Are you a Pitch Caller or a Hope Caller?

As a coach, you can be a Pitch Caller or you can Hope Caller.

{{ A Pitch Caller is strategic. }}

She/he focuses on the pitcher’s strengths. The pitcher is able to gain confidence by locating her pitches, throwing strikes, working from ahead. A Pitch Caller gets to think 2-3 pitches ahead to set pitchers up.

{{ A Hope Caller is lucky *sometimes*. }}

She/he focuses on what a pitcher can throw for a strike that day. It can be a guessing game. The pitcher has no consistency, falls behind in counts, misses spots by 6 inches - 12 inches. A Hope Caller calls pitches one pitch at a time and crosses fingers as pitch is delivered. 🤞🏼

This is why as a coach, I teach pitchers and coaches to focus on accuracy BEFORE speed.

If you’re not throwing strikes in a game and working from ahead in the count, you’ll always be on the defensive.

Working from behind in the count equals more duress you feel in the circle, which equals not pitching to your potential, which equals less success, which equals less pitching time.

Hope Calling for a coach is not fun. It’s stressful. It’s a guessing game.

Pitch Calling for a coach is fun. It’s a game of chess.

I will say this time and time again, but I would say 90% of the time when parents are complaining about their pitcher getting hit, it has less to do with what pitch is being called and more to do with a pitcher not executing.

Not executing = missing the spot completely over the plate or missing the spot wildly.

So coaches - I feel for you. Pitch Calling is a HARD JOB when it turns to Hope Calling.

Hoping a pitcher throws a strike.
Hoping a pitcher hits the exact spot you called. Hoping a pitcher can work from ahead.

Parents, I hope you stress to your pitchers that accuracy needs to come before speed.

It greatly effects the GAME, not just your pitcher.