Three common issues of the majority of pitching injuries:

Excessive use
Poor mechanics
Poor strength and conditioning

This is significant to understand since injury prevention needs to be the major emphasis of any in-season throwing method. In accordance with these details a great in-season pitching program should include a lower volume of throws to prevent overuse, drills to preserve good pitching mechanics and ultimately add a strength and conditioning program which will institute excellent health and fitness.

Contraindicated Training

In advance of when I format the ideal in-season training system we must first establish and number traditional methods to pitching that would fall under the category of the above common injury factors.

Air it Out Long Tossing (Exceeding distances of 150 ft)

This style of training, even though it is very popular, includes a cautionary tale. ASMI performed a number of studies on this kind of practice and yes it produced elbow varus torque inside the pitching arm and pitching mechanics which were not favorable to the pitching mound. ASMI cautioned against these kind of throws for rehabilitation and training purposes.

This style of training might easily result in unnecessary use of the rotator cuff and elbow and if bad mechanics are present, the pitcher is a lot more at risk of injury.

Weighted Baseball Exercises (Over Under Load Training)

I actually have no scientific studies against this kind of practice. I have actually used the two of these pitching practices in my career, nevertheless it was before my arm damage. This kind of exercise yet again falls into the three typical factors of most throwing injuries. This certainly will enhance the level of throws along with poor mechanics, places the pitcher in harm’s way.

Television and Internet Gimmicks

I’m not proclaiming that every gadget or attention-grabber on tv or the Net is useless, but you must ensure that they don’t put you in to the group of the three typical factors leading to arm damage while in-season. A number of these gadgets promote a higher amount of throws and poor mechanics. I advise you to educate your self on good mechanics and make use of this exceptional in-season training program before you decide to throw away your money.

The Ideal In-Season Pitching and Strength Maintenance Program

This routine consists of both the programs, the throwing program and the strength training program. You need to understand that we are really not attempting to enhance velocity or strength while in-season. The inspiration of any ideal in-season pitching program is always to prevent damage as well as maintain power. When you succeed at this you will undergo consistent velocities between performances and you’ll stay off of the Disabled List (DL).

This is not a one size fits all system because it is going to cover all ages, all levels plus your throwing work load. Your pitching work load includes ones own quantity of throws every outing.

There is a critical component with an in-season throwing system that wont be covered in this article which is diet. Beneficial nutrition facilitates your body’s capability to restore and repair.

Relief Pitcher Amount of work (Based on 2 day Pitching Rotation)

21 – 35 throws = one day rest from throwing
36 – 50 pitches = 2 days rest from throwing

Day one (Maintenance & Mechanics)

Dynamic Warm-up
Mechanics Routine (Instruction Below) 3X Med Throws, 3X Target Drills on Pitching Mound
Plyometrics (1 set, twenty yards) Pogo Plyos, Bunny Hopes, Frog Hopes
Anaerobic Conditioning (3-6 sets) Hurdles, Resistance Sprints, Regular Sprints
Rotator Cuff Program (Tubing or 2-3 lb weights, three sets ten reps) External Rotation, Positives and Negatives, Shoulder extensions, Up and Out, Windmills

Day two (Eat, Rest & Recover)

Dynamic Warm Up
Visualization (Visualizing your own self pitching perfect pitches with perfect mechanics, has been shown being far better than actually practicing)

Starting Pitcher Amount of work (Determined by four Day Pitching Rotation)

51 – 65 throws = 72 hours rest from pitching
66 throws and Up = 4 days rest from throwing

Day 1 (Maintenance)

Dynamic Warm-up
Plyometrics (1 set, twenty yards) Pogo Jumps, Bunny Hopes, Frog Hopes
Anaerobic Conditioning (3-6 sets) Hurdles, Resistance Sprints, Normal Sprints
Core Routine (three sets 10 repetitions) V-Ups, Medicine Ball, Russian Twists, Double Leg Jack Knife, Medicine Ball Slams, Back crunches
Rotator Cuff Routine (Tubing or 2-3 pound weights, three sets 10 reps) External Rotation, Positives and Negatives, Shoulder extensions, Up and Out, Windmills

