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Mike Posey Things have certainly changed in youth and high school baseball over the past twenty-five years. When I first started coaching high school baseball none of our players hired outside hitting or pitching instruction. Today, it seems like everyone has an instructor and it starts in little leagues. In fact, most towns now have baseball/softball facilities that offer instruction. It has certainly changed the way things work, but does it help?
It's not unusual to receive several calls during a week asking if I offer paid instruction or requesting a good reference to someone that might offer lessons. Good instruction is not cheap. The top instructors offer 30 to 45 minute lessons that range from $35-65. Many instructors at facilities require monthly contracts to be signed and payment to be made up front.
Over the past several years I have been studying this trend of paid instruction and find it interesting. In my research I have found both good and bad. I realize our players need instruction and if parents are willing to pay for the instruction I would encourage it, especially in the off season. The off season is the best time to work on skill development when hitters/pitchers can be free from the everyday worries of competing for a position or excelling in a game. I don't mind instruction during the season for younger players, but for older varsity players I would prefer they work hard in practices and then work individually on their own time during the season. There can be a distraction when players hear terminology each day at practice and go to an instructor at night/weekend that might use different teaching terms. It can be confusing for players. Hitting is reaction and good hitters need to be free of thoughts about mechanics when they are in a game. For pitchers, we need to know their pitch load during the week to protect their arms and outside instruction during the season for a varsity player adds to the wear and tear on the pitching arm. Also, after a 2 ½ to 3 hour practice, another hour for instruction at night would be overloading the player. It would be better for them to hit for 15-20 minutes on their own free from distractions after practice. Hitting at home off a tee or doing toss drills can be a lot of help. During the week, players need to get home to eat, do their homework, and rest.
I remember a story one of my former players told me several years ago. He was in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and had a great year in AA ball at San Antonio hitting .296 with 18 HR. At spring training the next year he was hoping to make the big league team but was trying too hard and the results were not good. The Dodgers hitting instructor at that time, former big league slugger Reggie Smith, suggested he work with him after practice in the cages. He thought Reggie was going to change something he was doing, but instead he loaded up the automatic pitching machine with about 100 balls and told him to hit everyone hard right back up the middle. For the next 45 minutes it was him and those 100 balls in the cage. (Reggie actually left and came back) The next day he went 4-5 with two doubles. He had been taking plenty of practice swings each day, but what he really needed was to get alone for about 45 minutes and clear his head of distractions.
One of the trends I find today is parents feel they must pay someone fore their child to improve. That can be true or false. It amazes me to see someone spend $45 on a weekly lesson and wait until the next week to attend the next lesson, spending zero amount of time between lessons working on their skills. It would be better if the player spent 30-45 minutes 4-5 days a week working on their skills with no paid instruction. If a player doesn't have the desire to work to improve, especially at the high school level, they are not going to improve. Young players don't grow up today playing sand lot games in the summer or competing each afternoon with neighborhood kids. Paid instruction is taking the place of pick up games and many are getting bored with the instruction. Good instruction 2-3 times a month is plenty during the season and 4-5 times a month during the off season is fine. Spend the rest of the time practicing to improve. Nothing takes the place of a hundred ground balls or a hundred swings, if they are done properly.
So what does a parent look for if they desire to pay an instructor? First, look for someone that gives you your money's worth. Talking for 30 minutes and not doing repetitive drill work is a waste of time. With a good hitting instructor the student should be taking a lot of swings. That's the only way to improve. Really, you're paying for that person to be a coach and oversee the practice time. Changes are not needed every lesson. Some instructors feel the need to give customers "something for their money" and encourage them to keep coming back each week. These types of instructors are a waste of time and money.
Also, hitting instruction should not be wasted on style, but on improving the mechanics of the swing. Styles should only be changed when it is getting in the way of the mechanics of the swing. Make sure you hire someone that really knows the mechanics of the baseball swing.
A good pitching instructor will spend time working on the basic throwing motion before working on pitching mechanics, especially with younger players. Regardless of the player's position, proper throwing mechanics are important and young players can not improve as pitchers without good easy throwing motions. The most important thing for pitchers is control and velocity. Control is learning how to repeat good mechanics every pitch. This takes time and practice regardless of who you pay for instruction. Mechanics often change as young players go through growing spurts, especially young tall pitchers that may be growing through stages that don't allow complete body control.
Developing velocity also takes time, there is no magic formula and some of it is just plain genetics. As players get older they can be taught a proper off-season long-toss program to improve their arm strength and begin learning good exercise programs for the arm and shoulder, in addition to an overall strength and conditioning program. This should wait until the player is mentally and physically ready to handle an exercise program. Youth players can start out with fun conditioning drills at practices or a couple of shoulder/arm exercises using their glove as the weight. Make it fun as well as a learning time.
Youth league players need to spend time practicing (and throwing) the fast ball to develop good arm strength. When control of the fastball has been accomplished they can then learn a good change up. The curveball should not be taught until they are at least 14-15 years old depending on their physical development.
With video technology today, more parents need to take advantage of video. Players need to see themselves to develop a mental image of what they are doing during the activity. Take video during the lesson and also during some games. Then spend some time looking at the videos and making comparisons. It's also good to use the DVR to video some good professional or college players on TV. Slow down the video to study their motions then compare them. This is a great way to learn and improve.
Mike Posey has been a high school baseball coach for the past twenty-five years, winning multiple championships and coach of the year honors. He is also the creator and owner of Expert Baseball Tips. Home of the
Baseball eLessons, virtual on line lessons to help players improve.
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