Top hitting instructors

CentralIL:

I'm a little surprised myself!

White Sox vs. Red Sox...again. You lucky guys with cable!

You've got a PM

I've got a BM?...thank heavens...it's about time!

CentralIL:

I'm such a klutz...can't figure out how to send you a reply and the brains of this outfit is still out shopping so she can't show me...and of course the kids, who run circles around me on this contraption, won't help. So my follow up will be quite public...

Nice picture...thanks for sending it. It's nice that Neil has given of his time to help out the school and the Special Olympics.

Your brother, his coach, and Neil are all very handsome...and so is that nutcracker guy perched on Neil's shoulder.

Merry Christmas to you and your family.

quote:

Originally posted by FastballDad:
CoachB...are you our sole moderator or are you co-moderating with beenthere?

I really don't know. I know MN-Mom has been kind enough to peruse our forum more often since we have had things get out of hand. We have both had to either delete some messages, pm members to remember the rules or lock topics. And they said there wasn't any Holiday Spirit these days.

Based upon your lead off post you seem to think I possess the capability to lock threads...sorry to burst your bubble but I DO NOT hold that capability...do not want to either...I am not a moderator...just a parent with concerns

reggies1970:

The envelope please?...and the winning hitting instructor is...

Steve Hayward, Strikes in Broadview

Beenthere..What do you base this on? How did you come to this conclusion and what type of Baseball background does Mr. Hayward have?
(Trhit) this is not a throw-down...don't start doing pushups! Remember, we also reported that the academy he teaches at, is The place to be. The feedback we received indicated that the staff was great with excellent facilities. Just wonder what your criteria is for making the public statement.

Tony Dello out of Grand Slam in Crystal Lake is outstanding. Coached for Arizonia's A level team in South Bend last year.

TBS...When you follow high school baseball as I have done for about 40 years, you know.

Visit with him and talk baseball...watch him give lessons...ask his students...see their results.

Simple as that.

06BBDad,
Yes, Tony Dello is another one that should be included. Is he still in LITH even after Greg sold? That place pretty much went to girls softball. (which is fine, the girls have to have somewhere to go)....

Tony is still at grand slam and other places. He is a great guy and hitting instructor. The only problem is he is only here for a few weeks over the winter, makes it tough if you want to work over the year. Gs is owned by softball but Paul Belo is still there teaching and does a great job. Greg opened a new place in Huntley.

quote:

Posted December 24, 2005 12:41 AM
TBS...When you follow high school baseball as I have done for about 40 years, you know.

Visit with him and talk baseball...watch him give lessons...ask his students...see their results.

Simple as

Been: Thanks, some of us have the time to chat on the board, not so easy to make special visits, conduct interviews and such. A little background and supporting info would have been helpful. Those of us without 40 years experience need to be walked through some of this.

BeenthereIL:

Let's have another bowl of chili...it appears there is plenty left!

tbs, what are you looking for in regards to the hitting instructor, I thought been gave you what he based his opinion on. I also make sure my son or daughter work well with the individual and they are satisfied with the results what works for one player might not for the next. Are you asking how far an instructor made it while playing baseball or what. What do you base you opinion on as far as a hitting instructor? As far as making the time to make special visits, interviews wacth a lesson or two I would think if the instructor choice is that important you would make the time.

As Been would say "Geez" why is everyone so defensive? To answer your question: Yes, what is the hitting instructors background. If I am looking for a hitting school, I want to know the instructors background, where did attend school, where did he play, where did he coach and any other interesting information. Look at CoachB for example, that guy has done it all! With regard to ranking instructors, well that of course is subjective. Certain geographical areas will have "their Places to be" In the Midwest "Strikes Baseball Academy" seems to draw the most attention. We hear more from the dad's of younger players that send kids there. Never heard a negative comment and quite frankly the stuff we hear is glowing with praise. I may have missed a prior post from Been, that contained more detail. If I did then I apologize and will get back to my study of the redundant.

TBS, I would think the questions you mention here would be covered in talking baseball, at least for me. I didn't mean it to sound defensive. Also most hitting schools instructors have websites that cover school, background, where they played and the interesting info that you mention. If you check out their site that would give you the background information that you are looking for before heading over to watch a lesson, interview ect. Also much of that info would be in the word of mouth info you receive when you first get interested in a facility or instructor. As far as ranking I totally agree, very subjective, everyone needs to find a good fit for their son or daughter. If one doesn't work out check around and find another.

Sounds reasonable to me. I guess Been just missed an opportunity to plug his selection as not everyone will start surfing the baseball school web sites.

There are 12 PAGES of comments about "Top Hitting Instructors" in this thread.

I don't have to "plug" anyone.

Ask kids and parents for the past 15 years. Look at the performance of the kids who were tutored by Steve. One year, I believe, 6 of the 11 members of the Sun Times All Area team were Steve's students. What else does anyone need to know?

Stop by and visit with him and the other staff members at STRIKES on 25th Avenue in Broadview; and, you will soon understand why what I say is true.

quote:

Originally posted by BeenthereIL:

Ask kids and parents for the past 15 years. Look at the performance of the kids who were tutored by Steve. One year, I believe, 6 of the 11 members of the Sun Times All Area team were Steve's students. What else does anyone need to know?

VERY IMPRESSIVE!!!

Give me results over credentials any time. It doesn't matter if a guy won a batting championship in the Major Leagues or if he is a career HS Coach...give me the guy who can teach.

