Read what others say about Torque Professional School of Baseball & Softball

Mike,
I had a chance to see the video that you recorded of my son pitching during the Video Analysis. For the first I witnessed someone who knows the the technical side of pitching. Throughout my years watching kids pitching baseball, I hear the baseball coaches yell at their players and say "Throw strikes". First of all most of the coaches' frustrations is their inability to train their players how to hit or pitch the correct way. They are creating an environment of disappointments and kids giving up and not playing baseball. Parents spending large amount of money and time to have their boys play for travel teams and in return coaches yelling or making their kids sit the bench. Not one single coach I have met in the 9 years my son has been playing baseball has shown him anything compared to your baseball techniques and training he has learned in just two sessions, and he plays on a PREMIER TEAM LEVEL! You would think that at the highest level of Select Baseball they could teach like this. Not so. I should have known about you earlier, however I am glad we found you. I have met and seen many baseball trainers in the past, there were no video analysis performed nor the detail body mechanics training you have provided to our son. No one will ever reach their potential if you are not provided the correct training. My son wants to reach that potential with your help. Your training instructions surpass 90% of the high schools and travel teams out there in the Houston area. Money well spent.
Thank you Mike!
-Anonymous

Mike,
I first want to start off saying thank you, thank you, Thank You! There's no doubt in our minds that you have a God given gift. Our son has been playing under Pro baseball players for over 2 years and receiving hitting lessons from them as well, but not one of them could help him get out of the slump he's been in. My husband and I was blown away by your ability to see the problem immediately! Our son had a tournament 3 days after only on session with you and for the first time all season he had an amazing game! Our son did so well at bat that he moved up from last at bat, to 5th! You are truly an AMAZING instructor! We cannot thank you enough for what you've done! Our kid is smiling, his confidence is back, and we are VERY happy!
-T. Hoston

Simply put, Mike's method works! He breaks down your child's swing on video and with a few tips can correct the mechanics for immediate results. I have been to two other batting coaches, and it has taken as much as 6 weeks for something to sink in with my kid, but with Mike, results are immediate. Mikes lessons do not solely focus on mechanics. They also focus on pitch selection, mental preparation and psychological training. You will not find anyone that can give you the results Mike can in the time frame that he can do it. After only 2 lessons with Mike, my daughter's batting average and on base average went up, and she started hitting homeruns in batting practice, which she had never done before. Also, one of her high school team moms pulled me aside to tell me that my daughter has a perfect swing. She keeps looking back at it in photos that she takes, and she says it is so natural and perfect. Thanks Mike!
-Dawson Kaiser

Coach Mike,
I wanted to give you an update on Sean. He started with a new team this Fall and in the first 6 games he has had a hit in every game! In two games he had one of only two hits by his team during the whole game. Also, no strikeouts and only one walk. His new coach says his batting form is very good and based on Sean's hitting performance is moving him up the line up. This is a great result, particularly considering the "golf like" swing he had when he came to see you. We are amazed at the improvement in just a few hours with you! Thanks!
-Dana O'Brien

Mike did a great job coaching my son (and me as a dad and coach). Before his lesson, my son, who bats left-handed, was consistently rolling his wrists and hitting hard ground balls to first. I could not see why or how he could take an outside pitch and ground out to first base every time. After we both learned from Mike the reason for the problem, a solution, and tools to continue working on his swing, my son is crushing the ball, getting lift on his hits, driving the ball to the opposite field and feeling more confident. We also both have a better understanding, and new perspective on hitting. As a former ball player and a long-time coach, I have a very high opinion on Mike, his methods and his approach with young ball players.
Thanks,
-Adam D.

