Elite Pitching Instructor

[Hillhouse]

FWIW, I'm sure RAD has some good ideas too.

Regardless of who you pick, do your homework. If your kid has been pitching with H/E mechanics, and we (or anyone) sends you to someone teaching differently, it's not going to be a good day for your daughter. At least not initially. And if college is around the corner, you may want to make sure what the coach teaches is going to actually help your kid.

I had a family fly out to me 2 weeks ago in a similar situation. After 30 min, I told the family that I am sorry I don't think I'm going to be able to help her. I mean, I did my best!! But, what good is it to fly to Omaha for a coach to tell your kid they need to change a lot of things, especially if they're going to go back to the same old pitching coach who's going to say what a moron I am and don't listen to that guy!!??? When the dad said they were here for enhancement not to reinvent the wheel, I said ok. I did a small demo, riseball is usually the best example for that. Dad was a baseball guy and had caught his DD since she was 9, now she's 17. When I throw some riseballs to him catching, at about 50% or less in velocity, he didn't put a glove on it. If I had thrown it straight down the middle, he'd have had a broken nose or eye socket. Both he and DD were kinda stunned. And I asked if they thought that was cool, to which they both said YES that's what she wants to be able to do. Then I had the bad news, "Sorry but pitching like she is, she won't be able to do what I just did". And it's not that I have a magic secret, it's not that I invented the pitch or have a patent on it. 100% opposite, I didn't create anything. But I can tell you that using H/E mechanics means she won't get backspin on her ball. If you have a problem with that, take it up with God not me. He's the one who designed our bodies and how they work, not me. They left Omaha with some serious things to think about. I guess we'll see which way they wanna take it.

Good luck with it. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

 

[Hillhouse]

I watched one of his videos a few days ago, showing what was clearly a replant and saying why it's not a replant. I forget what the reasoning was, but it had something to do with there being no additional forward push after the back foot planted. But it wasn't a toe drag leap a la Jordy Bahl. This girl grabbed a ton of air with closed hips (IIRC) and landed on the bottom of her back foot. Skirting the nuances of the rules could be a real hassle when an ump is calling that and the pitcher can't adjust in the moment.

Yes, and please don't misunderstand me: I like Jason Iuli. I think I have a good rapport with him, although it's probably been 20 years since I last saw him in person. And I've told him very clearly that I think he's making a mistake by actively teaching this. But, he swears "it's legal!". Well, it's only legal if the umpire says so. And unfortunately Jason isn't going to be at all of the games of all his students to argue with tournament directors, UIC's of events, and individual umpires to advocate for his girls. And I don't know if the girls will know how to adjust if they're getting called illegal.

His rationale has something to do with the arm circle not pausing or something. Personally, I believe EVERY crow hopper has a hitch in their circle (the hitch is always at the exact moment the back foot lands for the replant), which is why I always say fixing a crow hop isn't a problem with the feet, it's actually a problem with the hands. Anyway, it's still going to be umpire discretion. And in the case of Jordy Bahl, or even Kelly Barnhill, there's a little ambiguity about whether they're replanting or not. Jason's kids have no ambiguity, IMO. As I said, I will just feel bad for his girls if they're called. And I think they will be called illegal. Moreover, he's really expanded his business over the last 10 years traveling around like I used to do, flying all over the country. And if his pitchers get deemed to be illegal, regardless of if it's in California, Texas, Illinois, or any of the other places he does his coaching, he's going to lose a lot of respect and all that hard work he's put in over the last years are going to be ruined. And to be 100% clear again, I hope I'm wrong. I hope his kids are fine. But, we just don't know how this is going to be called.

 

[Deestar]

Hi Coach, Thank you so much for the info!! I actually based her pitching after watching your videos! I purchased your “Methods of Movement” DVD! Gary Mullican was her first pitching coach when my daughter was in rec ball. I chose him because he was familiar with your instruction and yes, he said he knew you personally. We only stopped going because he was having health issues and my daughter was making the switch to a travel team. He was great and my daughter loved him. It might be time to revisit him. One of my DD’s mechanical flaws is that she drags her back foot sideways. It causes her to lean forward too much. It’s been a point of contention between us but she stopped listening to me years ago I’m fairly certain it led to her injury. We started going to Stephanie Beane (Tincher Pitching) to correct her mechanics and she was great as well. But the drive to Temecula was a bit far.
Thank you for the referrals and if we do reconnect with Gary, I will give him your regards!

 

[Deestar]

FWIW, I'm sure RAD has some good ideas too.

Regardless of who you pick, do your homework. If your kid has been pitching with H/E mechanics, and we (or anyone) sends you to someone teaching differently, it's not going to be a good day for your daughter. At least not initially. And if college is around the corner, you may want to make sure what the coach teaches is going to actually help your kid.

I had a family fly out to me 2 weeks ago in a similar situation. After 30 min, I told the family that I am sorry I don't think I'm going to be able to help her. I mean, I did my best!! But, what good is it to fly to Omaha for a coach to tell your kid they need to change a lot of things, especially if they're going to go back to the same old pitching coach who's going to say what a moron I am and don't listen to that guy!!??? When the dad said they were here for enhancement not to reinvent the wheel, I said ok. I did a small demo, riseball is usually the best example for that. Dad was a baseball guy and had caught his DD since she was 9, now she's 17. When I throw some riseballs to him catching, at about 50% or less in velocity, he didn't put a glove on it. If I had thrown it straight down the middle, he'd have had a broken nose or eye socket. Both he and DD were kinda stunned. And I asked if they thought that was cool, to which they both said YES that's what she wants to be able to do. Then I had the bad news, "Sorry but pitching like she is, she won't be able to do what I just did". And it's not that I have a magic secret, it's not that I invented the pitch or have a patent on it. 100% opposite, I didn't create anything. But I can tell you that using H/E mechanics means she won't get backspin on her ball. If you have a problem with that, take it up with God not me. He's the one who designed our bodies and how they work, not me. They left Omaha with some serious things to think about. I guess we'll see which way they wanna take it.