Geez..Now if that isn't defensive, what is? Why do you insist on making this a rancorous debate? As you can see, people are discussing their favorite instructors and establishments. This could have been an opportunity for you to thrill us with your acumen and then maybe if we were lucky enough, extrapolate (to infer unknown data from known data) something remotely beneficial.

quote:

Originally posted by FastballDad:
Give me results over credentials any time. It doesn't matter if a guy won a batting championship in the Major Leagues or if he is a career HS Coach...give me the guy who can teach.

Great Post! We all know that some of the most successful players couldn't describe why they did what they did. Teachers have to be able to not only know the game/hitting, they have to be able to relate their knowledge to the student in a form that the player understands. That is back to the saying that, "Knowledge is NOT POWER. Knowledge and knowing how to use it is."

This seems to fit here'
quote:
Originally posted by Travel Ball Select USA:
Many great knowledgeable baseball minds...The truly knowledgeable know that the key to this game of failure is being able to respond and react to imperfection. The coach that can instill in a player the virtues that become the tools for building confidence, overcoming fear and as we all know fear hovers over perfectionism. The real key is being able to convey the message, that's what separates the truly great coaches from the pack..If you can develop that bond...boy that's magic..when a kid comes back after getting drafted and says Coach we did this or I wouldn't be here without you! Magic! Being able to confront fear and allowing yourself to fail and not dwelling on it, is the core foundation to success in baseball and life! So if that D1 scholarship doesn't come, the knowledgeable coach will have given the lad a far greater gift. The ability to move forward and the realization that mistakes aren't failures at all, rather the stepping stones to success. The truly knowledgeable coach knows how to help a player through difficult times not by slick production or lecture, rather being able to reinvigorate and re-energize the confidence and helping the kid to believe in himself again. It's a strange paradox that all of the great baseball minds have over the years stated that "Baseball is 90% mental, why then do coaches spend so little time on this facet of the game (New thread topic) Walk into any baseball school and you will hear the crack of the bats...not much talking...Lot's to still learn.

CoachB25 I know you couldn't bring yourself to address the aforementioned post, we did appreciate Gotwood's take on it. To garner a "fantastic" from you would make my Christmas complete.
Got a Q for you: Do you feel the kids of wealthy parents have an unfair advantage with respect to their ability to procure hired baseball instructors (Strikes 60 bucks an hour..we checked), strength & conditioning trainers etc. Should more be done to make these types of services available to those that don't have the funds?

Advantage? Well, that depends upon your take on society. The affluent certianly have some material advantages with money being one. Yes, they can get/afford training for their children. I would suggest to you that my success (if you call it that) is exactly because I didn't have all of those things. I was hungry for success. I used taped balls, poor gloves, used spikes, ... I learned, "in the warriors code there's no surrender. Though your body says quit, your spirit cries NEVER. Deep in your soul's an undying ember that knows it you against you. That's the paradox that drives us all." (Survivor - Burning Heart) You see, advantages (Blessings) in life are exactly what you make of them.

Aforementioned post!

tbs, no matter how much money and how many lessons a parent can pay for I think the player has to have that burning desire to succeed. The monet will only get them so far. I have also seen coaches cut players slack on payments when they can't always afford the lessons when these players are working their butts off.

As far as not much talking in a baseball school, I have heard a lot of the crack of the bat. I have also heard a lot of talking about counts, situations, ahead, behind, pitch locations defensive strategy, and mental toughness being able to learn forget and press on.

quote:

Originally posted by lineshot:
As far as not much talking in a baseball school, I have heard a lot of the crack of the bat. I have also heard a lot of talking about counts, situations, ahead, behind, pitch locations defensive strategy, and mental toughness being able to learn forget and press on.

TO ME, THIS IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE DRILLS! It does my heart good to read a post such as this where players are afforded the opportunity to learn the game along with the drills!!!

Thanks coach, I agree and many thanks for the clapping hands. My head was still kind of spinning from the "We know nothing, knowledge is knowing nothing concepts" When it dawned on me "The great aim of education is not knowledge but action". The degree of your action can indicate the depth of your commitment. It can also determine the measure of response you'll get from your environment. That said, the kids from all walks of life will find a way to benefit from their own environment..They will make it happen because they have the desire and ability to find purpose, focus on it (as you apparently did coach) and commit to it! While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior!

lineshot:

quote:

Originally posted by lineshot:
As far as not much talking in a baseball school, I have heard a lot of the crack of the bat. I have also heard a lot of talking about counts, situations, ahead, behind, pitch locations defensive strategy, and mental toughness being able to learn forget and press on.

I'm glad to hear that this has been your experience...situations, mental toughness, stategy, etc. ...essential stuff.

As an instructor myself I find that many of the "advantaged" kids may take lessons once a week or more. That fact gives them an opportunity to maximize their abibility, BUT, few actually do because they believe that their lessons ARE their practice time for the week. I fight CONSTANTLY to get my students to swing the bat EVERY DAY. I don't ask for hours either. Just give me 5 or 10 good minutes EVERY day and steady improvement will follow. The more GOOD minutes you spend the better you become.

Once a week is certainly better than none and I think things can be accomplished in that time for sure but the advantage only becomes significant with quality practice between lessons. Just like a musical instrument.

The players wont reap the full benefits
of the lessons if they dont take the responsibility and work on their own
on a regular basis.

Just thought I would mention two or three favorites who are working a camp thru Fox Valley Sports Academy next month for juniors and seniors.Mike Daughtry, Randy Kazcmarrski and Steve Arnieri. This camp is in its 6th year and grows every year.

