Hi Sid,

I know what you mean - the heat has been brutal!  You can start the bat speed program from day 1. If your arm is still in "game shape," start the throwing program at Module 2. If you haven't thrown at all in the past 6 weeks, start at Module 1.

11) "I want something to help improve velocity. I throw mid 60s high 60s but I  cant get anyone out with the fastball,  I have to always rely on the changeup or the curveball and I have a nasty curveball. I throw the curve so much that batters know it's coming but I can't go with the fastball. I really need to increase my velocity fast so do you have any advice for me to do for fall and winter."

     Unfortunately, properly throwing a curve is not something I can tell you about. It is something that has to be shown. Also, you should master a change-up before you move on to a curveball.

     I encourage you to go to your coach and ask him to teach you how throw a changeup. It's every bit as good of pitch as a curve, arguably better!

13) "I recently purchased your throwing velocity program by download. What do you recommend after the program is done for throwing?

     After a player has completed the program (3 months) I suggest 2-3 weeks of rest (no 6 oz ball throwing) then s/he can begin again at Module 2. If the player wants to do some easy toss with the 4 or 5 oz ball in this interim rest period, no problem. This is called "active rest" and is a good thing to do. Just no long toss or heavy ball toss.

     Something to keep in mind - like any type of conditioning activity, if a player quits doing the program, the effects can diminish. So, planning to do the program in the pre-season is a good thing to peak for the competitive season. In-season, the player should do one weighted ball throwing workout of 80 or so throws/week to maintain the gains made.

14) "If we do the program starting now, it should take us until about Thanksgiving time. Take 2-3 weeks off, then start again. We will be going to 1 or 2 holiday camps over the Christmas break. We then usually start throwing as a team in January. Our baseball season in Iowa doesn't start until May. So if we started the program again we could have a couple weeks off until the season starts, then do it once a week. Does that sound OK?"

     You got it - this will work very well for you.

15)  "Hi Steve, I ordered your throwing, batting, conditioning program and weighted baseballs aprox. in 2004. Unfortunately, I misplaced the batting book. My son has used the conditioning program which has really helped his strength. 

     "Additionally, he has used the throwing program which has also helped. He is a junior this year and he made All District last year on the Varsity Baseball team. He has been told that if he keeps working hard and improving he should have an opportunity to play in college. 

     "Although he has used the throwing program, he has really gotten serious about increasing his velocity and started working the program two weeks ago. The reason I am writing you is to ask a couple of questions:

a) "Are you offer the radar baseballs? I need some point of reference to see if his velocity is increasing.

b)  "On your batting program, do I need to purchase the special bat that you offered? If not, what is the alternative. I am going to have to purchase the batting program again (since I lost the one I purchased) but if I need the bat also then I want to order all three items at the same time.

     "My son is also taking pitching lessons from David Clyde (who played for the Texas Rangers in the 70's...not sure if you know him). I hope to visit your area sometime within the next year and have you evaluate my son's pitching. Anyway, any info/feedback you can provide will be appreciated."

     Congratulations on your son's progress! I've attached an e-copy of the bat speed booklet; you can print out the pages you need.

     I don't carry the radar baseballs, but here's a link to a good buddy of mine who does:

http://www.batterup.zoovy.com/product/BA015

     As for the BIG Z Bat, no, it is not required to do my program. It is just a more convenient way to do it.

     What is needed to do my program is your son's game bat, a heavy donut to attach to it, and a bat that is 4 or so ounces lighter. If you don't have a bat that light, go to a used sporting goods store, get a wood bat, and cut it down to weigh this much.

     My BIG Z Bat will come in handy if the alternatives listed above don't work for you. Also, you can get a 4 oz on-deck donut that is ideal to attach to your son's bat for overload training.

     You can find The BIG Z Bat and 4 oz on-deck donuts here:

http://www.baseballfit.com/baseball-bats.htm

     All of this will make more sense when you read the bat speed booklet. 

16)  "Your books are low priced and affordable. The hitting book sounds great. I am concerned about what techniques you teach in your pitching book. As an amateur researcher in pitching arm injuries, in conjunction with a former professional pitcher and Doctor of Kinesiology, there are a number or problems with current mechanics that are destroying arms. These are:

     "Over rotation of arm backward (radius to humerus damage)
forearm bounce (famous Tommy John's injury) and long-arming (rotator cuff tears).

     "I hope that you have addressed these issues in your book. From what I have seen, all the "pro trainers" teach these bad things to kids and it results in uncorrectable, permanent arm injuries."

