Feedback is good. What if it’s wrong?

Sometimes well-intentioned feedback is wrong.

My senior year of college, we got a new pitching coach.

He decided my last year of baseball was the perfect time to completely overhaul my pitching mechanics. He switched me from a "tall and fall" to "drop and drive" delivery. This is roughly as easy as learning to write with the wrong hand.

It did not go well. I was getting crushed. My velocity was down, I had no command, and I was walking batters and giving up hits constantly. My confidence was shot.

Finally, I'd had enough. After half a season of futility, I was struggling again. After giving up a couple of hits and a walk, I decided to do it my way.

I switched back to my old delivery.

I got the next three hitters out, escaped the inning. Then threw a few more very strong innings. As I came off the field, that coach high fived me and said "Told you - if you just stick with it, it'll work out!" I laughed and just kept pitching my way. Finished the season and my career out on a high note.

My coach wasn't trying to sabotage me. He wanted the best for me. But the feedback was wrong, and therefore damaging. Even when it's well-intentioned, bad feedback is bad feedback.

Be receptive and open to feedback, but weigh and measure its quality. Even scripture says "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." - Proverbs 15:22

If someone gives you feedback you aren't sure about, ask for a second opinion elsewhere.

How do you decide what feedback to take, and which to ignore?

Picture: My original delivery and follow through. Transylvania University vs. Centre College, April 2006.