Isnt Kazmarski a former high school or college player from the chicago area ?

Coach Kazcmarski grew up in Chicago and played in minors with Padres and Cubs. He was a teammate of Ozzie Smith, Gwynn and Ryno. Now that I looked at the bios of the other coaches working that camp, Bill Campbell and RC Lichtenstein look strong, too!

Just got back from Arizona, and for a hitting lesson they were charging 60 a half hour,sound's to me 60 and hour is not that bad.

gbwBB......

So....when are you going to increase your rate to $60.00?????????????

Jim Donovan is a great hitting instructor!! has helped alot of Oak Park hitter's, and Scott Nelson with our pitcher's.

From what I saw watching Praire Gravel hit, I have to say Sam Sorce is one of the better hitting instructor's.

Steve Hayward at Strikes.

Dean of them all.....

Been.....

I like that, "Dean" Hayward!!!! Has a certain 'ring' to it.

Met Steve and Scott the other evening. Sat through a few of their lessons and enjoyed watching them work. Good people and I loved the gym rat feeling the place gave. I Don't need all the bells and whistles, just a place to go get better. I left with the feeling that I know why so many people speak highly of both guys. Steve look forward to seeing you again.

Gally.

Sam has been one of the best out there for some time, nobody on here will tell you different.

Son's hitting coach moved over to strikes recently. Have had the opportunity to meet Steve and his staff and they are great people. Like Deuce metioned, place doesn't have the bells and whistles, but the players get high quality instruction and the results are clearly demonstrated on the field.

I just don't think instructor's who just flip under hand would be worth going to. You need live pitching!

To me hitting instructor's are like wheather men, sometimes their right, most time's they are wrong. Supposed to rain all day today.

Steve Hayward has done wonders for my son's.I have seen alot of kidd's that have worked with steve and have been great hitters.Keep up the great work Steve.

What team is that lt22 they in high school?

Il mom,

I will not speak for LT22catcherdad, but living in Willow Springs and a moniker with LT attached to it suggests that “he”, (catcherdad part ?), is from Lyons Township (bet his son is a catcher and wears #22). LT is a perennial Chicago area & Illinois powerhouse producing, consistently, great teams year after year. They are always in the hunt for the WSC championship & Illinois State Titles, again this year is no different.

As I have said in the past, on this forum and elsewhere, Steve Hayward is the best there is, not only as a hitting instructor but as a person. You will never go wrong giving your son the opportunity to learn from Steve… the best there is! It’s tuff getting into see Steve but there are many instructors at Strikes that are “cut from the same cloth”. Doesn’t surprise me… “Birds of a feather”.

For the record my son has moved on to college and is a pitcher (so they won’t let him pick up a bat unless he is hitting fungos or infield) but he attributes his love and passion for the game from his early friendship with Steve… simply the BEST!

http://www.strikesbaseball.com/

"There are two theories on hitting the knuckleball. Unfortunately, neither of them work." ~ Charlie Lau

Agree 100% with sweaty on Steve Hayward

Yes my son is Lt's catcher and my he has gone to Steve all winter and has done wonders with him.I cannot say enough about him.Again keep up the good work Steve.

sweaty is a Sorce guy and Smokey is a Hayward guy... I am confused , think LS meant Smokey.
I've seen Smokey sweaty and sweaty smokey though.
Both guys are good baseball people...
Their results prove it..

The thing I noticed about Steves lessons was how good he communicated to the kid. Did not matter what the age was, he had the ability to change the lesson to fit the kid. Very impressed, part of being a good coach or instructer is selling it, and he certainly does that. Must come with the kazillionth lessons.

deuce, looks like I was confused, I meant smokey.

I figured you got the two confused.

Deuce just so you know that is by no way a knock on Sam however as I have coached against his pg teams and they always seem prepared, ready to go and very well coached.

LS
In no way was it taken wrong, I like both guys and their ways...

Bill, Danny has been working with Steve for the last year and it has paid big dividends. He and Connor Powers were working together 2 weeks ago and at the time neither one had a homer and 2 weeks later Connor has 5 and Danny has 4, so something may have clicked. Don't get me wrong, Sam is the best Coach as far as game preparation goes. He also let the boys work the games as they saw fit unless Sam knew the hitter then he would call the pitches and it NORMALLY worked out better for our pitchers. I saw Conner vs Naz yesterday and he was swinging VERY well. 2 for 2 and they walked him 2 times. He would have had number 6 except the wind was blowing in and his 370 ft shot became a tweener for a double. He is not the best pitcher I've ever seen but he did the job okay. But he sure can hit the bejesus out of the ball. Steve has done wonders for alot of kids in the area. Alot of LT's kids go to him on off hours and the wholr team is hitting it's stride right now. Thanks Steve.

Thanks for keeping me in the loop , have seen Conner and he can certainly swing it. He will do well at the next level. He has worked his tail off to look good and deserves to reap the rewards of his hard work. Danny as well.


I am with you on Steve though, it is not an accident that so many top hitters come out of his place. For an old baseball freak like myself, I can spend hours just looking at the players on his walls. Actually recognize some scouts and guys from my days, pretty good stuff.
Much like the lessons you get there.(good stuff) Also really like what Scott does with his pitchers too. Funny thing , he and I were talking about who I had with me this yr and it was one strikes kid after another. I think it may be the same with a few other teams out there too.

