Spring Training has unfolded very well this season. Just when I have been writing blogs on consistency we have had the perfect guests to come in and reiterate the thoughts I have been writing down. This month we have had Tony LaRussa, Albert Pujols, Bob Knight and Mike Matheny come and talk to all the young minor league players. The best part of it was that not one of them talked about mechanics or talent or ability or anything that relates to physical capabilities. The focus to all their talks was mental toughness. Being able to understand that to be good in the game of baseball and to achieve the highest level of success you must be mentally tough.
For this blog I thought it would be nice to share with all of you what the main points of each of their talks were. Some more serious then others but all equally pleasing and beneficial.
Mike Matheny was first. He spoke to us at the beginning of Spring Training because he is not around as much as everyone else. Matheny works with the big leagues and minor leagues as a catching instructor. Matheny played for a few major league teams and won a couple gold gloves while he was there. I got to meet Mike Matheny last year when he came to work with the catchers in Johnson City. He has a wealth of knowledge and a big time character guy to back it up. Matheny spoke about the other things in baseball that are more in a persons control. Such as being a good teammate. His message was that to be able to be a guy around the clubhouse who sets a good example, who works hard and does his job quietly, who picks up guys when they are not going so well, who doesn't take their performance out on someone else or blame someone else when he is struggling, that that is what truly matters. His point was that if you are able to do these types of things then the successes will come based on your attitude alone. Your job is to come in and be a professional and truly understand what that means and to embrace it for all it is. Learning to be a professional takes care of all the other stuff.
Bob Knight was next. He came down about two weeks ago and had some amazing stories to tell about his time as the head coach of the 1984 summer olympics Gold Medal winning basketball team. Again he talked about more then just having the physical attributes to play the game of baseball. Knight spoke about how much he loved coaching guys who were mentally tough. He was always trying to find ways to challenge his athletes and get the best out of them. Bob shared a few amazing stories on his time with Michael Jordan during the summer of 1984. The way they would banter back and forth, it really seemed like there was something special there between himself and Jordan.
Then came Tony LaRussa. Tony has spoke to the camp each year that I have been with the Cardinals. Each year he speaks in detail about what he looks for in a player that he wants to play for him in the big leagues. Tony has a list of three things when referring to a player he wants on his team: you must be mentally tough, you must be a good teammate, and you must be a professional (on and off the field). LaRussa is not worried too much about all the physical things because he is aware that most of the kids here in this camp have those attributes already. But to play for a team and compete for a championship, that is a different thing. It takes a different type of player to win in the big leagues and that difference is much more mental then it is physical. I got to ask Tony a question while he was speaking to all of us. I asked him what the younger pitchers could do to make themselves better. To be able to learn about the game more. His answer was simple. Tony said, while you are on the bench or in the bullpen during the game, you must watch the game. Watch the game and see how the game shows you all you need to know. The experiences that happen during the game will show you the answers. That is so very true.
This brings me to the last speaker but of course not the least. Mr. Albert Pujols, La Maquina (the machine) Man, what a treat. Every year I am here I get to speak with and hear from the best hitter/player in the entire world. It is great to hear his story each year. But I don't care about his story of how he got to the bigs because it wasn't really that big of one. What I love the most about his talks are how much confidence he exudes when he speaks. There is no question in the world of why Pujols is Pujols when you get to hear him speak and watch him go about his work on a daily basis. The amount of focus, concentration, confidence, consistency that goes into his approach is why he is who he is. It radiates from him. Talk about habits of thought. I remember Albert answering a young man's question about being positive with himself. Albert said that for every time he says something negative to himself in his head, he counters that with five to ten positive things. He has trained himself into his success and there is no two ways about it. I also got to ask Pujols a couple questions. The first one was about how he deals with the failures of the game and how he is able to turn those failures into successes. People forget, even though he is the best player in the game, he still fails 7 out of 10 times when he walks to the plate. His answer to that was to focus on the bigger picture. Going 0 for 4 is not a bad thing if his approach at the plate was good and he hit the ball hard. Sometimes the results won't be there but that doesn't mean his approach or preparation was bad. He also said he does the best he can to turn the page and look forward to the next day if he happened to have a bad one. The second question I asked him was how he created the consistency in his results. Albert answered that with being able to keep his focus and concentration on a day to day basis. He has his off days just like everybody else, but he doesn't let that get in the way of his work. Being able to concentrate and focus his the reason why he is as successful as he is.
