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Who is your daughter’s ________ coach?

by C77fastpitch » Tue Jan 16, 2018 9:53 am

You are so right!!! Big business softball, but watch what you say the gurus may come after you. I'm surprised that the kids don't have a coach to tell them how to be kids, oops I think they do! Paid coaches are WAY-TOO expensive, why would any lesson cost over $15 dollars? If the kid gets an invite to the Olympic Trails, $20 dollars.
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by Hinky » Tue Jan 16, 2018 12:16 pm

C77fastpitch wrote: Paid coaches are WAY-TOO expensive, why would any lesson cost over $15 dollars? If the kid gets an invite to the Olympic Trails, $20 dollars.


$15 heck can't even rent an indoor lane for a half an hour
In california. :P
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by Chin Music » Wed Jan 17, 2018 8:25 am

$15, now that’s funny!
Had a deep cleaning on my teeth the other day. With ins. $580. Now there’s a racket!
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by Ivanhoe » Thu Jan 18, 2018 11:11 am

I had my kids with private coaches first to start unlearning the incorrect things I taught them from YouTube. LOL.
I have asked some of the most knowledgeable/experienced coaches through the years why they have their kids in private lessons. A lot say their kids needs to hear the instruction from someone else's voice.

As far as cost, I would be hard pressed to find anyone under $30 per 30 mins. Most are around $40 per half an hour.
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by C77fastpitch » Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:36 am

Yes, coaches today are expensive, but why? If people are making a living doing it, don't you think they butter the bread just a little too heavy. I knew of a pitching coach that has her students get on one knee and make arm circles for the first month she teaches them. That's all, just arm circles,(She could have phoned that in), and how many times have you heard a coach say their special method is the only one that works, and then they will bombard you with terminology that they made up. The simple truth is that pitching a softball correctly is not that hard to understand, the pitcher toes-up the rubber shifts her weight backward, pushes forward extends her arms and turns relatively sideways and pitches. A drop is released early, a rise late, perpendicular to the pitcher's side, and a change-up is thrown with no wrist snap. Good coaches can help, and certainly inspire, but is this really worth $70 an hour. I know, your precious dd will say, "Mom Jenny's mother goes to a coach that charges $100 an hour and she is improving", then not to be outdone you run to sign up for lessons. After all, can't you buy absolute success in Trump's America.
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by Ivanhoe » Fri Jan 19, 2018 3:01 pm

It's basic supply and demand. If customers feel they are getting good value for what they are paying, then they will pay for it. One area where I do feel that a specialized coach (batting, fielding, pitching) earns their money is being able to identify where issues are and how to correct them. The coaches I had for my kids have been able to spot the smallest thing and make slight tweaks that have made a world of difference. Maybe in 10 years, I would have figured out what those things were, but not likely. Even if I could, after all my trial and error, my kids wouldn't believe I knew what I was talking about. LOL.
Quick story: a company's very expensive and vital machine broke down. No matter what they did they couldn't figure out the issue or even begin to fix it. Called in a former employee, an engineer, that was responsible maintaining the machine for the last decade. After going over the machine for an hour, the engineer uses a piece of chalk to mark a $100 part that was defective. Company was able replace the part and they were up and running by the end of the day. A couple of weeks later, the company receives a bill for $1,000. Wondering why so expensive, they ask for an itemized bill. A few days later, the itemized bill comes in: $1 for chalk, $999 for knowing which part to mark.

When I selected my kids batting, pitching coaches, I did my research, observed some lessons before going with a coach. Then, evaluated to see if an progress was being made, if not, found another. I get the idea of muscle memory, but that is something that I would work with them as their parent. Also, their coaching gig was usually their 2nd job, except for the one that is retired and just coaches for the love of the sport.

While I think the basics of pitching are relatively easy to understand, being able to apply them is a whole other story. Otherwise pitchers wouldn't be one of the more sought out positions. I am assuming you were being simplistic on your description of pitching, but the spin of the ball will add more to the different types pitch versus its release point. It will give the ball a lot more movement. Google the Magnus effect, specifically where a guys drops a basketball off a dam. The change in release point will be more of a fastball in different locations.

And more often than not, you usually couldn't buy absolute success. Hard work and practice does that. Don't get me wrong, is it expensive. Hell yes. But that may be because I am a cheap bastard. LOL. I think the real question, is it worth it. (on some days it is, some days it's not, but I am glad I get to watch my dd go on this journey).
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by C77fastpitch » Fri Jan 19, 2018 3:56 pm

Mr Ivanhoe, I respect your opinion and yes I was being a bit simplistic. Naturally people believe their pitching coach does wonderful things and they might, but that's a hard one to prove. Your description of the magnus effect really doesn't apply to softball pitching. It is impossible to spin a softball ball fast enough to create a low and high capable of lifting or droping a softball. A softball doesn't move the way you describe it. a baseball mound is around 11 inches higher than the ground the batter is standing on and the pitcher uses gravity to help the ball move. The pitcher does this by applying spin to slow down the direction of the ball and letting gravity take over. A softball pitcher doesn't have the advantage of being up high, unless your tall as Cat Osterman throwing to much shorter girls. The softball pitcher but create leverage by direction, drops balls being thrown early rises being thrown late. There is a lot conventional wisdom relating to softball pitching, and I would challenge you to research further.
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by Hinky » Fri Jan 19, 2018 4:40 pm

Ivanhoe- that was a terrific piece of reading, great insight and feedback!

C77- ? Not sure what age bracket you are speaking about,
Are you still talking 10u?
in fastpitch softball....
The ball absolutely moves!
Rise balls that can jump once twice or three times. drops that fall off behind the plate.
curves breaking a foot away. Screwballs twisting inside.
Also off speed curves. off speed curve drops. spin is a HUGE component of softball!
Its really a shame that you are missing that part of the game. what's worse is you keep talking about it like it doesn't exist.
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by Ivanhoe » Fri Jan 19, 2018 5:03 pm

Hinky - thank you

C77... - watch Barnhill from the Florida Gators.
Her pitch 7 seconds in this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozs8qMumMog . Holy f...
And yes she is a top level pitcher, but that movement in her rise ball is not being created by releasing the ball late. The ball changes direction halfway to the batter.
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by Hinky » Fri Jan 19, 2018 5:38 pm

great to see control on that pitch. ball comes out of hand level height and you see it jump
A few feet away, awesome!
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