitching coach is working towards with her.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

I am not knocking him off, just telling him to sit on the fence and watch.

Dads let their boys go, but get way too controlling with softball and especially pitching, and don't let daddy's girl fly off. We notice this when booking sessions at the facility, baseball versus softball.

Later, it becomes huge, when the softball pitcher needs advanced instruction, they still want to teach them the same old way, which is usually some baseball related cutter, for example. Then the pitchers fall behind and never get the riseball and dropball they need, as the dads are spacing the pitches out to appropriate times (so they can learn them or for the so-called player health, or some odd reason). Then they run out of years and the kid is a junior and the dad gets upset when the daughter fails to get that scholarship with her fastball, change up and cutter.

Leave it to the professionals, thank you.

Any ex BB pitcher knows the only main difference in the grips and making them move is in BB we teach to get the fingers OVER the ball, in FP "most" breaking balls are fingers under the ball. It's really not that hard to convert unless someone makes it hard. Once you get the body mechanics right the same principles apply. Wrist snap, finger pressure, seams, rotation. Not to steal a commercial but......."even a caveman can do it".

 

[Eugene Stryke]

I am not knocking him off, just telling him to sit on the fence and watch.

Dads let their boys go, but get way too controlling with softball and especially pitching, and don't let daddy's girl fly off. We notice this when booking sessions at the facility, baseball versus softball.

Later, it becomes huge, when the softball pitcher needs advanced instruction, they still want to teach them the same old way, which is usually some baseball related cutter, for example. Then the pitchers fall behind and never get the riseball and dropball they need, as the dads are spacing the pitches out to appropriate times (so they can learn them or for the so-called player health, or some odd reason). Then they run out of years and the kid is a junior and the dad gets upset when the daughter fails to get that scholarship with her fastball, change up and cutter.

Leave it to the professionals, thank you.

Screwball, I didn't really explain myself very well. I really like softball and will probably end up coaching HS before too long starting as an assistant. I am a HS teacher, so it would make sense. There is also a lack of pitching coaches in my neck of the woods. There are some HS softball coaching jobs that they can barely give away around here. I am pretty comfortable teaching hitting (at lower levels) and other parts of the game and while I know pitching is a different animal, I would like to teach it some day. This isn't about my daughter and teaching her.

To teach it as best as possible I was thinking that it would be good to learn the windup and some pitches. Maybe I didn't play D1, but good players are not necessarily good teachers/coaches and vise-versa. I totally disagree with someone that thinks a coach has to have been a great player and there are many examples that disprove that bias. Actually, I was a great player in the middle school, I just picked up a guitar when I was about 13 and never did a sport again.

I still love throwing the ball and I was thinking that it would be nice to learn how to throw a decent roll-over drop and a curve. To have the right spins and release. If I could get the pitches down mechanically, I don't see why I couldn't teach them. It will take a few years ( or maybe more. I might be kidding myself how hard it is) and I don't know where to look locally for a coach, but it sounds like fun to me!

There is no adult fast-pitch around here. It is a shame that fast-pitch has died out for men. Slow pitch softball is lame. I am looking for vintage video footage of men's fastpitch if anyone knows where to look.
THX