Well, that is the wrap up of my fourth spring training experience with the St Louis Cardinals. The next step for me is extended spring training. I get to work with guys who are rehabbing and then all the young pupps who are working on their process to make it to the big leagues. I love how each year brings me more clarity so that I can convey a clearer message each year to these young players. If I can get them to see the bigger picture, to disregard results and get lost in the work, then I have done my job. Until next time Passion for Pitching family!!!!! Hope all is well and you are pitching your butts off!!
Showing posts with label pitching instruction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pitching instruction. Show all posts
Monday, April 4, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Consistency-part 2 Habit of Thought
Ok, so last time I wrote about Consistency and just laid down the foundation for some future blogs on the topic. I touched a bit on how consistency is really just a thought away. I also touched on emotions and that is really where it all starts. So what I wanted to rap about this time is habit of thought and how to go about creating the habits of thought that are going to head you in the direction of what you want in your baseball career or life for that matter.
Your thoughts and emotions basically go hand and hand. They are like best buddies. Your thoughts don't want to go anywhere without their partner, Mr. emotion. This is how it all starts: you have a thought, during these thoughts that you have there will be an emotion that comes with it. If you can be aware enough of your emotions and what you feel like while these thoughts go in and out of your head, you will know where you are heading in your career and life. For example, Johnny is ten years old. He has trouble throwing strikes when he is on the mound. Parents are screaming at him to throw strikes, the coach is screaming at him to throw strikes and his teammates are doing the same. The next day Johnny is relaxing by himself and playing some video games. As he is playing the video games he remembers what happened in yesterdays baseball game. The thought comes through his head that he is not a very good pitcher. Immediately after thinking that thought he felt a weird feeling in his gut. It felt like failure, pain, maybe even guilt. Well, in that moment his emotions are letting him know that the thought he is currently thinking is not serving him. The thought he is thinking feels bad because it is not really true. Yes, Johnny had a bad outing the other day and couldn't throw strikes, but this doesn't make him a bad person or even a bad player, it just means he has some work to do to get better.
Ok, so what work does he have to do to get better? Well, right now I guarantee everyone who is reading this blog is saying he may need mechanical work or maybe he should get a pitching coach or maybe he doesn't practice enough during the week. Each of you would probably be very right in all of those answers except I want to play devils advocate here. The physical work is definitely a part of the process, but what should really come first? The emotional/mental process or the physical process? For most everyone, especially the kids, the process would always start with the physical work and then somewhere down the line the kid would be good enough or not to continue playing. But what happened if the kid started realizing that his habit of thoughts and the feelings that come with those thoughts are leading him closer or further away to the goals he wants to accomplish in life? Would he want to know this information? And wouldn't it be better to have this information sooner then later in their life's journey?
This brings us to the purpose of this blog, habit of thought. As soon as we wanted to or would be inspired to, we should start to take care of our habit of thought. We do that by being more aware of how we feel and then making statements or creating thoughts that assist us in feeling the way we want to feel. The Universe is a very powerful place, I think we could all agree on that even without getting to deep into this. But if we can believe, as I mentioned in the first "consistency" blog, that our thoughts create our success, then we need to address this as soon as we can. If you are a parent reading this blog you could do many things for your kids to create a positive and uplifting environment for them to succeed and get better. If you are an athlete reading this blog then you have the inside route to success and a long, healthy career that most would never know about. Now, this doesn't mean others will not have success if they don't know about this, they will, many do!! The point is that if we can learn about our thoughts and emotions and practice the mental/emotional game we want, then we can deliberately create a career we want instead of thinking we are at the mercy of politics.
The next step is pretty simple, be aware of how you feel. So after reading this blog sit for a second and try this exercise. Make a statement that makes you feel a fulfilling emotion inside your gut. A feeling like appreciation, love, joy, anything like that. It can be a statement about yourself, a friend, a family member, whatever creates that good feeling emotion. Now, on the flip side, think of something that makes you feel an emotion like anger or frustration. Do you see how your thoughts are creating emotions inside you? Which statement made you feel better? Which statement do you think would better serve you in your career or in your life? This is what habit of thought is all about. As we practice good feeling habits of thought that is what we get back in our life. The success/consistency can come immediately, it really doesn't take long. But, if you have been (for the lack of a better word) a negative thinker for a while, it just may take a little bit to tip the scales and see the consistency on a normal basis. Trust me, you will see a difference in your performance immediately, you just have to be patient to gain the consistency based on how good you are at practicing the thoughts you want to have in your life.
So get to work. Start being aware of how you are feeling and if you don't like it, then make a better statement to get you on track. More to come on this soon.....pitch well everyone!!!
