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PitchingMechanicsMasterMindSystem:CoreHandbook

ExperienceaprovensystemsoadvancedthatMLBpitchersrelyonit,yetsosimple8Upitchersmasterit!

My#1Goalistoteachaverysimplewaytoteachyouhowtoconnectwhatyousee,hearandfeeltoaspecificmovementpatternandbecomeyourownpitchingcoach!

TheentiresystemrevolvescreatingaMovementAwarenessProgram(MAP)foryourCNS.ByprovidingyourCNSwithclearandspecificgoals,couplingitwithatrainingenvironmentrichinimmediatesensoryfeedback,youbegintoconnectthesensesandformlearnedassociationformovementresults,bothgoodandbad.

Asyoubegintoimplementthesystem,youwillbecomemoreaware,abletobridgethegapbetweenperceptionandrealityandmakequickeradjustmentsandselfcorrections.Inotherwords,youwillbecomeyourownWorld’sGreatestPitchingCoach!

Introduction: Pitching Mechanics MasterMind System…………………………………………………....2-4

Chapter 1: What Type Of Learner Are You……………………………………………………………………….5-6

Chapter 2: 7 Facts About Your CNS & What You Need To Create Your MAP...……………………..7-9

Chapter 3: 4 Levels Of Awareness That Must Be Questioned……………………………………….……10-18

Chapter 4: The Power Of Immediate Feedback & Deliberate Practice………………………………..19-22

Chapter 5: Give Credit Where Credit Is Due (My Story)……………………………………………………24-28

Enjoy! If you have any questions, please reach out to me and let me help!

Lantz Wheeler: Lwheeler@BaseballThinkTank.com

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Introduction

PitchingMechanicsMasterMindSystem

ThanksforpurchasingThePitchingMechanicsMasterMindSystem.Ipromiseyouaregoingtofindthisdifferentthananythingyouhaveseenbefore!

Lookingbackonmyearlycollegecoachingdays,Icanonlycringe.Likemostcoaches,IrealizedthateverykidwasdifferentbutIwastheguyaskingeveryoneofthem,todothesame.Inevergavemyplayersoptions,onlyinstructions!Iwasblindedintobelievingthatformwasmoreimportantthanfunctionandthatmechanicswereallaboutreachingkeypositions.Boy!WasIeverwrong!

Ittookmeover9yearstodevelopthissystemtoteachpitchingmechanics.Ihaveuseditwithplayersfrom8U-MLBpitchers.Thereasonthissystemissoeffectiveisthree-fold:

1. It’smoldedtotheindividual’suniquestrengthsandmethodsforlearningandcanbereshapedoverandoveragainbasedonnewmovementgoals.

2. Itheightensawarenesson4differentlevels,goal,visual,kinestheticandauditory.3. Pitcherslearntoselfcorrectbyconnecting3primarysensesthroughimmediatefeedback

andlearnedassociationofspecificmovementpatternsinsidethedelivery.

Here’swhyIfelttheneedtocreatetheMasterMindSystem:

• My#1goalhasalwaysbeentoridtheneedofmyresponsibilitiesandpromotepitcherstobecometheirownpitchingcoach.

• Iwantedtocreateaprogramthatcouldbeshapedandmoldedoneachindividual’sparticularstylesanduniquestrengths.

• PitchingmechanicsoriginateatthecentralnervoussystemandIwantedtocreateaneasytofollowprogramthatwouldteachplayerstosee,hearandfeeltheirpitchingmechanicstoshortenthelearningcurveandbridgethegapbetweenperceptionandreality.

Tobeginwith,it’simportanttounderstandthatdevelopmentoccursthroughatrialanderrorprocess.KnowinghowNOTtodosomethingisoftenjustasvaluableashowTodoit.

PaulNymansaysitbest:

“Playerdevelopmentisacomplexseriesoftrialanderrors.Thegoalisnottoeliminatefailurebutlimittheamountoftimeseachplayerfails”

Thetermdevelopmentismisunderstood.Ihonestlybelieveithasbecomeasweepinggeneralizationandgenerictermthatiswronglydefined.Thetermdevelopmentreferstodevelopingandshapingmotorprograms,yesmotorprograms!Themotorprogrambeingdevelopedstartswiththecentralnervoussystem.

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You’reactuallydevelopingthecentralnervoussystemtowriteaprogram,similartocomputersoftware.

YourCNScontrolseverythingthatyoudo,it’swhyyoumovethewayyoudo,it’swhyyoulearnthewayyoudo,it’severythingthatmakesyou,you!TheCNSiscomprisedofyourbrainandspinalcord.Alongwiththeperipheralnervoussystem(PNS),togethertheygatherinformationfromouroutsideenvironmentusingthreeprimarysenses.TheCNSisconstantlyatwork,makingdecisionsonwhattodonextwithoutyouevenknowing.

3primarysensesusedtogatherinformation:

1. Whatwesee2. Whatwefeel3. Whatwehear

You’regoingtofindthateachofusrelymoreheavilyononemorethantheother.

Didyouknow?

• 65%ofusarevisuallearnersbutweareonlyabletoretain10%ofwhatwesee.• Weretain40%ofwhatweseeandhear.Obviously,thatcanbegoodorbad,itdependson

theinformationreceivedandhowyouPERCEIVEit.• Weretain90%ofwhatwesee,hearanddo!(What“wedo”iskinestheticawareness,known

as“feel”inthissystem)

Oneofthegoalsofthisprogramistoteachyouhowtoincorporateallthreeintoyourdailyprocesstohelpyouspeedupyourdevelopment.Byconnectingthe3sensesandcreatinganenvironmentrichinsensoryfeedbackyouwillspeeduptheprocess.AllowmetoprovideyouwithsomeexamplesofeachareusedinsidetheMasterMindSystem.

• See:Watchingvideoofyourselfandothersperformingthesameactivity.• Feel:Associatingafeeltolocation,mechanics,differentpitches,etc…• Hear:Establishingyourowncuesbasedonwhatyouseeandfeel.

Here’s4ExamplesOfWhatYouWon’tEncounter:

1. Mostpitchinginstructionissightdominantandopinionbasedonpleasingandidealformfromtheinstructor’spointofview.

2. Playersfacemultiplesetbacksbecausetheyareatthemercyofmultipleviewsandconflictingopinions.

3. There’sacommunicationdivideandourcentralnervoussystembecomesconfusedandfrustrated.

4. AnytimetheCNSisconfused,itwillbereflectedbythebodymovinginefficiently.

TheCNSisaverycomplexsystem!

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Justlikeanycomputerprogram,thequalityoftheprogramisdependentupontheinformationitreceives.Asitreceivestheinformation,itgoestoworkwritingyoursoftwareprogramrequiredformovement.

3Stagesofmotorlearning(elementaryedition):

1. Stage1isallaboutgatheringasmuchinformationaspossibleonWHATtodo.It’sthispointthebodyisgatheringasmuchinformationaspossiblefrommanydifferentsources.

2. Stage2occursafteryoulearnWHATyou’redoingandyourbodyattemptstofigureoutHOWtodoit.Thisisthetimeindevelopmentthattrialanderrorplaysamajorrole.It’simportantthatthepitcherstepoutsidehiscomfortzoneandrealizeit’sOKtofail.

