We have now arrived to the final blog in the long toss process series. The time has come where we can put this all together and get to work. The goal of this long toss process is to ultimately make you a better thrower on the mound. There are many kids out there that can throw a baseball over three hundred feet but then get on a mound and can't hit 80mph. In order to maximize these workouts, never get away from the intent and goal of the program. The intent and goal is to throw harder and more accurate. We want to create both and not compromise one for the other. If this is so, then you must be able to create the athleticism you have when you throw a baseball as far as you can, onto the mound. Once you are ready for mound workouts be aware that you are feeling the same amount of freedom on the mound as you are during the long toss portion. One way to be able to experiment with this is "blending" long toss work with mound work. When you are finished getting loose during a workout and are ready for the mound, transfer the feeling to the mound. If you do not feel as athletic and aggressive with your body as you felt when you were throwing a long toss, step off the mound, throw some long toss, then get back on the mound. Continue this process as long as it takes to create the same type of feeling during both types of throwing. Long toss and mound work need to be associated as one and not trying to throw a ball as far as you can and then getting on a mound and turning into a robot.
Have fun, be easy about it, and let it go. The body will accommodate what you are telling it to do. Tell your body you want to be athletic, you want to throw hard, you want to be accurate. Believe you can make this happen and then go after it. Use this long toss program for at least three months and see what it can do for you. I will guarantee, if done properly, you will be an entirely new pitcher in no time at all.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The Process of Long Toss-Part 4
So we have already discussed what makes up the process of long toss, how far you should be throwing the baseball, how often, and for what specific amount of time. The next area we need to discuss is varying the workouts.
There are an infinite number of ways to workout or train your arm as a pitcher. People use bands, weighted balls, medicine balls, tubing, etc...but in my opinion there still is only one way to train your arm as a pitcher and that is to throw. So the next topic of "varying workouts" is a great topic to be discussing. Instead of using all the products that are out there on the market today, why not just take it back to the good old days and use your arm. That is not to say that there is no need for those products, but they should not replace the real work of throwing in any way. Those products should be used as a way to prehab or rehab a pitcher's arm.
During your off season throwing program, once you are back into shape and ready to test yourself, challenge your arm by varying your workouts. What I mean by this is making up certain goals for specific workouts and not just throwing a normal long toss program each time you go out to throw. The options are obvious but you can get as creative as you like. Perform distance workouts, velocity workouts, accuracy workouts, or even combine all three.
Distance workouts are just as it sounds. Throw a baseball as far as you can (using efficient mechanics of course, don't just let your hard work go to waste) and make sure you mark your distance. This way you will be able to test yourself each time you throw for distance and watch firsthand how much your arm has been able to extend itself.
Velocity workouts may be tough if you don't have a partner or a radar gun. If you do not, basically throw into a designated area at a distance of 60 feet or whatever your mound of competition is placed at. Then let it rip. This workout is not for accuracy or consistency. You want to throw hard and let things loose. Remain athletic and free and see how hard you can throw a baseball. If you happen to have a radar gun you can test yourself. Try different tempos and other mechanical processes to see what is working best for you. If the radar gun reading goes up, continue to pinpoint what it is you are doing to make that happen. If the radar gun is going down, try something else. Filming these sessions would be smart if you are able to do so.
Accuracy workouts could be quite beneficial if you make sure and work at a consistent output level. What this means is do not try and slow things down just to attempt to hit a target. Maintain the athletic movements and intensity level you will need to succeed at higher levels. The accuracy will come as long as you continue to push yourself and not give in. When first starting these types of workouts you could have an oversized zone to throw in. Allow yourself to feel the freedom of your body and its movement and how easy it is to hit the zone with those types of mechanics. As you begin to feel comfortable and easy with this zone, tighten it up a bit and repeat the process. You could even designate small areas inside the strike zone to hit as you become more accelerated in your accuracy workouts. Take your time with this step. Remember, the goal is to be accurate with freedom of your delivery. If you don't feel free and aggressive moving to your target, stop where you are and make it easier on yourself. Move forward accordingly.
