The Importance of Off-Season Training

It's that time of year again. Spring season is coming to an end. Now is the most important time for a pitcher. Of course, if you've been playing every week since the fall, then you should take a few weeks off before beginning any training regimen. After that, it's crunch time.

We can gain a lot from an off-season training program. First, we start back at square one and begin rebuilding our base, our fundamental foundation of pitching. This is great for pitchers because there is no pressure to perform or "carry the team". It's a great rebuilding period. We can go slow and iron out all the wrinkles.

Now this rebuilding period happens in two different age groups and at two different times of the year. For the older guys high school and above, summer gives you an opportunity to extend your season and prepare for the next level. Everyone knows what happens in October! Your off-season program usually begins in the late fall.

For the younger guys (those not yet in high school) and for those that are not playing summer baseball, that time is NOW! I consider this age group the developmental stage. For young pitchers to grow it is vital that the proper base is built. If you're one of my students you know that for something to become a habit it must be repeated 1,000 times. Then it becomes muscle memory. What's a better time to do this than right now?!

The important thing here is that we start slow. We learn good habits by not overloading the brain with more information than it can handle. This means we would learn a new drill, or two, about every two weeks, working from one part of the pitcher's delivery to the next. Now before I mentioned you need to do something 1,000 times before it become habit. That doesn't mean 500 times now and 500 times in the winter. That means we repeat every drill 1,000 times, before moving on to the next. So, you have to do your homework.

Those that take this seriously can really benefit come spring time. I guarantee if you put the work in this off-season, you will be shocked at how much better you have become. I can also guarantee you that with a good strength training program you will be much stronger as well.

Remember: nothing can get you to the next level faster than working with a professional. I can help you with all of this and more. If you, or someone else you know, needs individual instruction please contact me via email at gwhelan@tpgpitching.com for more information.