Pitching Academy: Whatever it Takes!

Pitch Like a Pro: Front Glove Arm

February 17, 2014

Coaching Pitchers: Curveball

February 27, 2014

Every pitcher should have a “whatever it takes” attitude!
Let’s face it, competition is brutal these days. If you want to be the best at whatever you are doing you have to be willing to work harder than anyone else is working. You have to work smarter. You must be willing to do what others aren’t willing to and have a “whatever it takes” attitude to succeed.
As a pitching instructor I often get asked how many drills pitchers need to do everyday to gain a certain skill.
Well, every pitcher is different. After all, some want success faster than others; that’s a fact!
I tell pitchers to do “whatever it takes” to gain a skill. I don’t want to hold anyone back or limit any pitcher to any amount of repetitions per day.
Here’s a good question and answer regarding this topic.
When somebody asks me How long it takes to learn how to throw a curveball, My first response is to follow up with a question like “how good of a curveball are you looking to throw”? 🙂 Seriously!
How many attempted curve balls do you think it takes for a pitcher to master that pitch?
I don’t know the exact answer to that either! Every pitcher is different.
The best answer I can come up with is…. however many it takes to get where he wants to be. In my mind, a pitcher never stops working on his curveball; he can always improve and work on consistency with the pitch.
When you teach a kid to walk and he or she falls to the ground, do you think they give up? No, they don’t know what giving up means yet! They are going to do “whatever it takes” to walk. That is why everyone knows how to walk.
It’s the same scenario about learning to ride a bike. How many times are you going to let your kid fall off a bike before they learn how to ride? As many times as it takes right?
So the real question today is, are you approaching pitching with a “whatever it takes” attitude to gain the skills you need to play at a higher level?
Do you have a “whatever it takes” attitude in life? If not I would encourage you to get one; it will not only change the way you approach the mound; it will change your life.
Here is a video I created for you today regarding the “whatever it takes” mentality! I hope you like it and share it with your team.