The Time Has Come....

[Teacherman]

.....for me to get deeper into individual instruction.

Recently I have been contacted by and have been working with, a recent high level draft pick and a future high level pick. Both have offered to pay for my services and I have not accepted. For a couple of reasons. One, I'm just me....a hard working dad without a resume. Two, if I were to charge what would a fair price be. And three, I've had producing a DVD in the back of my mind as we near completion of the defining of and teaching of the high level swing.

Then, this weekend we've witnessed what happens, again, when a dad posts a clip of his son and gets advise from several different sources representing several different theories. He has no idea who to believe. He probably tries a little of everything. And ends up wasting valuable development time as he trys to put together a swing 'by/from committee'.

And while I feel sorry for them, I also get extremely frustrated that I am wasting my time. Obviously, I believe in what I'm doing. And it seems like every little inch of progress is quickly met with advice that eliminates the good that was just accomplished.

I imagine the other advice givers feel the same way.

So you end up with a lot of pontificating....back and forth. And while the dad tries his best to teach his kid, the kid doesn't progress. And soon my 'brand', my 'label', HI.com, gets put on his lack of progression. And that 'failure' is used to discredit what we do down the road. It really isn't 'failure' because the ideas taught here were never fully put to use for an adequate amount of time. Or were mixed in with other incompatible ideas. But the 'failure' perception is then sold by others, whether valid or not. And it becomes an almost insurmountable mountain to overcome. And if inroads are made, the dad is quickly flooded with more failure talk as he posts 'progress' clips on other sites.

It seems to be a cycle that leads to a lot of chest puffing but no results.

And, as I've said often, I don't care if this site is the biggest.....just the best. If all I ever accomplish is to help one player reach his potential then I will feel like I've been successful. I don't need numbers. I really don't want to charge.

But, without a charge, which usually forces a dad and son to be serious and work hard at what they do, I end up wasting my time for a different reason.

So I've decided to open a private forum for instruction from me only. Each subscriber will receive their own password protected forum. No one but me, the customer, and whoever they give their password to can see the posts and the work and drills done by the kid.

I've decided I like this better than a DVD. Most DVD's require personal attention anyway to answer questions. That is the purpose of Epstein's forum. And the cost of production forces a pricey DVD. I have to put quite a bit of money up front to produce it. Then you have to market it. Who am I? Will anyone buy it? I'm just a dad who has studied. So do I 'buy' a 'name' to endorse it. Which costs more money. Which ups the price. Which increases the risk. Yada yada yada.

So my idea is to charge an amount that is very reasonable. A yearly amount that would be in the range of what 4 or 5 private lessons from an ex-MLB player would cost you. That price would include regular contact with me. As often as you want. You can post clips as often as you want. You can ask as many questions as you want. All included with that annual subscription....that I may take payments for either monthly or quarterly so it fits anyone's budget. It will also include the webspace that this site has offered since its beginning.

I am giving thought to group clinics also. Similar to what Englishbey does. I go to you, give your team or group a clinic. A group rate would be established that would then include a private forum for each attendee to follow up with me on a regular basis.

This may all be 'pie in the sky' thinking.....but it fits my lifestyle, my other businesses, and my current risk level. Doesn't matter if it fails. I've failed before. And while I will continue to 'badger as necessary', I can attempt to fulfil my real desire on the side so to speak. The desire to help someone learn and be the best he can be.

Although I am quite sure I'm going to do this, I'm open to the boards thoughts and suggestions. If one person goes for it I will consider it successful. As long as they complete the program and give me a good solid effort.

Again, the purpose of this is to give the dad and son a fighting chance at a very reasonable cost. I truly believe that there are very few, if any, that can't at least play in college, if they reach their 'swing' potential. Many things other than just the swing, such as their gifts, will determine how far they go from there.

I have really enjoyed these recent private lessons. It's really enjoyable from a teaching standpoint....where all the time is spent considering how to get the student to learn, instead of how to shut up a critic so the student can learn.

Fire at me.

[Allistair]

Isnt that you what you do now? (giving instructions and answering our questions). You have been here for me and my son.
________
Bong

[Teacherman]

I forgot to mention regarding the group clinics. I have been working on a set of stations/drills that will instill the three ingredients of the high level swing.....the hand pivot point, the rear hip pivot point, and the syncing of the two. I've been working on it for the purpose of a future instructional DVD. But, it would also be an outstanding lesson plan for a group clinic of say 10 kids or so.

Five or six stations/drills that they rotate through during the clinic and then can use later to work on the specifics of their swing. Hopefully with video followup and advice from me in their own private forum.