Your thoughts and emotions basically go hand and hand. They are like best buddies. Your thoughts don't want to go anywhere without their partner, Mr. emotion. This is how it all starts: you have a thought, during these thoughts that you have there will be an emotion that comes with it. If you can be aware enough of your emotions and what you feel like while these thoughts go in and out of your head, you will know where you are heading in your career and life. For example, Johnny is ten years old. He has trouble throwing strikes when he is on the mound. Parents are screaming at him to throw strikes, the coach is screaming at him to throw strikes and his teammates are doing the same. The next day Johnny is relaxing by himself and playing some video games. As he is playing the video games he remembers what happened in yesterdays baseball game. The thought comes through his head that he is not a very good pitcher. Immediately after thinking that thought he felt a weird feeling in his gut. It felt like failure, pain, maybe even guilt. Well, in that moment his emotions are letting him know that the thought he is currently thinking is not serving him. The thought he is thinking feels bad because it is not really true. Yes, Johnny had a bad outing the other day and couldn't throw strikes, but this doesn't make him a bad person or even a bad player, it just means he has some work to do to get better.
Ok, so what work does he have to do to get better? Well, right now I guarantee everyone who is reading this blog is saying he may need mechanical work or maybe he should get a pitching coach or maybe he doesn't practice enough during the week. Each of you would probably be very right in all of those answers except I want to play devils advocate here. The physical work is definitely a part of the process, but what should really come first? The emotional/mental process or the physical process? For most everyone, especially the kids, the process would always start with the physical work and then somewhere down the line the kid would be good enough or not to continue playing. But what happened if the kid started realizing that his habit of thoughts and the feelings that come with those thoughts are leading him closer or further away to the goals he wants to accomplish in life? Would he want to know this information? And wouldn't it be better to have this information sooner then later in their life's journey?
This brings us to the purpose of this blog, habit of thought. As soon as we wanted to or would be inspired to, we should start to take care of our habit of thought. We do that by being more aware of how we feel and then making statements or creating thoughts that assist us in feeling the way we want to feel. The Universe is a very powerful place, I think we could all agree on that even without getting to deep into this. But if we can believe, as I mentioned in the first "consistency" blog, that our thoughts create our success, then we need to address this as soon as we can. If you are a parent reading this blog you could do many things for your kids to create a positive and uplifting environment for them to succeed and get better. If you are an athlete reading this blog then you have the inside route to success and a long, healthy career that most would never know about. Now, this doesn't mean others will not have success if they don't know about this, they will, many do!! The point is that if we can learn about our thoughts and emotions and practice the mental/emotional game we want, then we can deliberately create a career we want instead of thinking we are at the mercy of politics.
The next step is pretty simple, be aware of how you feel. So after reading this blog sit for a second and try this exercise. Make a statement that makes you feel a fulfilling emotion inside your gut. A feeling like appreciation, love, joy, anything like that. It can be a statement about yourself, a friend, a family member, whatever creates that good feeling emotion. Now, on the flip side, think of something that makes you feel an emotion like anger or frustration. Do you see how your thoughts are creating emotions inside you? Which statement made you feel better? Which statement do you think would better serve you in your career or in your life? This is what habit of thought is all about. As we practice good feeling habits of thought that is what we get back in our life. The success/consistency can come immediately, it really doesn't take long. But, if you have been (for the lack of a better word) a negative thinker for a while, it just may take a little bit to tip the scales and see the consistency on a normal basis. Trust me, you will see a difference in your performance immediately, you just have to be patient to gain the consistency based on how good you are at practicing the thoughts you want to have in your life.
So get to work. Start being aware of how you are feeling and if you don't like it, then make a better statement to get you on track. More to come on this soon.....pitch well everyone!!!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Consistency
I continue to get some great ideas for blog topics from friends and interested Passion for Pitching followers. This blog is going to continue with that theme and so I took this idea from my good friend Christine Meyer. She happens to be a tremendous life coach in the lovely state of Pennsylvania. We have great conversations on a regular basis and she is able to challenge my thought process over and over. The topic she wanted me to discuss was consistency. So this will be blog #2 in the series of blogs I am responding to from you guys out there. How can a pitcher become consistent?
Consistency is the key to pitching success, bar none. At any age, if you can produce consistent results on an outing to outing basis you will be a big league pitcher, no question. Seems easy, right?? Produce consistent results and POOF, there you are, in the big leagues. Ok, so if it seems so easy, why is it so tough? Why can't kids create consistency in their outings over and over and over?
