FAQ & Blog
Frequently Asked Questions
My daughter works best with someone face to face, how do online lessons work?
To do online pitching lessons, you will need to become an online member first. Membership details are here. Once you become a member, information on the process is in the Introduction module as far as how to book a live service, in addition to all the prices. Prices range from $30-50, depending on which service you’d like.
You can become an online member without booking a live service, especially if you are looking for supplementary training options without leaving your current instructor. This membership is wonderful solely for at home training & accountability.
I've been doing online services since 2020 & worked with over 500 pitchers virtually from 2020-2022. 80% of my girls & parents were hesitant to start virtual training as this is still very new to our generation, but this world has also opened new doors that we all didn't expect were possible from the very beginning. I have evolved these services many times to reach the needs of all my families & will continue to do so.
I understand virtual training might not work for everyone, but, I will do my best to fit the needs of ALL my clients to make this work for us all! I have a huge success rate with these services, and this new platform will take my training to the next level.
My biggest advice, if you are not coachable or willing to EDUCATE yourself on new concepts, DR3 Fastpitch services might not be for you. Online services are very successful when the same energy and effort is put in on both sides!
Are you ready to level up? If so, I'd love to work with you!
Do you have junior pitching instructors at PAC? What is the pricing/availability?
Yes! I am very thankful to have seniors, Ava Fouts (Berry College 2023) & Megan Gregory (Campbell University 2023) join my DR3 Fastpitch staff as junior instructors. Both of these girls have taken lessons with me for 3+ years & have been a SPONGE to my instruction with them. They are FULL of knowledge and eager to give back to the next generation before they head to college in the fall. They currently work with girls 13 & younger for 60 minute private lessons.
Ava works Mondays 4:00-9:00 & Megan works Thursdays 4:00-9:00.
Please contact me & I can share their information with you along with their bios! I am very picky about who works with me, but these two I don't worry about for one second! They also do a lot of admin work for me behind the scenes which I am very grateful for. 10/10 recommend contacting them if my schedule is booked!
Do you Have In Person Availability?
What Equipment Do I Need Before Starting Online Lessons?
Check out my Amazon List titled "Online Live Lesson Essentials"
You do not need ALL these things, but, the more you have, the more we can accomplish together. Be creative with alternatives as well.
Do you suggest a Basic Video Evaluation or a Premium Video Evaluation?
A BASIC evaluation is required for new clients wanting a live pitching service.
If you need more structure/resources/content for at home training, I suggest the Premium evaluation. You'll receive more content and kickstart your journey into transitioning into a stronger pitcher.
You can read more details on my Video Evaluations page.
Which Do You Prefer, Group/Buddy Lessons or Individuals?
Personally, I believe group lessons are the best opportunity. Why? Because group lessons provide opportunities for leadership skills. If you’re with someone younger than you or at a different skill set level, you have the opportunity to step up and be a role model physically/mentally for the younger generation. Those skills are needed outside of pitching as well.
If you’re with someone around the same age & same skill level, it’s time to compete. Don’t compete with her... but compete with yourself. Take it to the next level. Learn from each other. This opportunity helps motivate you and expose you to the different competition.
I never did one individual lesson growing up. I always did lessons with 2-3 girls at a time since I was 9, and for a month I pitched next to 6 girls at once (a little too crazy for me). I believe these group lessons helped shape me mentally and emotionally about my role on the mound.
I was always with different skills and age levels and my mental game was challenged multiple times. I had to lead by example for the younger ones. My mental game was challenged by the older girls. I had to learn that I’m not always going to be on my A-game, but figure out ways to work through that anyways.
Just something to consider to all pitchers. You’ll need those mental skills when you get to the college level and in the real world. You shouldn’t need a pitching coach's 100% attention the whole hour.
One of my goals as an instructor is to develop y’all physically, mentally, and emotionally to figure out mistakes on your own and work through them without my guidance the whole time.
Reasons why I suggest my girls having a notecard with them at the field (keywords I use during lessons) to learn how to correct yourself without me in your ear... especially when my girls hit the 9th grade for recruiting reasons.
College coaches want to see you be coachable. Make adjustments. Be mentally strong. Compete. Ignore distractions and stay in the zone. Don’t let outside factors interfere with your performance.
Yes, I understand the upside to individual lessons... but there is more to being a pitcher at the next level than just your physical performance. I believe the advantages of group lessons outweighs the advantages of only doing individuals.
What do you prefer? No right or wrong answer. Just curious about others' opinions!
Why do you not use a radar gun regularly?
