Coach John Peter's Baseball Tips.com
Pitching - The Mental Game by Brent Kemnitz
Teaching The Mental Game to Pitchers
Just Listen and Improve!
- Running Time: 42 Minutes
- 20 topics covered
- Lessons will last a lifetime!
$19.95
Stock# D92
Brent Kemnitz has spent nearly three decades as the pitching coach at Wichita State University, one of the top NCAA Division I baseball programs. His 42-minute audio CD covers the successful approach he uses to teach pitchers how to focus on the mental side of their game.
"This is a direct product of everything I learned from the best pitching coach in the country,"
New York Mets pitcher Mike Pelfrey said about Kemnitz and his CD.
Kemnitz is the best in the country at what he does, and that is to teach young men how to pitch. Yes, you need talent to be a successful pitcher, but your brain makes the difference. This CD will help you maximize the mental capabilities of any aged pitcher(s) that you coach.
JP's Review:
Mental Pitching CD
Here are a few questions and observations you may wish to consider.Are there reasons you do or don't?
We all say or have heard how important the mental side of this game is, right? But what do you really know about it? How much could you actually teach another player or coach with your present knowledge RIGHT NOW?
Is it enough?
Whatever your skill level in this area.could you use more, better and simpler ways to communicate this vital aspect of the game?
Would you pay $20 bucks for even one additional major piece that could stay with you forever .and maybe even extend your career (no matter what level or age you are at presently)?
There are tons of great minds in baseball, but many fewer in the area of pitching than in the other major parts of this complex game of ours. Coach Kemnitz has not only been at the top rung of college baseball for a very long time.he has produced perhaps the finest pitching staff over the last 30 years in big-time collegiate baseball!
- The Wichita State Shockers baseball program has produced 13 MLB pitchers over the last 29 years, all under the same pitching coach (Kemnitz) and head coach (Gene Stephenson).
- Every pitcher drafted out of High School who has chosen to attend Wichita State has been redrafted higher than when he stepped on campus!
- MLB pitcher Braden Looper entered the Shockers program as an undrafted High School pitcher.yet left 3 years later as a 1st round draft choice after working with Coach Kemnitz.
So to me, Coach Kemnitz transcends so many of the gurus and trends who come and go. This guy can flat out coach.and, more importantly, communicate with today's player.
I have such strong opinions on this CD because Coach Kemnitz translates difficult concepts into an easy-to-grasp form that will have you nodding your head in agreement and confident understanding.no simple feat!
What would you give to easily learn so much of what gets our pitchers to the next level.and maybe understand what holds them back? I hope 20 bucks.
And don't thank me.just this exceptional teacher and man who has related to young raw pitchers over the last three decades and can now offer you the same tools that took him a lifetime of experience to learn!
Praise From Wichita State Alums
"When making my decision on what program I wanted to be a part of, I chose Wichita State on the basis that Brent Kemnitz was going to be my pitching coach. His knowledge of pitching and ability to communicate his message were second to none. This CD says it all."
- Nate Robertson, Detroit Tigers pitcher
"I started attending Coach Kemnitz's pitching camps at the age of 15. I fell in love with his style of coaching and was thrilled to get the opportunity to pitch at Wichita State. After 9 years in the big leagues, I continue to implement his techniques. This CD gives an inside look to why he is considered one of the best pitching coaches in America at any level."
- Braden Looper, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher
"Coach Kemnitz is bar none the best pitching coach I've ever had at covering all angles of the mental aspects of pitching. This is a great device for molding minds in the game of baseball as well as the game of life. Keep listening."
- Darren Dreifort, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher (1994-2004)
"This CD is a must for anyone serious about baseball. It is simple enough to benefit a young pitcher or player and complex enough for a Big Leaguer. If you have a desire to improve your mental side of the game, this is the perfect tool for any player or coach."
- Charlie O'Brien, Major League catcher for 15 years
Pitching - The Mental Game: Topic by Topic
Recorded in the 2006 offseason at a high school coaches convention, Kemnitz's folksy speech blends the right amount of insight, motivation and humor into a finished product that Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge says is "a must for anyone of all ages."