Before my brother first met Coach Mike, he wouldn't even swing at many of the balls pitched to him. Coach Mike met him and during his practice swings, Coach Mike knew immediately what the issue was and realized the lack of swinging was due to confidence. He did a video analysis and showed us pictures and videos of major league players and how they compared to my brother. Within 5-6 sessions with Coach Mike, my brother's swing was completely transformed and he had the confidence again to hit the ball!! Coach Mike is great to work with, has high expectations of himself and his students, and produces amazing results! Thanks, Coach Mike!!"
Hope to see you soon,
-Meegan Fierro

This letter is long overdue. We are so appreciative for YOU making Ernesto's last little league season a great success! With Ernesto's major improvement, came many tears of joy for me, his Mom! As I write you this email, I am also tearing up! YOU are without a doubt the BEST. Here is Ernesto:
"My name is Ernesto L. and I strongly recommend taking lessons from Mike Torque. He's extremely friendly and an easy going guy. He teaches you the proper mechanics in your swing, improves your bat-speed and eye-hand coordination. I did a complete 180 after taking lessons from Coach Mike. I went from striking out 90% of the time to having confidence at the plate and being able to hit singles, doubles, triples and inside to park home-runs! Coach Mike is incredible."
We will see you soon as Ernesto begins his new baseball journey in a jr. league. Thank you so much for all you do for our kids! May God bless you always!!
Have a Wonderful Day,
-Ana L.

Before going to Coach Mike I was in a bit of a slump and I wasn't seeing the ball "jump" off my bat like it used to. Within a few lessons with him I saw a big improvement of not only the velocity of the ball off my bat but also quicker hands and better usage of my lower half. I attended an evaluation camp at Texas State University at San Marcos and hit two homeruns and many off of the outfield wall during batting practice. Overall, I am very satisfied with the large amount of knowledge that he has taught me about my swing and my approach/ what I am looking for in certain counts. I drive three hours once a week to work with him and I can proudly say that it is well worth it.
-Jared Sheppard

My grandson Cesar was struggling at the plate especially with inside pitches. It seemed like he was continually getting jammed inside and hitting a weak grounder to the shortstop or a pop-up in the infield. We heard about Mike through a friend on his high school team and decided to schedule the initial video evaluation. Mike videotaped Cesar's swing focusing on his mechanics for different types of pitches. During the video review Mike picked up on a few timing issues and was able to show us on the video the problems Cesar was having. He made some suggestions which he called "swing thoughts" and worked with Cesar recording every swing. Mike then used the video to show Cesar where he was making improvements and where he still needed work. What impressed me was how quickly Cesar was able to modify his swing and begin make solid contact with the ball.
After the initial video evaluation, Cesar had a tournament the next weekend and went 3 for 7 with a double and 3 RBI's. More importantly he hit everything hard. We have continued lessons with Mike working on the mechanics of Cesar's swing but more importantly Mike is teaching him the art of hitting considering what the pitcher is throwing, and what approach he should take with his at-bat. I record each of Cesar's at-bats during the games and Mike evaluates and discusses each with Cesar to see what he was thinking. I was impressed by how quickly Mike recognized the issues with Cesar's swing. Even after the lesson is over Cesar will go back and review the videos to make sure his swing is correct. What Mike says is really true, if you are not videotaping, then you are wasting time and money. I don't think he would be hitting 400+ without learning what we have learned and having had our deficiencies identified. In addition now we don't have to guess anymore about what the problems are. The peace of mind that we now have knowing what we know now and that we are on the correct course with the statistics and success to prove it has been worth every penny.
-Dale Hilliard

My son Avery (age 15) has always been a power-pull hitter. A few years ago, he started losing power and starting hitting the ball late to the opposite field. I have always coached him, so we went back to work. We tried bucket after buckets of balls in the cages, soft toss with small balls, and tee work; nothing seemed to work. I finally had to accept the inevitable; Dad could not help his son by just working him out of his "slump". So I tried to find someone to give us the expertise we needed. I found Coach Mike. In his first session, within the first 20 seconds of watching him on slow motion film analysis, Coach Mike identified several simple things that were robbing Avery of his power. After one session, the confidence & power was back. We enjoyed going to the cages again. We have been back a couple of times to just fine tune the machine as we can. His High School coaches are impressed with his confidence; they even asked this freshman to play up with the Varsity during the first scrimmage. He has hit line drives to left off of senior pitchers. I wish I would not have waited so long to accept that we needed professional help. Coach Mike has a great demeanor with the kids; he can keep it simple enough for the younger players & he can get detailed enough for the high school players. Thanks Coach Mike.
A thankful father,
-Shawn Sieben