Two things that my son has picked up from working with Steve are having a plan when your at bat and correcting a bad swing yourself. My son's pretty now good at realizing what went wrong and why he didn't get a hit that at bat. I don't know how many times this year I've seen kids just up there hacking or worse yet just looking with no idea. Going oppo is a good thing.

For the record I’m a big time Bill Copp guy, the man behind the “deucedoc curtin”… now there’s a guy who knows his baseball! Great game, great people! Oh yea, I’m a sweaty guy as well.

GEE Thanks. I need all the fans I can get. Cause the Hinsdale guys sure don't like the sweatmeister. They have been awfully quiet this week haven't they?

Il2008. Is your son the soph.on the varstiy hitting over 600??if so congrat's.Long drive to strikes,from Batavia.

pony mom- it's worth the drive, only 35 minutes on a Sunday afternoon. We haven't been able to get there much lately but were probably due for a lesson soon. Yes, Alex is hitting pretty good.

Il2008

Maybe you and alex can come by my house so my kid can rub his bat with alexs bat and get some of that magic .

sulltiger- I've seen Mike hit, I don't think he needs any magic. He's one of the best 09 hitters around. Let me know how you do against Benet on Saturday. Alex used to play with their ss/leadoff hitter.

Thanx Pete

Mike is doing okay but .600 or .700 sounds pretty good to me . I have no idea what to expect on saturday against Benet ....thanx to the scheduling genius's , we will not have played in a week . Will keep you posted .

Greg Walker get's my vote.

pete rose hof--

For what? Is there an election?

Chris Hall coach at Clemente High School, is one of the best hitting instructor's around.

Chris Hall is a great person as well. Has a hard time with umpiring.

My brother recently started taking lessons from Steve Hayward. After only one lesson I could see tremendous improvement in him, not only in his swing mechanics but also in his love of hitting. Hitting with Steve has become a highlight to his week and I have to admit mine. I pick up somthing new every week. Steve really knows his hitting and teaches it with great enthusiasm. His personality and sense of humor are second to none. For those of you who have met him, know what I'm talking about. So my vote for best hitting instructor goes to Steve.

MR- you've got a PM.

MR - you've got another.

Mike Ryan- He's out of Bensenville..Fastball USA and he's an amazing guy and instructor

Alot of the Hinsdale Central hitter work with Pat Whaley, and their upper cut swing's will get them to STATE!!!!

Pat Whealy is a great guy and a very good instructor. However that type of swing doesn't fit all players. It is also not condusive to team baseball. Which I think is evident when watching Hinsdale Central baseball. Now if you want to win the hitting derby at state that might be a different question.

Steve Hayward is the best take a look at some of his past and present kids.He also will come out to watch the kids in game situations, also video tape them at their game.That alone tells me that he cares about the kids not just the money.Keep up the good work Steve

Totally agree with LT22catcherdad!!! And please, don't forget Jim Donovan. Jim's style is similar in some respects to Steve's.

Oh, and if anyone has any doubts, just give me a few days and I'll post a list of players in the Chicagoland area, past and present, that have been a part of this great teaching venue!!

Keep up the GREAT WORK, "STRIKES"!!!!!!!

Even though I don't like instructor's I will have to give credit to Sam Source for his work with the L.T. hitter's. Birkes the catcher swings a great bat, Weston swing is so smooth , McMurray has the fastest bat I have ever seen, Filli??? what a confident looking hitter, Dunne swings like Todd Walker,That little left fielder can swing it too. Great job Sam, but I still would not pay for an instructor.

This is a question for Coachb25. I observed your team from Edwardsville in 1998 and noticied that almost all your hitters had similar form and approach when at bat. To say that team was one of the best to ever play for a state championship would be an understatement. Did you instruct every hitter on the team to have a similar approach to their stance and mental read of the pitch? It appeared that they were compact, quick swings. Somehow I do not believe many went to private instructors, but did they? What was coach Pile's imput on this phase of the game. Those young men came to Play! Thanks.

Birks goes to hit withSteve Hayward

nl fan
My son worked with Steve Hayward for the past two years.Was money well spent.Sam helped my son with his catching on those cold fall nights for 3 fallball seasons.I think my son learned alot from them, and his hard work.I have to say to sweaty, boomer,and corky our kids have made us proud.

lt daddy that is the most politically correct thing you have ever written.....gosh i think i could learn from your post'

NLfan, I know Weston,Filli is Grant Fillipitch, Birks, all take lesson's at Strikes, and McMurray Iam not sure. I do believe all the above did play for Praie Gravel.Joe Bocian still coach's a travel team, not sure the name? but he had a lot of the player's who won the State back a few year's ago. Matt Bolt being one of them.

Is Coach Hands still giving hitting lessons?

I believe that Coach Rich Hands has taken some time off due to some health issues, but heard this past weekend that he may tee it up again by November.

STEVE HAYWARD !!!

sweaty,

I agree 100%. Steve is not only the best but one of the classiest guys I know, not just around baseball. NONE BETTER!

Agree with Sweaty and Smokey.

Steve is the man.

Jim Donovan is doing a nice job, too.

Always like Steve working with any hitter.

Son takes hitting lesson once a week...we're ready for a change. Who is best hitting instructor in southwest/west suburbs? (and where do they give lessons)

where is the best place to go to for lessons in northern illinois, and who is the best to go with.

STEVE HAYWARD!!!
hes the man
he always helps me when i need it
thanks steve

Steve Hayward is the best.
Thanks Steve

Any more names that can be added to the list of top notch hitting instructors...looking for southwest/west suburbs.

