Our Summer Throwing Program has many components, including pitch design. For pitchers looking for more than just velo, we incorporate a Pitch Design component in the program to help improve their overall movement pattern. The program not only teaches you the science and data analytics that go into pitch design but also how to implement it on the mound. Continue reading “Summer Throwing Program; A Look at Pitch Design”
Not all throwing and hitting motions are created equal. Some guys rely more on strength, some guys elasticity (facial tissue) and some are simply genetic “outliers” (there’s that fascia again). But close analysis, in not only numerous studies but also from my own experience at the facility, reveals that there is one common denominator why hard throwers create effortless velocity and command, as well as power hitters creating high exit velos behind the plate.
The reality is that during the season many pitchers may have difficulty getting to the gym more than 1-2 x’s per week. So here at RPP, we recommend supplementing your in-season training with some strength / mobility work that can be done at home or at the field. These exercises are designed to maintain your strength and mobility without creating any residual soreness that could effect on-field performance. It’s not as efficient as coming into the gym and getting your reps done but it’s better than not doing anything at all… much better. Continue reading “4 Simple Ways to Maintain Lower Half Power In-Season”
Here in Part 2 of this 2018 “Best of” series, are this year’s most popular pitching-related articles… Continue reading “The Best of 2018 – Pitching-related Articles”
By Nunzio Signore (BA, CSCS, CPT, NASM, FMS)
As we get closer to a new year I would like to look back and get a bit reflective. A few years ago, I started a series in which I posted the most popular blogs of the year. These are the articles that received the most traffic, according to our hosting statistics. It seems to be a favorite of everyone, so here we go again with Part 1, covering the Top 5 most popular strength-related articles of 2018. Continue reading “The Best of 2018 – Strength Training Articles”
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”
In Part 1 (click here), we the concept of an excessive trunk tilt, how to identify it and some things physically that could help cause it. In Part 2, we’ll take a look at why it can be harmful to the shoulder and elbow and some things we can do to help get us a little more on the “straight and narrow”. Continue reading “Addressing and Treating Trunk Tilt at Foot Strike — Part 2”
In Part 1 of this series (click here), we talked about the importance of loading the lower half to help avoid a “quad dominant” delivery, some of the mechanical disconnects associated with quad dominance and certain things we can do to help get that ever elusive hip hinge. Today, we’re going to look at early hip rotation and its effect on maintaining force into the ground longer. This is a big disconnect we often see which ironically begins with the inadequate glute load we talked about in Part 1. Continue reading “Engaging the Lower Half to Create Power… Ground Reaction Forces — Part 2”
Many times, when analyzing video of our young pitchers, I’ll come across an excessive lateral trunk tilt at foot strike. It’s quite common in younger throwers and is characterized by an excessive lean (tilt) contralaterally towards your left side at ball release (if you’re a right-handed pitcher and vice versa). The head becomes tilted, facing away from the driveline and gives the appearance that the athlete is getting ready to launch the ball over a three-story building.
Continue reading “Addressing and Treating Trunk Tilt at Foot Strike – Part 1”
Unfortunately, 90% of the pitcher population cannot handle the amount of lumbar extension Tim Lincecum put his body through. It’s no mystery that low back pain can severely compromise velocity, as well as command, in pitchers. In Part 3 of this series on Pain Site vs. Pain Source, we’ll look at low back pain and some possible “sites” distally that could be causing it. We’ll also look at some things we can do from both the strength and mobility (mechanics) side that may help to relieve unwanted stress in the area. Lower back pain after pitching can be caused by many things, but for the scope of this article, we’re going to concentrate on… Continue reading “3 Reasons for Lower Back Pain after Pitching”
