Generally, when players start to struggle with throwing strikes, they’ve been conditioned to modify their mechanics. Many times, this is completely unnecessary. Anatomy often tells us that in order to fix a pitching command and control issue, strength and stability may need to be addressed before looking any deeper. Continue reading “4 Ways to Improve Pitching Command and Control in the Weight Room”
The back leg is the initial power source in pitching and when pitching from the stretch, the ability to load and the unload the back leg gives a pitcher the greater advantage with runners on.
Faster more elastic athletes can stretch their tendons quickly and better harness energy while loading without requiring high levels of strength. But for more “strength-based” athletes who like to load slower in order to maximize power mostly from their muscles contracting, the stretch can be a nemesis, especially you have runners on base. So, training to get more elastic can go a long way in putting another essential tool such as getting quicker in the stretch into their toolbox, which brings us to the concept of Reactive Strength and how you test it. Continue reading “Improving Speed and Power from the Stretch”
Every off-season I see dedicated athletes spinning their wheels and settling for ineffective baseball strength training programs, simply because the location is convenient, or they’re feeling pressure from the travel coach. The reality is that often they’re experiencing mediocre gains or no gains at all when they should be improving dramatically. Bottom line is if your performance has remained the same year-over-year your training probably SUCKS! A customized baseball strength training program goes a long way towards improving your level of performance. Continue reading “Baseball Strength Training at RPP, Why and How it Works”
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?”
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”
Anterior core strength deeply affects lumbar extension, which in turn affects the position of the trunk/ thorax (rib cage), which is the “center of the universe” for a pitcher. This serves as a stable platform for the shoulder blades, ultimately affecting the position of the scapula, ensuring great “ball and socket” congruency and a better arm position at ball release when moving toward the plate. Continue reading “How to Build a More Powerful Delivery through a Stronger Core”
The increases in pitching velocity and the distance guys are covering when they go yard tells one thing for sure… Guys are getting in the gym and getting bigger, faster and stronger. Period.
That’s great. As a matter of fact, nothing could make me happier as a strength and conditioning coach. But let it be said, with training comes a responsibility on educating athletes as to how and when is the best way and time to incorporate it. This gets especially tricky when it needs to be integrated with a throwing program. What I’m really saying is that a great program should incorporate throwing and strength training as ONE program and not viewed as two separate entities. This is the premise of the closed loop training which we provide at the Pitching Lab here at RPP. Let me try and briefly explain why one hand washes the other. Continue reading “Strength Training and Throwing Programs”
We work with athletes and train guys who are really serious about getting bigger, stronger and faster. That’s what we are most passionate about. Granted, there are five million strength coaches who flip tires, train with CrossFit and run boot camps with ladder drills and cone drills and call it training. Well, I’m here to tell you that it needs to be better than that if athletes are to get to the next level. Today, we are listing some “must have’s” for a baseball training facility to be deemed adequate before placing yourself or your child into a so called “program”. Continue reading “Baseball Training Facility, Top 10 Things to Look For”
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. Continue reading “Addressing Pitching Mechanics Issues in the Weight Room”
By Nunzio Signore (BA, CPT, NASM, FMS, PES)
Here at Rockland Peak Performance (RPP) we generally perform an average of 6-8 movement Assessments per week. New customers often ask “Why is an assessment necessary?” My response is simple… “Do you want to be the best that you can be?”
Whether you are coming in to train with us for the long haul, coming off of rehab and seeking a training effect (strength training) or coming in for a one-time consultation regarding a particular issue, an assessment/movement screen can be an extremely powerful piece of the puzzle for success. This is true regardless of whether you are training for your sport or simply wanting to learn how to move and feel better.
Continue reading “What Is an Assessment and Why Do You Need One?”