Day two (Mechanics)

Dynamic Warm Up
Throwing Drills (Instruction In this article) 3X Med Ball Exercises, 3X Target Drills on Mound
25 Pitch On Mound around 60% effort (10 Fastball, 10 Breaking Balls, 5 Off Speed)

Day three (Eat, Rest & Recover)

Dynamic Warm-up
Visualization (Picturing your own self pitching perfect pitches with perfect mechanics, has been confirmed to be more beneficial compared to actually practicing)

For more info on these kinds of drills and exercises remember to visit TopVelocity.net. You may get in touch with me personally at TopVelocity.net/Contact.

Mechanics Drills

This particular section of the system may incorporate any exercises to help institute the motor coordination for excellent mechanics without the need for adding a high volume of pitches on your arm. I have listed 2 mechanics exercises coming from the 3X Pitching Velocity program and also a url to the 3X Pitching Mechanics Online video in the reference segment listed below. I seriously recommend watching the video clip just before utilizing the 3X Drills so you have a excellent knowledge of the approach.

3X Med Throws (15-25 Throws together with 2lb med ball. DO NOT GO OVER 2 pounds)

Step 1 – Start in a full stride, which is 80-90% of your height. Both of your feet must be pointing towards the target. You sit on the ball of your back leg foot with the majority of of your weight on your drive leg. Your shoulders are inline to the catcher. The med ball is behind your head, on top of your throwing shoulder, with both of your hands holding the ball. Your chin is buried and behind your own belt buckle.

Step 2 – Pick up your lift leg and triple extend your back leg before your lift leg foot lands. Triple extension is the extension of the ankle, knee and hip flexor. Land strong without the need of permitting your front leg knee push past your lift leg heel. At front foot strike you will feel your hips slam wide open while you keep your shoulders closed. This is going to create core torque or hip to shoulder separation that will coil your body after which launch your shoulders towards the target externally rotating your pitching arm.

Step 3 – You should end with your chest area out over your front leg and your chin still tucked. Release the baseball by stretching your arms out and up and don’t PULL THE BALL DOWN TO RELEASE.

3X Target Throws (15-25 Pitches with Baseball)

The importance here is to implement the motor coordination or muscle memory from the med throws into the target throws.

Step 1 – You’re in the same position and stance as the Med Throws Phase 1. Total stride, feet in direction of target, shoulders closed. Truly the only difference will be your throwing arm is behind your head cocked and ready along with your baseball glove side is elbow to target and glove hand relaxed. Utilize the glove side to help you aline your shoulders up with the target.

Step 2 – Just like the Medicine Ball Throws Phase 2, start with raising your lift leg while loading your weight against your back leg. Follow this by having an explosive push of the back leg, achieving triple extension prior to front foot strike. This absolutely should develop power through your stride and fire your hips open as soon as the front leg lands and stabilizes. The shoulders should stay closed to generate ideal hip to shoulder separation.

Step 3 – Commence the pitch by letting your shoulders to release the core torque, leading with your torso in the direction of target. Maintain the chin tucked as the chest shoves out over your lift leg and your arm externally rotates. Ensure only at that spot your pitching elbow is higher than your shoulder. Complete the throw by internally rotating your arm and stretching your elbow up to your release.

Resources:

Position Statement for Youth Baseball Pitchers http://www.asmi.org/asmiweb/position_statement.htm
Biomechanical Comparison of Baseball Pitching and Long-Toss http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21212502
3X Pitching 101 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJOM_TOkCoc
3X Pitching Velocity Program http://TopVelocity.net
Optimum Pitching Program for In-Season

Should you be like the majority of every pitcher who reads the following tips and benefits from them, after this you must buy the 3X Pitching Velocity Program. This method, built on these tips and more, will allow you to take your ability to a level which you never thought you could reach! Remember that you are bound by nothing. You have the capability to throw 90 mph. Physicians informed me I would be unable to pitch again and I proved them completely wrong. These pointers will help you do the same.