My son who is 14 has been struggling with his batting for awhile. It got to the point where my son was getting very discouraged and was at the point of not wanting to play. He has played since he was little and is currently on a Premier Team. Because he was struggling we decided to give Mike a try. At the beginning of the lesson Mike took the time to evaluate our son with video. He then would show him step by step on the video what he was doing wrong and what he needed to do to correct it. He then showed him pro players with the correct mechanics and taught him those same moves. Not only does he work with our son one on one but we can send him video and he freeze frames the video we send to him from home and critiques the swings and his body mechanics along with sending correcting instructions.
Video is the best way to see what you are doing and how to correct it. How can you tell a kid what they are doing wrong without showing them? It opened my sons eyes and now he is very optimistic about getting his bat back and he is very excited about what the future may bring. Yes it's expensive but it is well worth it. My son looks forward to practice and knows he will get better!!!
Thank you, Mike!
-Anonymous

I can't believe the transformation in my son's hitting after only a few lessons with Coach Mike. Instead of grounding out to the pitcher, he's consistently hitting beautiful shots to the fence. And with each hit, his confidence is on the mend. It's really been a beautiful thing to see! Thank you, Coach Mike!

-Jennifer Beck

Hey Michael,
Just wanted to let you know how happy we are with the improvement in Beth's batting after your lessons. She has gone from an average batter to one who hits with the confidence of a veteran. She no longer worries if she will get a hit, now she wants to get up at bat, just for the pleasure of hitting off of pitchers that used to give her problems. Your simple, straight forward approach to teaching batting skills made it fun for Beth to learn, and your ability to communicate your techniques and how to apply them is, according to Beth, the easiest way to improve skills she has ever seen. With the video training you employed, Beth could see instantly first hand what she needed to improve on, and she could see the results of your techniques and how well and quickly they improved her skills. To anyone reading this, we highly recommend Michael Skoutelakis as your daughters batting coach. In my opinion, it has been the best time and money we have invested in our daughterssoftball career.
Thanks again,
-Ed and Aimee & Beth Blysard

I met Mike back in 1984-85 at Broward Community college as a teamate of mine. We obviously have both continued our passion for the game by either coaching it or becoming an instructor like Mike has. His work ethic has always proven to be one of the best around. He was a very successful hitter at the collegiate level and is trying to relay not only his knowledge of the game but his experiences that he had to help the players he is trying to develop. Coaches, as well as instructors, that work with young influential players are very important to their growth not only as an athlete, but also as an individual..Anyone trying to improve and maximize their skills should definitly take advantage of what Mike can bring to the table."
- Ray Evans
Head Baseball Coach
Charles Flanagan High School
Pembroke Pines, Florida
Baseball America's 2010 National Champions
2005, 2006, 2010 6A State Baseball Champions
Baseball America's 2010 National Coach of the Year

My 12-year-old son has been seeing Coach Mike since April 2010 for both pitching and batting lessons. I can't even begin to explain how beneficial my son's lessons with Coach Mike have been. The video analysis has been an incredibly efficient means for my son to be able to see and identify his flaws, as well as his improvements. He has been able to improve his mechanics and confidence and has achieved great results in a very short period of time. Coach focuses on making just one or two small adjustments at a time so as not to "mess up" my son's game during the season. Coach also focuses on the mental aspects of the game and has given my son great coping skills for dealing with adversity on the field, such as bad playing surfaces and bad umpiring, or dealing with a disappointing or frustrating pitch from the mound or disappointing at bat. I highly recommend Coach Mike to any parent who is seeking a pitching and/or batting coach and who wants to help their child achieve better success on the field. Coach Mike is very personable and relates well with both the kids and the parents. He is a jewel!"

