Steve Smith
Head Coach, Baylor University
The most important attribute a pitcher can have is "feel". This is the ability to make pitch-by-pitch adjustments. Pitchers may have very solid mechanics, but lack"feel."  Others have below average mechanics, but great "feel". I will always take the guy with "feel". The great ones who pitch for a long time have both.

Spanky McFarland
Head Coach, James Madison University
Proper mechanics have advantages in teaching command, but more important Is a repeatable delivery. There are many highly successful pitchers who have less than perfect mechanics, but they do have a repeatable delivery, and great body awareness. I believe command is also the result of keeping the ego in check. All the best command pitchers thru history have pitched under control at a 95 percent effort level, using the ultimate fastball only when necessary. A sliding scale should be used when teaching mechanics. The younger the pitcher, the more emphisis on proper mechanics and developing good habits. The older the pitcher, the more emphisis on repeatable mechanics,(even if they are not perfect), and creating feel.

Fred Corral
Associate Head Coach, University of Memphis
Knowledge of mechanics is essential for pitching and needs to be simplified to the point that it does not interfere with the primary focus of hitting the target. There is no such thing as the perfect model for pitching mechanics. There are great models that cover the essentials but to say there is a perfect model would be to have the ability to identify more than one from our elite: The Big Leaguers. Mechanics are over taught if not simplified. People have to get past the numbers or dialogue that scrambles the eggs of our pitcher's. Pitching or throwing really is simple, we have to get out of our own way and understand that command is an innate thing for us men. Hitting our target has always been around from the first time we
dropped a sabertooth from 60 feet with an almost straight spear. Don't know if scap loading was a topic for Ug. Sorry but that is me, simple.

Scott Brown
Pitching Coach, St. Johns University 
There are certian mechanical aspects that each successful pitcher has incorporated in their OWN delivery but my belief is that it is all about timing (rhythm) and feel so mechanics can be overtaught.  I really stress to my guys the consistency/repeatability of the tempo of their delivery without effort so they can feel and be in control and thus make adjustments.  I am not a big mechanical/ drill guy to improve command but teach mechanics more for injury prevention rather than command .

Justin Blood
Pitching Coach, University of Connecticut 
Some pitchers are blessed with "feel" but their mechanics might be flawed.  Unless their mechanics are putting them at physical risk I would not touch them.  You may risk them losing that feel as well as some deception.  For other pitchers mechanical adjustment are the key to better command, it's up to the coach to know when to leave a guy alone or not.

Steve Hay
Pitching Coach, George Mason University
I believe mechanics is not as essential for command as much as repeating a pitchers delivery is. While it is not over taught because excellent mechanics definitely reduces the risk of injury and the opportunity to gain velocity. If a pitcher can repeat his delivery for every pitch, that pitcher will learn to establish command within his own delivery, not necessarily through proper mechanics.

Derek Johnson
Associate Head Coach, Vanderbilt University 
I think the word “essential” here is the sticking point.  We’ve all seen the guy who has perceived bad mechanics (not aesthetically pleasing, herky-jerky, etc) that simply makes it work.  He throws strikes with movement and command, and through his “ugliness”, hides the ball from the hitter.  Over the years, he has found a way to align his mechanics with his stuff – the real question, then, becomes whether or not to change something about this pitcher and will these changes lead to further improvements?  Could it help him to be more efficient?  Could changing him allow for better stuff?  Could it improve his chances of staying injury free?  Is it essential?  Only if these questions can be answered favorably for improvements sake,only if the path of those changes are clear.  How do I change, what do I change, and how long will it take to change are all questions to consider.

Are mechanics over taught?  I don’t think mechanics are being over taught but rather emphasized at the wrong time – meaning there is a time for mechanics and a time for pitching.  In the Training Mode – all facets of the game can be worked on including mechanics, picks, mental, pitchability.  In the Trusting Mode – it is about how do I get the hitter out? How do I make the next pitch?  The problem most likely falls when mechanics are being taught when the pitcher is in the Trusting Mode, a trap that most coaches have fallen into one time or the other.  The key is to establish boundaries of when mechanics can or shouldn’t be emphasized.

Bob Keller
Pitching Coach, University of Michigan 
Because pitching is both a linear and rotational movement it is very important for the pitcher to have an efficient delivery for command. It is vital that he is freedup in his delivery to draw out all the possible athletcism. What we try and stay away from ,is the idea that " form rules over function." I do think there can be dangers in "over teaching command", especially if your sacrificing tempo in a good delivery. Throwing strikes with command is a skill that must be practiced. Throwing hard with velocity though, is an innate ability, which can be enhanced as a by-product of a complete program.

Garrett Quinn
Pitching Coach, Liberty University
I think there are certain mechanics that help facilitate command, but to say they are essential would be a little misleading.  Achieving a consistent release point and a repeatable delivery can be very individual pursuits.  With that in mind, I do believe that stride line, front side (lead leg and lead arm) stability, and maintaining a straight spine at release point definitely provide a given pitcher with a better chance of developing command.  However there are never any guarantees. I believe that pitchers develop command quicker if they focus more or creating a quick and fluid delivery rather than breaking down their mechanics into small, isolated segments.  Breaking down mechanics into segments defeats the purpose of creating a delivery, especially an athletic delivery.  As a result, I do think that mechanics are "over taught" at times and have become something of a crutch for many
pitchers.  They have been programmed to believe that a bad pitch or a bad game must be the result of a mechanical deficiency.  Furthermore, they can get so preoccupied with mechanics that they forget to "let it go".  There is a time and a place for mechanical adjustments, but it is important to make sure that we are not teaching mechanics at the expense of the pitching delivery.