How Do You Make Her Faster?

There are 3-4 questions we hear over and over. Let’s take them one at a time and give you the answers.

-How do you make a kid faster?
Answer: Help her be a better pitcher.

-How do you increase endurance?
Answer: Help her be a better pitcher.

-What is the best drill for learning to hit spots?
Answer: Help her be a better pitcher.

-We want a tool to increase her spin. What do you suggest?
Answer: Help her be a better pitcher.

Performance is a product of preparation. Preparation is the product of a plan. A plan is devised by a conducting a thorough assessment of where an athlete is at this point compared to where she wants to be by a certain date. It takes into account a lot of things like age, experience, body type, mental qualities, and natural athleticism.

The first 30-minutes with a new student is a study of that kid. Can she perform and repeat certain simple movements? What qualities does she possess that can be a positive starting point? How does she react to pressure, is she having fun, how is her sense of humor, is she a perfectionist, what is her first reaction to being challenged?

As we begin learning the kid, a plan gradually forms. That plan will be altered as needed, as we find exciting things in her that may be hidden at first, and as we see processes that cause frustration and stop her from learning.

I never finish a lesson and think about the drills, the moving pitches, or the speed of the kid. Instead, there are questions. What did I learn today that will help this kid move in the most efficient way in the world, that will help her learn to do it exactly the same way every time, with particular attention to her body type and mindset? In other words, did we discover ways to more effectively build a better pitcher?
That’s it.

Sorry. No magic, no tools, no gimmicks. Just complete focus on the kid in front of me.