-Chris Skweres

I have learned a lot with Coach Mike. We started off doing pitching lessons. I had problems with mechanics and throwing a change-up. My change-up was either too fast or way out of control. He fixed that within one lesson. I used to be a one dimensional pitcher, but now my change-up is my go to 2 strike pitch, and I use it all the time. Now for the hitting part of it. I was never a bad hitter nor a bad pitcher and after looking at the success of my pitching lessons we decided it couldn't hurt to do hitting lessons. When it came to hitting I had very little power. I was as much of a contact hitter as Ryan Howard is a power hitter. I learned a lot from Coach Mike but, I just wasn't delivering with the bat. It took me about three weeks to get used to my new swing, and not only am I hitting the ball, but I'm hitting with power too. It's very nice to have a power swing, but still have the contact swing when I need it."

-Grayson Skweres

Mike takes teaching fundamentals and mechanics of baseball to a whole new level. In just two sessions of Video Analysis and 1:1 coaching, my son is now maximizing strength and power he didn't know he had... His pitching and swing mechanics look like a major leaguer...a perfect foundation to build on!
- Matt Woodward

I've been a student of baseball for over 15 years - coaching MS Softball for 13 years and numerous youth baseball teams including tournament and All-Star teams. I thought I knew something about teaching baseball mechanics - but I was not prepared for how much I learned from Coach Mike. I took my 10 and 13 year-old sons to Mike for the purpose of some video instruction. Our previous experience with a few private baseball lessons was so ineffective, and in some cases detrimental, that we stopped and never considered it again. Baseball camps are expensive and the players get very little actual instruction. Now, years later, I thought it was time to get each of them a little help beyond me.
Wow. Mike's style of instruction and knowledge is unmatched in my experience. Both boys made significant improvements in just ONE session. Moreover, what I learned from the lessons has changed how I teach hitting and pitching to the players I coach on my son's tournament team and spring-league teams. Our 10U tournament team pitchers are now competitive with anyone we play, and better than most, because of the knowledge Mike gave me and encouraged me to use.
Mike's hitting instruction is so revolutionary, but absolutely verifiable by looking at professional hitters and what they actually do, that I feel it can completely change a player. For example, my 13 year-old (never a very good hitter) went for a hitting lesson, and after 30 minutes was looking and hitting absolutely like a different player. He is actually excited about hitting now! After watching how they respond to seeing their mechanics on video, I would never consider a lesson without it again. You can tell a kid something 100 times and maybe he won't get it - but SHOW him once or twice and the lightbulb goes on and THEY GET IT.
Lessons with Mike are not an expense, they are an investment - because the returns are so great! The knowledge I gain alone is worth dozens of books and DVDs. Bottom line: my sons are better players - taking their games to the next level, and I'm a better manager and coach who can help dozens of other players become better. All thanks to Mike.
-Jay Nylund
Youth baseball and former MS Softball coach