     My training methods are what I call "mechanics neutral" in that they work regardless of how one throws. My program does not affect mechanics, and is not a "how to pitch" or "how to throw" instructional. However, I always recommend that a pitcher's mechanics be in good order before beginning my training.

     You sound like you might be a "disciple" of Mike Marshall? I agree that too many instructors teach things that are harmful to kids. There is a lot of ignorance and "old school" thinking when it comes to baseball training of all kinds.

17) "Hello, do you have a similar DH Pitching Product for little league?  Our group ranges between 8 to 11 yrs old.  They pitch great during warm ups, but at game time it is a different story."

In fact, we made the Youth Model DH for Little League players. This will go a LONG ways towards solving your problem, helping your young pitchers to consistently get the ball over the plate.

You can find this size of DH at this link:

http://www.pitchingpractice.com/tryout.html

A fun drill for them is to try to hit the DH. They all think it's funny, but it's actually one of the drills I recommend in our free training booklet that comes with the DH, "Location Mechanics."

18)  Steve, a question concerning starting the TV program: 

Considering that a day of rest (i.e., no throwing) is recommended between each of three weekly throwing sessions - for 12 weeks- how can skill sessions (i.e., bullpens, control drills, new pitch practice, etc.) be integrated into this time period?

  With great care! One key to all of this is how your son's arm/body feels. When tired/excessively sore, more rest is indicated. If the arm/body feels good, keep going.

  Any of the above skill work you want to do can be done on weighted ball throwing days, prior to the weighted ball throwing. Do the least amount of skill work throwing as possible while doing the TV training. You will have to prioritize the goals you want to accomplish, i.e., improving mechanics, learning a new pitch, increasing throwing velocity, etc., and train accordingly.

19) I have an 11 year old son who plays a lot of baseball.  He pitches and plays 3rd base.  Recently, he has complained of very minor arm pain, primarily in the triceps.  I took him to an Orthopedist that specializes in Sports medicine, and he said my son is fine, but has some weakness in his rear deltoid.  Due to the weakness, when he decelerates his arm after releasing the ball, it is putting stress on his upper arm.  We are currently working on strengthening it via band workouts.

 My question is, which program would you recommend for overall pitching and arm strengthening?  Our goal is two fold - stabilize, protect, and strengthen his arm, AND increase his pitching velocity.

  Yes, your son’s problem is common, especially amongst younger players. But it afflicts players all the way up to MLB. There are two muscles in the rotator cuff that decelerate the arm. A third muscle, the rear head of the deltoid, also helps decelerate the arm, but is not part of the cuff. I assume the doc has him doing a lot of external rotation strength work, which is appropriate for this diagnosis. 

  Very often, when there is a problem below the shoulder, something wrong with the shoulder is the cause.

  Another thing to consider is more strength and flexibility work with both the biceps and triceps. The triceps extends the elbow during the acceleration phase of an overhand throw, with the biceps acting in opposition to keep the elbow from hyper-extending. It may be that there is an imbalance of strength (again, very common) between the biceps and triceps.

  To answer your question, my throwing velocity workout will directly help
condition your son’s arm for the rigors of throwing as well as help him develop increased throwing velocity. It contains specific strength and flexibility work for the shoulder, along with the throwing workout.  

10) Most of the stuff I have read from you seems right on but to be honest I have an issue with your pitching/throwing training program on your www.baseballfit.com web site touting the effectiveness of weighted baseballs. The articles (science) you quote is from the 70's? 60's?.

  I cite 11 scientific references in my weighted ball training report. 2 are from the 60s, 2 are from the 70s. The rest are from the 80s through 2001. That a study is “old” does not diminish its value or efficacy. There just isn’t much research being done in this area of athletic performance, for a variety of reasons.

  Everything I have ever read, that made sense and had some science to support it, says that using weighted balls or weight lifting to increase arm strength is not the big factor for velocity improvement. 

  Read (or re-read) my report at

 http://www.baseballfit.com/weighted_baseball_throwing.htm.

  That’s where I cite the references that detail the science behind weighted ball training, which I refer to as Overload/Underload training. This training method has been used for decades by other sports to improve performance. Note as well that many of the studies are done by PhDs and published in respected, peer reviewed journals. Such studies simply don’t get published unless they pass scientific muster and rigorous standards.

  I readily admit, and state in numerous places throughout my site, that general and special resistance training do little to contribute to throwing velocity development. But specific resistance training, such as using what I call “moderately” weighted balls (+/- 20% of the competitive implement weight) most definitely improves throwing velocity, and this is not debatable. It has been objectively proven MANY times with before and after measurements with JUGS guns and the like.