Varying your workouts and being creative will assist in making this process of throwing more fun. Remember, don't be too serious about all this but be focused in your workout process. Challenge yourself and see how great it feels to set a goal and accomplish it. Varying your workouts is a great arena to start developing confidence while keeping things fresh. Enjoy your long toss!!!
There are an infinite number of ways to workout or train your arm as a pitcher. People use bands, weighted balls, medicine balls, tubing, etc...but in my opinion there still is only one way to train your arm as a pitcher and that is to throw. So the next topic of "varying workouts" is a great topic to be discussing. Instead of using all the products that are out there on the market today, why not just take it back to the good old days and use your arm. That is not to say that there is no need for those products, but they should not replace the real work of throwing in any way. Those products should be used as a way to prehab or rehab a pitcher's arm.
During your off season throwing program, once you are back into shape and ready to test yourself, challenge your arm by varying your workouts. What I mean by this is making up certain goals for specific workouts and not just throwing a normal long toss program each time you go out to throw. The options are obvious but you can get as creative as you like. Perform distance workouts, velocity workouts, accuracy workouts, or even combine all three.
Distance workouts are just as it sounds. Throw a baseball as far as you can (using efficient mechanics of course, don't just let your hard work go to waste) and make sure you mark your distance. This way you will be able to test yourself each time you throw for distance and watch firsthand how much your arm has been able to extend itself.
Velocity workouts may be tough if you don't have a partner or a radar gun. If you do not, basically throw into a designated area at a distance of 60 feet or whatever your mound of competition is placed at. Then let it rip. This workout is not for accuracy or consistency. You want to throw hard and let things loose. Remain athletic and free and see how hard you can throw a baseball. If you happen to have a radar gun you can test yourself. Try different tempos and other mechanical processes to see what is working best for you. If the radar gun reading goes up, continue to pinpoint what it is you are doing to make that happen. If the radar gun is going down, try something else. Filming these sessions would be smart if you are able to do so.
Accuracy workouts could be quite beneficial if you make sure and work at a consistent output level. What this means is do not try and slow things down just to attempt to hit a target. Maintain the athletic movements and intensity level you will need to succeed at higher levels. The accuracy will come as long as you continue to push yourself and not give in. When first starting these types of workouts you could have an oversized zone to throw in. Allow yourself to feel the freedom of your body and its movement and how easy it is to hit the zone with those types of mechanics. As you begin to feel comfortable and easy with this zone, tighten it up a bit and repeat the process. You could even designate small areas inside the strike zone to hit as you become more accelerated in your accuracy workouts. Take your time with this step. Remember, the goal is to be accurate with freedom of your delivery. If you don't feel free and aggressive moving to your target, stop where you are and make it easier on yourself. Move forward accordingly.
Varying your workouts and being creative will assist in making this process of throwing more fun. Remember, don't be too serious about all this but be focused in your workout process. Challenge yourself and see how great it feels to set a goal and accomplish it. Varying your workouts is a great arena to start developing confidence while keeping things fresh. Enjoy your long toss!!!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The Process of Long Toss-Part 3
We are now on the third post in regards to the long toss process. How far you should throw a baseball during your long toss program and how much time you should spend throwing during a long toss program have already been discussed. So let's move on to the next process...
How Often Should I Throw?
The question you really want to ask is how often should I not throw. Becoming a successful pitcher in baseball is obviously a very tough thing to accomplish. The amount of work that needs to be put in over the years is truly astounding. Of course, it is never truly work if you love the game and are enjoying the process, but time spent is definitely needed. Whether you are a young athlete in little league or a more established pitcher at the college or professional level, you should be throwing at least four to six times a week during the off season and five to seven times a week in season.
