How to Choose a Great Pitching Instructor

One of the greatest challenges parents and coaches are finding out in the Baseball world is lack of quality pitching instructors. Great ones are hard to find. Not only are there a lot of theories as to how you should throw the baseball properly; most of the instructors out there have the most difficult time trying to share that knowledge that they do know to most age groups. They are not great teachers. There are also those instructors who clone each of their students. Should you teach each pitcher the same way? Absolutely not!

Here is a list of a few things you should avoid when looking for a great pitching instructor in you area.

Dont assume since a qualified pitching instructor in your area has spent some time in the Major Leagues that they know what they are talking about. Many of those pitchers have a lot of natural ability to throw the ball and have incredible arms, but dont know the first thing about pitching mechanics. They only know what has worked for them in the past and some of the things they picked up when they played is no longer good advice. Not only that, what has worked for them may not work for you. Remember that everyone has a unique build and not all of us will share the same arm slot.

Is your pitching instructor a good educator? What experience do they have instructing? Some of the best coaches in Major League and collegiate sports didnt have the best success on the field, however they are better teachers. I have done pitching camps with some retired Major League pitchers and found that they hadnt the slightest clue how to teach even the most basic fundamentals of pitching. They may have a great deal of knowledge; in fact, I know they do; they just dont have the ability to share that knowledge to Little Leaguers, High School Level Players and Collegiate athletes.

Any pitching instructor who tries to change your natural arms slot should be avoided like the plague. Most instructors are still teaching that you have to throw at a ninety degree angle to be a successful pitcher. They teach this because they feel the pitcher has a better angle on the ball. There have only been a few pitchers in the Major League level who have even thrown with a ninety degree angle. Again, we are all build differently and should not be cloned.

Last but not least; dont take lessons from an instructor who is behind the plate catching for you and trying to instruct at the same time. They are going to be watching the ball, but they will not be watching you closely to see what youre really doing mechanically. They may be able to give you a pointer or two along the way; but they cannot be effective instructors catching for you. They cant see what you are doing out of the corner of their eye.

Last but not least; dont take lessons from an instructor who is behind the plate catching for you and trying to instruct at the same time. They are going to be watching the ball go into the glove and not necessarily what you are doing. They may give you a pointer or two along the way; but they cannot be effective instructors catching for you, they cant see what you are doing out of the corner of their eye. There are some great instructors out there, dont get me wrong! The great instructors are just very difficult to find. Good luck in your pursuit of the perfect pitching instructor.