3. Stage3thepatternhasbeeningrainedandyounolongerhavetothinkaboutit,somerefertothisasmusclememory.Atthisstage,changecanbedifficultbecausethebodydoesn’tknowrightfromwrong;itonlydoeswhatit’saccustomedtodoing.

THINK:Pitchingmechanicsisaseriesofmultiple,simultaneousmovementpatterns.Eachandeverymovementrequiresaspecificmotorprogram!Itonlytakesonefaultymovementtodisrupttheentiresystem.It’schaos,betterknownastheButterflyEffect!

Wheneveryouattempttomakeanysortofchange,majororminor,youmustbeginatStage1.Even19yearMLBvetsMUSTstartover!

Beforewegetstarted,Iwouldliketothanktheguysthathelpcontributetomythoughtprocessandphilosophies.

• MandyWheeler:Mybestfriendandwife,nochanceIwouldbewhereIamwithouther.LoveyaMandy!

• PaulNyman:YouwillfindPaul’sinfluenceandphilosophyscatteredthroughouttheprogramandinmyopinion,Paulislightyearsaheadofhistimewithhisresearch.

• DerekJohnson:DJreallychallengedmythoughtprocessandforcedmetolookattheprocessmuchdifferentlythanIhadbefore.

• TomHouse:CoachHousewasthefirstcoachIencounteredthatquestionedtraditionalpitchinginstructionandgotmywheelsturningtodothesame.

• LutherBramblett:CoachBramblettgavemetheopportunitytocoachcollegebaseballandIwouldn’tbewhereIamwithouthishelp.

• TonyRobichaux:CoachRobeswasthefirsttointroducetheconceptoffeelinthecontextofpitchdevelopment.Hereallychallengedmythoughtprocessandputmeonmycurrentpathforteaching.

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Chapter1WhatTypeOfLearnerAreYou?

Takethisshorttesttoestablishyourprimaryvehiclesforlearning.

RateYourself:1Never2OnOccasion3Sometimes4Mostly5Always

VisualLearner

_____1.IammorefocusedonaconversationwhenIcanseethepersonIamtalkingto.

______2.Inmyfreetime,IammostlikelytowatchTVorread.

______3IfIhadtoexplainanewproject,Iwouldprefertodrawit.

_____4.Ipreferpageswithpictures.

_____5.I’manotetaker

_____6.Ialwayswritedowndirections.

_____7.Whenlookingforamisplaceditem,IcanusuallylookinmymindandseewhereIputit.

_____8.Ikeepeyecontacttobettercomprehendwhatothersaresaying.

_____9.I’mapeoplewatcher.

_____10.Iprefertotext.

VisualTotal:_____(Minimumscore=10andMaximumscore=50)

RateYourself:1Never2OnOccasion3Sometimes4Mostly5Always

AuditoryLearner

_____1.I’dratherhaveagoodconversationthanwatchagoodmovie.

_____2.Icanunderstandsomeonetalkingtome,evenifIamdistractedbyanothertask.

_____3.I’mnotanotetaker.Takingnotesoftendistractsmefromthespeaker.

_____4.Italktomyselfwhenwritingorproblemsolving.

_____5.Iprefervideo’storeading.

_____6.WhenIfirstmeetsomeone,Iusetheirnamewhiletalkingwiththemtohelpmeremember

it.

_____7.Icanexplainthingsindetailwithouthavingtodrawthemout.

_____8.IlistentomusiceverychanceIget.

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_____9.Whilereading,Ireadoutloud/movemylipstohearthewordsinmyhead.

_____10.Ithinkemailandtextingisimpersonalandprefertocallpeoplepersonally.

AuditoryTotal:_______(Minimumscore=10andMaximumscore=50)

RateYourself:1Never2OnOccasion3Sometimes4Mostly5Always

KinestheticLearner

_____1.Idon’tusuallyreadthedirectionswhenattemptingaproject.

_____2.ImovemylipswhenIread.

_____3.IusuallyonlytakenoteswhenI’mrequiredto.

_____4.ToothersIappeardisorganized,butthereisamethodtomymadness.

_____5.IusemyhandswhenItalk.

_____6.Iconsidermyselfinshapeandexerciseregularly.

_____7.I’magooddancer.

_____8.IfI’mnotmoving,I’mbored!

_____9.Iwouldratherdemonstrateatechniquethentryandexplainit.

_____10.IusuallypacebackandforthwhenIamtalkingonthephone.

KinestheticTotal:_______(Minimumscore=10andMaximumscore=50)Totaleachsectionandplacethesumintheblocksbelow:

VisualLearner AuditoryLearner KinestheticLearner

Total:

________

Total:

________

Total:

________

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Chapter27FactsAboutYourCNS&WhatYouNeedToKnowToCreateYourMAP(MovementAwarenessProgram)

Number#1:YourCNSwritesyourpitchingmechanics“softwareprogram”isbasedupon:

• Whatyousee• Whatyouhear• Whatyoufeel

Thereisnowaythatwecouldbeexpectedtolearnandmovethesameway.Youwillinterpretwhatyousee,feel&hearmuchdifferentlythanIwill,callitperceptionoropinionbutit’sonlyoneofover1,000,000variablesthatmakeeachofusuniquehumanbeings.

1. Thequalityofyourprogramisbasedontheinformationobtainedearlyinthedevelopmentprocess.Thisisextremelyimportantfortheyoungerpitchersreadingthis.

2. TheCNSthrivesintrainingenvironmentsrichinimmediatesensoryfeedback.3. Environmentsrichinsensoryfeedbackheightenyourawarenesslevelsandbridgethegap

betweenperceptionandreality.4. Overtime,yourCNScreatesalearnedassociationbasedonthefeedbackreceived,wecall

thesemovementpatterns.

Number#2:YourmethodforlearningisprogrammedbyyourCNS&impactstheefficiencyofyourpitchingmechanics!

65%ofusarevisuallearners,however:

• Weonlyretain10%ofwhatwesee• 40%ofwhatwesee&hear• 90%ofwhatwesee,hearanddo

1. Visuallearnersrelyonwhattheyseeandbenefitgreatlyfromwatchingvideoorseeingothersperformthesameactivity.

2. Audiolearners:Relyonwhattheyhearandlisteningtoothers.3. Kinestheticlearners:Learnbydoingorfeeling.

Mostofusrelyononemorethantheother,butWEAREALLCAPABLEoflearningtocoordinateallthreeintoourtraining.

Number#3:Yourbodyorganizesitselfaroundyourmovementgoal(intent).

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YourintentisthePrimaryShaperofyourpitchingmechanics!

Why?Yourbodywillorganizeitselfandmoveaccordingtoyourmovementgoal,aslongasthegoalisclearlydefined(BernsteinPrinciple).

1. Yourgoalmustbenarroweddowntothesmallestdetail,avoidgeneralitieswheneverpossible.

2. It’simpossibletoestablishqualityfeedbackifthegoalisnotperfectlyclear.3. Wearetryingtoconnectwhatwesee,hearandfeeltoaspecificmovementpatternand

that’snotpossibleifthegoalisnotperfectlyclear.

Number#4:Musclememoryisnotactuallythecorrecttermtodescribewhat’shappening.