I have been working with my son Joseph on his pitching now for a several years. I was determined to learn as much about pitching as possible. I studied from books, teachers, internet, and videos. I am now OK at spotting mechanical flaws on video. So when we came to Mike Joseph and I knew most of his faults. Our problem was not knowing what the faults were but how to correct them.
Out in the real world of baseball I see this over and over again in Joseph's teammates. They have terrible pitching form (a 3ft stride, short arming the ball, early rotation, etc., etc.). I tell the coach "hey this kid is going to ruin his arm or hit a wall and never make HS ball with this form". The coaches all say "yeah your right but he's already got a pitching coach and I don't want to get into the middle of it." I remember a boy from the first year of kid pitch. He could blow that speedball by you (From the Boss's Glory Days) but he was the worst short armer I think I had ever seen. Two years later he was getting knocked out of the ballpark like batting practice and a sore arm to boot. He never changed his mechanics. Last year our best right-hand pitcher was stepping a foot to the third side of a center line between home and the rubber. I have it on tape. Instead of trying to make a mechanical adjustment, I was told "He is pitching so well now I don't want to make any changes now." After that I have pretty much given up on instructing other people's kids. So here is the rule 90% of coaches out there use. If you can throw hard and hit your spot you?re a good or great pitcher, forget form and mechanics. If your arm hurts after 20 pitches it's because your arm is not strong enough and you need to work on arm strength. We will work on our last 3 hitters bats 2 hours a week but only give our pitchers a 15 min pen 1 time a week between tournaments with little true instruction or worse bad instruction. I have recently told Joseph not to take instruction from anyone else other than myself or Mike. Joseph was last told "Your not twisting your body enough. That's where all your power comes from." I know that's not the case. Mike knows that's not the case but most coaches just don't get it. The worst are the ex-pros that were taught wrong or they believe that just because they do it that way it is right. Over rotation was causing Joseph to early rotate miss his center mark become off balanced and throw across his body.
Getting Back to Mike. I have been busting my brain for the last year trying to get Joseph not to early rotate. Nothing I did worked. I could see it on tape. I could tell Joseph not to do it but it never got fixed. After only a couple of hours with Mike, Guess what. With a few mechanical changes Joseph does not early rotate any more. If he does I know now what to tell him to fix it. We will be making the drive into Houston whenever we get the chance to work with Mike."
-Mark Anderson

We moved from Alabama where my son had been through three different coaches for baseball lessons. I told my son when we got to Texas that I was going to try and find a really good coach that we can stick with. I called Mike with Torque baseball and he told me on the first call to bring Jordan by for a evaluation and if I didn't think he would get better that he would tear my check up and we could be on our way. I asked my son what he thought and he said he loved it and he wanted me to sign him up. Mike is not cheap but if you quality and someone that will put confidence in your son sign him up because my son has more confidence than he has ever had. I want to thank Mike for his time and efforts with my son Jordan and you can bet my three year old son Ashton will be going to him when he turns six years old...
Thanks,
-Chad Babin

Dear Coach Mike, I wanted to express to you how pleased Worth and I are with our experience with you and the Torque Baseball pitching instruction program. Worth's pitching skill has improved dramatically as demonstrated by two recent outings with his select team. His velocity and control are so much improved. Worth has had a lot of previous pitching instruction; however, no instructor used video, and no one emphasized the technical teaching methods utilizing video and still photographs employed in the Torque method of teaching. Worth has had fun and he and I look forward to our pitching sessions with you. Furthermore, Worth looks forward to Torque hitting instruction. If Worth's hitting improves as much as his pitching, he will most certainly enjoy the coming baseball season and hopefully a successful high school baseball experience in the near future.
Thanks again Coach Mike.
-Walter Beard

My son Ethan has always been able to make contact with the ball but I knew he could do so much better with a more knowledgeable coach guiding him. I went to three other coaches before I happened to find Coach Mike on the internet and decided to give him a shot. After Ethan's initial session, I knew we had found our coach. Mike is a very knowledgeable coach who mixes in video analysis and still photos to help his student achieve the correct form. After 3 sessions with Coach Mike, Ethan went 5 for 6 in his first tournament and all of his hits were to the outfield and hit with power. If you want your son to get really good really fast, go to Coach Mike.
-Scott Fernandez

I am more than happy to recommend Coach Mike. His approach is completely professional. I particularly liked his use of video during the lessons. He is able to review his instructions so the student can see what is trying to be achieved. As the old saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words." Mike gives you a copy of your video and you have a chance to review it at home. All pitchers, no matter what age or level, can benefit from Mike's coaching.
-Bill; High School Pitcher's Dad

Coach Mike, where would I be without him? He is the kind of guy that knows the game inside and out, and has an answer for any and every situation. He has helped me break down my mechanics and make tough adjustments that make a world of difference. I think all pitchers can benefit from Coach Mike's instructions.
-Alex; High School, Pitcher

