For those athletes that can do certain basic things properly the sky is the limit. However, the reality is that the underlying foundation that enables pitchers to have good pitching mechanics and do basic things well is great strength and mobility (in other words a good movement strategy). Let me first start by saying this, there is no pitching coach on the planet that can get a pitcher into a desired position if the athlete does not physically have the strength or mobility to get into that position. Period.
Case in point, former Cleveland Indians pitcher Robbie Aviles came to me a couple of years ago after a long season, presenting with a lack of IR in his lead leg and a limited ability to engage his core. This side-by-side video demonstrates what his squat looked like at his assessment (left) and one hour later, after some intensive training focusing on strength and mobility.
Which pitcher (before or after) do you think will be capable of throwing more gas and for a longer period of time? Cleaning up Robbie’s hip IR, his anterior tilt and making him aware of what great core control is all about will help enable him to reap the benefits of his pitching coach by tenfold. It’s really all about being more mobile and stronger and being able to physically get into positions you need to get into to be successful on the mound.
In keeping with our concept of a Closed Loop training environment (where your pitching coach and strength coach work in sync to achieve an end result), I thought it appropriate to give some insight into how we help fix some of the pitching mechanics issues that we observe on the mound from a strength and mobility standpoint.
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- Arm Action
- Hip and Shoulder Separation
- Balance and Alignment
- Timing and Rhythm
Here we go…
1. Maintaining a Healthy, Clean Arm Action
The words “stress free and clean” are the key words here. The bottom line is clearing pathways from a mobility standpoint, or creating stability by increasing strength, lets the body take the path of least resistance. This in turn takes stress off the muscles and joints that are trying to do the job all by themselves. A great example is strengthening the core to give the arm a more stable base of support to throw from. I like to use the imagery of “trying to shoot a canon from a canoe”.
Here’s a great exercise to strengthen the core while the arm goes into the overhead position.
(Half Kneeling Landmine Press)
2. Hip and Shoulder Separation
We need t-spine rotation to achieve a great pre-stretch in the hip/core in order to help create good hip-shoulder separation. Successfully creating a great pre-stretch in the upper half while transferring force up the chain and into the arm, requires great core strength as well. This core strength also gives us the stiffness needed to “hold” the upper body in place when the lower half starts to rotate, helping to create valuable torque when the upper body finally does start to unwind.
Once again, you can’t coach bodies into a position they’re not strong enough to get into or maintain.
(Core stability at stride length)
3. Balance and Alignment
Achieving “proper weight exchange at the appropriate time” requires among other things, a strong lower half in order to be able to apply this strength in a specific manner. Teaching this is possible, but only if the back leg and glutes are strong enough to maintain body weight and force into the ground on one leg while moving down an incline. Here’s a great one to get it done:
(RFESS)
Another way to effectively transfer body weight, while maintaining great balance, is to have great core strength. This first exercise is different than the one mentioned in #1 above due to the fact that it uses the core to dynamically transfer body weight and power from the lower half to the upper half in the frontal and transverse planes.
(Dynamic Cable Lifts)
4. Timing and Rhythm
For pitchers, timing and rhythm is everything and “if your throwing arm isn’t where it’s supposed to be when your front foot lands, you are working against your body and your arm is playing catch-up.” This final point is a great example of how a mechanical problem in one area (in this case a late arm action), could be caused by a mobility issue in a completely different side and/or part of the body.
For example, a lead hip that closes off early due to a lack of stability (strength) and/or internal rotation (mobility) could cause the arm to fly open early, helping to contribute to that late arm action as well as creating a “bang” on the anterior shoulder. Here are two exercises that work on both strength and mobility:
(Reverse Barbell Sl. Board Lunge)
(Bowler Squats)
Too often pitchers fail, not because they don’t train hard enough on the mound, but because they can’t physically do what is being asked of them. I want to close by saying that a great throwing program MUST include input and development from both sides of the net. Only then can you ensure that you are giving it your all.
Remember:
You absolutely need both. It’s worth repeating this again…
There is no pitching coach on the planet that can get a pitcher into a desired position if the athlete does not physically have the strength or mobility to get into that position. Period.
See ya’ in the gym…
By Nunzio Signore (BA, CPT, NASM, PES, FMS)
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