Thebodyhasnoideaofwhat’srightorwrong&itonlydoeswhatit’saccustomedtodoing!

1. Themovementsinsideareactuallyspecificmotorprogramscreatedoveraperiodoftimeandthousandsofrepetitions.

2. Themoreyourepeatamovement,themoreingrainedthemovementsbecome.3. Movementpatternsaresimilartoyouspeechpatternsandareextremelydifficulttochange!

Number#5:Onceyoureceiveinformationthroughvarioussenses,thebrainsendsoutasignaltothebodygivingitspecificdirectionsonWHATtodo.ThebodythengoestoworkattemptingtofigureoutHOWtodoit.

Here'sthepointwheremultipleopinionsandconflictingviews"fry"ourcentralnervoussystem.It'swhyyoursonisstruggling.Allowmetoprovideyouwithasimpleexample.

Thinkof“what”asyourmovementgoal,it’syourintent.The“how”isthemotorprogram.Ifyou’rebodyisconstantlyreceivingconflictinginformationorbeingaskedtochangethe“what”&“how”,theprogramwillworknotworkveryefficiently.

Number#6:Thebodycravessimpleandstraightforwardinformation!

Anytimeyourbodyreceivesconflictingviewsormurkyinstructions,itwillappearasinefficientmovements.Thisiswhyyoucan'trelyonsomeoneelse'scuestolearn.Ifthereisanyconfusionwiththecuesorvideoreview,yourbodywillnotrespondthewayyouwantitto.

"ScientificFact":Evenifwewerethe"World’sMostIdenticalTwins"andsharedthesamecentralnervoussystem,ourperceptionaloneinsidethese3senses,wouldsetinmotionatotallyuniquesetofpitchingmechanics.Don'tbelieveme?Here'sproof

• IseewhatIsee• IhearwhatIhear• IfeelwhatIfeel

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That’swhythereisNOPOSSIBLEWAYthatwecanbecoachedthesameorexpectedtointerpretinformationintheexactsamewayassomeoneelse.

Number#7:Thebodyhasnoideawheretogo,ithastobetold!

Thebodyonlydoeswhatit’saccustomedtodoing.Thisiswhytraditionaldrillandinstructionthroughsubjectivefeedbackisoftenamajorcontributortoyourfrustrationandsetbacks.It’salsothereasonwhyyouseeimprovementinsidenon-competitiveenvironmentsbutrevertbacktooldpatternsonceyoustepintoacompetitiveenvironment.

1. Thisiswhywewillalwaysstartattheendofthedeliveryandworkbackwardsinsideourclaydrills.

2. Thebodywillexperienceheightenedawarenesslevelsandmovemoreefficientlywhenall3sensesareconnectedtoamovementpattern.

3. Thebodymustlearnthedifferencebetweenrightandwrongbecauseithasnoidea!4. Thebody'snaturalGPSisFEEL.5. Yourbodyreliesonfeeltotellitwheretogoandwherenottogo.6. Painisaperfectexample,evernoticedhowpaincaninfluencehowyoumove.Whenyou

stumpyourtoe,doyoulimp?Yourbrainistryingtoprotectyourbodyandthereforeitsendsoutdirectionstomoveaccordingly.

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Chapter3:4LevelsOfAwarenessThatMustBe

Questioned!1. “What’sYourIntent?”(GoalAwareness)

a. Alwayshaveacrystalclearintent(goal)forthedrill.b. Keepthegoal/intentsingular;don’tgivethebodymultiplemovementgoalstobegin

with.c. Yourintentshapesthedrill.

2. “WhatDidYouSEE?”(VisualAwareness)a. It’simportanttovideowhenevertimepermits.b. IrecommendUbersenseifyouhaveaniPhoneoriPad,it’sfreeandprovidesthe

necessarytools.c. 65%ofthepopulationisvisuallearnersbutvideoaloneisn’tenoughinformationfor

thebodytowriteorre-writemotorprograms.Itdesperatelyneedsotheroutlets.3. “WhatDidYouFEEL?”(KinestheticAwareness)

a. Feelisthebody’snativelanguageb. Thebodyrespondsimmediatelytofeel,goodorbad.c. FeelservesasyourinternalGPS.d. Itcanbeviewedasbreadcrumbstohelpthebodyfindawaybackandforth.e. Providesconcrete,tangibleevidencetothebodyonwheretogoandwherenotto

go.f. Feeldefinesthemovementgoalmoreclearlyandprovidesthebodywitharoad

map.4. “InYourOwnWords,HOWWouldYouDescribeIt?”CUES(AudioAwareness)

a. It’simportantthattheplayercreatehisowncuestomakesenseofwhatheseesandfeels.

b. Individualcueseliminateconfusionc. Cuesserveasapositivereinforcementtothebodypriortotheactivity.d. It’simportantthatcoachesandplayerslearntospeakauniversallanguage.

Question#1:“What’sYourIntentorGoalWithThisThrow?”(Intent=GoalAwareness)Thedefinition:Intent:noun:intentionorpurposeadjective:Resolvedordeterminedtodosomething

Intentisaconceptthatweusedailywithourtraining.It’stheWHAT(goal)!

Intentistheprimaryinfluenceonyourmovementpatterns!

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3ReasonsWhyIntentIsCriticalToYourPitchingMechanics:

1. Thebrain“craves”simplicityandstraightforwardinformation.Ithasenoughgoingonandwillrespondinefficientlywhenthedirectionsarenotclear.

2. Thebodywillorganizeitselfandmoveaccordingtothegoalaslongasthegoalisclearlydefined.(BernsteinPrinciple)Throwitharder,throwitfastergivestheCNSacleargoal.

3. IntentistheclearestformofcommunicationPaulNymanhasbeensayingthisforyears;hetermedit“intenttothrowhard”.Hisphilosophycentersaroundplayersthattrytothrowhardearlyinlifecreatemovementpatternsthatallowthemtothrowharderthanplayersthatdidn’t“throwwithintent.”Paul’sconceptofintentchangedmanypeople’sviews,especiallymine,afterintroducingtheworldtotheconcept.

ThereasonIntentissopowerfulisbecauseitgivestheCNSclearandstraightforwarddirections.It’saverysimple,externalcue.Rememberearlier,theCNSwritestheprogramforyourmovementbasedontheinformationitreceives.IthastoknowWHATtodo!Thereforeit’scriticalthattheinformationgiveniscrystalclear.

AllowmetoprovideyouwithanexampleofhowIntentcaninfluencethesoftwareprogramwrittenforpitchingmechanics.Thefollowingexamplesarebasedoffyoungkidsstartingearlyintheirdevelopmentwithintentonthrowingstrikesvs.intenttothrowhard(PaulNyman).

YouBecomeYourIntent:2PowerfulExamples:

Inmyupcomingvelocityprogram,wewillgointogreaterdetail.However,IjustwanttohighlighttheroleofIntentintheearlydevelopmentprocess.YourIntentistheprimarytoolusedbytheCNStowriteyour“mechanicalsoftware”program.Itallstartswithyourintent!