Now, this is where an individual pitcher and maybe even their parents, depending on their age, need to monitor what is going on. Even though I say you basically need to be throwing everyday of the week in season and off season, there needs to be a complete resting period as well. After the end of a season there should be an extended period of complete rest. This means do not throw a baseball at all. The amount of time a pitcher should take off is really up to them. The questions you could ask yourself are how long was the season, how many innings did you throw during the season, and how long do you have before the next season begins. A rule of thumb would be somewhere around three weeks. For a young little league athlete, taking time off could be easier because they usually are playing different sports throughout the year and so time off of baseball virtually takes care of itself. However, if you truly want to become an outstanding pitcher, don't wait until the next baseball season to start throwing again. Take your needed time off after the season is over but then work in throwing sessions while you are still playing the other sports.
What I am referring to when I list the amount of days during a week a young kid or adult athlete needs to throw in the off season is when they are gearing up for a season. A high school, collegiate or professional athlete may need two months or longer before a season begins. A little league aged athlete may only need a couple months or less prior to a season. For a little league athlete it really depends on how serious they are at becoming a prospective collegiate or professional athlete. If so, they may want as much time to prepare for a season as a professional. I have heard stories of kids throwing all year around from very early in their lives. However, if you have taken some time off between seasons and from your throwing schedule, take your time as you first start out working back into throwing shape. Start with a smaller amount of days that you throw during the week and work up to more. Also, make the workouts less intense at first until you know you are in shape to handle more. Once you get back into the flow of things and you know you are in top throwing shape you could add in mound sessions to work on things for the upcoming season.
How Often Should I Throw?
The question you really want to ask is how often should I not throw. Becoming a successful pitcher in baseball is obviously a very tough thing to accomplish. The amount of work that needs to be put in over the years is truly astounding. Of course, it is never truly work if you love the game and are enjoying the process, but time spent is definitely needed. Whether you are a young athlete in little league or a more established pitcher at the college or professional level, you should be throwing at least four to six times a week during the off season and five to seven times a week in season.
Now, this is where an individual pitcher and maybe even their parents, depending on their age, need to monitor what is going on. Even though I say you basically need to be throwing everyday of the week in season and off season, there needs to be a complete resting period as well. After the end of a season there should be an extended period of complete rest. This means do not throw a baseball at all. The amount of time a pitcher should take off is really up to them. The questions you could ask yourself are how long was the season, how many innings did you throw during the season, and how long do you have before the next season begins. A rule of thumb would be somewhere around three weeks. For a young little league athlete, taking time off could be easier because they usually are playing different sports throughout the year and so time off of baseball virtually takes care of itself. However, if you truly want to become an outstanding pitcher, don't wait until the next baseball season to start throwing again. Take your needed time off after the season is over but then work in throwing sessions while you are still playing the other sports.
What I am referring to when I list the amount of days during a week a young kid or adult athlete needs to throw in the off season is when they are gearing up for a season. A high school, collegiate or professional athlete may need two months or longer before a season begins. A little league aged athlete may only need a couple months or less prior to a season. For a little league athlete it really depends on how serious they are at becoming a prospective collegiate or professional athlete. If so, they may want as much time to prepare for a season as a professional. I have heard stories of kids throwing all year around from very early in their lives. However, if you have taken some time off between seasons and from your throwing schedule, take your time as you first start out working back into throwing shape. Start with a smaller amount of days that you throw during the week and work up to more. Also, make the workouts less intense at first until you know you are in shape to handle more. Once you get back into the flow of things and you know you are in top throwing shape you could add in mound sessions to work on things for the upcoming season.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
The Process of Long Toss-Part 2
In the last blog I introduced the process of long toss and discussed how far a pitcher should throw the baseball during their long toss program. In part 2 we are going to discuss how much time should be spent during your long toss workouts.
How Much Time Should I Spend Throwing?
Time spent for each throwing session is going to depend on the individual and what the circumstances are for that week. A good rule of thumb is at least a ten-minute session during the season and however long you would like to throw during the off season, each time you throw. This will allow the body enough time, as long as your movement is good, to flush itself of any unwanted soreness or tightness as well as give you enough of a workout to further instill proper movement patterns into your body's map.