Good luck with it. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

That’s exactly how we met Gary! After listening to your talks and watching your videos, I thought you had the best info out there. I pride myself on being able to weed out the bad info. We tried 2 other pitching coaches that were obviously not on the same page until we met Gary!

 

[Sonerai]

My DD hasn't gone to her, but know people that have gone to Paisleys Pitching. It looks like she focuses on building strength and speed. I think she is located in our around Long Beach.

 

[Deestar]

My DD hasn't gone to her, but know people that have gone to Paisleys Pitching. It looks like she focuses on building strength and speed. I think she is located in our around Long Beach.

Yes, Thank you! I’ve heard of her. I like where she’s coming from. Seems like she might be trying to do more online training though. I’ll look into her a bit more

 

[LEsoftballdad]

Proudly posted on Powerhouse Mechanics social media pages. I agree with Bill. I'd be shocked if this isn't called illegal. And to make matters worse, he's an arrogant jerk to anyone who even thinks to question his methods.

 

[PJR202]

Hi Coach, Thank you so much for the info!! I actually based her pitching after watching your videos! I purchased your “Methods of Movement” DVD! Gary Mullican was her first pitching coach when my daughter was in rec ball. I chose him because he was familiar with your instruction and yes, he said he knew you personally. We only stopped going because he was having health issues and my daughter was making the switch to a travel team. He was great and my daughter loved him. It might be time to revisit him. One of my DD’s mechanical flaws is that she drags her back foot sideways. It causes her to lean forward too much. It’s been a point of contention between us but she stopped listening to me years ago I’m fairly certain it led to her injury. We started going to Stephanie Beane (Tincher Pitching) to correct her mechanics and she was great as well. But the drive to Temecula was a bit far.
Thank you for the referrals and if we do reconnect with Gary, I will give him your regards!

Maybe you already learned this, but that back foot isn't the cause. It's the symptom. Insufficient drive mechanics is the culprit. Typically, the back leg is down because the body is lagging. You'll likely notice the front foot leg below the knee is pretty much vertical at the time she lands.

When things are correct, you'll see that front leg come down in an arc. That means she's still moving forward at the time she plants, which will trigger that front side resistance. If you see that landing correct, you'll see that back foot mostly or completely on the toe. That loss of momentum caused by the insufficient drive causes everything to drop. Front leg collapses and she has to plant, squat, and restabilize, which you'll usually see manifested in her springing UP and extend the leg right at the piont of release. ZOOM. High pitch. Some girls compensate well or manage to get rid of the ball before they spring back up, but there's speed and stability loss there. A lot of times the bad front side resistance throwers will fall to the right as well. Posture and stability are very compromised.

A good way to see how things are progressing is to take slo-mo video and check the drive leg when her arm is at the 3:00 position. Ideally, her body is still moving straight out, and that back leg is all or mostly extended, and there is no load on it. The toe should be just starting to turn over onto the top side of the shoe. If she's an early opener, you'll still want to see if there's any weight remaining on that drive foot despite it being or starting to be sideways.

 

[PJR202]

Yes, and please don't misunderstand me: I like Jason Iuli. I think I have a good rapport with him, although it's probably been 20 years since I last saw him in person. And I've told him very clearly that I think he's making a mistake by actively teaching this. But, he swears "it's legal!". Well, it's only legal if the umpire says so. And unfortunately Jason isn't going to be at all of the games of all his students to argue with tournament directors, UIC's of events, and individual umpires to advocate for his girls. And I don't know if the girls will know how to adjust if they're getting called illegal.

His rationale has something to do with the arm circle not pausing or something. Personally, I believe EVERY crow hopper has a hitch in their circle (the hitch is always at the exact moment the back foot lands for the replant), which is why I always say fixing a crow hop isn't a problem with the feet, it's actually a problem with the hands. Anyway, it's still going to be umpire discretion. And in the case of Jordy Bahl, or even Kelly Barnhill, there's a little ambiguity about whether they're replanting or not. Jason's kids have no ambiguity, IMO. As I said, I will just feel bad for his girls if they're called. And I think they will be called illegal. Moreover, he's really expanded his business over the last 10 years traveling around like I used to do, flying all over the country. And if his pitchers get deemed to be illegal, regardless of if it's in California, Texas, Illinois, or any of the other places he does his coaching, he's going to lose a lot of respect and all that hard work he's put in over the last years are going to be ruined. And to be 100% clear again, I hope I'm wrong. I hope his kids are fine. But, we just don't know how this is going to be called.

I like most of the videos he puts up. There are only a handful of instructors I follow. But it's really hard to watch how blatant the leaping is now with his students.

 

[RADcatcher]

I believe EVERY crow hopper has a hitch in their circle (the hitch is always at the exact moment the back foot lands for the replant), which is why I always say fixing a crow hop isn't a problem with the feet, it's actually a problem with the hands.

Follow the hands... the ball will be in one of them eventually.

Thats a hitting tip also