One thing I learned when I was at Kennesaw State University is that the specific number on the radar gun doesn’t matter, it’s if you’re getting the outs. Coach Doug Gillis always clocked me ‘with his eyes’. I appreciated that because it put less stress on me as a freshman trying to compete against two elite senior pitchers. My goal wasn’t to throw harder but to get more quality strikeouts. More swings and misses. Speed would have helped, but I also needed a better riseball because most of my pitches stayed low. At the time, my changeup wasn’t as consistent as I’d wish for that season. I’ll be honest, I have only pull my radar out 4 times a year for progress monitoring and personal records. I’m not a fan of using it more frequently, outside of making sure off speed/change ups are a good speed difference. I see girls over social media who say they throw 5-10 mph quicker than they actually look. I think it can get in parents heads of “who can throw harder” but in reality, it’s who can get the outs. Who can get the swings and misses? Who can hit their spots? Who can fight through the battles? Who can hit that changeup 9/10 times? Who is mentally stronger... etc. I tell my girls all the time that I can clock them with my eyes and I can see if they are quicker or slower. I also do a lot of videos for my lessons and will have girls slomo themselves to see what mechanical issue is going on if they look slower that day. Or what they are doing better if they are picking up their speed. I think that helps the mental process more, especially at a younger age. I want my girls to get excited about their speed, but I also want them to understand that there is more to being a successful pitcher than what # shows up on that radar gun. I’m not 100% against it, but the “clocking with my eyes” approach has eased my pitchers' minds mentally. Less stress & they are still competing against themselves each week to throw harder. I do think it is important for 9th grade & older to get used to the radar gun being around because I know they will pop up all over the place at showcases. My goal is to train my girls to not even see the gun. Ignore it. Block it out. Because in reality, that # is not the thing that defines a pitcher. It’s just one factor that I believe has “blown up” to be the most important thing in parents’ eyes.
How many days a week should I be pitching?
This is different per age level and skill set level. I believe a pitcher should be throwing 3-5 days a week, depending on how intense their weekend schedule is. I say around 1 heavy, 1 medium, 1-2 light days leading up to a tournament weekend.
The heavy day would be an hour pitching lesson with me. We focus on about 80-100 reps. This includes the drill work. We also have an intense warmup and cool down.
Medium day: 60-70 reps
Light day: 40-60 reps
If you are a beginner, I would do mirror drills EVERY DAY. That does not mean you need your ball and glove every day, but you should watch your body in front of a mirror or selfie camera, going over the 7 steps of pitching, breaking down the motion, every day. Focus on the little things and your body mechanics. See your body. Feel your body. I would at least do 10-15 mirror drills.
I would also focus on strength training for ALL age levels. Does that mean going into a gym and deadlifting? No. But use the exercises from the lesson plan on a daily basis to help increase your hip, glute, and core strength.
Why do you not teach the screw ball?
To be 100% honest, I cannot stand the word "screwball" anymore... lol! It was engraved in my brain at the college level during my freshman season that a screwball “is not a real pitch."
I would rather teach a rise ball with true 6 to 12 spin while maintaining proper body mechanics & movement patterns. After mastering the rise ball, we would work on angling the rise in and out breaking two planes which makes it a more difficult pitch for the batter. I don’t think you get consistent movement from a screwball, and it is highly prone to cause injuries (shoulder, elbow, bicep) if not thrown properly by focusing on a proper whip with forearm pronation.
If you were taught to throw a screwball by stepping way left/right off the power line, push your booty back/out, create space between your body & arm path, and screw your thumb away from your body at release, please hear me out! You are currently throwing a screwball with little to no knowledge of the biomechanics behind pitching and how your body should MOVE PROPERLY. I highly suggest pausing this pitch until you educate on proper movement patterns to reduce your risk of injury in the future. I would love to go more in-depth with you about this during a 1:1 mental training session!
A PEEL SCREW is the only screwball I will teach my girls, but, I encourage my pitchers to zone in on their other breaking pitches before incorporating this pitch. Again, I am a big believer in teaching spin pitches that can break in multiple directions, not just “side to side.”
What is the difference between Hello Elbow & Internal Rotation?
To make it short and sweet, Internal Rotation (IR), also known as Forearm Fire, is the most natural way to pitch the ball.
Forearm Fire/Internal Rotation is a true arm whip, focusing on external and internal rotation of the shoulder & forearm pronation. Pulling the ball down the slot while focusing on arm unraveling & lower body sequencing.
“Hello Elbow” (stiff/forced wrist snap, locked out arm circle, elbow to catcher, finish with a muscle or L) is a forced arm circle that slows your body down and can cause serious injuries down the road. This is where girls PUSH the ball through their arm circle, most likely locking out their arms. Please check out my Introduction to Rotational Pitching Course on DR3University for more in-depth knowledge of “the why.”
As someone who has had lifelong injuries from pitching hello elbow for 14 years, I’ve spent the first year of my coaching career learning about how the body should MOVE before how the body should PITCH. This has been a game changer in my career, but more importantly, for all my pitchers!
#EDUCATIONISPOWER #LEVELUPYOURKNOWLEDGE #TRAINTHEBRAIN
Do you do online group sessions?
I currently work with two organizations through virtual training: A rec department in Idaho with 12-15 pitchers & Travel Team in Canada with 6 pitchers.
If you are interested in online services for your team/organization, please contact us & we can see how we can make it work!
How many video evaluations do you suggest?
When I was in high school, I would personally want an evaluation once every 2 weeks or at least once a month to check progress. This service was not offered where I grew up training, but if it was, I know for a fact I would want monthly evaluations for progress monitoring as I was very intense with preparing for the D1 level.
I suggest at least once every 3 months. This service is part of the in-person membership price to receive quarterly basic video evaluations.
