I’m sitting here in my office analyzing pitching video and thinking to myself “are folks understanding what I’m talking about when I tell them they’re not using their lower half pitching mechanics efficiently?” It prompted me to write this quick tutorial as to how lower half rotation unfolds, helping to initiate the power that ultimately gets transferred through the core and into the arm. As we go through this, we will also review what type exercise might be helpful. Continue reading “How to Create a More Powerful Lower Half in Pitching”
Training the Force-Velocity Curve with Velocity Based Training (Part 1)
Baseball is an explosive sport where things happen fast and hard. This requires massive amounts of power and finding the best methods to get our athletes there is our number one priority. Over the next few months, I will be releasing a 5 Part series on what I believe to be a “game changer” in programming to maximize the potential in pitcher and baseball players with velocity based training (VBT). Continue reading “Training the Force-Velocity Curve with Velocity Based Training (Part 1)”
Summer Velo Program… Are You Ready to Do What it Takes?
When it comes to learning and “buying-in” to a training regimen, most highly motivated and highly skilled athletes are all ears. This is called “athlete education” and nothing can be more rewarding than watching them “do what it takes to be exceptional”, while reaping great results at the same time.
Ramsey High School’s Ryan Vatcher, who is now up at Babson College, is a perfect example. Ryan opted not to play summer ball last year. Instead, he enrolled in our Summer Velo Program choosing to work on his strength and mobility by living in the gym and working on fixing some mechanical issues through an intensive 5 day / week throwing-lifting program. This helped him create a higher velocity ceiling, as well as give him a better chance to succeed coming down the mound. Continue reading “Summer Velo Program… Are You Ready to Do What it Takes?”
Not All Hip Shoulder Separation is Created Equal
One of the main creators of a more powerful throw is the torque we get through a good hip shoulder separation from the upper half. But when it comes to how much, more is not necessarily always better. Today we’ll talk briefly about why, as well as look at some things we can do in the weight room to help. Continue reading “Not All Hip Shoulder Separation is Created Equal”
Do You Want to See the Future in College Baseball Recruiting?
I have seen the future and sorry guys and college baseball recruiting is about to get harder. Continue reading “Do You Want to See the Future in College Baseball Recruiting?”
In-Season Training… Starting Strong, Finishing Stronger
Getting strong in the off-season to prepare for great performance on the field is paramount, but let’s not forget that it’s the athlete that finishes the season as strong as he started that usually reaps the most reward. Drops in velo, both on the mound and off the bat, as well as injuries, can all be a result of not training during the season. Pros do it, collegiate players do it. You should as well. So, you basically are the creator of your own destiny. Continue reading “In-Season Training… Starting Strong, Finishing Stronger”
Reaching Athletic Potential in a Youth Baseball Development Program
When looking at the most effective way for a youth baseball development program to be successful, we need to project out 3-4 years (or more), and consider the long-term athletic development (LTAD) of the athlete. Continue reading “Reaching Athletic Potential in a Youth Baseball Development Program”
Baseball Warm-up When You Only Have 5 Minutes
I was having a conversation about big league ball with RPP pitching coach Robbie Aviles a while back and he mentioned that many times as a relief pitcher with the Cleveland Indians, he barely got a chance to warm-up before throwing. As a matter of fact, he sometimes got just about enough time to take off his jacket and throw a few pitches. This made me think back on an article I remember reading by Mike Reinold where he talked about a baseball warm-up protocol that includes exercises to increase shoulder ROM, Mobility, Activation, and Dynamic Movement all done in a circuit that takes less than 5 minutes to perform!! Continue reading “Baseball Warm-up When You Only Have 5 Minutes”
Top 10 Things I Learned About College Baseball Recruiting
As a parent who has gone through the college recruiting process I can tell you this, it’s a maze with no roadmap. There are so many different topics, and there is really no one telling you what to do, or what’s right and/or what’s wrong. I am by no means an expert, but I did learn a few valuable things along the way and for the record, most of my knowledge revolves around D1 and D3 programs. So with that said, here are the top 10 things I learned about college baseball recruiting.
Continue reading “Top 10 Things I Learned About College Baseball Recruiting”
Testing and Training the Complete Pitcher… Power / Elasticity – Part 2
With the season beginning to get underway, I thought it would be a great time to emphasize that while practice is great for your “technical” work, improving your throwing velocity, exit velocity and first step quickness all start by improving and maintaining power and elasticity. These are developed in the gym and are the topics in Part 2 of this 3 Part series on training the complete pitcher (click here to read Part 1). Continue reading “Testing and Training the Complete Pitcher… Power / Elasticity — Part 2”