Mike, my 12 year old son has pitched for several years but was developing a few bad habits in his mechanics which could lead to injury and which slowed his velocity. Despite months of instruction with other instructors, the problems continued. However, the ability for him to see his mechanics on video and your expertise in diagnosing the problem and instructing him in the proper mechanics has been the breakthrough we were looking for. He is excited to see himself in the video and get the instant feedback he can see for himself. Your encouragement has also really helped him get over his mental discouragement. He has corrected his mechanics and is throwing harder than ever. We look forward to continued improvement due to your expert program of instruction. Thanks Mike !
-Bill Hart

Hey Mike,
I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how much i appreciate the work you have done with Jose on his pitching and hitting. I love the method you use of video taping a segment of his hitting or pitching and then reviewing the tape on the spot to correct any mechinal flaws. It truly does work, his pitching mechanics have greatly improved which has resulted in better velocity on his pitches and much better control of his pitches. Jose has always looked lost at the plate but now after only a handful of lessons he actually looks like a hitter when he is at the plate, his mechanics are much much better than they ever have been and his hitting is definitely on the right track. I only wish I had found Torque Baseball 5 years ago instead of spending hundred if not thousands of dollars on lessons which really improved nothing. After watching your method i now fully realize how little the previous lessons we paid for really helped. Since Jose drives himself to practice, I also like the fact that you send home the discs of the practices so that i can follow his progress.
Thanks a lot for everything!!!!!!
-Mike Moncure

Dear Mike,
I wanted to take this time to let you know how pleased we are with the training you are providing to Austin. Austin feels very comfortable and tells me all the time how he appreciates your coaching and how he feels it is of the highest caliber he could expect. He has been disappointed with other trainers in the past, and with a few coaches on the summer leagues recently as well, but he holds you in highest esteem as a coach.
I personally have seen Austin's improvement. When he goes to bat he has a confidence he has not had before. In a recent tournament, of his 15 times at bat, he had 6 doubles, 6 singles, 1 strike out (hit and run) and 2 walks. I think what is noteworthy is the fact that his hits came mostly when he was at 2-2 or 3-2. He settled in a fought the pitcher to get a good pitch and then made great contact. The other thing I notice is that he does not pop out like he used to. His hits are crisp and more in the line drive character. He has learned to fight when at bat and when he is behind and this is paying off. In fact his doubles I mentioned before were all off the fence and mostly in the left-center field areas.
As to his pitching you have worked with him on, he is learning to use his larger muscles to save his arm muscles and shoulder joint. This has helped him both in his pitching and in playing in the field for throwing long balls. He recently got an out at first, which doesn't sound great, except he was playing right field when it happened.
His play at short stop has improved as well, which I credit with his overall confidence and attack to the ball on defense.
Thanks for taking an interest in my son and his talent in baseball. As Austin says, "Mike is the best coach I could have!"
We plan to continue with you long range. Even when Austin starts back with Bellaire Baseball in February, we intend to keep filling in time with you for his hitting and pitching.
Take care and again, thanks Coach.
Regards,
-Gary Wadkins

Working with Mike over the past few months has made me a better hitter and much more confident. At 50, I did not think that I could become a power hitter. Mike has proven me wrong! Not only am I hitting longer and farther... my batting average has been steadily climbing! Thanks Mike!!!
My Best Regards,
-John Hunter

Torque Baseball has taught me the many fundamentals to mastering the sport of baseball. Mike is an excellent communicator and educator which in turn has had a tremendous impact on my game. I am a small player but now I find myself hitting the ball farther and with greater power. Whether it is from throwing to catching, or from bunting to hitting, Mike has made me become advanced in these areas with repetition, consistency, and hard work."
-Ricardo; Men's League Recreational Softball Player