   Increased throwing velocity is just one benefit of training with weighted baseballs. By training with the 6 oz ball, the arm is conditioned to perform properly under a load greater than the competitive load. Come game time, pitchers are better prepared to throw more pitches. This is known as STRENGTH ENDURANCE, which makes the muscles and tendons of the arm used in throwing tougher, more durable and able to withstand better the rigors of throwing/pitching.

    Velocity comes from (you have most of this in your Arm & Core Conditioning information) the pitcher moving explosively from his back leg to his front leg, which creates a long stride so maximum elastic energy is developed.

  Stride length is just one of many mechanical factors that contribute to throwing velocity. Among the ways increased stride length helps a pitcher is simply because the release point is now closer to the plate. Depending on the amount of the increase, it can easily be several inches closer to the plate. The rest of the mechanics can be terrible, but being able to pitch closer to the plate will help any pitcher’s velocity. Nothing magical here.

Elastic energy is the key to more velocity not arm strength.

  Development of elastic energy is important to throwing velocity. Perhaps we need to define arm “strength.” As used for overhand throwers, it has nothing to do with actual strength – the ability to apply force, or how much weight one can lift. Force application  related to throwing occurs in two ways:  1) Increasing the amount of time one is able to apply force, and 2)  The speed with which the force application arm moves through its range of motion. Improving pitching mechanics affects #1; training with weighted balls affects #2. As I explain in my report, arm speed (and hence velocity) is enhanced very effectively by training with UNDERweight balls. Again, this has been demonstrated by valid and reliable clinical studies as well as much real-world experience.

  The energy is provided the legs to the hips to the trunk (rotational force) and then finally to the arm which gets whipped though.

  This is not entirely correct. Yes, momentum for throwing begins with, and is greatly enhanced by, the lower body. But according to clinical research, the trunk contributes 47% of the force behind an overhand throw, the arm, 53%. It's basically a 50/50 proposition.

   The arm is “whipped through” at the very brief stage of arm acceleration from external rotation to the release point, which takes 1/20 of a second, about 2% of the entire pitching motion. THIS is where arm speed is manifest, and the arm most certainly can be trained to perform more efficiently at this stage by appropriate strength and flexibility work.

  It seems to me that the arm, shoulder, etc needs to be fit in order to hinder injury but weight lifting, weighted balls will have little effect on an increase in velocity. I read all the time that bat speed, club speed & arm speed (not strength) generate power.

  Not true. Can a batter swing a lighter bat faster than a heavy bat? Of course – they are able to move the lighter bat more quickly through the swing range of motion. Everyone knows this. It is exactly the same with throwing an underweight ball, except most people don’t seem to know this.

  Can training with a lighter-than-competitive-implement enhance the speed of a movement through its range of motion? Of course, and this type of training has been going on for decades in other sports. It’s called OVER SPEED training.

  Strength is the basis for ALL athletic attributes – running, throwing, jumping, etc. POWER is defined as strength X speed. While strength and power are different attributes, they are related. There is no power without a foundation of strength.  

  Why do I see many small, skinny pitchers who throw hard? You see 240lb major league pitchers that can only throw in the upper 80's and you see 170 lb pitchers that can throw 95+.

  There can be several good reasons for these disparities:

• Work ethic - mental and emotional factors affecting motivation

• More efficient mechanics

• Better natural coordination

• Conditioning & nutrition

• Access to facilities and equipment

• Access to coaching and support

• Genetics – as in a preponderance of Type II muscle fibers, anatomical advantages, etc. in the hard thrower not present in the slower thrower

  The reasons are much more complex than simply attributing higher performance (velocity) to mechanics or stride length.

  It seems that they have learned how to use their bodies, with good timing in order to build a delivery that looks smooth and effortless and the velocity is proof that they use their body to deliver their arm by efficiently passing off the developed energy with efficiency.

  I disagree. By this reasoning, pitchers with poor mechanics would not be able to throw hard. I see plenty of pitchers with atrocious mechanics at all levels of the game who throw very hard. And what of the guys with good mechanical efficiency who just can’t throw very hard? Is the answer to keep working on improving their mechanics? Or, are other effective tools and methods available to knowledgeable coaches that affect physical performance?

  Steve, I'm an grocery salesman and hold no credentials like you but I cannot help to wonder if your weighted ball program is outdated. I'm wondering if core & explosive conditioning programs along with a good mound throwing program will not have the same effect.

