Pitching and Pitchers Discussion "Pitching Instructor" or is it "Pitching Imposter"

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I'm curious to see other's position on pitching instruction on their team.

For me, it's simple, we require our players to get instruction because I'm not a pitching instructor. I can correct the basics but NOOOO means do I give direction on mechanics. Hitting... that's different for me (still not an expert but do pretty good). How much do you get involved as a parent or coach during games, during practice, etc? I've seen what I would call "posers" and I'm curious as to how much others see this same thing. My opinion, leave it to the experts and don't act like you know it all when you don't---it's ok to not be a no-it-all.

Just getting the Fall Season discussions going... chime in... :cap:

 

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I'm a dad and not a pitching coach. She already has a pitching coach that she really likes and does a great job with her. During games I let her do her thing. I give my opinion when she asks or her coach asks because having caught for her and I attend all her pitching lessons I can see some little things that might help just from watching her pitch for the last 5 yrs. Her progression so far has just amazed me.

 

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Theres hitting posers out there as well, nothing worse than seeing someone instruct a player wrong or worse yet show them something that can hurt the player.....

 

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Theres hitting posers out there as well, nothing worse than seeing someone instruct a player wrong or worse yet show them something that can hurt the player.....

........and all the while telling the kid and parent how great they are coming along while taking their hard earned dollars every week.

 

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If I know the girl is taking lessons for hitting or pitching, I won't correct anything. I will talk to both the girl and the parents and ask them to bring it up to their coach if I see as an issue. Maybe the coach is aware of it and is focusing on another issue first. I don't really know.
On the other hand, as the manager/coach of a team, I think you will see the girl in action far more than any pitching coach or hitting coach.

added with edit: I also wanted to add, I love seeing dads of successful daughters all of a sudden become experts. This amazes me. Just because you sit thru lessons with your daughter doesn't mean you are an expert!

 

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If I know the girl is taking lessons for hitting or pitching, I won't correct anything. I will talk to both the girl and the parents and ask them to bring it up to their coach if I see as an issue. Maybe the coach is aware of it and is focusing on another issue first. I don't really know.
On the other hand, as the manager/coach of a team, I think you will see the girl in action far more than any pitching coach or hitting coach.

added with edit: I also wanted to add, I love seeing dads of successful daughters all of a sudden become experts. This amazes me. Just because you sit thru lessons with your daughter doesn't mean you are an expert!

And just because you understand all the mechanics does not mean you know HOW to teach it!

 

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Also just remember....Just because a Pitching or Hitting style worked for someone else doesn't mean it is the right style for you.

 

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Also just remember....Just because a Pitching or Hitting style worked for someone else doesn't mean it is the right style for you.

When my son was playing golf there was an instructor who said he taught differently to each person based on body types and flexibility differences. I believe this to be true with hitting and pitching as well. Just because Crystal can swing a certain way does not mean my DD can do it. The important parts of the swing are similar but how each girl get's there could look different to say the least.

 

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So... what about this "pitcher's dad"?
http://www.game-ex.com/vb3/showthread.php?t=31427

 

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For me, it's simple, we require our players to get instruction because I'm not a pitching instructor. I can correct the basics but NOOOO means do I give direction on mechanics. Hitting... that's different for me (still not an expert but do pretty good). How much do you get involved as a parent or coach during games, during practice, etc? I've seen what I would call "posers" and I'm curious as to how much others see this same thing. My opinion, leave it to the experts and don't act like you know it all when you don't---it's ok to not be a no-it-all.



I understand why you say leave it to the experts for pitching, but why can't you as a coach, or a coach on your staff, become an expert on pitching. Go to clinics, learn from pitching "experts", and have a pitching coach on staff. From what I can tell, there are usually at least 3-4 coaches on staff, so why not have one of them be responsible for pitching? Pitchers might still go to their lessons, just as players go to hitting lessons, but they get instruction at practice as well. I can't think of any other sport where 1 position, that is so important to the team, gets little to no coaching. I might be wrong, I don't mean any disrespect, really just curious why it is how it is...

 

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Respectively, DBEYR, I don't think that will work for most. I coached my oldest dd for 10 years, and one of the most important things I learned that first time around, was to find qualified instructors and put your dd in front of them. I don't think you can turn a coach on the staff into a competent pitching coach in just a couple of coaching clinics. The guy, or gal, if they haven't pitched before as a fastpitch pitcher, needs YEARS to reach a point where they could serve as a pitching coach. My dd's first pitching coach would get absolutely irate at the guys who take their pitching dds to a couple of pitching clinics or lessons, then take over and figure they have all the knowledge it takes.

