Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Bowling the ball?

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Saw a coach teaching kids to pitch by taking a step straight forward and basically bowling the ball. No turn at all just left foot out and shoulders and hips facing straight forward the whole time. Anyone ever heard of this type of instruction?

 

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There could be several factors.

1. They were really learning to bowl but with a smaller ball to build confidence.

2. With all the pretend pitching coaches out there they are developing a new style they can call there own, then market it with a gimic slogan, if you can't strike em out, knock em down.

3. With a shortage of CO-ED slow pitch players they could be gettng them ready for when the fastpitch kids have moved on to travel teams and they will have no where else to play.

4. Possibly they have no idea what they are doing but with the title coach by thier name they feel qualified to teach anything related to the sport.

 

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LOL - that is funny! The guy actually told me that most of these college players dont need all that fancy stuff. He said they will do it that way so they can throw strikes.
I was more or less speechless.

 

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Now you may think that is crazy but if this is a new rec team that is just learning how to pitch that would probably be a decent way to start learning. Back in the day they used to call this stride pitching. Because it was just like taking a stride when walking.

It promotes keeping the shoulders square to the catcher and the windmill straight at the target. Back then they didnt take a full windmill with the arm but used a slingshot motion from the 12:00 position.

Where do you think the Walk through and Run through drills originated?

Hal Skinner a pitching coach out in California even suggest taking your pitchers bowling before a game. Not with the intent of learning to bowl but as a workout for pitching. He used to do this before a game. Would go to the lanes and throw the ball as hard as he could right down the middle. Also as fast as he could get through two games.

He would then go to the park to pitch his games. He stated he never threw a ball so fast as after he got done bowling those games.

Point here is this guy might have been doing the right thing if these kids were just starting out.

Elliott.

 

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I am well aware of stride pitching and they still turn the shoulders prior to delivery even though they are striding straight out. If you seen this bent knee shoulder wrenching arm circle you might not defend this guy.
Are you advocating doing this long term?
Why teach something then go change it why not just teach the proper techniques from the get go. I could see it if you were just doing for a lesson or two for some drill but surely you are not advocating teaching it long term.

 

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Now you may think that is crazy.......

Yep!!

 

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First thought, after reading the first post: Maybe for very young girls with zero experience where you have to pray for someone to just get it anywhere near plate. But I would start working the other stuff in as they learn.

Second thought, after reading your follow-up post: If the coach thinks college players pitch like it means you have a coach with absolutely no idea what he's talking about.

Third thought, that I came up with on my own: I hope he isn't trying to force this stuff on your daughter, because she is doing just fine on her own as a beginner (I've seen ThatGuy's kid throw several times).

I would offer the coach some pitching books, DVD's, videos or email him some clips of pitchers at work and ask him to show me the ones that pitch the way he advocates.

 

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I have to say the DD can get a bit testy if she doesn't bowl at least 140. As a pitcher, she is basically blowing the pins away.

I have her use the change-up on splits and singles.

 

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In fairness to Hal Skinner, I believe that he recommends bowling a few games as a warm-up technique, to loosen up the arm, shoulder, hips and landing leg, not as a reflection of true pitching mechanics. Even at that, if you watch good bowlers at work, they do turn their hips and develop momentum by using their body similar to how a pitcher does- minus, obviously, a full windmill!

 

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Gents,

Dont get your underwear in a wad here. I am not advocating what this guy is doing but if I am a rec coach without any knowledge of pitching and I have to figure out how to get some child to throw strikes what would any of you suggest? He probably doesnt have time to study and is he going to tell the parents they need to go get a $40 - $60 dollar an hour pitching coach? (More in some places)

We are heading into the spring/summer youth season in Ohio and this guy is trying to find a way to compete. Is he gonna tell his team sorry but we dont have a pitcher so you cant play? Or is he going to try and figure out some way to get his kids to throw strikes with some consistency?