Isyourson'sintenttothrowstrikes:Pitchersintentonlocatingandthrowingstrikeshaveamorepassive,"controlled"pitchingdeliverytoaccomplishthegoal.Youngpitchershavelimitedmotorskillsandlet'sfaceit,pitchingrequiresconnectinganddisconnectingmultiplemovementpatterns,simultaneously!That'satoughtaskforanyone,especiallyayoungkid.Therefore,theirintenttothrowstrikesandsucceedimmediatelyinfluencesthemtoslowdownandeliminateexcessivemovementbecauseitdetractsfromtheirintentonthrowingstrikesandabilitywingames.

Becauseoftheintenttothrowstrikes,theyneveracquirethenecessarymotorprogramsrequiredforhighvelocitypitchers.Theyaren'tintroducedtotheimportanceoftempo,rhythmandmomentum.

Why?"Becausepitchingisallaboutthrowingstrikes!"atleastthey'retold.

Atthispointinearlydevelopmenttheyacquiretheskillforthrowingstrikesbutmissoutontheabilityaspectneededtothrowtheballathighervelocitieslaterindevelopment.

Is Your Son's Intent To Throw Hard:Youngpitcherswithintenttothrowtheballhardwillfindawaytothrowtheballharder.Theybegintoassociateaggressive/violentmovementpatternsinside

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theirdeliverywithhighervelocities.Bydoingso,theylearntoinvolvemoreofthebodytogenerateforceandpowerbyimplementinghigherlegkicks,turningofthehips,aggressiverotationandothercriticalcomponentsindicativeofhighvelocitypitchers.

THINK:DoyouseeadifferencebetweenAroldisChapman’spitchingmechanicscomparedtosay,JamieMoyerorGregMaddux?

Earlyindevelopment,pitcherswiththeintenttothrowhard,learntheimportanceofrhythm/tempoandthebenefitofaddedmomentum.Becausetheyaren'tconstrainedbythestrikezone,theydevelopthenecessarymotorpatternsrequiredtothrowtheballharder.

Thesemovementpatternsbenefitvelocitylaterintheircareer.Mostcoachesbelievethatcommandiseasiertoteachlaterindevelopmentthanvelocity.I'vehadsuccessonbothsidesbutpersonally,mysonwillnotencountertheconstraintsofthestrikezoneuntilhe'saround11or12yearsold.

Here’swhatGooseGossagehadtosayathisHallofFameinductionspeech:

“IrememberpitchingtomybrotherJackinhisfrontyardwindingupandtryingtothrowtheballashardasIpossiblycouldthrow.He’dsay,“You’renotthrowingveryhard.You’rethrowinglikeasissy.”I’dhavetearsinmyeyesI’dbetryingsohard,butlookingback,that’swheremywilddeliverycamefrom,allarmsandlegs,flailing,comingrightatyou.”

Intentisthemostpowerfulconceptinthepitchingmechanicsuniverse!!

Question#2:“WhatDidYouFEEL?”(FEEL=KinestheticAwareness)

PitchingisallaboutFEEL!

Feelisoneof4pillarsinsideThePitchingMechanicsMastermindDrillSystem.It'salsoanintegralpartinsideourpitchdevelopmentroutine.Inotherwords,weattempttoplaceafeeltoeverythingthatwedo,it'sthatimportant!

Mostofusarevisuallearners,therefore,videohastobepartofyourdailyroutineinsidethedevelopmentprocess.Infact,65%ofuslearnbywhatweseeorwatchingothersperformtheactivity.However,asIhavedocumentedinthepast,mostourinstructiontodayisdominatedinsightbasedtraining.

Again,it’simportanttonote:

• Weretainapproximately10percentofwhatwesee;• 30to40percentofwhatweseeandhear;• and90percentofwhatwesee,hear,anddo.• Weallhavethecapabilitytolearnviaallthreestyles,butareusuallydominateinoneand

mostplayersNEVERlearntoFEEL

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Whatifyouimplementedfeelwiththeuseofvideoanalysis?Wouldthatincreaseyourchancesfordevelopingbetterpitchingmechanics?Ithinkso,infact,Iknowitdoes!

Thebodyspeaksin"feel",it'sthebody'snativelanguage!

IheardagreatquotebyGrayCook,“Thelanguageofmovementiswritteninfeel.”

Theproprioceptivesystemusesstretchandpressurereceptorslocatedinthemuscles,joints,andskintoalertourbrainabouthowweareinteractingwiththeoutsideenvironment.

Let'sthinkaboutthatforaminute,doyougetwhathe'ssaying?Ifnot,noworriesallowmetoprovideyouwithanexamplethatallpitchingcoachescanrelateto.

Haveyoueverseenoneofyourpitcherspitchingwithasoreshoulderorelbow?Maybeevenasorekneeorstrainedgroin?Obviously,sorenesssendspainsignalstothebrain,sohowdoesthebrainrespond?

1. Afterreceivingthealarmsignal,itcommunicatesbacktothebodyandtellsit"Protectyourself!"

2. Itprotectsitselfatthesourceofthepainbyaskinganotherregionofthebodytotakeondoubleduty.

3. That'swhyyouwillseeguyswithlowerbodyissuesbecomingmoreupperbodyaggressive.4. Itprotectsthelowerbodybutintheprocessitplacesmorestressonthearm,notgood!

SeewhereI'mgoingwiththis?Thebodyunderstandsandcommunicatesthroughfeel.

Whetherit'sanegativefeelorpositivefeel,thebodyresponds.

FeelcanbeviewedasyourinternalGPSSystem.

"Feel"givesthebodycleardirectionsthroughsensoryfeedbackonwheretogoandnotgo!

Oncethebodybecomesaware,(kinestheticawareness)itgivesitaclearerunderstandingandincreasesyourchancestorepeatcertainmovementsinthedelivery.Why?

5ImportantNotesAboutTheBody

1. Thebodycravesclearcommunication.2. Theclearertheinformationitreceivesthemoreefficientthemovementbecomes.3. Feelprovidesclearcommunicationandspeaksinalanguageunderstoodbythebody.4. Thebodydoesn'tknowwheretogo,ithastobetold.5. Feeltellsthebodywheretogoonceit'sbeenintroduced.

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Personally,Ihavefoundthatplayersofallagesandskilllevelsincreasetheirchancesforimprovingtheirdeliveryoncetheyhavebeenintroducedtotheconceptof"feel".Insteadoftellingakidtomoveacertainway,placeafeeltothemovementanditwillensureyou'reonthesamepage.

Feeldefinesthemovementgoalmoreclearly!

Question#3:“WhatDoYouSEE?”(VisualAwareness)Video&Emulation

Weusevideoonadailybasis;Imakeitarequirementforallofmypitchers.Videoisanecessarytool.Weuseittoanalyzeourmovements,aswellaswatchingmultiplepitchersperformingthesameactivity.However,withmostoftoday’sinstruction,pitchersareledtobelievethatVIDEOistheendall,cureall.Itcouldn’tbefurtherfromthetruth.

Remember:Weonlyretain10%ofwhatweSEE!

Duringtheoff-season,weusevideowhenevertimepermits.Obviously,atthecollegelevelandhighschoollevel,timeconstraintspreventthisfromhappening.TrustmeIknow!

