Let's face it, there is a lot of poor coaching in this game of baseball, especially for pitchers. Most pitching lessons include the pitcher on the mound throwing for the pitching instructor, as the pitching instructor eyes his delivery and provides his feedback. Unless you just want to learn some different pitches or the mind set of pitching to hitters, I actually couldn't come up with a format for a pitching lesson that could provide any less valuable support for the pitcher, who is obviously in need of the help, than with the conventional pitching lesson.
Why is this conventional format of the pitching lesson so void of any real support when it comes to pitching mechanics and velocity? Mainly because the pitching delivery holds more than 50+ mechanical components happening in less than one second. It is impossible for a pitching instructor to analyze the pitching delivery in real time and actually provide accurate feedback. He is just guessing at what he sees or coaching purely by motivating the pitcher which creates a business where the better motivators are the better coaches. I am not against being a motivator, it is very important to the game, but there is a lot more to enhancing performance than just motivating the pitcher.
In this article, you will learn what it takes to significantly transform your game to the elite level and how most pitching coaches do not provide you with enough information to actually help you make any significant enhancements to your game. You will also learn the top ten reasons you do not need a pitching lesson and you will then learn how much more valuable an effective pitching program is over a pitching lesson.
The 3X Evaluation System
I developed the 3X Evaluation System to learn more about the pitcher. In this evaluation I record anthropometric data, performance data and biomechanics data. Here is a directory listing of those I have recorded and posted online from the 3X Velocity Camp. View the 3X Evaluations Directory here.
What you will learn from this data and the analysis I have provided based on correlations of this data to pitching performance is that pitching mechanics are only a small piece of the puzzle. The other big pieces of the puzzle include; mobility, strength, speed, power, and intent. Unless your pitching instructor is also your strength coach and your physical therapist then the chances you are getting a comprehensive analysis into your pitching performance is considerably limited and more than likely a waste of your time and money. In many cases it could be actually reducing your performance.
Baseball is one of the only field based sports that conventionally weighs technique over athleticism but when you look at the data like in the 3X Evaluation System you learn it may just be the opposite. To prove this read my latest article highlighting a study that found high level pitching built more on strength and muscle than mechanics.
So, if the studies are true and the 3X Evaluation System is showing us the same then it is proof that your traditional pitching lesson is not needed to improve your game. Just to help convince you of this more, here is the top ten reasons you do NOT need a pitching lesson.
Top 10 Reasons you Do NOT Need a Pitching Lesson
These top 10 reasons you do NOT need a pitching lesson is based on the fact that your pitching coach is the traditional pitching instructor who does not study the science of pitching, does not study video of pitchers and provide analysis through video. He also does not have an effective pitching program to develop the high velocity pitcher outside of throwing a weighted baseball or a baseball very far.
Now for the top ten reasons you do NOT need a pitching lesson:
- You typically will NOT receive any record of the lesson. What issues were discovered and how you were working to fix them.
- You typically will NOT have your pitching mechanics recorded and compared to a better pitcher for analysis during the lesson.
- You typically will NOT measure any of your mechanics and learn how they differ from the elite pitchers so you have benchmarks to work towards.
- You typically will NOT measure any of your anthropometrics or performance movements and learn how they differ from the elite pitchers so you have benchmarks to work towards.
- You typically will NOT be given a seamless approach of pitching mechanics and how they work together to improve performance.
- You typically will NOT receive any homework going forward with a program to follow so you can continue to improve your mechanical and performance flaws.
- You typically will NOT be given a series of pitching drills within a program to help you more simply make your improvements.
- You typically will NOT work with a radar gun as a tool to show that improvements are being made or adjustments are working.
- You typically will NOT learn the science proving what mechanics or what training has a high correlation to a performance increase for the pitcher.
- You typically will NOT find that the improvements you made from the lessons equaled the money spent.
The 3X Pitching Velocity Program VS The Pitching Lesson
The reason I am making the point that you do NOT need conventional pitching lessons is once you learn the power of an effective pitching program you will never want to go back to the "old school" pitching lesson again. In the 3X Pitching Velocity Program you will have all of the science you would ever want to learn and its correlation to pitching performance. It will also give you a systematic calendar to follow using a drill based throwing program, an Olympic-style strength and conditioning program and anaerobic conditioning program. This means it will show you what drill, exercise or lift you will be performing on that day with the sets, reps and percentages in the format of a calendar and instructional video. You will also get a video analysis with it to show you personally what and where you need to improve along with how the program will help you make these improvements. Finally it will show you how to measure and record your progress through the program and help you set the goals that will help you develop that 90+mph fastball.
So, stop wasting your hard earn money and time on another pitching lesson and take your game to the next level with an effective pitching program like the 3X Pitching Velocity Program.