Hey Coach Mike,
I just wanted to write to give you an update on Kyle's hitting. He has alot more confidence at the plate since he started working with you. Before he was hitting ground balls or pop ups 95% of the time, but lately he is getting more hits to the outfield. His last game he really creamed one to the left field fence. I really like that you work with him on the mental part of hitting as well as the mechanics. I know that the mental aspect of sports competition is extremely important. Thanks Again, and see you soon!
-John Cantu

Just wanted to let you know how happy Anthony and I are about the improvement in Anthony's pitching. As an incoming freshman getting ready for high school baseball going from 75mph to 81mph on the gun in just 3 months is fantastic. He is very excited and confident and can't wait for the tryouts. Thanks for all your help.
-Tony Makransky

A friend of mine -- whose son is a terrific baseball player --highly recommended Mike. My friend really steered us in the right direction! Mike cares about seeing improvement in his students. Mike is always teaching. He coaches my son throughout the entire lesson. Mike is observant. He picks up on things that others might miss. If a kid is hard on himself, for example, Mike notices this quickly. Then he addresses it in his coaching. Mike works hard and does what it takes to ensure a good lesson. If that means throwing a bunch of pitches with velocity, then Mike throws all those pitches and throws them hard. And Mike isn't afraid to break a sweat while teaching kids to field or throw. Also, Mike is very organized. When I contact him, he responds quickly. You can count on him to keep his lesson times. Mike has really studied the art and science of hitting a baseball. He draws on his analysis of good major league hitters, past, and present. Mike clearly has done a lot of thinking about teaching hitting and other baseball skills to young players. After the most recent lesson with Mike, my son thanked me for setting it up and said,"That was fun." Mike is enthusiastic. He's really into coaching. Mike cares about doing a good job, and it shows. He's good at what he does.
-JG Greer

Mike,
I just gotta share this one with you:
Last night, I was in the batting cage, and the owner of the place, Clarence, happened to step out of his office and come up to my cage, to watch me hit. After a bit, and as he turned to go back to his office, here's what he said to me, "Man, you've got that Ted Williams swing going on!"
How about that?!!!
I was really concentrating on lowering my right shoulder, keeping my right elbow tucked-in tight, and working the upward swinging motion. . . It made my day. Ha!
-Pat Dozark

My son, Parker Browne began taking lessons with Mike Skoutelaskis two years ago. He has been an excellent baseball instructor and Parker has learned a great deal about baseball from Mike. When I asked Parker what was the most important thing he has learned from Mike he said, "If it wasn't for Mike I would still be striking out....he taught me everything I know about hitting."
He also said Mike is a really nice guy to train with. In my opinion, Mike has taught Parker the importance of staying focused when hitting the ball. With that, he taught him all the techniques to being a successful hitter. During this baseball season Mike was more than willing to talk to Parker's coaches when they felt Parker needed some help and they knew Mike could train him. Mike is a pleasure to work with and has given so much support and encouragement to my son.
-Pam Rundle

You did great work with all the boys this season and from what I gather over the past couple of seasons with several different boys. I know that you made a significant difference in there execution which in turn gave them confidence and enhanced productivity which made their little league experience a very positive experience.
Thanks for all that you do.
-Chris Black

My son Mitchell began working with Mike after struggling to make the transition to the Pony level. Before working with Mike, Mitch rarely made contact and, when he did, he wasn't hitting the ball hard. Within a few weeks, Mitchell was making contact routinely and hitting the ball much harder. Mitch continued to work with Mike during his second year in the Pony league. He continued to improve throughout the season and, by the last playoff game, was batting fourth in the lineup (he went three for four). Our experience with Mike is overwhelmingly positive. He is a good teacher who works well with kids of all abilities.
-Todd Barth

Coach Mike has made a significant difference in my son's batting, his confidence at the plate, and his enjoyment of baseball. We belatedly came to Coach Mike on the recommendation of teammates' parents, and he has done a good job of correcting years of bad habits over a short period of time. Coach Mike adapts his instruction to the abilities of his players, focuses on the positive, and builds confidence through progress. I highly recommend that fathers or parents attend the lessons, because there is so much to learn from Coach Mike and to reinforce in practice. I only wish that we had come to Coach Mike sooner.
-John Scofield

