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.
Showing posts with label velocity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label velocity. Show all posts
Monday, June 11, 2012
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Improving Velocity - Quick Fix
Velocity is constantly on the minds of pitchers at every level. Although velocity is not the most important factor in being successful, it is still a very valuable asset when playing at higher levels. I am going to tell you how you can instantly add a little velocity to your pitches or at least give you a little more life on your fastball by addressing a common issue amongst younger pitchers; getting behind the baseball.
We hear this phrase all the time, at every level, but what does it mean?
Well, to put it simply, it means using ALL the force generated by the body to throw the ball, while taking as much strain off the arm as possible. Oftentimes pitchers generate a lot of power but miss out on using it because the body jumps ahead of the ball too fast, making the arm do all of the work. So how do we fix this?
One simple fix is to separate your hands a little earlier. This gives the arm a head start getting it into the slot easier and allow the body to stay back. Here is a simple drill you can do to teach your muscles the right timing. Get to the balanced position and pause. A split second before you begin to drop your lift leg, begin to separate your hands. Continue your motion until just before you come out of balance and pull your lift leg and arms back up to the balance position you started in. Repeat this 10 times and rest for 30 sec. You should do 2 or 3 sets of this drill every other day.
Remember: nothing can get you to the next level faster than working with a professional. If you, or someone else you know, needs individual instruction please contact me via email at gwhelan@tpgpitching.com for more information.
We hear this phrase all the time, at every level, but what does it mean?
Well, to put it simply, it means using ALL the force generated by the body to throw the ball, while taking as much strain off the arm as possible. Oftentimes pitchers generate a lot of power but miss out on using it because the body jumps ahead of the ball too fast, making the arm do all of the work. So how do we fix this?
One simple fix is to separate your hands a little earlier. This gives the arm a head start getting it into the slot easier and allow the body to stay back. Here is a simple drill you can do to teach your muscles the right timing. Get to the balanced position and pause. A split second before you begin to drop your lift leg, begin to separate your hands. Continue your motion until just before you come out of balance and pull your lift leg and arms back up to the balance position you started in. Repeat this 10 times and rest for 30 sec. You should do 2 or 3 sets of this drill every other day.
Remember: nothing can get you to the next level faster than working with a professional. If you, or someone else you know, needs individual instruction please contact me via email at gwhelan@tpgpitching.com for more information.
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