Baseball Instruction Has A Problem | Why I’m Coming Back Now

After several years away, Paul Reddick is back on the Baseball Dads Podcast.

In this episode, Paul explains where he has been, what happened after exiting his baseball companies, and why he feels pulled back into the game now.

At the center of the problem is what Paul calls manufactured complexity: an instruction industry that constantly needs new drills, new metrics, new terminology, and new ideas to keep players and parents engaged, even when those things do not necessarily make players better at baseball.

Paul also shares what is coming next, including new episodes on the problems with pitching instruction, hitting instruction, recruiting, and mental game coaching, plus free Zoom sessions, live demonstrations, and a renewed focus on helping baseball dads use the game to raise strong young men.

00:00 – The Baseball Dads Podcast is back, and Paul explains where he has been.

01:20 – October 2000: burned out, overloaded, unhealthy, and looking for a way out of nonstop pitching lessons.

03:00 – How a simple website, book, and VHS tape turned into a massive baseball education business.

05:00 – Why Paul eventually exited the company and what he did during the years away from baseball.

07:00 – Why the “baseball brain” never shut off.

08:30 – Coaching as a gift, and why Paul feels a responsibility to share what he has learned.

10:00 – What changed in baseball instruction while Paul was away.

11:30 – The low barrier to entry and the rise of instructors who may know how to market better than they know how to coach.

13:00 – The problem with misinformation, recycled ideas, and concepts that were debunked years ago.

14:15 – The rise of manufactured complexity in baseball instruction.

15:15 – Why the industry keeps inventing new drills, measurements, terminology, and novelty.

16:15 – “They’ve mastered the heavy bag, but they can’t win a fight.”

17:00 – Why being better at drills and metrics does not automatically make someone a better baseball player.

17:45 – The principle Paul built his businesses around: People are impressed by someone who can complicate, but impacted by someone who can simplify.

18:45 – What’s coming next: episodes on pitching instruction, hitting instruction, recruiting, and the mental game.

19:30 – Free Zoom sessions, live demonstrations, velocity, hitting power, sinkers, and recruiting.

20:30 – The deeper mission of Baseball Dads: using baseball to raise great men.

21:00 – The meaning of 23, 33, 43 and why those ages matter more than stats, rankings, or whether your son plays Division I.

22:00 – What to expect next from the Baseball Dads Podcast and upcoming Zoom sessions.