4ReasonsWeUseVideo:

1. It’susedtogiveavisualoftheactivity,duh.2. Itservesasaformofimmediatefeedback.3. Wearetryingtoconnectafeelandcuetowhatwesee.“HowdoIdescribeit?”4. Attemptingtobridgethegapbetweenperceptionandreality.However,asPaulNyman

wouldsay,“Weseewhatwewanttosee.”5. 65%ofpitchersarevisuallearners.

It’sagreattool,butit’sonlyonetool!

Now,I’mgoingtotakethisintoadifferentdirection.Videohassomesideeffectsandifyou’rerelyingonlyonvideoforfeedback,you’reheadeddownadangerouspath.Youhearcoachessayallthetime,“Ifyou’renotvideotaping,you’renotgettingbetter.”10%trueand90%wrong!Moretimesthannot,yourunintothissituationwithvideo:

• Thevideoisusedasareinforcementtojustifytheinstructor’sopinionofwhatyoushouldlooklike.

• Theinstructor’sidealof“goodmechanics”becomesthegoalforthepitcher.• Pitcher’sdon’ttrustwhattheyfeel,theirintentbecomesmovingfor“reward”andthey

oftenvalueformoverfunction!

Emulationafteracertainageisnothingmorethanaformofimitation!

Emulationiscriticalearlyindevelopmentbutcanbecomeadetrimenttodevelopmentlaterintheprocess.Pitchersthatattempttoemulatewillfindthemselvesplacingmorevalueonformvs.function.TheirintentbecomesgoingfromPointA–B-CwiththefalsebelieftheywillstayhealthyandthrowhardersimplybecausetheirdeliverymodelsthatoftheMLBpitcherbeingemulated.IcallittheA,B,C’sofpitchingmechanics!

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Thefatalflawwhichoccursinsidethisparticularlearningmethodissimple.EfficientmovementisnotpredicatedonPointsA,B,&C.Efficientmovementoccursbetweenletters.

Themagicisinthemovement!

Inotherwords,theMLBpitchersformorpostureyouareimitatingisamereproductofhowhisbodyfunctions!It’simpossibleforyoutoduplicatetheprocessbecauseyoursoftwareprogramformovementisnotthesame.

Whenever,watchingotherpitchers,tryandfindmultipleexamples.Don’tfallintothe“FormTrap”!

The Side-Effects of Video Analysis and Ideal Mechanical Models:

Paralysis by analysis: The athlete is constrained due to over analyzing every movement, making even unconscious movements, conscious. They often associate every issue and reference every adjustment, as a mechanical issue. They are drifters in Stage 2 of motor learning, conscious of every movement, nothing looks easy or natural and it's constantly changing.

Imitation via emulation: Emulation is very productive for younger kids learning to throw, however after a certain age or skill level it creates thought conscious movement patterns. It takes away from individual strengths because they are imitating another pitcher.

After a certain age, your movement patterns have become ingrained and emulation is nothing more than imitation. Why? The model’s strengths are not your strengths, regardless of how much time you spend copying positioning and patterns.

In other words, his CNS is not your CNS, there lies the deciding factor!

Why be happy impersonating Elvis, why not become the next Elvis?

Mechanical Disassociation: Video has a strange way of sending mixed signals to the athlete. Often players will lose sight of perspective and fall into the trap of mechanics. They believe every issue can be resolved with a mechanical tweak. Therefore, they find themselves unable to surpass the 2nd stage of motor learning.

Video analysis is the "eating disorder" of player development. Pitchers that constantly rely on video as their only means of feedback don't gain a clear perspective in movement and it can become a nasty cycle. You've all seen these guys, they're the ones constantly going through dry delivery drills and after each pitch, they are analyzing their delivery.

They begin to think only in terms of mechanics, other adjustments are not considered.

• They begin to place a mechanical fix with every issue and that takes away from what’s real. • They never learn to connect using other senses such as feeling and hearing. • Relying only on sight is not an efficient way to teach the CNS or tell the body what to do.

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I believe the exclusive use of video for all aspects of training could become a constraint in its own right.

The body has built in mechanisms for learning and sight is only one of them.

Now don’t get me wrong, video is a great tool and it’s something I use daily.

However, it’s only a good tool when used conjointly with other tools for learning.

Question#4:InYourOwnWords,DescribeHOWYouAccomplishedTheMovementGoal!(CUES=AuditoryAwareness)

IwillbethefirsttoadmitthatI’masguiltyasanyonewhenitcomestocommunicatingpoorlywithmypitchers.

THINK:Haveyoueverconsideredwhat’sgoingonwhenyou’reaskedorgiveninstructionsonhowtoperformanactivityordrill?

Although,itseemsextremelysimpletoyouorI,itmaybeaverydauntingtaskfortheindividual.Whenaplayerstruggleswithacertainmovementpattern,drillorpitch,wearequicktoplacetheblameorwritethemoffasbeingun-coachableorlackingability.However,that’snotalwaysthecase.Itcouldbeacommunicationissue.

• Cuescanbethebiggestobstacleindevelopmentandcommunication.• Cuesaren’treal,theyaresomeone’sinterpretationofwhathishappeningorhowit’stobe

performed.• Thesameinstructionorcuecouldbedefined15differentwaysby20kidsintheroom.

“Hejustdoesn’tgetit,Itellhimallthetimetousehislegsbutstillhedoesn’tdoit!”

Soundfamiliar?Insituationslikethis,theplayermaybetryingtousehislegs,buthisideaofhowtousethemmaybetotallydifferentthanwhattheinstructorviewsaspleasingorideal.Keepthisinmindthenexttimeyoufindyourselfaggravatedwithyoursonorpitchers.

It’scriticalthatyouareabletocreateyourownlanguageofHOWYOUaccomplishthemovementgoal.

Cuescanbeusedaspositivereinforcementtothebody/brainonhowtoaccomplishthegoal.

Traditionalcuesinbaseballinclude,“Stayback”,“Staytall”,etc…However,theycanbeinterpreted100’sofdifferentways.BaseballinstructionisFILLEDwithcues.Theyarelikefairytales,passedfromgenerationtogenerationwitheachstorytelleraddingtheirpersonalviewsandopinions.Mostcuesoriginatebasedonourdescriptionsofhow“WE”perceiveourselvesorothersperformingtheactivity,it’swhatmakessensetous.

Ibetyou’vebeentoldorinstructedoneofyourpitchersto:

• StayBack

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• Getontopoftheball• Leadwithyourhips• Stayovertherubber

Whatdoeseachmeantoyou?

Duringmylastpitchingcamp,Iaskedtheplayerstodescribetheirassociationwitheachofthecueslistedabove.Itwasnosurprisethatonlyafewsharedthesamedefinitionsasothersintheroom.Ofthe30participants,wehad7differentdefinitions!WhenIaskedwhatdoes,“Stayback”,meantoyou,Ireceivedanswersreferringtoweightshift,positioningoftheheadandoneplayerthoughtIwasreferringtobuntcoverage!

Yourterminologycan’tbevague.Youwillmakeyourpointmoreclearlyby:

• Showingthemyourwayof“doingit”• Havingthemperformit• Feelit• Usingmultipleexamplesofothersperformingit

Dowhateveryoucantomakesureit’sPERFECTLYCLEAR!

