Conflicting Views On Baseball Pitching: Who Is Right & Who Is Wrong?

Coach Ellis,

Thank you again for all the advice and wisdom that you freely give to all of us aspiring players.

I am currently working with a private instructor in all aspects of my baseball play, specifically pitching. The instruction I have received from him has drastically changed my ability to not only throw the ball where I want it to go with significant velocity, but also, I am now able to keep hitting the same spot pitch after pitch. My concern however, comes from the differing views between what my instructor is teaching me and what my high school coach is telling me to do. The differences, though minor, are enough to change my form and how I pitch the ball. I'm wondering who you think I should rely on/listen to on how I pitch and what I should do if/when conflicts arise with my form.

Thanks again,

Skyler V.

Ft. Wayne, Indiana

From the desk of Steven Ellis, The Complete Pitcher™:

What feels the best for you and gives you the most confidence to throw strikes when standing on the pitcher's mound? That's ultimately the question that you have to answer for yourself.

The problem you're facing is common in baseball. Because baseball pitching deliveries are specifically unique to individual pitchers, there is not necessarily one right way (although, there are certainly common checkpoints of all good pitching deliveries). And because there is not one right kind of pitching delivery, there is not only one right kind of pitching instruction. However, it ultimately becomes the task of the pitcher himself to process the information and instruction he receives and use only that instruction with which he feels most comfortable -- and throw the most strikes with the greatest velocity and/or movement.

It's a short answer, I know, but there's no right one in this case.

Yours in baseball,

Steven Ellis
The Complete Pitcher™
www.thecompletepitcher.com
www.thecompletepitcher.blogs.com