By Nick Leyden
Share This
How to throw HARDER & Increase VELOCITY with our baseball-specific training exercises.
There is nothing quite like throwing a baseball, the movement and coordination required to throw a baseball with a high velocity required an incredible amount of total body coordination that cannot easily be replicated. The sport of baseball is unique and has unique training demands in order to improve on the field.
Which can lead many people to wonder “How can I train to increase my velocity without messing up my mechanics or injuring myself?”
We understand how it feels not to know what you should be doing in the gym in order to help you improve your throwing velocity.
Most training that's done with baseball is either not enough specific training stimulus to improve your throwing velocity (I’m talking to you my I only do band shoulder exercises and a little core group because you're worried you'll get hurt or you'll mess up you arm.) Or it's the complete opposite and you are smashing the weights, lifting like a bodybuilder, and have terrible mobility and flexibility.
Baseball & Softball training is a mix of mobility, rotational power, strength, and explosive training that is strategically implemented to improve your performance.
In order to throw faster and increase your velocity, we need to be able to break down the mechanics involved in throwing and highlight the most critical aspects that will translate into throwing faster.
Luckily for you, we have already done that.
The 5 critical aspects of training to increase your throwing velocity are:
The 5 critical aspects of training to increase your throwing velocity are:
- Single leg strength & power
- Lateral Force production
- Rotational Power & Force Transfer
- Increasing hip & Shoulder Separation (mobility)
- Strengthening Rotator Cuff (90/90 position)
Most throwing mechanics and lack of velocity issues are due to lack of strength/power & mobility
Here is a list of 13 exercises to ensure you are working on each of these 5 crucial aspects.
13 Exercises to increase throwing velocity:
1) To improve single leg strength & power:
RFE Squats
These are the best exercises for increasing strength and force output on a single leg. Compared to other versions like lunges & split squats there is a greater percentage in intensity placed on the lead leg compared to others. We like to use a safety squat bar and place a few handles in front of the athlete so they can use those for support and balance when needed. Make sure to progress to this exercise and start light until you feel comfortable with the exercises.
SL TUCK JUMPS
This is a great movement for athletes to focus on creating an incredible amount of force through one leg.
2) To Improve Lateral Force Production:
Lateral Lunge & Squat variations
All power and throwing starts with the legs as the drives out and pushes themself laterally. These exercises will help strengthen the muscles and improve coordination to improve lateral force production.
Drop-in Lateral Lunge
This is a great 2nd level or advanced version of lateral lunges which teach the athlete to absorb and redirect force quickly and efficiently
Lateral to Vertical Deceleration Lunge
The pitcher's plant leg is an incredibly important aspect of throwing. Without the ability to decelerate and stabilize the body you cannot throw as hard as you can. Training deceleration is crucial for baseball and softball players.
Banded Skater Jump
This is one of the most beneficial lateral power and force exercises. The band adds a small amount of resistance which forces the athletes to produce maximal force involved in lateral movement.
3) To Improve Rotational Power
1/2 Kneeling Lateral Scoop Toss
This is one of the most important core exercises all baseball and softball players should learn to master. This will lay the foundation of how to effectively use the core as an engine to create power while improving muscle coordination from the legs, through the core, and into the upper body.
Standing Behind Lateral Scoop Toss
This is a more advanced version which teaches the athlete to generate more force by incorporating the hips and improves rotational power, however the athlete must possess the mobility of the hips and thoracic spine in order to perform this correctly. (don't worry we have a mobility series for you to work on this down below.)
1/2 Kneeling Lateral Tomahawk Throw
This movement teaches the athlete to transfer the force from the ground as they lateral press of the ground and aggressively rotate the core and slam the medicine ball into the ground.
4) To Improve Hip & Shoulder Separation
Thoracic Mobility Series: Hip & Shoulder Separation
Here is a stick mobility series that you can use a PVC pipe or any stick to help increase your hip and shoulder separation and improve the elastic (whip) force potential to throw the ball at a greater velocity. This series starts with various hip and shoulder separation mobility drills that can be done before any lifting session or prior to throwing
5) To Strengthen Your Rotator Cuff (90/90 Position)
Kneeling 1-Arm External Rotation Iso Holds
In order to keep your shoulder and arms healthy we need to protect them by strengthening the muscle, ligaments, and tendons in the shoulder girdle that are responsible for eccentric loading during an overhand throw. Most athletes' shoulders are internally rotated and need to constantly work to improve the imbalances created due to the demands of the sport. Your body will not put you in a position that it will willingly hurt yourself so if you want to unlock your true arm strength potential you need to strengthen the muscles responsible for keeping you shoulder healthy, safe, and attached to your arm when you throw.
Kneeling 1-Arm Internal Rotation Iso Holds
Both of these isometrics are what are called overcoming isometrics which are safe and extremely effective and improve strength & force production and joint-specific angles and in this case, we want to strengthen the arm in the position it will be in to throw. Start Easy and gradually build to more intense muscular contracts as you use this exercise.
When you implement these exercises into a strategic workout program designed for baseball and throwing athletes you will increase your throwing velocity.
If you leave these out you will continue to stay plateaued with your throwing velocity and won't see any real improvement in your next showcase you go to but imagine if you start doing these as a part of your training and the next time you're clocked and you see your velocity go up 1mph, then 2mph,3,4, and over a few months your throwing faster than you ever thought possible.
bookmarks and rediscovered, a long time make a note of. Well just use this one, much appreciated. I need something like this one of my school projects, lucky it has a similar topic as the one here. I am relieved that I found it, happy trails.
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.