Importantnotesaboutcues:

• It’sabsolutelynecessarythataplayercandescribein“hisownwords”whatheseesandfeels.

• Thisgivesthebodycleardirectionsonwhattodoandhowtodoit.• Italsoservesasapositivereinforcementthatwillincreaseperformance.Pitching

mechanicswillshapemoreefficientlywhentheplayercangivehisbodyspecificdirectionsonhowtoaccomplishthegoal(internalcue).

• Doesitreallymatterhowyoudescribeanactivityifitdoesn’tmakesensetotheplayer?• Allowingtheplayertoestablishcuespromotestrust

Asktheplayer:Howwouldyoudescribeitorexplainittoyourselfifyouwerethecoach?THINK:Wheneveryougiveinstructionsonhowtoperformadrill,theplayermustprocesstheinformationandthenthebodymovesaccordingtowhatit“perceives”itissupposedtodo.Therefore,it’simperativethatyougiveclearandconcisedirectionsforthegoaloftheactivity. Therearetwoprimaryformsofcues,externalandinternal.

1. ExternalCues:Cuesthatmightinclude“throwitharder”,“throwitfaster.”Externalcuesaredirectedatthemovementgoal,“whattodo”.(TheCNSlovesthese!)

2. InternalCues:Cuesthatmightinclude,“Stayback”,“Drivethehipsforward”.Internalcuesusedasinstructiononhowtoaccomplishthemovementgoal,“howtodoit”.(TheCNSisnotfondoftheseunlessdevelopedbytheindividual)

THINK:Theproblemwithcuesoccurswheninternalcues(howyourbodyshouldmove)originatefromexternalsources.(Iwouldcomparethemtoabackseatdriver,howannoyingarethoseguys?)

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Bottomline:TheirCNSisnotyourCNS!

Externalcuesaregreatwhenthegoalismadesimpleandperfectlyclear.Theygiveclearandspecificdirectionsforthebrain.

• Thebrain“craves”simplicityandstraightforwardinformation.Ithasenoughgoingonandwillrespondinefficientlywhenthedirectionsarenotclear.

• Thebodywillorganizeitselfandmoveaccordingtothegoalaslongasthegoalisclearlydefined.Throwitharder,throwitfastergivestheCNSacleargoal.

Internalcuesareveryproductivewhenestablishedandusedbytheindividual:

1. Theycan“makesense”ofwhatyouseeorfeelandthereforeconnectthebodywiththemind.

2. Internalcuesalsoprovidepositivereinforcementtothebrain.

AsPaulNymantellsus,“Thegoalforplayerdevelopmentislimitingtheamountoftimesaplayerfails!”Therefore,it’simportantthatwedoourbesttoridtheCNSofconfusionwheneverpossible.

Wecanlimitconfusionbyallowingplayerstocreatetheirowncuesbasedontheirlearnedassociationthroughthetrialanderrorprocess!

Inclosing,communicationisatwowaystreet,internalandexternal.It’simportantthatplayersunderstandthepowerofintentandthatitbecomesritualistictohaveintentwitheverythroworactivity.It’salsoimportantthatcoachesunderstandandareawareoftheplayer’sintent.Playersmustestablishinternalcueswhilecoachesneedtofocusmoreonexternalcues.It’sgoingtobetough,butIsuggestthatasacoach,youtryandeliminatetheuseofinternalcues,allowthemtocreatetheirown!

Afterall,itdoesn’tmatterifitmakessensetoyouorI,onlytotheplayerperformingtheactivity.

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Chapter4:ThePowerOfImmediateFeedback

&DeliberatePractice

ThePowerOfImmediateFeedback:

Feedbackcomesinmanyformsandisalwaysavailableifyouknowwheretolook.

Thefasterthebodyreceivesfeedbackthemorebeneficialthefeedbackbecomes.Thisisreferredtoasimmediatefeedback.TheCNSreliesonthreesensestogatherfeedbackandmakeinformeddecisions.Themoreintuneaplayerbecomeswithsensoryfeedback,thefasterthedevelopmenttakesshape.

ExamplesoffeedbackweuseinsideThePitchingMechanicsMasterMindSystem:

1. Immediatefeedback:a. Videob. Feelc. Personalcues

2. SensoryFeedbacka. Whatweseeb. Whatwefeelc. Whatwehear

Thissystemrevolvesaroundcreatinganenvironmentrichinsensoryfeedback.ThegoalistoconnectthesensesandprovideourCNSwithinformationneededtolimitfailureandmovemoreefficiently!

SinceIgrewupinKentucky,let’suseanotherexample,basketball.Isthereabettersourceofimmediatefeedbackthanshootingabasketball?Howmanyofyouguyshaveshotabasketballenoughtoknowwhethertheshotwasgoodorbadbasedonhowitwasreleasedfromyourhand?Howdoyouknow?Immediatefeedback!Basketballplayersaregivenimmediatefeedbackwitheveryshot.Unlikebaseball,thereisno“grayarea.”Theshot’seitherinorout,youwinorlosewitheveryattempt.It’sassimple

asthat!

Here’sWHYitworks:

• Basketballplayersbegintoassociatehowtheyfeeltheballleavingtheirhandswithwhattheyseeintheendresult,theshot’sinorout.

• Becauseoftheimmediatefeedback,theybegintoassociateafeelwitheventheslightestmiscue.

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• The3rdpartoftheequationissound.There’sadifferencebetweentheshotthattouchesnothingbutnetandtheonethatclanksoffthebackground.

Basketballprovidesarichenvironmentwithimmediatesensoryfeedback.Tosummarize;basketballplayersrelyon3sensestogatherinformationandmakeadjustmentswitheachshotbasedonthepreviousresult:

1. Didyouseeitgoinorout?Wasitwide,short,soft,hard?2. Youfeeltheballleavingaspecificpartofthehandorfingersandbegintoassociatewhat

youfeeltotheresult.3. Soundalsoplaysamajorfactorinthefeedback.There’sadifferentfeelassociatedforanair

ballvs.abrick,right?4. Basketballcreatesanenvironmentrichinimmediatesensoryfeedbackandconnectsthe

senses,there’safeelassociatedtowhatyouseeandhear!

Awareness=Adjustments=DevelopmentIt’ssadtosaybutmostpitcherswastetheirtimeinsidetheirthrowingprogramandwonderwhytheyhavesuchpoorormediocreresults.Theyneverhaveaplanorprocess.Theydon’thaveanintentorfocus.Theycan’tgatherfeedbackbecausetheyaren’tlookingforit

Whycouldn’tyourapproachinsideyourthrowingprogramreflectthatofafreethrowshooter?

Yousee,basketballisaprimeexampleofanenvironmentthatincludesallthreetypesofsensoryfeedback.YourCNSthrivesinenvironmentslikethisbecauseitissorichinfeedback.Infact,eachofthethreesensesarecollaboratingtogetherinhopesofreachingtheultimategoal,makingtheshot!Eachsensehasauniqueresponsibilityandovertime,theybegintoconnect.Itmakesiteasytowriteyourinternalsoftwareprogramneededbasedontheamountofqualityfeedbackreceivedfromthreedifferentsenses.

Pitchersmustlearnimmediatelywhethertheysucceededorfailedwitheachandeveryactivity.

