Pitching and Pitchers Discussion How do you know when it is time to change pitching instructors?

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My daughter currently has been working on pitching for apx 2+ years. She started with drills only for her first year when she was 8 playing on the 10u team. Last year she went with a common instructor for the organization. Very nice lady, experienced, college coach and well priced. My daughter really worked hard all year on her fastball and the drills to go with it. She dabbled in change ups towards the end of the summer with the instructor. I was a little concerned because she had my daughter trying different grips for the change. Knowing my daughter she loved changing things around to find her own thing, but I saw small issues with it, again, knowing my daughter.

This year we started again with the same instructor and before we started I told my daughter I wanted her to really work on corners, locating and one grip for her change (back hand flip). I found a good drill on You Tube that we practiced in the basement for it. She would do the arm motion from close and drop the ball in a bucket. Slowly she would move back until her arm speed increased. Her issues was that she would turn her hand to late causing her to role over the ball, kinda like a drop. She did this because she was taught the slip change first and really could not master it. Now, enter this drill. She does about 150 balls a night for 3 weeks and she is good to go! Speed is slow, height is good, dad is happy, daughter is happy. I just hijacked my own thread.

Back to the question. Over the last two years she has attended lots of different clinics and seen plenty of other instructors. In the process I have gathered a few names of different instructors that have come with high praise from other pitchers of all ages. I feel like I want to shop the market but does doing that hurt my daughters progress? Will different instructors that change her mechanics make it worse for my daughter? Naturally I want whats best for her, not me.

 

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I am sure there are pitchers dads and moms here on OFC that are a lot more experienced and skilled than I am. But his is what we've learned. I have coached my dd's softball teams for nearly 15 years, and I have picked things up about pitching. But I am not so arrogant as to think I can learn a dozen drills and go off an teach pitching. And there are a few "pitching instructors" out there like that.

 

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So, tip number 1 -- Ask around for recommendations from others you respect.
Number 2 -- Does the coach focus on proper mechanics, and teaching how to warm up and cool down properly and physical conditioning to protect your dd from injury?
Number 3 -- Does the coach the coach have a "my way or the highway" style, meaning does the coach teach one style of pitching and doesn't take into account different body types and different skill sets. For example, if you find a pitching coach who is really well-known for turning out exceptional pitchers, who all happen to be tall with lanky physiques, it's probably good idea to think twice if your dd doesn't fit that physical type.

 

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Number 4 -- And most importantly, your dd has to relate well to the coach. If they don't mesh, it not worth it, no matter who the coach is, or how successful.

 

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You want a coach who has your dd's best interests at heart. A good pitching coach will teach a student pitches when they are physically ready for them. A girl's finger and hand size will determine what grips work best for what pitches.
Again, this is just been our experience. We've been pretty lucky with the coaches our dd has had and has now. I don't believe in switching coaches willy nilly. Take your time in finding the right coach and stick with them. We just had to switch coaches a few months ago because our dd's coach accepted a job promotion out of state, but she cared enough to help us find the find person for her successor, and we're extremely pleased with the result.
Good luck.

 

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WNY, to add to what Philbob said above. If you change pitching coaches and he/she are a different style; sure your dd may take a couple back steps before moving forward progress. I feel the same way about a hitting instructor; there are different (correct) mechanics but you need to stick to one. When you find the pitching instructor you are comfortable with stick with them. As far as the change up; that is a hard pitch to master for pitchers. My DD started pitching when she was 8 and I swear she knows every grip of 9 different chang ups. It seemed like one would work for a short while and the it was non exsistant; so we tried something different, and that went on for years. She is now 14 and does the flip change and does it pretty well now; I couldn't say that even last year. Back to the pitching instructor; If you are going to this instructor and showing your DD some of your own things different to what she is showing maybe it is time to switch. We are happy with our in structor and have been with him for 7 years. (Way to go Mark P and Mr D)

 

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By the look of the picture in your avatar it appears that her mechanics are good. At the age of 10 I can't see changing something that is working. Sometimes the change-up is really difficult to fully master and then sometimes as your daughter gets taller, stronger, and faster she will need to adjust it again. The best pitchers are the ones that can make the adjustments that are needed.

The most important thing that I would be looking for in an instructor is watching out for my DD safety. One that is instructing her on how to pitch without injuring herself.

 

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Number 4 -- And most importantly, your dd has to relate well to the coach. If they don't mesh, it not worth it, no matter who the coach is, or how successful.

Number 5. Ask the coach why they are showing your dd something. If they can't explain it, then FIND a different coach.