Whats the best way to do that. Teach them to pitch like a slow pitch softball player. Which is exactly what he is trying to do with these pitchers. It may not be correct for fastpitch but as a rec coach 11 years ago I did just that when my daughter could not play for me one weekend due to a commitment to a select team. My next pitcher was a slow pitch pitcher and we beat the best team in the league that year because she threw strikes and then the rest of the team fielded the ball and played great defense.

The other team was in shock. They were expecting to see Sam my daughter at that game. At that time she was pretty good and everyone knew about her. This team had had a little girl who was also working the fastpitch style and was a good pitcher too. Their team was having trouble hitting our girl because they were all used to seeing much faster pitching from their stud. They could not get the timing right. Meanwhile my team had practiced against my daughter and had seen fast pitching so we were able to put the ball in play against this girl.

To this day I cherish that game. I can still see the smiles on the parents faces and the look of my kids after that game. They knew they had done something special that day without their best pitcher and they were all proud of the team effort.

Sometimes you have to go with what the good lord gives you.

True story.

Elliott.

 

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Brettman it was a surreal experience. This guy has never coached a girls softball team, never coached boys baseball, never played fastpitch, never even been to a girls game. It is really frustrating. He has infielders fielding all plays with the knee down, he describes the hitting technique as and I kid you not a "Karate Chop" technique. I would laugh out loud if it wasnt sad.

 

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Elliot I completely understand but this isnt rec league it is a travel team and they have had since January to prepare.
You are right the rec league coaches sometimes have to be the most creative in their coaching.

 

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Unfortunately, that's what you can often get in rec leagues with inexperienced coaches.

You can only hope that somewhere along the line somebody pipes up and offers this coach some good training tips- and that the coach is receptive enough and open minded enough to accept the help- or that the guy takes some effort on his own to look into the many instructional books and videos that are readily available. Even a simple Google search on the internet will give you tons of free instructional material.

You know, people have been playing this game for a hundred years and have pretty much figured out the right way to do things. You would have to be pretty arrogant to assume that you could step in and "reinvent the wheel", coming up with better ideas that those that have been formed by a hundred years of experience.

Maybe you or some other team parent can offer their help, or at least point the guy in the right direction.

Heck, give him the address for this web site and send him over. I'm sure the many posters here would be glad to educate him!

(ADDED: Just saw that you posted this isn't a rec team, but a travel team. That is scary! Still, I would offer the same advice on pointing this guy in the right direction- because he sure is heading in the wrong one!)

 

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Don't worry, thatguy2120, he'll be coaching at the high school level soon.

 

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LOL - I have to think you need to at least know the rules to get that job so until he reads a book we are safe for now.

 

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I find it hard to believe that people would pay to be on a travel team with this type of coaching. If it's a volunteer(rec league) than I could see it but a head coach of a travel team, no way.

 

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LOL - I have to think you need to at least know the rules to get that job so until he reads a book we are safe for now.

Take my word for it- they don't have to!

 

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!

Believe it my friend. Same guy told me you shouldnt have any kind of wind up either.
If you think this is funny/sad - same guy is telling them to swing a bat like a karate chop
Also telling the infielders that every ball will be fielded knee down

 

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Maybe no one else would step up and volunteer to coach. It's real easy to stand on the sidelines and criticize, but at least this "clueless" guy is attempting to help. I don't know anything about this situation, but volunteering to coach - even a rec team - consumes a LOT of personal time. I applaud anyone who gets involved to help girls get interested in the sport. If these are only 9 -10 year old kids, let them HAVE FUN! There's plenty of time for them to learn the skills to become DI college pitchers, if that's where it leads.

 

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Typical Sammy - loves to always take the high ground. I have read many of your posts and if you actually witnessed this guy teaching someone you know or your kids or if that guy posted his techniques on here you would be popping off for sure.
If this was rec league that happens but this is travel team and the parents have paid more and committed more of their time with the expectation of better coaching and better competition. They should not expect substandard (for even rec league) coaching and have a right to be upset which several are.