What to do if you can’t find a pitching coach

@joeyfat13 on Twitter asked: “how can you keep your pitcher learning if you can’t find a pitching coach and how do you keep the mechanics?”

This may be the very reason why many of you read Fastpitch Power! A good pitching coach can be very hard to find, and learning without a pitching coach definitely makes things harder. But, with extra work, it’s possible.

Tools for parents

When you can’t find a coach, chances are you as the parent/guardian must take on the role of the coach. It’s important for you not just to learn the mechanics, but to understand the reasoning behind them. All the mechanics we promote are backed by science and common sense. Understanding the reasoning will help you get through sticky spots when you’re not sure. This will require you to STUDY! There is no magic solution; if you don’t have a coach, you need to put in the work to gain a coach’s knowledge yourself.

TOOLS ON FASTPITCH POWER:

• Our getting started guide
• All posts about pitching basics, which include some great tips and tools
• Video analysis. The personalized guide you receive with a video analysis can be helpful for months or even years of learning.

OTHER TOOLS:

• Video tools (such as Coach’s Eye) are indispensable when your eye isn’t trained enough to catch mechanical flaws while your pitcher is moving at full speed
• Great pitchers in slow motion that you can use for comparison

GENERAL TIPS:

• If possible, try not to catch for your pitcher all the time. Getting someone else to catch so you can watch from different angles will be extremely helpful.
• It’s better to see a coach even once than not at all. If you have the means to travel to see a respected pitching coach, do it, and make sure you take home a written outline that you can refer to moving forward.
• Don’t second guess yourself just because you see another pitcher throwing hard. A lot of college pitchers have crazy wind-ups that would be terrible for someone who is learning; a lot of young pitchers you face in games may throw very hard with terrible mechanics based on sheer natural strength; etc. Before adopting something you see in the wild, ask yourself if it makes logical sense. I have a clear memory of Coach Jill changing her wind up one day when she was in high school. Coach Phil asked her what the heck she was doing, and she said she saw a certain college pitcher doing it that way on TV. He responded, “you know… you ALREADY throw harder than her!”
• Form a community. If you can’t find a pitching coach, chances are the other pitchers in your town can’t either. Work together. You might be able to present something in a way that’s helpful to another child, and another parent may be able to do that for your child. Learning together can help you figure things out.