How do you know what is right?

First, you ask that question somewhere other than here.

Second, you compare what anyone tells you to video of the best doing it.

Kevin

There are those on here that can help you find a direction

They will be willing to phone and talk with you

Lifting? what kind? do you have a trainer directing your son? BE CAREFUL !!! Every kid is different and their needs are even more different in that the needs relate to them ONLY!!!

One on One Instruction !!!!

Kevin,

First, please accept my apologies for Linear's comments. He has been reprimanded recently for his posts on this and other forums - and he typically lashes out when that occurs. That is his problem - not ours or yours.

As for your question: IMO

Noone will give you the absolute definitive answer. You will have to determine what you and your son are comfortable with in all areas.
Weights - baseball training - money and time. Even selection of a coach(s) that you are comfortable with.

However - there are many people here who are very qualified to relate what has worked for their sons. We have a wealth of information here from people who have actually experienced all the hard work and success. In some cases - phenomenal success. You can take their information and opinions - think about it in detail - integrate it into your specific wants and needs - and then make decisions from their.

As for weight lifting - we also have some very experienced people with a track record of safety and success. Personally - I would start with Kerry Rosenboom. He frequents the "Strength and Conditioning" forum - and is a very knowledgable weight training instructor.

Again - please excuse Linear's comment - and ask as many questions as you like.

Hopefully - the information you receive from people who have actually went through the same thing you are going through will be of great help to you.

Regards

quote:

Originally posted by itsinthegame:
...However - there are many people here who are very qualified ...

And there are many here who offer opinions that are wrong.

That is the guys question. Who to listen to? And that's why you don't listen here. He is saying he doesn't have the knowledge to distinquish the two.

Therefore, go somewhere else, and compare whatever that person says to video of the best.

Kevin,
Its offers good advice, everyone's son and everyone's situation is different.
The only thing I can say is don't hurry mother nature. For a 15,16 year old pitcher, rotator cuff exercises, areobic exercice, and a good throwing program may suffice. Eat well, cut out the junk food. I am a firm believer stay away from the weights unless an experienced person can assist, if yuo feel it is necessary. Studies show that weight training before puberty or during rapid puberty may not always be healthy. We were told to wait until we saw hair on the face, more hair on the body. This may sound silly, old fashioned, but it was good advice, I feel in he end. As I have said before ouors never went on a serious program with weights until college. He dabbled a bit in the HS gym, but spent more time running steps on the football field and rubber bands.
Taking the rest was correct advice, in another thread this was discussed recently. Pitchers in HS with the demand of showcases at certain times in teh off season, pitching summers, fall and spring there has to be a balance. As I stated before, if ours played summer, he rested fall, played fall spring he rested summer. I would say that most of his rest came summers until senior season, his first real season of playing all summer long. Sometimes in the fall he rarely pitched, played another position, but worked on his arm in throwing and bullpens would begin in mid janueary.

The LESS he throws now the better off he will be down the road.

That was our formula and it worked well for son, no injuries, healthy arm.

Kevin....the college coach you talked to gave you good advice. There is absolutely no reason for a teenage kid to throw 12 months a year. You went to the right person by going to a college coach. College coaches generally are better educated about these things than anybody else in your community.

A private instructor will not give you the same answer, because though he may be a very good teacher, he doesn't get paid during the time a kid shuts down.

I'll go with Grateful on this one.

"He doesn't want to get left behind, but there are so many opinions, how do you know what is best and what to do? It is very confusing and at what point do you quit gaining and risk injury."

Here's the approach that I have taken...

1. Be cautious and conservative.

2. Question everything.

3. Do your own research.

4. Don't trust the conventional wisdom; what everybody says. Too often it's been handed down from generation to generation but often has no basis in fact.

5. Beware of hidden agendas and conflicts of interest. As someone else said, it is unlikely (but not impossible) that your son's pitching coach is going to be the one to tell you to shut him down.

6. Look for multiple points of confirmation. I never trust anything that one person says. Instead, I look for advice that is common across multiple fields.

Coach Chris ...

quote:

6. Look for multiple points of confirmation. I never trust anything that one person says. Instead, I look for advice that is common across multiple fields.

Altho I am sure some on this site would disagree with you ... especially those who consider themselves experts and the rest of us know-nothings ... I think that is some of the best advice I have read recently. And even though it can be difficult for some to balance with your point #4, nevertheless it can be done. Thanks for sharing your insight.

Linear ...

I would prefer to not get into a tinkling contest with you, but if you are going to quote someone's statement, please use the entire statement, not just the portion that supports your lack of regard for others on this site. 'itsinthegame' said "However - there are many people here who are very qualified to relate what has worked for their sons." He didn't say many are 'qualified' ... he clarified it by indicating that many of us have watched our own son's success and have shared their stories about what worked for our sons.. Nowhere did he say or even imply that we claim expertise in anything ... just experience. That is all most of us are sharing ... we don't proclaim that it works for everyone, just what worked in our own sons' situations. (Sorry, 'its' ... don't mean to translate for you but this misquote really ticked me off.) And I know from communicating with other parents on this site that we do get private messages from other parents who want us to share our experiences and even our opinions because they have seen that something has worked for our sons and they wonder if whatever it was might work for their sons.

"Altho I am sure some on this site would disagree with you"

They already have (privately).


"And it can be difficult for some to balance with your point #4, it CAN be done."

Point 4 was what got me started on this whole thing.

Last year four of my pitchers went to a pitching coach who was all conventional wisdom. Not only did they not improve, they actually got worse over the course of the year (they went from decent to horrible). At the same time my son, who I coached, got better (got better at keeping the ball down).

The scary thing was that, since he was already very effective, I really didn't teach my son much of anything (I guess I got him started off right). I just focused on cleaning up his mechanics when an obvious flaw would appear.

quote:

Originally posted by FutureBack.Mom:
Coach Chris ...

quote:

6. Look for multiple points of confirmation. I never trust anything that one person says. Instead, I look for advice that is common across multiple fields.

Altho I am sure some on this site would disagree with you ... especially those who consider themselves experts and the rest of us know-nothings ... I think that is some of the best advice I have read recently. And even though it can be difficult for some to balance with your point #4, nevertheless it can be done. Thanks for sharing your insight.

Linear ...

I would prefer to not get into a tinkling contest with you, but if you are going to quote someone's statement, please use the entire statement, not just the portion that supports your lack of regard for others on this site. 'itsinthegame' said "However - there are many people here who are very qualified to relate what has worked for their sons." He didn't say many are 'qualified' ... he clarified it by indicating that many of us have watched our own son's success and have shared their stories about what worked for our sons.. Nowhere did he say or even imply that we claim expertise in anything ... just experience. That is all most of us are sharing ... we don't proclaim that it works for everyone, just what worked in our own sons' situations. (Sorry, 'its' ... don't mean to translate for you but this misquote really ticked me off.) And I know from communicating with other parents on this site that we do get private messages from other parents who want us to share our experiences and even our opinions because they have seen that something has worked for our sons and they wonder if whatever it was might work for their sons.

add "relate what has worked for their sons" to my statement then and I still stand by it.

futureback,

No problem. In fact thanks.

As you know - Linear twists words - quotes - and anything else he can when some of his poorer theories are called into question or refuted.

He can twist them all he wants - LOL - as long as I get my chance to put up my opinion - and in many cases - cause other readers to question some of Linears cyber "wisdom".