Pitching Velocity Tricks

Visit the number one pitching site on the web for the referenced content below.

1. Change speeds – This should always be your first step in improving velocity as there is no risk involved. This creates an false impression of velocity. By changing the speed of your pitches this will throw the hitter’s timing off and can make a 70 mph fastball seem like a 90 mph fastball. Pitchers like Trevor Hoffman have made long major league careers off of this one tip. He is a master of the fastball change up combination. Use this tip for fast effect while you focus on the other velocity tips.

2. Pitch from the ground up – Most of us make the error at a very young age, that to throw a baseball only takes the arm to complete the job. Then even as we grow bigger and move up levels in the game, we find ourselves continuing to only use our shoulders and arms to throw the ball. This is a significant problem. This is why we still have a unusual amount of shoulder and elbow injuries in the game. You have to improve your perspective. It’s essential to teach your body to recruit bigger groups of muscles whenever you require more velocity from your delivery. This begins in mastering to pitch from the ground up. Velocity comes from forces added to the ball. These forces result from momentum in your lift leg along with your push off the ground or what is called ground reaction forces. You then must understand how to transfer these forces into the ball. This is certainly learned through the 3X Pitching Velocity Program.

This online video talks more about the throwing faults we make at a young age.
Pitching Video

3. Loading your weight back until launch – Timing and efficiency of weight shift, during delivery, certainly is the essence of velocity. This is where velocity resides. Most beginning pitchers fail to load at all. After they lift their leg they fall in the direction of target. This will cause poor velocity and arm injury. Scan my article “Lift for Show, Load for Doe” to understand “The Load” position.

4. Building Core Torque – The most important component to velocity, is creating majority torque inside the core. The core is the area from just above the knees to just below the chest. This area contains the strongest muscles in the human body. Therefore it makes sense that you need to use this area of the body to generate velocity. If the core isn’t mainly used to build torque, then the shoulder and elbow is going to be forced to hold the torque needed to generate velocity. For additional details on “Separation” or the significance of developing core torque, read the article “Pitching Torque and the 3 pivots” and also watch this video.

5. Create more Elastic Energy – As soon as you have built core torque and your weight is still loaded back, rotate and thrust your chest forward while your arm externally rotates behind your head. This stretching of the stomach and shoulder is creating elastic energy in your body. The more relaxed you are, the more elastic energy can be produced. To educate yourself regarding this read the article, “Pitch Velocity = Elastic energy.”

6. Momentum transfer – Just what is the benefit of creating momentum when you can not control or transfer the momentum into the ball? The problem with coaching someone on how to produce more momentum when pitching is they have no concept how to control it and they go downhill before they get better. For this reason correct momentum transfer is critical for good velocity. Should you leave any momentum in your body, then you have left some velocity behind. The 3X Pitching component of “Stabilization” explains how this momentum transfer must occur.

7. Early elbow extension and Internal Rotation – Most throwers believe that when they pull their arms down at release then this will deliver more velocity. The exact opposite holds true. Maximum velocity pitchers release the ball sooner than low velocity pitchers following external rotation of the throwing arm. Which happens after momentum transfer when their chest is out over their toes and their arms are externally rotated. Therefore after your body has done its job it’s essential to release the ball as fast as possible by letting your elbow to extend up and away from your head. You need to also begin internally rotating your arm, as soon as your elbow extends, so you can release the pitch with your thumb pronated down. This will guard your arm through the deceleration phase. Read the article “Pulling down is slowing down” to find out more.

8. Refuel your ATP – ATP is the main source of energy for all muscle contraction. There are several chemical reactions that occur to produce ATP. When a muscle is utilized, a chemical reaction breaks down ATP to create energy. There is only enough ATP stored in the muscle cell for two or three slow twitch contractions, or one burst of power from a fast twitch contraction. More ATP has to be created.

