MOST BANG FOR THE BUCK???

well?

how bout buying expert quality books on the instruction! Not only help your game but your reading and comprehension ability right?

 

Excellent idea for a new thread.... Let me see what I can come up with...

 

They have very capiable and quality instructors. They are not just a show case team. They practice reguraly, and when i say that i dont mean a day here and there, despite having players from all around the state. Their practices are well structured and run very efficently. They wouldn't continue to produce the type and quality of players they do without the hard work and practice. The players that are in that program are devoted to baseball, and i can promise you that they will practice as much as the players want and can handle. Also the support you get from the team doesnt end when your done playing for the summer and fall.

 

Quality Instruction.....

My son has used Shane Spears at The Strike Zone for the last year and I have nothing but great things to say about him. Plus being a lefty, he has that lefty mentality (craziness) that all of them seem to share.

Cost effectiveness, I think a half hour is like $35, but I honestly don't remember.

A few members here have sons that see Shane and he is very good, plus a great guy.

 

Good job thus far.... That's what we need to know, now about the cost? I am looking for bang for the buck...

 

Shane Spears is a tremendous teacher. He not only is great with fundamentals, mechanics and how to play the game, he also demands that his students work hard and maintain a great attitude. I have seen him refuse to work with kids who want put in the effort.
The Strike Zone is in Greer, SC. They have a great facility (aaprox 25,000 sq. ft.) and all of the instructors do a great job.
They offer packages that can get their hourly rate close to $50.
My son has been working out there for over 3 years and loves it. I have many friends and aquaintances who send and have sent their kids there and it is always positive.

 

Two guys come to mind. This goes back a few years and I don't remember the exact cost but around 60 hr.
Jeff Barkley the original owner of Grand Slam was as good of a pitching coach as I've been around for young guys starting out. Teaches them the right way and keeps them focused on the basics.
Brick Smith both hitting and pitching and as fine of an individual I've ever been around.

 

Scott Bankhead, North Caroline Baseball Academy. Primarily a pitching instructor.

Very sound fundamentals. Kids trust him. Better at 12-13 and above. Not cheap but worth it. 400.00 for 8 lessons.

My son tried several. Scott was the most expensive and I always wondered if he was worth it. After one lesson my son and I knew it was. Very technical. My son may not have grasped it all at 12 or younger. Now he has a great instructor and a great friend. He has really helped my son. He has him much more in the zone, taught him a great change-up when no one else could, and improved his curve. Has really helped him on the finer aspects. Well worth the $.

Alan Askinazy (sp) at Greensboro Batting Center has had some success with kids on hitting as has Mo Blakeney at Proehlific Park. There's more than one way to hit. Some people swear by these two guys, others have a different opinion simply because there's more than 1 way to skin this cat. Both have helped my son and both are good with the kids. Lessons run around 400.00 for 16. IMHO, good with younger kids (14U) and younger and good for tune-ups as you get older.

The instruction at our High School is excellent however it's almost impossible to get a lot of time from the coaches. When you have 30 kids on the field and 3-4 coaches, they can only spend so much time with you. But I will say, Ragsdale has 2 excellent pitching coaches in C. Maness and Hancock, both former MLB. Coach Bradford is a great hitting instructor and D. Maness knows how to field it. They ave all the main areas covered. Just not enough time and a bunch of kids. They do all they can and will meet for individual time when they can. We wouldn't buy lessons if these guys had more time. They're strong on fundamentals and you can't beat the price.

 

Hard Core Training

Flip tractor tires for 100 yards at a time.
Run stadium bleachers with bricks in your hands.
Run gasers with medicine balls.
Etc Etc Etc.

Price - Pain.
Reward - Priceless.

We have run an off season conditioning program for a few years now. It starts after the football dead zone and runs up untill the start of baseball season. I got so tired of shaking the hands of the opposing teams and all their guys were bigger and stronger than our guys. We were mentally weak imo as well. My first year as HC we hit 2 HR's. My second year as HC we hit 3. This is our 7th year doing this. In 06 we hit 30 HR's. Last year we hit 37. We are much stronger and we are now mentally tough. The core work has helped with velocity big time and with power at the plate.

Getting hitting pitching instruction is great. We try to give all we can but I have no problem with guys seeking out additional help if they think they need it. But for me there is no subsitute for working at the things that do not require a ball glove or bat. Speed, agility , arm strength , and core strength. We have to do alot with very little quite honestly. Our talent pool is not the greatest. We compete by doing everything we can to outwork our competition in the off season. Players - (If you doing what everyone else is doing then your on your way to being average - if you want to be better than everyone else - do what no one else is willing to do.)

Alot of kids have technical swings but cant hit the ball out of the infield. Alot of kids have nice mechanics on the hill but cant break glass. You gotta get stronger. I love it when we start this program each year. Several of the younger guys show up with a bat bag. Pratt Maynard said it best this summer "Hey kid, you wont be needing that today".

 

That instruction is in addition to many hours a week working out. Running and lifting 5 days a week minimum. Lessons don't build strength or speed. I was just trying to answer the question.