Blogs

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Bergen Catholic’s David LaManna “96 to 101 in 12 weeks”…

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When Bergen Catholic catcher David LaManna walked into my facility, athleticism was oozing off of him. The data after his assessment showed us a bat speed of 96 mph, already very respectable for any high school senior. What transpired in the next 12 weeks is a testament to both David’s work ethic and the power of strength training. Last week he walked in and informed us that his bat speed was clocked at 101 mph the previous weekend. He also said he’s never felt stronger. This is no coincidence. Let’s take a look at why. Continue reading “Bergen Catholic’s David LaManna “96 to 101 in 12 weeks”…”

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1st Annual RPP Pitching Seminar (FREE)

Improving All Aspects of Performance on the Mound

While Reducing the Risk of Injury

Sunday, January 8th, 2016 at 11:00 a.m.

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Appropriate For – College and High School Coaches, Travel Coaches, Parents and Players

We’re very excited to announce our 1st Annual winter seminar covering all aspects of training for the OH athlete on Sunday, January 8th, 2016 at our facility in Sloatsburg, New York. Continue reading “1st Annual RPP Pitching Seminar (FREE)”

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Fixing Pitching Mechanics and Increasing Velocity…

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One of the things we pride ourselves on here at RPP is constantly studying, collecting data and trying to figure out better and more efficient ways to help our athletes achieve the greatest amount of success, both on and off the field. I feel it’s a big part of what separates us from many of the training facilities in our area, and the country for that matter.

This off-season we continued our research into achieving speed and power by building individual athletic profiles on all of our athletes (I’ll get into this more in a future blog). Our biggest “ah-ha” moment though came in the area of video analysis, analyzing pitching mechanics, correctives and velocity. It was the catalyst in forming our Pitching Rx program. Continue reading “Fixing Pitching Mechanics and Increasing Velocity…”

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Pitching Lab – Getting After it in November – December

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Imagine this, a high school pitcher’s body that throws a baseball at 80+ mph achieves that speed from hand break to finish in 1.5-2 seconds.  That’s comparable to some of the fastest Italian sports cars out there.  How you could NOT get young pitchers physically prepared for this type of explosive movement is frankly beyond my comprehension. In looking back and reflecting on what we offer young athletes, I think a lot of folks don’t totally understand what we do. So, let me give it a try. Continue reading “Pitching Lab — Getting After it in November — December”

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Strength Training / Physical Therapy… Making Our Athletes and Each Other Better

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I heard P.T. Mike Reinhold once say that he was a “much better physical therapist because of his knowledge in the strength and conditioning field”.  I feel the same way in regards to the education I’ve received from the physical therapy / rehab community.  I can’t overstate how much better of a strength and conditioning coach it has made me. The bottom line is together we make each other better. Continue reading “Strength Training / Physical Therapy… Making Our Athletes and Each Other Better”

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Mobility… Not a Part Time Job

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Here at RPP we take great pride in getting our athletes in the best possible shape to succeed at their sport and mobility work plays a big role in our roadmap to getting them there. One thing I always stress to our athletes and parents is that even if you come and train with us for 2 days/week, at least I know you’re getting in some mobility work. Unfortunately, that’s not enough. That being said I want to make one thing perfectly clear…

“It’s not just what you do while you’re here, it’s also what you do when you’re NOT here” Continue reading “Mobility… Not a Part Time Job”

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Muscle Mass and Throwing Gas

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Your velocity has been climbing all your life at a respectable and more importantly SAFE rate. All of a sudden you’ve been stuck at the same mph for a year and a half and you’re not budging. You’ve tried what you believe is everything to get to the next rung and you’re stuck. Well, making that jump requires more than just pitching lessons and ramping up your throwing program. You’ve tried that and it’s not working. So hear me out…. Continue reading “Muscle Mass and Throwing Gas”

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5 Takeaways from the Texas Baseball Ranch

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Last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting Ron Wolforth’s Texas Baseball Ranch and take the opportunity to learn how they go about addressing and correcting mechanical flaws in pitchers.  Coming from a strength and conditioning background, I may approach certain things a bit differently on the strength and mobility side of things, but I was there to learn more about how the other side lives… and I did. Continue reading “5 Takeaways from the Texas Baseball Ranch”

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Interview with Quinnipiac’s Alex Whelan

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Today my interview is with Alex Whelan.  A great hockey player I had the pleasure of training this spring until he just recently left for Quinnipiac University where he will be playing for one of the premier hockey programs in the country.  Alex is a graduate of Ramsey High school and was The Record Hockey Player of the Year in Bergen County in 2015.  Continue reading “Interview with Quinnipiac’s Alex Whelan”