To comprehend rest between throwing a pitch, first you should be aware of what occurs throughout the delivery of the pitch. At first your muscles use ATP to power the contractions but the levels of ATP available are limited. The cells have got a limited ability to replenish ATP while in the activity before being forced to change to other methods to fuel the activity.

Fortunately, your body can replenish ATP when you are resting. About 50% or half of the depleted ATP is replaced after one minute of complete rest. Almost all of the ATP which the entire body can replenish (approximately 95%) will be restored after three minutes of rest. I recognize pitchers can’t wait that long between pitches, although the longer you are able to wait, the better the possibility to develop more velocity.

9. Fast Twitch Muscle Fiber – A proper strength and conditioning regime similar to the 3X Pitching Velocity Program, is based around remodeling fast twitch muscle fiber. This is very important for velocity, because when putting somewhat more velocity to a pitch, you need to recruit more muscle fiber inside your muscular system to make this happen. Now we have already pointed out where that muscle fiber ought to originated from, you now need to learn the way to remodel more muscle fiber inside the correct places of your system. Spending most of your time in the weight room sitting on cushioned machines, isn’t what you need. Start with the “Beginner Pitching Workout” and you can proceed to the “Fusion System” in the Ace Pitcher Handbook.

10. Speed your recovery – By speeding your recovery time between starts or appearances, you’re making sure you don’t ever enter a game at less than 100% recovery. If your system is completely rebuilt and rejuvenated, this is a better chance you should have the ability to generate your top velocity. That’s why one must always keep a strict program of a good weight training and conditioning program, along with a well balanced alkaline focused diet. You need to find out about alkaline based foods. These are green vegetables and more, that really help restore the PH levels in your body. As soon as your system becomes very acidic, you may not recovery as rapidly. Diet is vitally important to recovery. Read this article on “Pitching Nutrition and Supplements” and begin eating more alkaline foods from this chart.

Bonus Velocity Tricks:
Lay off your arm

Stop wearing your arm out. It takes enough abuse on the mound. You’ll want to make sure your weight training program isolates the core and legs more than the shoulders and arms. If your arm is constantly sore and tired, the reason is , you use it to much. Try changing habits, like brushing your teeth with your non-pitching arm and you should not arm wrestle your roommates employing your pitching arm. Take care of yourself and it will take care of you.

I am aware almost all these pitching velocity tips did not go into much depth. The reason for this article was to offer some guidance for developing efficient and effective velocity, without sacrificing the body in exchange. If you want more information on any one of these tips, then subscribe to the FREE newsletter at TopVelocity.net and start reading the articles. If you’re really serious about pitching then discover the 3X Pitching Velocity Program to take charge of your career. Good luck!

Pitching Velocity Tactics

Here is another one of my favorite waste of time pitching drills. The kick your leg over a bucket drill, after you throw the ball. This makes a lot of sense! A drill that is teaching you what to do after you throw the ball. This is like telling golfers to fist pump after you hit the ball, this will make you shoot better because Tiger Woods does this. What is the point of teaching something that occurs after the delivery? When the drive leg moves up after a pitch this is called a recoil and should not be a voluntary actions.

The last waste of time drill that could hurt you physically, if not mentally, is the pull down drill. This is coaching pitchers to pull the ball down during release. This drill usually follows the extreme long toss drill. This drill is a total waste of time because hard throwing pitchers never pull the ball down. They release the ball over their head and finish chin tucked and over their front foot. Pulling the ball down to release would train you to finish with your head pulling down with your arm. This will kill velocity and could cause serious UCL damage. This is a drill that goes completely against high velocity pitching mechanics.

Just because a coach gives you a pitching drill, doesn’t mean it is harmless. Many pitching coaches have no idea of how to coach the skill of pitching. They do not study mechanics and they do not have an understand of the position outside of playing it. Just because you have played something doesn’t make you an expert. Just because I drive a car doesn’t make me a race car driver. Make sure you do your homework before you take advice from someone who didn’t do his.

For more legitimate pitching drills you must check out the 3X Pitching Velocity Program. This is everything you need to know how to throw hard!