Does anyone ever notice that just as soon as this thread goes down to the bottom of the page "someone" seems to bring it back up? Just like the Swallows of Capistrano. Or the buzzards of Hinckley, Ohio.

Hey Clutch, next time it is at the bottom I think that I will bring it back up to the top. Sometime this thread seems like just a big add for Steve, but he has never asked me to post here or asked me to tell people how good he is. This is totally unsolicited . Steve Hayward is more than just a great hitting instructor, HE CARES and I mean he cares. Steve has come out to numerous games of mine to watch me hit in game situations. I really don't have the money to see Steve as much as I would like, but when I call he always makes time in his very busy schedule to see me. Thanks Steve.

Buzzards of Hinckley,OH?

I'm thinking more like the Dukes of Hazard Co.,KY. ...they did a movie about the TV show didn't they?

One thing all good coaches have in common is passion for what they are doing, doing it because they love it and not just to make a few bucks. Sounds like there is a lesson in there....there is and for all you HS & College kids who are in a position to make your own decisions about your future, pick something you love or at least like doing. You will be better at it and it beats the rat race.

Well said FastballDad, I agree...and leave the rat race to the real professionals...the rats!

STEVE HAYWARD

Without a doubt Steve Hayward.

I would imagine Hayward is good because I read on this website that he is. But with so many people singing his praises, isn't it tough for him to instruct so many kids on a regular basis? It sounds like a scheduling nightmare.
Or does he only work with kids who are already good?
Can it be true that Hayward is the only top hitting instructor in all of the Chicago area?
Or all of Illinois?

quote:

Originally posted by dirt bag:
This is a question for Coachb25. I observed your team from Edwardsville in 1998 and noticied that almost all your hitters had similar form and approach when at bat. To say that team was one of the best to ever play for a state championship would be an understatement. Did you instruct every hitter on the team to have a similar approach to their stance and mental read of the pitch? It appeared that they were compact, quick swings. Somehow I do not believe many went to private instructors, but did they? What was coach Pile's imput on this phase of the game. Those young men came to Play! Thanks.

Dirt Bag, Sorry this had taken so long to respond. Yes, we used the same approach for all of those kids and no, none of them went to private lessons. We started a system of camps and instruction with these young men at a very early age. By the time that they were seniors in high school, I had known/coached all of them most of their lives. We are attempting to now do the same thing at Triad. As I've posted before, we have a belief in hitting that we entitle, "Qualities of an outstanding hitter." We've asked some posters such as swingbuster to look at those qualities and cirtique them and we've added or changed some basics but the base is still there. We teach the base and then we allow individaulism within that base. It isn't a cookie cutter approach but I'd bet if you have film of those kids, you'd see exactly the same stance, approach to getting ready to hit and hitting philosophy while they were up at the plate. Naturally, the kids had to buy into what we were doing and then also be athletic enough to do it.

With regards to the role of Coach Pile, he was a tremendous coach. He understood all phases of the game and he had the confidence to allow each of his assistants to fill their roles. My role was "hitting coach." Coach Waldo's role was "Pitching Coach," We ran our systems within his beliefs and system. However, you can bet that if we messed up or deviated from his beliefs, we'd know it at once. Game time was Coach Pile's personal arena. He was so very good at thinking on his feet as well as motivation. As you might know, Coach Pile's nickname is "Moto." That is short for Motivator!

One final comment on that team, yes, they came to play. They were the best of friends and still are. We are still very close to them and I am blessed that I get a chance to see many of them on a monthly basis. They go out of their ways to keep in touch and so that speaks to the quality of those kids. You can bet one thing, when practice started, the friendships ended. There were there to get after it and push each other. Then, when the practice ended, they were back to being close friends. I've only coached 2 other teams as focused as that team. One made it to the supersectionals here at Triad and one won a state title in Edwardsville in 1990.

He will find a way to get people in.I have seen him work with all different talent.He has even made time to let my 7 year old hit.during the hs baseball season he will come in and work with the kids during the day.He will also give lessons at 10:00 PM.If you want to work with the best you will find away to work with steve.The only problem with steve he is a sox fan.

That's not a problem -- that's just an additional reason why he's the best hitting instructor in the Chicago metro or Northwest Indiana! We travel from the Hoosier state (about an hour away) and, in addition to my son always having a great lesson, we are entertained with dialogue about the joys (and trials) of being a White Sox fan. We also are able to enjoy his gallery of photos -- I feel like I'm on Main Street in Cooperstown just by walking into Strikes where Steve Hayward does his thing.

When I was in HS I would hit at 10PM. Steve always makes time for his students

There are so many good hitting Instructor's out there, let me try and name a few, Jack Perconte in Naperville, great instructor and person, some one I look up to!!,Jim Donovan at Strikes was one of the best ever highschool hitters I have ever seen.Chris Hall does a great job. Shaun Sanderson out of Top Tier, Joe Rodeghero out of New lenox work's at baseball USA?, Mark Hayward Ball Yard, Pat Whealy teaches the hitter's to go up there swinging!,Todd Fine Full Package, The Duck Horn's at Ducky world, Scott Legan from Strikes, Bill and Brandon Sing from Joliet do a great job! Bruce Morgan from Strikes, Coach Hands from Indiana, Coach Bello is very good, Heard head Coach Milano from Naz, give a great talk on hitting,Scott Nelson is not only one of the best pitching instructor's,he sure can teach hitting! There are just a few of some very fine instructor's in Illinois. Sorry that I left some good names out. I have been lucky to get some great kids, No one is going to tell me that if Weston,Birkes,Fillipitch, or Powers or Bookford,or Doyle, Brewer,Sing,Anetsberber,ect worked with any of the fine instructor's listed above me that they wouldnt have had the same success! They might have had even a better year with a different instructor. Those guy's made me look good!! SO NO" MR CLUTCH CARGO", There is a LOT of great instructor's/ baseball people in Illinois!!! PS:Bill Copp is one of them.

