Private pitching lessons for kids

I pitched professionally for seven years and have taught private lessons full time for 15, mostly to players aged 8 to 13. The order has barely changed: mechanics, then mindset and confidence, then arm care, mobility and recovery, then figuring out what kind of pitcher the kid is (power or finesse), and only then tinkering with grips.

Mechanics is just another word for form. The test I use is simple: can the player do the motion in slow motion without losing balance? If not, speeding it up only practices the mistake faster.

For a beginner the most important part of pitching is throwing strikes. Learn how to make the ball spin with a four seam grip and throw it where the catcher is set. For a more advanced pitcher it is fastball command, and command of the off speed pitches too.

I tell every young pitcher the same thing: if you cannot throw a breaking ball for a strike, you should not be throwing one. The best pitch for most kids is the change up, and the best pitch in any count is strike one.

A pitcher's routine is the process of taking a sign and coming set on every single pitch. Start it the day kid pitch starts. The catcher gives a fastball down the middle every time, it is repetitive, and it builds the habit that holds up when the game gets loud.

Expect the coach to watch you throw before changing anything. Then expect one or two things to work on, not ten, an explanation of why in words your child understands, and something to practice at home. If the whole hour is a lecture, or a gadget, find someone else.

Ask these questions. The answers tell you more than a résumé.

1. What is the plan for my kid's arm? A coach should talk about pitch counts, rest and building throwing volume up slowly. Follow your league's pitch count rules, and treat soreness as a reason to stop.
2. Do you promise velocity? Nobody can promise miles per hour on a growing kid. A coach can promise a plan and a standard.
3. Will you teach my kid to throw a curveball now? A young pitcher is better served by a fastball he can locate and a change up. See the strike rule above.
4. How do you explain things? Players who know why they are doing something keep doing it when the coach is not standing next to them.

A lesson is a plan. The reps happen on the other days, mostly playing catch. One hour with a coach plus honest throwing in between does more than three hours a week of standing around a mound. Book one lesson before you buy a pack, and watch the whole hour.

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