Another thing this may help overcome, is the fear some have of posting clips of their kids in an open forum. Everything would be private. Their failures or dumb looking attempts would not get used against them by someone with an agenda down the road.

[Allistair]

Steve? No wonder we had website problems! You hacked the master account!
Can you make me a moderator? Please? I want to feel like MarkH and 4x4. My heroes. Seriously, I want to ban some idiots here in this site. Drag them out in the open and stone them until they no longer want to post in another baseball site again! I will follow them just like how your posse does. But I will be the silent ninja type one man army.
I could call myself, err..the group" Al-Bundy", something like "Al-Qaida" but with a Bush Twang. I dont have any followers but I can make them up just like how people make up their "students".

Damn,Almost made it without laughing.
________
party Cams

[powertoallfields]

I forgot to mention regarding the group clinics. I have been working on a set of stations/drills that will instill the three ingredients of the high level swing.....the hand pivot point, the rear hip pivot point, and the syncing of the two. I've been working on it for the purpose of a future instructional DVD. But, it would also be an outstanding lesson plan for a group clinic of say 10 kids or so.

Five or six stations/drills that they rotate through during the clinic and then can use later to work on the specifics of their swing. Hopefully with video followup and advice from me in their own private forum.

Another thing this may help overcome, is the fear some have of posting clips of their kids in an open forum. Everything would be private. Their failures or dumb looking attempts would not get used against them by someone with an agenda down the road.

How about a Teacherman certification to Teach like Epstein has too? I'd certainly be down for that.

[Pronk]

This is not a bad idea at all. I think we sometimes get too much pontificating from folks who really aren't teaching what's taught here.

The question would be does the open forum die? Or not the open forum but the regular forum. Many of us post our clips there as a status update. My thought is that forum can be used when someone wants to report and show some success.

[Teacherman]

I'm hoping the hitting forum could remain the same or very near the same. I would post as I always do.

But, I wouldn't take on new kids in that forum. I would use the private instruction forum for that.

New dads would be welcome to post a clip in the original forum. And I would analyze. And offer what I think needs to change. But any advice for how to would only be given in the private forum after a commitment has been made by him and me. A commitment from me once I believe they are serious and that they will put in the effort. And a commitment from them that they want to pursue what I have to say....and only what I have to say. At least for a period of time. The regular forum would be the 'feeling out' place. A get to know each other place.

The instruction forum would be just that. I would develop a plan of attack for that individual kid. I would start him with a drill or drills or activities that I think best get him into the pattern the quickest. There is some trial and error involved with that. I probably won't bat a 1.000. Like most of the time, a second, third or fourth suggestion may be necessary to get the point across. But the initial failure, mine and the students, won't be public....therefore that failed attempt won't stand in the way of the next attempt.

The internet still has its limitations and is much slower without first having some hands on instruction.

[Allistair]

Have a week long camp in beautiful Hawaii! All the father/son teams come and stay a week and enjoy the second engine philosophy while enjoying what Hawaii has to offer! We can post pictures of all of us training up on the slopes of Mauna Kea(the tallest mountain on Earth) where the air is thin and builds the cardio.
Then underwater with weights on in the beautiful ocean, where the salt water would build our muscles with its resistance.
Then on the lava rocks where we learn to keep the weight in the rear (or else).
At night we can enjoy eating at a Hawaiian luau where we eat poi(taro) which will nourish our bodies and make us stronger.
We can run miles on white sand beaches and in the evening, enjoy a mai tai with umbrella!(adults)








________
Depakote Lawyer

[LRS]

Teacherman : "where all the time is spent considering how to get the student to learn, instead of how to shut up a critic so the student can learn.

Fire at me." """""""""""""""""""""""" You GOT it and we WANT it .......IM ALL IN !!!!!!!!!!!! LRS

[conky149er]

i would be intrested in your private fourm, just wondering its price thats all

money is always a factor for me

[Black Duck]

Teach, great idea, it takes me a while to sift through information, my lifestyle too is a hindrance, cost would be my only concern!

[mightylakers]

Uh oh, Rich, are you pissed off because me posting clips asking for opinions somewhere else?

[Teacherman]

No I'm not mad at you.

You are at the stage where you have investigated the camps and now need to make a decision which way to go.....if you haven't.

I'm frustrated at the process because there is so much misinformation that it's difficult for anyone to have a better than 50% chance of falling into right camp.

As you can tell by the lack of quality hitting discussion from the PCR guys, and the lack of clips, that their entire effort is to discredit what we do here. It's all attack the messenger not the message.....and they never offer a view of their theory. I happen to know what it is. Better than most according to their leader. But they can't post clips because they will easily be proven wrong. Yet they continue to draw support with their tactics.