 

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I have been the catcher for my youngest dd ever since she decided she wanted to be a pitcher. She's been taking nearly weekly lessons for going on 2 years from two of the best instructors in Ohio. As a person who has coached fastpitch teams for close to 15 years, do I consider myself knowledgeable pitching person? NOOO. It's possible I may be a REALLY slow learner, but I rather let the people who have put in 15, 20, 30 years in it to pass on what they know.

 

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Oh, and BTW, letting qualified experts handle my dds development, rather than jumping in there, all this tryout season, the coaches from the other teams constantly commented on how wonderful my dd's mechanics were. And she's just going into her 2 nd year as a pitcher.

 

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The same thing goes for hitting. I wish I had the opportunity for batting instruction when I was young, like we were able to get for our dd. Quality coaching is priceless when it comes to development.

 

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So... what about this "pitcher's dad"?
http://www.game-ex.com/vb3/showthread.php?t=31427

Yeah.....I think I'd have to listen to what this particular dad had to say.....

Len

 

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Respectively, DBEYR, I don't think that will work for most. I coached my oldest dd for 10 years, and one of the most important things I learned that first time around, was to find qualified instructors and put your dd in front of them. I don't think you can turn a coach on the staff into a competent pitching coach in just a couple of coaching clinics. The guy, or gal, if they haven't pitched before as a fastpitch pitcher, needs YEARS to reach a point where they could serve as a pitching coach. My dd's first pitching coach would get absolutely irate at the guys who take their pitching dds to a couple of pitching clinics or lessons, then take over and figure they have all the knowledge it takes.

I couldn't agree more. There are so many little details that go into advanced pitching. It takes a special eye for those details to make the appropriate adjustments. Even those that have experience as a pitcher do not necessarily have that talent. That experience does help however.

 

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Makes sense, I guess pitching is just a different animal all together then.

 

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I catch for my dd.Not possible to see all the mechanics that goes into a pitch when its coming at you. Stick with an instructor.

 

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So I guess if we use the logic of most of the posters on this topic, we shouldn't be paying for Doug Finch's camp either, because after all he's just a successful pitcher's dad....right?:lmao:

So, if you sit on the bucket in a daze while DD takes pitching lessons you may never absorb anything, but if you educate yourself, get involved, observe, ask questions and actually pay attention to what the instructor is telling her....and you, there is no reason, unless you are completely clueless, that you can't point out or remind DD what she is doing wrong.

Are you going to be an expert? No. Are you going to be able to spot all of the many flaws that seem to appear from nowhere for every pitcher as she develops? No, but once a flaw is pointed out to you, and you understand and can recognize it, you should be able to see it the next time she does it and remind DD she is doing it. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to spot obvious errors in mechanics, release, stride, etc.

You take your girls to a pitching instructor once a week and the instructor points out to DD things she is doing incorrectly. I will guarantee you DD will be doing some of those same things incorrectly the very next time she throws to you. If you haven't educated yourself enough to point those things out, you are throwing away your money and in my opinion not doing your DD any favors either because good mechanics come from repetition and muscle memory, and if DD throws to you four hours per week and takes a 1 hour pitching lesson per week...........get the point?

 

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I would be more inclinded to listen to a dad who has been sitting on a bucket catching for their daughter at a lesson for a number of years regarding pitching. Providing they where taking lessons from someone I would consider a reputable pitching instructor and if like me they kept copious notes. People that have experienced it know that when their DD takes a lesson they are too. Most coaches that have not had a daughter that pitches usually only receive pitching info from attending clinics, watching videos or reading books. If you have a daughter that pitches you also know you are the one that has to reinforce what she has learned at those lessons when you catch for her everyday in between lessons. I`m not saying you become an expert but you obtain more knowledge especially if you are really into softball than probably your average coach. You can truly see the differences between styles of pitching and what pitchers are doing right or wrong. A lot of instructors are former pitchers that teach what has worked for them. However I learned from experience that unless they were taught by knowledgeable people your DD will not be learning proper form or technique and it will only make things worse in the long run especially if the instructor does not keep up with the latest advances. I don`t know the actual story of Doug Finch maybe he was involved with pitching before his daughter starting showing an interest but he probaby was just a dad that sat on a bucket catching for his daughter.