Number 6. Just because their daughter was/is a successful pitcher doesn't mean they taught them to pitch. More than likely she went to someone else.

 

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Don't panic. Young pitchers don't learn at the same speed. Young ladies go thru many awkward stages in life. I have a girl 13 that just took a recent growth spurt and went from one of our most consistent pitchers to being a nightmare in only a few weeks. After 4 months, she finally regained her control and is throwing as well now as she ever did. Just another form of evolution. lol.

Girls like being challenged and showing them different pitches and grips simply helps keep their attention. As an instructor, I'll do this occasionally to renew the spark and see if I'm missing something, then choose the grip/pitch that suits the individual and run with it. Repetition can be boring and some times we simply need to get them hungry again.

Take your daughter to as many clinics and pitching instructors as you can afford, then settle on one that offers the most comfort. Just like a car, you'll seldom find one that is perfect, but you can find one that "fits" most of your needs and provides you with confidence and reliability.

 

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daboss

Good point about growth spurts. My daughter is 6 footer. Growth spurts were an issue for her when younger. Seems like she grew from week to week.

 

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Definately take the advise of the follow OFCer's. If you are looking for a different instructor, look for something similar to what your dd has been learning. That way you are not set back too far.

 

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At 10, if your daughter is happy and looks forward to pitching and practicing then you might have the right coach.

 

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You will find several self proclaimed pitching coaches and some with multiple styles. Ask around and outside of the circle to get a good reference. There are a lot of great pitching coaches available but beware of the fly by night cash grabbers. The softball community is a very small and you will definitely find some great advice on here. Don't be afraid to ask tough questions and do your research, you will be extremely thankful down the road. Good luck with your decision and investment in your dd's pitching career.

 

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Thank you everybody for the great responses. I always try and respond to each one individually but I think it may take me awhile!

She really has gotten happier pitching as of late. She b&c's until she gets it right and when she does, she presses the pedal and really tries harder. The issue is getting her out of 1st and 2nd gear sometimes. I can live with it, it's just the way she is.

For the poster that commented on her form, thank you. It's tough from my point of view sometimes (bucket or bench) to really see her mechanics. When the wife gets good pictures like that it puts a smile on my face. To this day, I can't believe it is my kid out there doing what she is doing.

 

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My DD has been pitching since she was about 9 and have been pitching for a few years. Really dedicated and did well this past tavel ball season. Well, beginning in fall 2009, I started to notice she hit a plateau and didn't make much progress over the winter. Did pick up some speed though. I was considering talking to her about looking into different instructors, but as it turned out, she asked about trying different insructors. We met with a few instructors and had some one-on-one lessons. She found a slightly different style that she is more comfortable with and has made remarkable improvements.

Basically, she was happy with her initial instructor but think she didn't feel challenged enough. We found another instructor and that she is comfortable with so we made the change. Keep open communication with your DD and she'll know if/when it's time to change.

 

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I would recommend going to a clinic with Hillhouse or Doug Gillis and then draw your own conclusions as to what their methods are verses what your daughters are being taught currently.

I have had some girls change to the above two instructors and knee and shoulder issues went away and speed and location improved.

 

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I agree with Hitter. Hillhouse will be in town soon over at the Hawks HIT Center. I would get in touch with Derek Jacobs about setting a time up

coachderek@ohiohawks.com or coachjacobs@ohiohawks.com.

Bill is a great teacher and he has a way of working with the girls that makes things simple.

 

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I would recommend going to a clinic with Hillhouse or Doug Gillis and then draw your own conclusions as to what their methods are verses what your daughters are being taught currently.

I have had some girls change to the above two instructors and knee and shoulder issues went away and speed and location improved.

Couldn't agree more. We are one of the fortunate ones, my DD gets to work with Bill weekly.

 

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I agree with Hitter. Hillhouse will be in town soon over at the Hawks HIT Center. I would get in touch with Derek Jacobs about setting a time up

coachderek@ohiohawks.com or coachjacobs@ohiohawks.com.

Bill is a great teacher and he has a way of working with the girls that makes things simple.
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I also agree. My DD changed to Bill in Aug & has made a huge difference.

 

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I would recommend going to a clinic with Hillhouse or Doug Gillis and then draw your own conclusions as to what their methods are verses what your daughters are being taught currently.

I have had some girls change to the above two instructors and knee and shoulder issues went away and speed and location improved.

Couldn't agree more Howard. We too have had girls with shoulder issues that went away after going to Hillhouse. Hillhouse and Gillis are definitely two of the best in the business.