Ifthatlineisblurred,developmentstallsandadjustmentsneverhappen.It’sprettysimplereally,therearenotiesinplayerdevelopment,youeitherwinoryoulosewitheachandeveryactivityordrill!Theentiretrialanderrorprocessrevolvesaroundimmediatefeedbackinordertomakethenextadjustment.It’sjustasimportantthatyoulearn“HowNotTo”dosomething.Ifyoufailed49timesbutsucceededonthe50thattempt,well,youlearned49wayshownottodoit,that’simportantinfo.Pitchersthatdonotreceivefeedbackorlearnhowtogatherfeedback,alwaysliveinaworldblurredwithperception.Theycan’ttellthedifferencebetweenrightandwrong.DeliberateApproach:As a player is learning HOW to do something, a deliberate approach and immediate feedback MUST be part of everything they do!

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The process should be applied with every throw:

• What are you doing? • How are you going to do it? • What did you learn from the results?

A deliberate approach increases:

1. The rate of development 2. The ability to recognize & make adjustments on the fly. 3. And, provides a much clearer perspective on any and all situations.

Pitchers that do not apply a deliberate approach or don’t know how to gather feedback inside their routine are usually the ones that without a clear perspective. They often spend time looking for answers in the wrong direction. 9/10 times they will look for the answer or blame every problem on mechanics, it’s a nasty cycle that constantly repeats itself!

In other words, they are shooting a basketball with no goal!

There’s no plan or focus, they are simply going through the motions. Theybegintoformbadhabitsandthemoretheyrepeatthesebadhabits,thedevelopmentbeginstoregressandtakeshapeinanegativefashion.

Developmentisconstantlyevolvingandappliestofirsttimethrowerstoseasonedvets!

Yourgoalduringtheoff-seasonistooconstantlychallengeyourselftoseekbetterwaystodowhatyoudo.Thesameappliesduringthein-seasontoadegree.Irefrainfromseekingchangesduringtheseasonbecauseofthemanyconstraintstheathletefaces.

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“Imagine”attemptingtochangeyouraccentatapublicspeakingevent!Youwouldbesopressedtochangetheaccentthatthequalityofthespeechwouldtakeabighit.

Acoupleofthoughtstoconsiderduringtheoff-season:

• Don’tbeafraidtostepoutsideofyourcomfortzoneandtrynewthings.• Over-exaggeratemovements.• Realizethattherehastobeatimeandplacewhereit’sOktofail!• Learnsomethingtodaythatcanbeappliedtomorrow.

Your plan for today is always based on yesterday’s results!

ThePowerOfAJournal: Thereisastrongcorrelationbetweenkeepingadailyjournalandsuccess.SomeguysscratchtheirheadwhenItellthemthisforthefirsttime,theydon’tgetit.Beingdeliberateappliestoyouentireapproach,notjustyourpractice.Ifyou’renotwritingitdown,chartingormeasuring,howdoyouknowwhattofocuson?

Ifyou’reahighschool,collegeorprofessionalpitcher,I’msurethatyourstrengthandconditioningcoachmonitorsandtracksyourprogressintheweightroom,right?Whileyou’resittinginclassorteachingtheclass,youtakenotestoprepareyourselffortheupcomingexams,right?Well,ifthat’sthecase……

Whydon’tmorebaseballplayersdothis?

Throughouttheyear,I’mfortunatetoworkwith100′sofpitchers.Theyrange11yearoldstoMLBpitchers.Regardlessoftheirageorskilllevel,there’snotalotthatchanges.Strange,huh?Notreally.Ifirmlybelievethatthedevelopmentprocesswillspeedupwhen:

§ Theplayerunderstandstheyhavetotakeownershipintheprocess.§ Theybecomeawareoftheirstrengthsandtheirweaknesses.§ Theybegintobridgethegapbetweenperceptionandreality.Howdotheydothis?

Step1:Makeafinancialinvestmentoflessthan$2bypurchasinga.99centcompositionbookanda.99centpenorpencil.

Step2:Takeatleast2minutesadayjottingdownmiscellaneousnotes.Thiscouldincludeanyandallactivitiessuchas:§ Chartbullpensorskillwork.§ WritingdowncuestheyestablishthatmakessensetoTHEM!(Readthisarticle!)§ Monitoringhowtheirarm/bodyfeelsforthedayandrateit.§ Chartingtheirworkfortheday.

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Youcouldobviouslyaddhundredsofotherthingsthatcouldbeaddedordocumentedtothejournal.Again,it’sallabouttheideaorconceptofthemtakingownership,accountabilityandmakingthemselvesAWARE.

TherearemanybenefitstokeepingajournalandIdon’tthinkyouwouldshowuptotakeatestwithoutbeingpreparedandreviewingyournotes.Idon’tthinkyoucouldhavemuchsuccesswithyourdietifyouweren’tmonitoringyourcaloricintake.Idoubtyouwouldhavemuchsuccesswitheither.

However,veryfewbaseballplayersdothis!

Whynot?Herearethebenefitsofkeepingadailyjournal:

1. Itrelievesanxietyandthefeelingofbeingunpreparedwhenit’sgametime.2. Itallowsyoutomonitorandtrackprogress.3. Itkeepsyourgoalsandfocusinfrontofyouatalltimes. Maybemostimportantly…..

WHENthingsgowrong,itgivesyousomethingtoreflectbackuponandseewhatyouweredoingwhenthingsweregood.

Ifyou’renotsurewhatyoushouldincludeinthejournal,hereafewideastohelpyougetstarted.

1. HowdidIfeeltoday?2. WhatcuesdidIestablish?3. WhatdidIlearnaboutmyselftoday?4. Whatshouldbemyfocustomorrowbasedonmyfeedback?5. Whatweremystrengths/weaknesses?6. DidIgetbettertoday?How?Why?Inclosing,you’redevelopmentisuptoyou!Developmentwillspeeduponceplayersbegintotakeownershipandareallowedfreedomwithintheteamorcoach’sstructure

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Chapter5:GivingCreditWhereCreditIsDue!

(MyStory)"Give credit to the people that helped get you to where you are!"

I'vebeenworkingwithpitchersforthepast17yearsatvariouslevelsofthegame.I'vealwayschallengedmyselftolearnsomethingtodaythatIdidn'tknowyesterday.Tobehonest,itoftencreatesaconundrumandleavesmescratchingmyhead.

Itcanbehumbling,insanelyhumbling,whenyourealizethat.....

ThemoreIlearn,thelessIknow!

IinitiallystartedmycareerasaninstructorinLouisville,KYfreshoutofcollege,boundanddeterminedtonotgetarealjob!Likemostplayers,Iwantedtostayinthegameinsomeformorfashionaslongaspossible.

MybestfriendgrowingupwasToddThompsonandhehadjustbeenrecentlynamedtheHeadCoachatCentralHardinHighSchoolbackinmyhomestateofKY.

OnceToddwasofferedthejob,heinvitedmetojoinhimasthepitchingcoachandIwasthrilledtocoachatthehighschoollevelandbealongsideachildhoodfriend.(Bytheway,sinceToddThompsonarrivedatCentralHardin,theyhavebecomeaperennialpowerinKYHighSchoolBaseball,2011KYStateChamps!)