  Hey, I am happy to discuss my ideas with all kinds of people, including a grocery salesman! We have something in common – I used to sell pharmaceuticals.

  Not only is my training very “with it,” it works! You can read some more testimonials from ball players at all levels of the game, including a pitcher who was with the Seattle Mariners system, at this link:

www.baseballfit.com/baseball-pitching.htm.

  A 90 mph thrower, he’s now up to 94. He’s very pleased with what my program has done for him. I get so many feedbacks of this type I don’t have time to update my main site with them.

  I do recommend, in several places throughout my site, that all ball players perform core and plyometric training. In my general strength and conditioning program these are presented in greater detail. Any player who wants to improve performance should be doing this training. It is specifically designed for baseball and softball players of any position.

11) I have a 16 year old daughter who pitches fastpitch softball. She has been working hard to increase her pitching speed. Among the methods she has used are your Baseball Fit workout and your softball Overload/Underload pitching workout. (She has also seen good results with your batting overload/underload workout, but that's a different topic.)

  One observation from her pitching coach is that she needs to get much quicker at the start of her pitching motion (the 6:00 to 12:00 upswing, if you will). Can you recommend an exercise that would be good for this?

  The strength & conditioning workout is addressing the key muscles used in this "upswing" motion.

  Among these muscles are the pectoralis major, biceps, latissimus dorsi, and anterior deltoid. Keep doing the workouts for these muscles as specified.

  Two other exercises she can do to augment this aspect of her pitching delivery:

1) Medicine ball toss. Get a 2 lb medicine ball with either a handle or rope. She can do underhand tosses at full effort with either of these tools, which will help her develop more power in this movement.

  Have her use her normal pitching delivery. Throw either ball as far as possible, on a straight line as if being pitched to the catcher.

  You can find these types of balls at:  www.power-systems.com

2) Fastpitch long toss. Have her move back about three feet behind the pitching rubber, then make her normal delivery pitch to the catcher with a regular softball. If this is too far, move back in a foot and try again. Only have her move back as far as she can while still making the pitch all the way to the catcher. If the ball bounces, she is too far back.

  When she can routinely make this 3 feet-behind-rubber pitch, have her do it with the weighted softballs. When she can easily do this through a complete weighted ball throwing workout, have her move back another foot and continue this process. This work, along with the aforementioned work, will greatly enhance the power and speed of her pitches.

  Be sure that she is not being overworked. If she feels overly sore or tired on a particular day, give her some rest. If she's feeling good, let her go.

12) I purchased your workout program and the weighted balls about a month ago. I have no doubt in my mind that I will have a jump in MPH after the 3 month workout program. But my question is... Have there been any studies on how long the jump in MPH lasts???

  There are no studies that I am aware of that track how long velocity gains last after this (or any other) training of this type.

My brother is a coach at --------- Junior College in Texas and I am almost like a test bunny. I am going to track my progress throughout the program and also 3 months after the program. My brother, like many others are skeptical about weighted balls. He thinks that I will get the jump in MPH but once the season starts and I stop throwing with the weighted balls, my velocity will slowly go back down to the pre-workout program speed.

  Keep in mind that my throwing velocity training is similar to any other conditioning program. If you stop doing it - aerobics, strength training, etc., any improvement made will diminish over time. Throwing velocity training works the same way. This is why I recommend that you perform one workout/week during your competitive season to help maintain your gains (p 4).

  Here's an example of what you can expect for the long term. Your personal situation may vary from this scenario, of course:

  Let's say you're throwing 80 mph before my training. You complete the training and enter your next competitive season throwing 85 mph. You do your regular throwing as a pitcher along with once/week weighted ball throwing. At the end of the season, you're still at 85 mph.

  Then you decide to take off a few months in the summer/fall to rest your arm and work on overall strength and conditioning.

  Then, say, in November or so you pick up a ball and start throwing to get ready for your next season. By mid January or so you start cranking it up, and on the gun you top out at 82.

  So, you "lost" 3 mph from your previous peak of 85. However, from many years of user experience (anecdotal, not scientific) as you do the weighted ball throwing program again, you'll get back to 85 mph, and may well tack on another 2-3 mph.

  This type of scenario routinely happens with other types of strength/conditioning training. The more you lift weights, work on lowering your 40 yd dash time or 10K running time, the better your performance in these activities. For most athletes, these improvements come over years of time and effort.

  It will be the same for you with your throwing/pitching. How much progress you make, or where you will top out velocity-wise is set by your genetics and other factors.