After an introduction, Kemnitz briefly talks (1-2 minutes) about each of the following 20 topics:
- Comfort Zone
There's no such thing as overachieving. - Umpire Rhythm
Umpires get into a rhythm with pitchers a lot easier than they will with whatever hitter that steps to the plate, so if you're around the plate the strike zone will expand. - Concentration Eliminates Tension
Focusing puts you in a positive situation. - Learning Curve
When teaching something new, relate to your pitcher's failures and get them to stick with it until they have success. - Presence
Have an air of confidence on the mound. - Let Me Be Your Experience
Use any experience you have to your advantage, such as comparing someone in the present to a successful pitcher you've coached in the past. But don't let your mind hold you back regardless of experience or expectations. - Keep It Simple
Success is determined by what players can actually understand, so keep your teaching philosophy simple and to the point. - Little League Mentality
Don't spoil your players to the point where they are distracted in unfamiliar surroundings. - Better or Worse
You're going to finish today better or worse. You won't stay the same. Your mindset makes the difference. - Pitching is Eliminating Mistakes
You don't have to give them anything good to hit. - Next Pitch Refocus
The only thing you need to think about on the mound is the next pitch. This relieves pressure on the pitcher, and it's all he can really control. - Confidence at the End
Be confident when the ball is coming out of your hand. - Relaxed Intensity
Trained focus enables you to "get in the zone." - Adversity
Adversity is normal. We're all going have it, it's how you deal with it that's key. - Positive Energy
Avoid negative people. Positive energy is contagious. - Positive/Negative/Positive
Strive to be positive and focus on potential. Remember to be positive, make your point, and end on a positive. - Aggressive Early In Count
When you get ahead 0-1, the strike zone will expand because the hitter doesn't know what's coming. - Hitters Disputes
If a hitter disputes a called strike, go back to it because the hitter can't see the pitch. Make him prove to you he can hit it. - Short Memory - Sense Of Humor
Learn from it, forget about it and move on. This is supposed to be fun, so don't take yourself too seriously. - Silent Resolve
Don't be arrogant, but exude confidence. Walk around like you believe in yourself and be humble after games.
About The Coach
Brent Kemnitz has been coaching at Wichita State since 1978, one year after the Shockers program was resurrected. During his three decades at WSU, Kemnitz has become one of the most revered pitching coaches at any level of baseball.
Kemnitz's pitchers have enjoyed unprecedented success: 61 have signed with Major League organizations, an amazing 9 of them drafted in the first round. A pitcher on his staff has earned the Missouri Valley Pitcher-of-the-Year award in 10 of the 18 years the conference has presented it, and WSU has had at least one first-team All-Conference pitcher every year but one in the Kemnitz era.
Kemnitz's pitching staffs have twice led all NCAA Division I teams in ERA (2.53 in 1982 and 2.91 in 1991) and his 1982 staff holds the NCAA record with 46 complete games.
Not only has Kemnitz enjoyed a successful career at Wichita State - the Shockers have gone to the College World Series seven times and won the championship in 1989 - but 13 of his pitchers have advanced to pitch at the Major League level.
Kemnitz also was the pitching coach for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots from 1984-87, where he coached 10 future Major Leaguers and helped guide the 1986 team to the National Baseball Congress World Series title.
During his playing career, Kemnitz complied a 21-7 record at Phillips University, an NAIA school in Oklahoma, where he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1978. He earned a master's degree in sports administration in 1980 from Wichita State, where, in addition to his pitching coach duties, he is the recruiting coordinator and handles the task of scheduling games.
Mastering the Mind Package
- The Mastering the Mind Package includes two great CDs that will help players relax and focus
- Contents:
- Pitching - The Mental Game by Brent Kemnitz
- Quality at Bats by Steve Springer
Price: $39.95
Stock# CB43
Free shipping special - Save $6.50
Quality at Bats CD
Steve Springer has done for hitters what Brent Kemnitz has done for pitchers: help them master the mental part of their craft. "Too many players let their mind get in the way of their ability," says Springer, a veteran of 14 pro seasons. Quality at Bats, his 34-minute audio CD, helps players learn about the mental side of hitting and was credited by Cal State Fullerton coach George Horton as a key factor in helping his team win the 2004 College World Series.
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