Atestamenttotheleadership,guidanceandcoachingexpertiseexhibitedbyToddThompson.HewillsomedayendupintheKHSAAHallofFameandI'mproudtosaythatIwasabletocoachalongsidehiminhisinauguralcampaign!

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2011KentuckyHighSchoolStateChamps

WhilecoachingatCHHS,IhadtheopportunitytomeetLutherBramblettduringtheKYHighSchoolStateTournament.LutheristheHeadCoachof St. Catharine College inSpringfield,KYanditwasajuniorcollegeatthattime.Aswesattalkingpitching,LutheraskedifIwasinterestedinbecominghispitchingcoach.

YES, I AM Luther! Was the immediate response, at least that's what I felt?

Lutherisa"BaseballGuy"andhehadsingle-handedlyputtogetheranationalpoweratSt.Catharine.Goingintothejob,Iwasabitapprehensiveandcouldn'thelpbutthink,

"AmIreadyforthis?"

"DoIknowenoughtotakeonthereinsatthecollegelevel?"

(Ifyou'relookingforaschoolwithareputationfordevelopingplayers,checkout St. Catharine College.IhighlyrecommendLutherBramblettandhisstaff!)

CheckOutSt.CatharineBaseball!!

ThescenariolitasparkandsuddenlyIrealizedthattherewassomuchIdidn'tknowandthatIhadsomuchtolearn.EachnightIsatinthedormroomspendingcountlesshours(at$350dollarsa

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month)researchingtheworksofTomHouseandmanyothernationallyrecognizedpitchingcoaches.

Suddenly, it had become an addiction of sorts, I couldn't get enough information!

Overthenexttwoyears,sevenplayersreached90MPHandtheteamthatCoachBramblettputtogetherwent87-18!Wewereatthetopofthenationalrankingsinwins,ERAandmanyothercategories.IhatetosoundlikeI'm"thatguy"butitwasatestamenttotheplayersthatCoachBrambletthadrecruited.

Herearetwoofmyfavoritequotesconcerningcollegebaseballandrecruiting:

"Goodplayersmakegoodcoaches!"JeffForehand,LipscombUniversity

"It'snottheplayersyoumissintherecruitingprocessthatwillhurtyou;it'stheonesyouget!"ChrisFinwood,OldDominionUniversity

WhilecoachingatSt.Catharine,IhadtheopportunitytomeetCliffTerracuso,betterknownasCliffyTinthecoachingworld.CliffhadcoachedatSt.CatharinethepreviousyearandwasatthattimetherecruitingcoordinatorforLipscombUniversity.Inmyopinion,CliffyisoneofthebettertalentevaluatorsI'veseentothisday.(Bytheway,askanycollegecoachintheSouthEastandthere'sagoodchancetheyareveryawareofthethelegendaryCliffyT.He'sthekindofguythatonceyoumeethim,youwon'tforgethim.)CliffiscurrentlyanAreaScoutincentralFloridafortheTexasRangers;nodoubthewilldogreatthingsinthatposition!

Thefollowingyear,Iwasofferedthevolunteerpitchingjobat Lipscomb University byWynnFletcher.WynniscurrentlythedefendingnationalchampionHeadCoachat Central Alabama Community College andabrilliantbaseballmind.

NeedISayMore?HighlyRecommendWynnFletcher!

WhileatLipscomb,IhadtheopportunitytomeetandlearnfromDerekJohnsondowntheroadatVandy.DJwasthemostinfluentialcollegebaseballcoachinAmericawhileatVanderbilt.DJiscurrentlytheminorleaguepitchingcoordinatorfortheChicagoCubs.Absolutelybrilliantpitching

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guy,aheadofhistimeinsidehisthoughtprocessandabilitytorelatetoplayers.ThebestI'veeverseenatdevelopingarms.

IcanstillremembermeetingDJforthefirsttimeandhimtellingmetocheckoutPaulNyman'sworkatSetpro.com.

PaulNyman,whoisthat?

Obviously,Icouldn'twaittogethomeandseewhat&whomhewastalkingabout.

Thatfirstnight,Ihoppedontheforumandwasblownaway,actuallyintimidated,bytheamountofmind-bendinginformationavailable.Incredible!Setprochanged,shaped,moldedandcreatedmyphilosophyofpitchingmechanics(actuallythrowingmechanicsasPaulreferstothem).Ispenthundredsofhoursinfrontofthecomputerscreen.Itgottothepointthatmywife(Mandy)accusedmeofviewingsomethingelse,wewon'tdiscussthat.

I quickly began implementing the philosophy of Paul Nyman with my staff at Lipscomb University and it changed my career, as well as my players.

Overthe4yearperiodatLipscomb,wehad16armsreachabove90MPHandhadaneventual1strounderinRexBrothers,thecurrentcloserfortheColoradoRockies.NoneofthatwouldhavebeenpossiblehaditnotbeenfortheworkofPaulNyman.

AfterLipscomb,IspenttwoyearsatULMbeforeleavingtodevotemytimetomytruepassion,playerdevelopment.

Overthepast10years,whichincludescollegebaseball,privateinstructionandsummerball?

• 19ofmyformerpitchershavebeendrafted• 4arecurrentlypitchinginMLB• 54ofmyguyshavereached90MPHplus• 14havereached95andabove• 2thispastyearreachedthecenturyclub,100MPH!

ThereasonIpointthisoutandrisksoundinglikeadou***bag,istoconveytoyouthatanythingispossibleonceyou:

• Stepoutsideofyourcomfortzone• Embracenewideasandideology• Constantlysearchfornewinformation• Aren'tafraidtotrynewthings• Andmostimportantly,understandthatnotwoplayersshouldbecoachedtolookthesame!

Although,Paulcanbecreditedwithmyphilosophyonmechanics,therearecountlessothersthatshouldbenamedaswell.

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• MandyWheeler(Anycoachwilltellyouthatyou'reonlyasgoodasthewomanbesideyou!)• JeffForehand• ButchThompson• TomHouse• TonyRobichaux• EachandeveryplayerandcoachthatI'vehadtheopportunitytospendtimewithandlearn

from

It'samazinghowmuchyoucanlearnjustbywatchingandopeningyourmindtonewideasandinformation.I'mafirmbelieverthateachpitcherhasauniquewayofthrowingthebaseballandtheideaorpremisethatthere'sonlyonewayto"dosomething"isasinine.

It's what's wrong with instruction today.

I'llstoptherebeforeIgetonarant.

BeforeIgo,IjustwantedtosharepartofmystorywithyouandtaketimetogivecredittothosewhominfluencedmycareerandhelpedmegettothepointI'mattoday.

• Toooften,aspitchingcoachesweacquireourinformationonabeg,stealandborrowmentalityandtakefromotherswithoutgivingduecredit.

• Togoastepfurther,IwantedtostresstheinfluenceandrolethatPaulNymanhasplayedonmybeliefsandgiveyouagiftthatyoucantakewithyoutherestofyourpitching,coachingand/orinstructingcareer.

Thanks again for purchasing Pitching Mechanics MasterMind System, please reach out to me if I can help in anyway.

Lantz Wheeler / lantz.wheeler@gmail.com is the best email to reach me!