During the season, throwing sessions may not go much past a ten minute time period. This would of course depend on whether you are a starter or a reliever, when you pitched last, when you are going to pitch again, and how your body feels that specific day. However, my suggestion is to at least attempt the ten minutes each and every time you throw. On a longer distance day it will be easier to throw past the ten-minute mark. The days where you are not moving back that far are the days you want to make sure you are still getting the repetitions in that are needed. For example, if you are only going to throw 90 feet on a certain day and it only takes you five minutes to back up that far, stay there and continue throwing at whatever intensity level works for you that day for at least another five minutes.
My experience with this type of program at the professional level has really opened my eyes to how well this truly works. It does take a bit of getting used to and changing your mental mind state to make this work. But once you have done so this will work great. On several occasions I have had professional pitchers tell me how much they doubted the ten-minute program, combined with throwing at least 6 days a week, if not everyday. However, after attempting the program for at least 2 weeks the players immediately changed their pattern of thought. Their arms felt stronger, they were less sore between outings, they recovered faster, and they fatigued less quickly.
During the off season, workouts should extend much past the ten-minute time frame. This is the part of the year where there is no rush to get through your workout. The purpose is to take your time and sooth your arm. You should treat this like an aerobic workout for your arm. It is not uncommon to throw at least thirty minutes if taking the proper time to back up and throw a baseball as far as you can.
Make sure and use your entire body when throwing long toss. Try standing sideways to your target before you start and allowing yourself a couple of steps or shuffles prior to throwing. Remember, it is all the body, all the time when you pitch. Make the entire body move aggressively and smoothly as you move to throw the baseball. Have fun and make it a relaxing and joyous experience, try never to just go through the motions. Enjoy, part 3 is on its way!
How Much Time Should I Spend Throwing?
Time spent for each throwing session is going to depend on the individual and what the circumstances are for that week. A good rule of thumb is at least a ten-minute session during the season and however long you would like to throw during the off season, each time you throw. This will allow the body enough time, as long as your movement is good, to flush itself of any unwanted soreness or tightness as well as give you enough of a workout to further instill proper movement patterns into your body's map.
During the season, throwing sessions may not go much past a ten minute time period. This would of course depend on whether you are a starter or a reliever, when you pitched last, when you are going to pitch again, and how your body feels that specific day. However, my suggestion is to at least attempt the ten minutes each and every time you throw. On a longer distance day it will be easier to throw past the ten-minute mark. The days where you are not moving back that far are the days you want to make sure you are still getting the repetitions in that are needed. For example, if you are only going to throw 90 feet on a certain day and it only takes you five minutes to back up that far, stay there and continue throwing at whatever intensity level works for you that day for at least another five minutes.
My experience with this type of program at the professional level has really opened my eyes to how well this truly works. It does take a bit of getting used to and changing your mental mind state to make this work. But once you have done so this will work great. On several occasions I have had professional pitchers tell me how much they doubted the ten-minute program, combined with throwing at least 6 days a week, if not everyday. However, after attempting the program for at least 2 weeks the players immediately changed their pattern of thought. Their arms felt stronger, they were less sore between outings, they recovered faster, and they fatigued less quickly.
During the off season, workouts should extend much past the ten-minute time frame. This is the part of the year where there is no rush to get through your workout. The purpose is to take your time and sooth your arm. You should treat this like an aerobic workout for your arm. It is not uncommon to throw at least thirty minutes if taking the proper time to back up and throw a baseball as far as you can.
Make sure and use your entire body when throwing long toss. Try standing sideways to your target before you start and allowing yourself a couple of steps or shuffles prior to throwing. Remember, it is all the body, all the time when you pitch. Make the entire body move aggressively and smoothly as you move to throw the baseball. Have fun and make it a relaxing and joyous experience, try never to just go through the motions. Enjoy, part 3 is on its way!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
The Process of Long Toss-Part 1
There are several approaches to a good long toss program. Through my own personal experience of performing a long toss program when I was playing, witnessing the long toss program I implement for my clients, and from viewing the same type of long toss program for the five years I have coached in professional baseball, I have become very confident in the program I currently implement. The following blog series about long toss will delve into all aspects of a long toss program and how to implement it during the season and also the off season.