another new award fot hsbbwebies, "mr. modesty" give it up Steve, you are a star and these boys and alot more owe you a debt of gratitude and a few HR's in college too. Keep up the good work, you are a good man. i along with countless other wanna be baseball teachers owe you too. you helped my son with the mental approach to the plate this past 2 years and made him a good hitter. thanks "mr modesty" award winner

One more thing about Steve…

My son had the opportunity to work with Steve from about the age of 5 ½ and I truly believe that his love, respect, and enthusiasm for the game came from these hours with Steve. My son, contrary to popular belief, at one time, was a pretty good hitter but over the years has been relegated to the “bump”. He will tell you that working with Steve and learning the mind set of a good hitter has made him a better “thinking/adjusting” pitcher. It’s not just “stride & stop”, “hands back”, “nose to the ball”, “throw the hands” that make Steve the best. It’s hard to express, like putting your finger on mercury, but you know that “intangible” quality when you experience it, better yet you recognize it in others given the experience. I call it the “Steve factor” (SF for short). When you find it you are drawn to it. I’m not saying that Steve is the only one with this quality. However, I believe that this quality is the difference, one of the reasons, his students are soooo successful, not just as hitters but as baseball players. Bill Copp has it, Jim Donovan has it, Tom Matsie has it, Mike Palmer has it, Scott Nelson has it, Pat O’Connor has it, Buddy Swift has it, Mark Hayward has it (wonder where he got it from?) and, from reading CoachB25’s posts, CB25 has it, “INSERT NAME HERE” has it. Is this game great or what! The fact that Steve is a Chicago Whites Sox Fan is BONUS!

Sorry for the ramble. It's caffeine induced….

CoachB, thank you very much for your response to my questions. Well stated and appreciated. I suspected a team approach to a theory of hitting. You sold it, they bought it! A clinical approach to success. Lay the foundation and build upon it.

Smokey, Dirt Bag, et. al, thanks. I've been told this past weekend that our 7th grade team placed 2nd in the state in their orgainzational state tournament and 9th in the country out of 49 teams. Our 8th grade team also placed 2nd and 14th in the nation. We have taken the same approach with them as we did the great Edwardsville teams. I hope this will translate into success for these young men later on. Regarding hitting, I liked the comment on enthusiam as it related to one of the instructors. Certainly, when selling a belief system in hitting, it helps to be enthused about what you're trying to get the young men to do. Many of the above mentioned names are familure even as far south as I am. I'd love to be able to go see some of these fine men give lessons.

Being the manager of the 15U Dupage Diamondbacks and the sucess we had this season. I need to give credit to Steve Hayward for our hitting. We had about seven or eight boys go to Steve in the spring. He is very personable, the boys all thought he was great. He takes a personal interest in all the boys, you could even see him in attendance at a few of our games. Now that is some who cares. Thanks Steve

I agree, Steve Hayward is the best hitting instructor! And, a great guy.

Play Ball USA in Des Plaines

Nelson Gord - Schaumburg Flyers ngord@playballdirect.com
Ron Cacini - Former Player of Houston Astros Organization rcacini@playballdirect.com

PLAY BALL USA
DES PLAINES
847-375-0840

My kids have taken lessons at Play Ball USA and we are very pleased with their operation. They are very professional and have tremendous knowledge of the game and know how to teach it. All of their instructors have played the game--some are current players. No bells and whistles there--just good instruction.

Thought that I would take this opportunity to bring this back up to the top, just for Clutch. Had a Saturday lesson at Strikes today with, you guessed it Steve Hayward. I wanted to mention the Westmont HS Sr that I hit with today. Shaun Hardy, mark that name down folks. 6'5' and strong, hits the ball very hard with a nice smooth swing. This guy will make some noise this year.

You will see Mr. Hardy at the P&H Club showcase, Oct. 7 at Silver Cross Field in Joliet.

Bret, You beat me to it. I planned to bring it up myself, just for fun! See you next month, just like those buzzards and swallows. Shaun is a beast! And a nice kid, like his father. I wish him well.

Bret, I would like to say thank you for the kind words. And I would also like to say that its been a great experience for me to share lessons with you. Ive learned from watching you hit (oh and from steve too)Good luck this year Bret.

My last post stirred up another reason why I think Steve has such good results. I think that because he teaches kids how to hit so well that they can then learn from and feed off of each other. I know ive picked up alot from Steve just by watching how his other hitters hit. Its like he really does leave a little piece of his knowledge with each one of his students.

It doesnt get any better than feeling like you've improved everytime you hit. Thats what you get with steve

Because you do get better every time you hit with Steve..You have no choice but to.

You seem like a wise young man who knows what a good thing is..

See you soon..

I have had 3 sons work with Steve he has helped them all .. 2 are out of baseball . one in the working world (Adam) . the other out of this world drafted by the Angels (Brandon.rip) and my youngest and hardest worker (Shawn).. following in the Steve Hayward hitting style ..