What does this mean to a new dad? It means its a crap shoot. And when they add to the confusion by labeling the poorer parts of swings of young kids as 'HI causes that'.....it becomes a large waste of time.

So, I plan on doing things privately. I hope to be able to help the new hitters but more importantly I need to control the posting of video of those private students until I give the OK. I have nothing to hide. I used to not mind showing 'works in progress'. They themselves are outstanding learning tools for others. But when they are used to keep dads and sons from getting the best information available, something has to change.

Read BM's latest posts at either bbf or bbd. They are complete lies about what we teach and what comes from what we teach. AND.....he knows it. He is lying. Plain and simple. He's a MF'ing liar.

Thank you Slapper for calling him out.

But where are the site owners who know better.

That is another of my pet peeves. There is no scorekeeper. There is no judge to say whoaaaa your'e lying now. Stop it. It is all allowed. Except of 'lol' and 'nonsense'.

Recently I finally told GroundUp to stop posting his lead arm extension bull shit here. He has been allowed to post it for a long time. I've corrected the record every time. Builder and Pronk and many others have spoken out to him. It gets old. He clearly hasn't played and doesn't understand what he sees or what he reads. At some point, for the good of the board, for the good of the people searching for the truth, you must strike out and take a stand. Otherwise the debate just meanders and no progress is made.

The goal is.....the get a number of private students....get them to the pattern quickly....get them to practice often....and get them to produce in games.....and then post the video and the results of the video. My son's success is not enough for them. jja and Ursa and MarkH and ILoveAllMeball have said 100 times that my son is not in the high level pattern. But none of them point out where and why and what is wrong.....other than his rear foot doesn't turn over....and I can show you Thome, and Bonds, and Bay and others whose foot doesn't turn over. BFD. Where is the truth keeper at bbf? Jake is in the tank for PCR. Who is going to be the judge and force them to put up or shut up. NO ONE. So they continue to say it is not in the pattern even when a side by side of Bonds is shown that is very very close.

When I get 10 or so young kids to go with the ones we currently have on the improve with all of them putting up measureables......I will shut those mf's up.

Trust me.

And whooooooa Nelly if this high draft pick pans out.

[mightylakers]

Rich I understand your concern.

But in the meantime please understand that through open debates you actually win out in a long run, for example, the lakers family.

I think I agree you may want to put tighter control over some new starters so that they can stay the course until they can stand on their own.

But in the meantime please don't underestimate the intelligence and insight of the mass. A real truth seeker can see through all the ho and ha to find what they need to do.

[Teacherman]

You asked about my "punch" statements that are in a thread in the Second Engine forum Saturday.

My quotes to you regarding your question were....

I referenced it as the "Inverted Swivel" at that time.

The key component is when does the rear arm extend. And it must not extend until you turn the corner. The rear forearm must be 'vertical' or 'up' or 'the hand must be at the shoulder tip' or 'the bicep must be flexed'.....however you 'see' it......as the hands turn the barrel and then it will lower into a punch as you turn the corner. This gives you the palm up extension through the zone that keeps the barrel in the zone for a longer period of time. Without that extension your hands will take a 'hard left/right' and leave the zone as you pull off the ball.

You post your new clip with the punch and your quote to BM about your work with your son is....

Slow down BM, The cue I used was punch the ARM instead of punch the hands.

With no mention of the swivel (which your son is doing.....he appears to be doing exactly what Manny and Ryan Howard do).

I shouldn't expect you to mention every detail.

However.....

BM's comment about your comments

No need to slow down......Whether you used "punch the arm" or "punch the hand" isn't the point.......

The point is you UN-USED creating a hand/bat head pivot toward the catcher as a focused mechanic to correct a flaw created by the movement focus..........That is the bottom line in the discussion over theory and teaching mechanics as far as I'm concerned.......I don't need to be right....there are several ways to be right.........I need to know what is NOT right........

Pinch the forearm/bicep......good cue......

Punch (arm or hand)....good cue.......

Rear hand/bat head pivot.....I.E. SWIVEL........BAD CUE........

One Issue solved.......

Next..........

I clearly said the swivel is part of the action. That you swivel (turn the barrel) and then punch after or as you turn the corner.

I posted video of myself duplicating Manny and Howard. I showed video of Manny and Howard doing the desired action......what I then called the 'Inverted Swivel'.

Your son is clearly swiveling.

BM concludes the swivel is bad.

There is no better example of why I want to go private.