How far should I throw a baseball?
The first topic discussed in a long toss program is how far the athlete should throw a baseball. During any given day that number could vary. How many days a pitcher throws during the week, whether it is off season or in season, how intense the workouts were during the week, and much more all go into deciding how far a pitcher should throw on a given day during a long toss program. Don't let the name fool you. Just because it says "long toss program" doesn't mean you need to throw as far as you can and ignore what your body is telling you.
A good answer to the question of how far should a pitcher throw in a long toss program is however long your body allows you to throw for that specific day. Normally a pitcher should try to throw the baseball as far as they can each day that they throw. However, there are plenty of variables one should be aware of. If you are in the off season and working on creating more arm strength and endurance, then I would suggest consistently throwing a baseball as far as you can and then try to match or better that distance each workout. If you are in-season and you are pitching on a five day rotation you may only see fit to throw a baseball as far as you can once a week. The rest of the week would be set up based more on amount of time throwing a baseball (which we will discuss in the next blog) and what needs to be addressed prior to the next start. If you are a reliever during the season you may want to throw a baseball as far as you can quite often depending on the amount of game work you are getting. I understand this may vary from time to time during a season, but usually you can get a feel for how you are being used and when. Also, if you are a reliever you probably want to spend more time on throwing then actually pitching off a mound. Normally relievers will use a lot of flat ground work to keep their pitches sharp and use long toss as a way to keep their arm strength up during a season.
Overall, the distance you should throw a baseball is going to be different for each individual. Age, arm strength, arm endurance, in-season, off-season, etc...are all factors that will go into the answer of how far you should throw a baseball. Do what is best for you at the time. Remember to always listen to your body and it will let you know what you can handle on that specific day. Good luck and enjoy your long toss! Part 2 is on its way!
Overall, the distance you should throw a baseball is going to be different for each individual. Age, arm strength, arm endurance, in-season, off-season, etc...are all factors that will go into the answer of how far you should throw a baseball. Do what is best for you at the time. Remember to always listen to your body and it will let you know what you can handle on that specific day. Good luck and enjoy your long toss! Part 2 is on its way!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
How to Identify a Good Coach
There is so much information available in the game of baseball that it is often difficult to decipher what information is the best for your child. Many parents want their children to receive private instruction and understand that it can be costly. If you are a parent who is willing to invest in private instruction for your pitcher, it is important to know what to look for when deciding on the most effective private coach for your child.
Here are a few tips to help you spot out the best from the rest when it comes to private coaches:
Video, Video and more Video
You want to choose a coach for your young athlete who uses video in their instruction. Video should be taken of your child in almost every session so that the coach can consistently see if there are any improvements being made. Additionally, video allows the parent to take a look and start to learn about the movement as well. At the very least the coach should be showing your child a video of a professional who does things very well in their sport. This way the child can have someone to pattern their movements after and have a visual interpretation in addition to the words of what the movement should look like when performed well.
Assessments
It is important to choose a coach who assesses their athletes prior to starting them on a program or series of lessons. If the coach does not have a solid background of the athlete or at least a very good idea of where they are currently in regards to development, then they cannot truly know where to start. Assessments, if done properly of course, are great tools for the coaches and parents to understand their young athlete. With assessments, parents can discover information about their children that they may not have previously noticed or have been ignoring and the coach will be better informed before beginning a program.
Background
Be sure to investigate the background of the coach that you are looking to hire. For example, how much playing experience does the coach have? How much coaching experience? What efforts have they made to learn more about their craft? Do they have specific physical education classes that will benefit your athlete? Can they analyze film and break down movements? Do they understand how the body works and what type of information the body will react to? Just because a coach has major league experience doesn't make them a great coach. There are plenty of big league performers who never really understood how they got things done from a mechanical standpoint, they just knew how to get things done. Of course there will be pluses and minuses to all coaches but don't be fooled by their background and don't forget to check on it.