Thanks Steve

I'm thinking of starting my 10 year old w/Phil Apostle because of the strength workouts I saw him putting a student through. It seems you have some first hand knowledge of Phil, and feel he's a good hitting instructor; could you elaborate?

quote:

Originally posted by K13:
I agree, there are many outstanding hitting instructors in the area. Steve Hayward is great. Also a big fan of Phil Apostle at the StrikeZone in Glenview.

Not sure if this is a rumor again. But I was told that Jack Perconte sold his school. Can anyone confirm?

thanks.

For those of you still looking for a hitting coach this winter, I highly recommend Joe Mazzuca.

Joe is out of Holy Cross,Creighton and NIU. He was signed by the Florida Marlins in the 11th round. He is currently starring in 1 of Italy's top leagues.

You'll love this guy,the price is right and you'll get excellent results.

Joe can be reached at (708)456-9650.

Does anyone know where Coach Bello teaches lessons out of?

My son had his first hitting lesson with John Mallee, minor leading hitting coordinator for the Florida Marlins. He liked John.

Steve Hayward, great hitting instructor, even a better person.

CGbball3, Belo is instruction out of grand slam lake in the hills

Daze,
It is true Jack Perconte sold his academy. Good luck to jack, he's a great guy.

Drop, thanks for the update. My son worked with Jack and he really has a knack for teaching.

He is a very nice guy and the best of luck to him.

Good luck to the Dean of Hitting instructor's Jack Perconte. Class act,and also had the longest running baseball school in Illinois, I belive 21 year's.

I started taking lessons from Jack probably around the time he opened his doors back in '88 and worked the past few years as a instructor at the academy. Jack has been a huge influence in both my playing and coaching careers. He will be sorely missed. Good luck.

Back in the early 90's, Jack Perconte was the only one to give me a chance to give lesson's. I will always be thankful to him for that,plus I learned so much from Jack. I wish him luck, the White Sox or Cubs would be smart to get him to work with the young kids in rookie and class A and teach them the right way to play the game, like Jack did.

strikes3100,

Look out… your "class" is showing…

Strikes3100, you gave my son a nice compliment a few weeks ago after his workout with Scott.

Thanks,

It was the perfect topping after having a great session.

Nice comments strikes, it is always nice to remember someone who helped get you there.

It hasn't become official yet but I believe CoachB25 will enter the private sector as a partner in a baseball operations. Don't know how good he is but he sure is ugly!

I have agreed to give a one day free clinic (approximately 1 1/2 hours - 2 hours) on hitting at a new facility in one of our communities. I've been offered a position as a partner there but will wait to see the response. More on the date to follow. I might just amaze some of you with my ignorance if you're able to attend.

After reading the latest PBR,I saw where Mick Doyle gave Sorce a lot of credit. Doyle's hitting went from weak, to one of the better hitter's around. Where does Sam give his Lesson's ?

I have not read the pbr so I don't know what it said about Mick. I have watched Sorce for many years and he always impressed me with his coaching abilities as his teams were funadamentally sound and all his players played the game the way most of us would like to see it played.
That being said I thought Mick did his hitting lessons at Strikes with an instuctor named Steve Hayward, I don't know if he hit with sam also but he was at Strikes almost every Sunday last winter.

CoachB25:

I never cease to be amazed. Please keep us posted, won't you? Thanks.

I just wanted to post that one of the TOP instructors in this area Steve Hayward from Strikes is doing much better. He is now able to walk around without the support boot gfor his ankle.

You really had to go fishing for this one! Wasn't it on page 7 or something? You're good!

page 7 and for 5 months

Thanks Clutch, I'm hitting .425 this year. Thanks Steve.

Lineshot,

With the happenings regarding Prairie Gravel, Sam Sorce is now coaching for the Bergen Beach, NY Midwest team. I hope those players know just how fortunate they are to have Mr. Sorce as their head coach. He can instruct one day and use his experience to turn a loss into a victory on game day. I've read posts on this board from Mick Doyle giving credit for his development to Sam Sorce. I'm sure that the rest of that PG team would do likewise.

Rosy,

Yes I heard that bergen beach (don't know anything about them) has Sam coaching for them. They are lucky to have him, having watched him and coached against him many times I have to say he is one of the best. I am sure Mick learned many thngs from him in his development as a ballplayer.
That being said I did watch him hit at Strikes every Sunday during the winter of 05-06. This is not a knock on Sam it is just pointing out the fact that it usually takes more than one coach to develop players. Most importantly it takes the drive, dedication, and desire of the Player to continue to improve his skills at this game.

Still have those rugged good looks.

quote:

Originally posted by lineshot:
Rosy,

Yes I heard that bergen beach (don't know anything about them) has Sam coaching for them. They are lucky to have him, having watched him and coached against him many times I have to say he is one of the best. I am sure Mick learned many thngs from him in his development as a ballplayer.
That being said I did watch him hit at Strikes every Sunday during the winter of 05-06. This is not a knock on Sam it is just pointing out the fact that it usually takes more than one coach to develop players. Most importantly it takes the drive, dedication, and desire of the Player to continue to improve his skills at this game.

Yes, we are fortunate to have Sam coach for us! He and Pete Nazos worked the boys out all Winter sometimes as much as three times a week. Some of the boys including my son have also had the opportunity to work with Steve Heyward as well. Chicagoland players are fortunate to have coaches of this caliber to guide them in the right direction, on and off the field!

i saw bergen beach fall short in the seminole tourney..looks like an indiana team took it..watch out for bisceglias fox valley royals..just kids from the immediate area doing a great job!

Hey Clutch, Just checking in to say Hi......