I wholly recommend Mike Skoutelakis and Torque Baseball to any child who is looking to improve his or her skills in the game of baseball. The best thing about Mike is his unique ability to connect with kids of all ages and abilities. In addition, his approach using video of the player, coupled and contrasted with photographs and video of Major League players, allows the player to see for him or herself what can be improved. It also allows the player to model his or her approach after some of the best players in the game of baseball. Whether your child is just beginning the game of baseball or is an accomplished player looking to get to the next level, Mike Skoutelakis can provide the necessary instruction and insight to make it happen.
-Wade Quinn; Attorney and Little League Baseball Coach

I would recommend Mike to anyone that is interested in having someone work with their son or daughter to improve their swing. My 7yr old son was struggling to hit the ball in Pee Wee this year. His coaches suggested a session with Mike Skoutelakis might help. I called Mike, and he quickly scheduled us for a lesson. I was amazed at how quickly Mike was able to begin changing the mechanics of my son's swing. After just one lesson my son was making improvements to his swing. After 3 or 4 sessions the mechanics of his swing were significantly improved. His instruction was very simple, and he put in terms that a 7 year old could understand. He also teaches his students to recognize what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong. This helps them to correct problems when they are not in the cage. I found the videos Mike makes of each session a very useful tool for me to review so that I was better able to work with my son when we were away from the cage. Mike makes the sessions fun, and always keeps a very positive attitude. My son has enjoyed working with Mike, and we plan to continue doing so.
-Mark Rothwell

We highly recommend Torque Baseball for private baseball lessons. My son Harrison has been taking lessons from Mike for a couple of years and has enjoyed working with Mike while developing solid baseball skills. He has learned to pitch well using correct form to avoid injury. He has continued to develop his swing as he has moved from Pee Wee to Minors this year. Mike's coaching has also helped Harrison tackle the mental as well as the physical aspects of the game. Mike has taken a genuine interest in Harrison's Thanks,
-Sarah Ray

Attention: YMCA DIRECTOR
8/12/08
Our family was in Houston for six weeks this summer, ( we are from Ohio) and decided to check out the TROTTER YMCA, as we were interested in finding a baseball instructor for our 16 year old son. The person working at the desk gave us Mike Skoutelakis phone number. Thank you very much for having someone as talented, encouraging and patient as Mike as an instructor. We couldn't have been more pleased and we were so happy with your facilities as well. The six weeks that we were there truly improved our son's baseball skills under Mike's skillful teaching and encouraging attitude. He is truly an asset to the TROTTER FAMILY YMCA!
Sincerely,
-Rhonda, Jerry, & Austin James
Lowell, Ohio

I have tried a couple of different pitching coaches for my 12 year old son. He has a very strong arm but had very little command, and when we first came to Mike my son had lots of things to work on to improve his pitching mechanics and to protect his arm. Previous lessons with a couple of different pitching coaches left us with no results or improved pitching, very little concrete things to work on to improve, and left us mainly with frustration. Working with Mike, and his breaking down my son's pitching motion with video and his positive approach, has helped us to zero in on several things to clean-up and tighten-up some things my son's pitching motion. We've been working through those things and have seen very good improvement in my son's command, increased confidence, knowledge to work with to help self-correct in the future, and some serious consistent velocity on his ball. My son has always had the strongest arm on his team, but he was not in the pitching rotation because of the lack of command. After a few lessons with Mike in the Fall, my son got to pitch at the end of a game in one of the last tournaments of the year. He threw hard with good command in that last game, and at the end of the game the coach said he's now officially in the rotation heading into the Spring! It was fun to see a smile on my son's face after that pitching outing, and we're expecting more of that for the coming Spring season!"
Thanks, Mike!!!!
-KK