  As I said earlier, there is little to nothing scientifically to report on any of this. Such studies, as far as I know, simply have not been done. What I am reporting here is what I've observed over the years with thousands of users with my various programs (throwing velocity & bat speed in this case).

13)  Amber is a pitcher, however she also plays other positions when she does not pitch. I want to apply the program to her pitching and also her fielding position and I think it is clear that the program is applicable to both. My question is how to I integrate both programs at once? My gut feel tells me that I should alternate and not do them concurrently, but I just wanted to make sure. For example, do the program overhand for the prescribed time and then do the program windmill for the prescribed time.

  Yes, it is better to concentrate on either windmill pitching or overhand throwing and not mix the two. So, decide which is the priority and begin with that. When she is finished, she can immediately begin training for the other type of throwing.

  On page 5 you state half throws at "long toss" distance of 130 feet. I assume this would be for overhand throwing.

  Correct.

  Do you recommend this for my daughter who is 11 yrs old? Should that distance be closer?

  Have her go back as far as she can to make her best, online throw that makes it all the way to the target, or on one bounce. As her arm "strengthens," gradually move her back.

  Since Amber is 11, do you think 2 sessions per week is sufficient or do you think 3 will be ok?

  Three sessions/week will likely be fine, but only do the number of throws specified. The key is how her arm and body feel. If she feels fine, let her go. If she feels more sore and has not recovered from the previous workout, give her a day off. Resume the workout as usual - don't worry about making up the missed work.

14) I have a little league (12) pitcher throws at 58, and for the most part under control. I see several article's on gaining velocity from ARM STRENGTH, weighed baseball. towel, long toss or ARM SPEED, moving the body faster to the plate. What's your best advice on improving velocity?

     Here are my ideas on throwing velocity development, from previous issues of my newsletter, posted on my baseball Strength & Conditioning web site, www.BaseballFit.com:

Where Throwing Velocity Really Comes From http://www.baseballfit.com/baseball_throwing_velocity.htm

     At the end of this article is a list of the five steps I recommend any ball player undergo to improve arm throwing strength:

 1) First, improve throwing mechanics. Throwing properly by itself can improve velocity.

 2) Train the body core in particular for strength and power.

 3) Properly increase flexibility. Generally speaking, the further a joint can move through its range of motion, the less injury prone it will be. Increasing one's ROM is a good thing.

 4) Begin a Specific Resistance Training Program for throwing with weighted baseballs or softballs. Remember, a 5 oz. baseball is itself a "weighted" implement.

 5) Perform a properly designed, periodized strength and conditioning program specific for baseball or softball. Such a generalized program should include weight lifting, plyometrics, flexibility, and energy systems conditioning.

Weighted Ball Training: How It Works And Why Ball Players Should Use This Training Method  http://www.baseballfit.com/weighted_baseball_throwing.htm

     After examining the scientific data & many years of on-field experience, I know that weighted ball throwing works, to both improve throwing velocity and condition the entire throwing arm. My program also employs long toss, another training method I have found to be effective.

     My thoughts on the following:

  Arm Strength - Does not refer to actual strength (the ability to apply force) but is a euphemism for how good a player's throwing arm is. Lifting weights does little to help improve throwing velocity, but, done properly, is helpful in keeping the arm healthy.

  Towel Drill - Not something I have ever done as a player or teach now as a coach/trainer. I know that several prominent coaches are proponents of this drill. I don't see it as helpful in developing throwing velocity, although it may be beneficial in teaching some aspects of pitching mechanics.

  Arm Speed - One of the two ways to affect how force is applied to a thrown ball (the other being the length of time that force is applied). Underweight ball throwing (a part of my Throwing Velocity program) develops greater Arm Speed. The arm practices moving through its range of motion at greater speed due to the lighter weight of the ball.

     While the weight differential is only an ounce, it represents a 20% differential, which is significant for training purposes.

  Moving the body faster towards home plate - Very important as part of overall good pitching mechanics. We want pitchers to move quickly, explosively towards home plate, rather than being careful and deliberate in their delivery. We want to create as much momentum as possible in a straight line towards the target (home plate).

     A key point on pitching mechanics: too short of a stride length will inhibit this explosive "process." A longer stride length benefits the pitcher primarily by bringing the release point closer to the plate. Thus, the perceived velocity of the pitcher is increased, but their actual velocity is unchanged. A longer stride length in and of itself doesn't turn an 85 mph fastball into a 90 mph fastball. The ball is simply reaching the batter more quickly by virtue of the shorter distance the ball travels with a longer stride length/closer release point. This, along with the added momentum potentially developed, is how a longer stride length helps pitchers throw "harder."