I saw Steve the other night, He is doing well and is getting around pretty well considering his injury. He is back to teaching HITTING, the thing he does best. His phone was ringing every five minutes with people wanting to hit with him. MAN THAT GUY IS POPULAR! Can all these people be wrong?

Bret! What's up, man?

Did you have a good season? Let me know where you are playing this summer and I'll try to catch one of your games.

How many of those calls did he answer? Even if he just looked at the screen to check who was calling, it was distracting I'm sure. I hope you got enough baseballs to hit.

Clutch, I did not hit with Steve. He, my dad and I went to the Sox game. Had great time, sure wish the Sox would pick it up a little.... LOL

Maybe the White Sox should schedule some lesson's with Steve. lol

For the S and SW suburb, and NW IN people(s), John Mallee will be back from coaching in the AZ fall league on Monday 10/22.

I have biased opinion, but the old Ballyard academy, now Fastball USA has some awesome hitting coaches.

Bob Prokopowitz - Former NCAA Batting Champ,Phillies Scout

Mike Ryan - Featured Speaker at the IHSA Baseball Coaches Clinic on hitting in 2006. Mariners Scout, author of the book "Hitting For Success".

Mike Vavrek - Formerly with the Rockies Organization

Billy Walsh - Formerly with UIC Flames

Plus a lot of new, young coaches who communicate well.

Instructions are Measured for Improvement:
* Swing Technique/Line Drive Consistency
* Ball Exit Speed
* Bat Speed
* Timing Consistency

It's most certainly different the average lesson.

www.fastballusa.com

Ryan Anetsberger,who plays for the Florida Marlins class A ,does a very good job in teaching hitting. He work's out at Strikes in Broadview.

I think that he may work out with Steve Hayward. Vacation time, I need to give Steve a call and see if he can fit me in. Are you there Clutch?

I have to say one of the most knowledgable hitting instructors that I have had the pleasure to listen to is Justin Stone (White Sox Academy- Lisle, IL). I had the pleasure of listening to him present this past weekend at the Wheaton North High School Baseball Coaches Clinic and he did a great job, like always.

He breaks down the swing better than anyone I have ever heard speak (7 years of attending clinics) on the topic in person. After he concluded speaking, I leaned over to a fellow coach, who has professional baseball experience and over 10 years of coaching experience, and he agreed that Justin was one of the best he has encountered.

I am sure that his knowledge and communication skills make him an excellent instructor.

Bret! How're doing, buddy? How're classes going, finals next week? Hope you do well. Don't forget to get a good night's sleep and eat a good breakfast.

Merry Christmas.

I agree about Justin Stone. The way he was able to break down the swing was pretty amazing. His enthusiasm was second to none... well maybe second only to the guy who presented in front of him. I've never gotten chewed out at a clinic before. It was a good experience.

BC, I agree, Stone is one of the best in the business.

Mark Hayward--Ballyard Academy Carol Stream, ELmhurst, Glen Ellyn, Glendale Heights, Oak Park Area

Great with kids and teams I have coached. He is continuing to help my 14U son reach his potential in hitting, fielding, and pitching and many other teams. A true student of the game, like his brother Steve.

How many pages did you have to go through to find this thread?

Biz must be slow for Steve. Hope he's doing well, though.

I heard that Steve was changing his name to Mark. Huh?

Wow . . . thanks for pulling this back to the top. It just kept me up a whole hour past my bed time.

I just read through the entire post and took a chronological tour of hitting instructors since I got into this back in 2004/2005.

Again, wow is all I can say.

Steve is still THE MAN by all accounts.

There are a number of quality hitting instructors in the Chicago area. A few of them truly differntiate themselves. Phil Apostle has done a great job with the New Trier kids. Marco Fajardo has a tremendous reputation. Justin Stone is a great coach, and has a waiting list of players that want to work with him. All of these coaches still have a fire and interest in sharing their skills and background with young athletes. They are still fired up, about helping young ball players reach another level. They still have the purity of the sport at heart. I can not say the same for Steve. I have direct experience with him, his interest is more economic. He worked with one of my two sons for awhile. At one point I tried scheduling a session for both of my ball players which would have been about $45/player (multiple player cost). We scheduled and then he called back indicating that he wanted to add a third player. When I asked for another time, because I did not feel they would get enough reps, he hung up the phone. At first, I thought it was the phone, but he would not pick up the phone. I guess not being able to get $135/hour ****ed him off. "Put it on the board".

quote:

Originally posted by 1958baseballfan:
There are a number of quality hitting instructors in the Chicago area. A few of them truly differntiate themselves. Phil Apostle has done a great job with the New Trier kids. Marco Fajardo has a tremendous reputation. Justin Stone is a great coach, and has a waiting list of players that want to work with him. All of these coaches still have a fire and interest in sharing their skills and background with young athletes. They are still fired up, about helping young ball players reach another level. They still have the purity of the sport at heart. I can not say the same for Steve. I have direct experience with him, his interest is more economic. He worked with one of my two sons for awhile. At one point I tried scheduling a session for both of my ball players which would have been about $45/player (multiple player cost). We scheduled and then he called back indicating that he wanted to add a third player. When I asked for another time, because I did not feel they would get enough reps, he hung up the phone. At first, I thought it was the phone, but he would not pick up the phone. I guess not being able to get $135/hour ****ed him off. "Put it on the board".

anybody here try hubie "magic"? mike huebner

quote:

I can not say the same for Steve. I have direct experience with him, his interest is more economic.

Exactly. Here, too.