I am going to try and make this as easy as possible, as clear as possible. But what I am going to need from you is a little trust, a little leeway. I want you to all understand that this process of success and consistency IS easy. It is only a thought away. Here is what I mean by that, the body is controlled by the brain. The visual information that we take in from a moment to moment process is taken in, received by the brain, translated by the brain and then carried out via commands from the brain. (more or less, this is not a perfect description, but you get my drift) If this is true (and it is) couldn't we add our thoughts to this as well? Couldn't we say that the thoughts we think are being computed by the brain and then carried out through our body? If you can get your head around this and start to believe it, then consistency is truly just a thought away. The more we are able to think thoughts that are success thinking thoughts, consistency thinking thoughts, then that is exactly what we will get.
Think of it this way. If our thoughts can construct our reality then the more I can train myself, the more I can make good thoughts a habit, then a consistent reality is what I will create on the mound. The more I realize that my current experience is being formed by the thoughts I am thinking from moment to moment then I will be more aware of my thoughts and the reality they are creating. I then can realize how important my NOW moment is. My NOW moment is all I have. It doesn't matter what type of failures I have had or inconsistencies I have had in the past because my thoughts RIGHT NOW are what is creating my experience now and in the future.
This is big time information if you can believe in it and really embrace it. Just think of the power you can have in your career, life, relationship, anything! So what do you need to do to get started? Well, I could make this into a long series of blogs and may do just that, but let me give you the first clue. Start being aware of how you feel on a daily basis. You don't need to get too crazy right now, just be more aware of how you feel day to day. This is where it all starts. Emotions are the key. If you can begin to understand what your emotions are telling you and then how to direct your thoughts to improve your emotions, then you will be well on your way to the consistent career you are looking for.
I am going to leave you with that...I swear we will continue this discussion very soon but I think this is a good start for us. So go back through and read this blog a few more times so you can truly understand the message. Then I will come back and get more specific and paint a clear picture on the topic of consistency. It may take a few blogs but it will be well worth the read. Until then hope all is well and hope everyone is pitching their butts off this Spring!
Consistency is the key to pitching success, bar none. At any age, if you can produce consistent results on an outing to outing basis you will be a big league pitcher, no question. Seems easy, right?? Produce consistent results and POOF, there you are, in the big leagues. Ok, so if it seems so easy, why is it so tough? Why can't kids create consistency in their outings over and over and over?
I am going to try and make this as easy as possible, as clear as possible. But what I am going to need from you is a little trust, a little leeway. I want you to all understand that this process of success and consistency IS easy. It is only a thought away. Here is what I mean by that, the body is controlled by the brain. The visual information that we take in from a moment to moment process is taken in, received by the brain, translated by the brain and then carried out via commands from the brain. (more or less, this is not a perfect description, but you get my drift) If this is true (and it is) couldn't we add our thoughts to this as well? Couldn't we say that the thoughts we think are being computed by the brain and then carried out through our body? If you can get your head around this and start to believe it, then consistency is truly just a thought away. The more we are able to think thoughts that are success thinking thoughts, consistency thinking thoughts, then that is exactly what we will get.
Think of it this way. If our thoughts can construct our reality then the more I can train myself, the more I can make good thoughts a habit, then a consistent reality is what I will create on the mound. The more I realize that my current experience is being formed by the thoughts I am thinking from moment to moment then I will be more aware of my thoughts and the reality they are creating. I then can realize how important my NOW moment is. My NOW moment is all I have. It doesn't matter what type of failures I have had or inconsistencies I have had in the past because my thoughts RIGHT NOW are what is creating my experience now and in the future.
This is big time information if you can believe in it and really embrace it. Just think of the power you can have in your career, life, relationship, anything! So what do you need to do to get started? Well, I could make this into a long series of blogs and may do just that, but let me give you the first clue. Start being aware of how you feel on a daily basis. You don't need to get too crazy right now, just be more aware of how you feel day to day. This is where it all starts. Emotions are the key. If you can begin to understand what your emotions are telling you and then how to direct your thoughts to improve your emotions, then you will be well on your way to the consistent career you are looking for.
I am going to leave you with that...I swear we will continue this discussion very soon but I think this is a good start for us. So go back through and read this blog a few more times so you can truly understand the message. Then I will come back and get more specific and paint a clear picture on the topic of consistency. It may take a few blogs but it will be well worth the read. Until then hope all is well and hope everyone is pitching their butts off this Spring!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
New Year...
It's that time again. Spring Training is in full swing and that means the minor league systems are getting revved up and ready to roll. I'm back down in Jupiter, FL and participating in my fourth spring training with the St Louis Cardinals. It is very exciting to see the pitchers you had in the previous years turning themselves into productive players and perhaps future big leaguers. The start of the spring and new year of baseball has inspired to my first blog of the season!!