Clients
Check to see what type of clients the coach has been working with. What age group does the coach have most of their experience with? How have the clients that they have worked with in the past evolved? What do their former clients say about them? We all know that it is really exciting to take your athlete to a coach who has worked with major league players. But not every good coach you see is going to have that type of clientele.
What you really want to take a look at is how this coach is developing the clients they have. For example, is the coach able to assist in developing young athletes who are average or below average athletes when they started instruction? Can the coach take these young athletes and help guide them to have experiences that they would have never had unless they found each other? The real coaches are the ones who can get those physically challenged athletes and take them to a place they would have never thought they could go. No matter if that place was JV baseball to JC baseball or back-up Varsity to small college athlete. Any coach can coach an All-American, but can they coach the kid who nobody thinks has a shot?
Approach
Last but certainly not least is a positive approach. You want a coach who is positive, upbeat and energetic; a coach who loves what they do and it shows. Be sure to pick the coaches who have a smile on their face but know what to say, how to say it and when to say it to get the best out of the athlete. A coach who has an approach from the positive end of the scale will go a long way in inspiring your young athlete to perform at their very best.
So for now on when searching for a coach to assist your young athlete in private instruction keep these tips in mind and it will help you identify the best coach possible and may save you a whole lot of money and wasted time.
Here are a few tips to help you spot out the best from the rest when it comes to private coaches:
Video, Video and more Video
You want to choose a coach for your young athlete who uses video in their instruction. Video should be taken of your child in almost every session so that the coach can consistently see if there are any improvements being made. Additionally, video allows the parent to take a look and start to learn about the movement as well. At the very least the coach should be showing your child a video of a professional who does things very well in their sport. This way the child can have someone to pattern their movements after and have a visual interpretation in addition to the words of what the movement should look like when performed well.
Assessments
It is important to choose a coach who assesses their athletes prior to starting them on a program or series of lessons. If the coach does not have a solid background of the athlete or at least a very good idea of where they are currently in regards to development, then they cannot truly know where to start. Assessments, if done properly of course, are great tools for the coaches and parents to understand their young athlete. With assessments, parents can discover information about their children that they may not have previously noticed or have been ignoring and the coach will be better informed before beginning a program.
Background
Be sure to investigate the background of the coach that you are looking to hire. For example, how much playing experience does the coach have? How much coaching experience? What efforts have they made to learn more about their craft? Do they have specific physical education classes that will benefit your athlete? Can they analyze film and break down movements? Do they understand how the body works and what type of information the body will react to? Just because a coach has major league experience doesn't make them a great coach. There are plenty of big league performers who never really understood how they got things done from a mechanical standpoint, they just knew how to get things done. Of course there will be pluses and minuses to all coaches but don't be fooled by their background and don't forget to check on it.
Clients
Check to see what type of clients the coach has been working with. What age group does the coach have most of their experience with? How have the clients that they have worked with in the past evolved? What do their former clients say about them? We all know that it is really exciting to take your athlete to a coach who has worked with major league players. But not every good coach you see is going to have that type of clientele.
What you really want to take a look at is how this coach is developing the clients they have. For example, is the coach able to assist in developing young athletes who are average or below average athletes when they started instruction? Can the coach take these young athletes and help guide them to have experiences that they would have never had unless they found each other? The real coaches are the ones who can get those physically challenged athletes and take them to a place they would have never thought they could go. No matter if that place was JV baseball to JC baseball or back-up Varsity to small college athlete. Any coach can coach an All-American, but can they coach the kid who nobody thinks has a shot?
Approach
Last but certainly not least is a positive approach. You want a coach who is positive, upbeat and energetic; a coach who loves what they do and it shows. Be sure to pick the coaches who have a smile on their face but know what to say, how to say it and when to say it to get the best out of the athlete. A coach who has an approach from the positive end of the scale will go a long way in inspiring your young athlete to perform at their very best.
So for now on when searching for a coach to assist your young athlete in private instruction keep these tips in mind and it will help you identify the best coach possible and may save you a whole lot of money and wasted time.
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