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Podcast #46: Working Your Way Up the Ranks with PC Peter Larson of the Twins

Today’s guest is Peter Larson, Pitching Coach for the Minnesota Twins AAA-Affiliate in St. Paul.  Join us as we discuss a variety of topics, including:

    • Moving up the coaching ranks in pro ball
    • Working with athletes going through rehab
    • Changes in the Twins minor league programs and training
    • Turning data into an actionable game plan, especially during the season
    • Working with the bio-mechanists and big takeaways

Continue reading “Podcast #46: Working Your Way Up the Ranks with PC Peter Larson of the Twins”

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Remote Athlete Highlight: Graham Keen Pitching Velo Up 7-8 mph in 10 months

Graham Keen, 2-way player in the class of 2027, came to us in June of 2022 after a recommendation from Matt Pilewski, owner operator at PVS Baseball based in Pittsburgh, PA. Although Graham is a 2-way player, our initial assessment was focused on his physicality and pitching mechanics.

After 10 months of hard work he has made significant gains, with his pitching velocity up 7-8 mph to 85-88 mph.  So, how did he do it? Continue reading “Remote Athlete Highlight: Graham Keen Pitching Velo Up 7-8 mph in 10 months”

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Baseball Pitch Grips – A Comprehensive Guide

Pitch Grips

Baseball pitch grips are a big part of throwing a baseball. Every pitcher has a unique way of holding and gripping every pitch in his arsenal. Since the size of the baseball is “a given”, success with different pitches and baseball pitch grips can be attributable to many things, including hand size, finger size, finger pressure, finger placement, depth of the hold, hand / finger dexterity and most importantly comfort. In this article we are going to review the eight major pitch types, each with its own distinct baseball pitch grip and movement pattern: Continue reading “Baseball Pitch Grips — A Comprehensive Guide”

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3 Great Mobility Drills and Stretches for Baseball Catchers

Catcher mobility drills

Catchers are the unsung heroes in regards to duties on the baseball field.  But I think it’s really important that if they want to continue being at the top of their game, they need to remain mobile in an ungodly uncomfortable position.  For catchers, a large degree of importance needs to be placed on:

    1. Ankle stability / mobility
    2. T-spine mobility
    3. Hip mobility

Continue reading “3 Great Mobility Drills and Stretches for Baseball Catchers”

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Warm-up Routine for 10-12 Year Old Baseball Players

Building good habits from a young age will pay big dividends over time as young athletes get older.  This is especially true when it comes to taking care of their bodies.  The following warm-up routine is appropriate for pitchers and position players, between the ages of 10 and 12 years old and it includes:

    1. Arm Care / Band Work (5 min)
    2. Multi-Planar Movement Prep (5-10 min)
    3. Long Toss (10 min)

Continue reading “Warm-up Routine for 10-12 Year Old Baseball Players”

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Lower Half Pitching Mechanics: Drive / Rotate – Simplified (Part 3 of 4)

Use your legs. Use your lower half. Sounds great but, “what the heck does it mean”? Coaches often cue this as if it’s one single thing. In reality, a proper use of the lower half has 4 different but connected and sequential components. In Part 3 of this 4 part series on lower half pitching mechanics, we’ll take a closer look and break down what I refer to as the Drive / Rotate phase.

    • Part 1 – Drift
    • Part 2 – Load
    • Part 3 – Drive / Rotate
    • Part 4 – Block

Continue reading “Lower Half Pitching Mechanics: Drive / Rotate — Simplified (Part 3 of 4)”

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Remote Athlete Highlight: Evan Festa Batting .459 (Class 2024 from Nevada)

Evan Festa , 2-way player from Las Vegas, Nevada (Class of 2024), came to us last September looking to elevate his game and performance on the field. At 5’11″, Evan started his remote training at RPP weighing in at 155 lbs. and expressing a desire to increase his lean body mass, strength and power, and eliminate his pre-existing lower back discomfort. Six months later, Evan is off to a great start this spring with a .459 batting average and no lower back discomfort. Let’s review how we got here.

Continue reading “Remote Athlete Highlight: Evan Festa Batting .459 (Class 2024 from Nevada)”

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Athlete Highlight – Jack Brodsky from Sitting 91-93 to Sitting 93-94, T95

Jack Brodsky, 5th year grad student and closer for University of Tampa Baseball, is having a banner year. With 11 appearances and 15.2 inning pitched, he has a 0.57 ERA and a 0.57 WHIP, with a pitching velo up to 95 mph.  Jack joined us last summer as a part of the summer throwing program after graduating from Emory University. He also returned during his winter break before the start of the spring season.  When he started in June 2022, his objectives were to improve his velocity and command and control. He was sitting 91-93 and had just graduated from Emory with a 1.59 WHIP and a 5.42 cumulative ERA.  How did we do it?

Continue reading “Athlete Highlight – Jack Brodsky from Sitting 91-93 to Sitting 93-94, T95”