For this blog I wanted to be very quick and to the point. I wanted to share with all of you, what I think it takes for a young athlete to evolve and hopefully mold themselves into successful professional pitchers. So what I am going to do is create a list of things I feel are important and fundamental to the process: (in no particular order)
1. Belief...you must have an amazing amount of belief in yourself and not necessarily need physical proof of that at all times. There are going to be plenty of times in your career where things will not go well. Your belief must grow and stay true throughout.
2. Desire...you have to have an amazing amount of desire to want to be better, to want to be a big leaguer and not care about what anyone else thinks, says or does.
3. Evaluation...you must be able to evaluate your level of play in an honest manner. This doesn't mean you have to beat yourself up and say your no good. But you must be able to be honest in the fact that if you need to get better at something, you can't be in denial about it or not be able to recognize that you need to be better. Then once you realize what you need to get better at, you must be able to know if the work you are doing is worth a damn. There are a lot of guys here in this camp thinking they did a whole lot of good in the off season but really nothing has changed.
4. Focus...you must be able to understand what focus is and what it can do for you. If you are not able to understand and use focus to your advantage it will be very tough to have any sort of a lasting career.
5. Preparation...you must know how to prepare yourself MENTALLY and physically for what you are about to do. If there is no preparation to your work it will be a waste of time. Know what you are going to do and why you are going to do it in all situations.
6. Perspective...you must understand the word perspective and how powerful it is for you. What you perceive will eventually become your reality. Do your best to eventually make everything come from a perspective, a point of view, that will be beneficial to you.
7. Contrast...understand that contrast is shaping your future. It is giving you clarity to show you what you need to be better at and how to go about it. If you can take the contrast and perceive it as a good thing, as "showing you the way", then you can use it to fuel your desire and help inspire you to bigger and better things.
8. Stubborn...you must be stubborn enough to be your own man. Not stubborn enough to where you never listen or you are not open to information that could be helpful, but if there are things that you have done over the years that have made you the player you are now, you must be able to stick to your guns no matter who is in front of you asking you to change or do something different. If your gut is telling you that you are on the right track, then you probably are and shouldn't be persuaded by people who have no clue about how you feel inside.
9. Fun...you must have fun!! This process must be perceived as fun. No matter how tough it may seem at times or how many hours you will put into training or no matter how bad it may hurt at times you must look at it as fun. All the different emotions you will feel and all the different experiences you will have, do your best to see the bigger picture. Nothing matters, it is just the game of life. Have fun, smile and don't take it so seriously.
Alright, that is it for today. I am sure there are many more items to add to the list, but this is a pretty good start for now. I was just thinking of where I was and how there are so many guys here working on their dream and thought I would offer some guidance before you get to the same place. There are just too many athletes here who will not make it and it won't be because they weren't talented enough. It will be because they don't have an awareness of some of the things on the list above. So much easier to see these things being a coach and being on the outside looking in, but it is so true.
See you down the line!!!!
For this blog I wanted to be very quick and to the point. I wanted to share with all of you, what I think it takes for a young athlete to evolve and hopefully mold themselves into successful professional pitchers. So what I am going to do is create a list of things I feel are important and fundamental to the process: (in no particular order)
1. Belief...you must have an amazing amount of belief in yourself and not necessarily need physical proof of that at all times. There are going to be plenty of times in your career where things will not go well. Your belief must grow and stay true throughout.
2. Desire...you have to have an amazing amount of desire to want to be better, to want to be a big leaguer and not care about what anyone else thinks, says or does.
3. Evaluation...you must be able to evaluate your level of play in an honest manner. This doesn't mean you have to beat yourself up and say your no good. But you must be able to be honest in the fact that if you need to get better at something, you can't be in denial about it or not be able to recognize that you need to be better. Then once you realize what you need to get better at, you must be able to know if the work you are doing is worth a damn. There are a lot of guys here in this camp thinking they did a whole lot of good in the off season but really nothing has changed.
4. Focus...you must be able to understand what focus is and what it can do for you. If you are not able to understand and use focus to your advantage it will be very tough to have any sort of a lasting career.
5. Preparation...you must know how to prepare yourself MENTALLY and physically for what you are about to do. If there is no preparation to your work it will be a waste of time. Know what you are going to do and why you are going to do it in all situations.
6. Perspective...you must understand the word perspective and how powerful it is for you. What you perceive will eventually become your reality. Do your best to eventually make everything come from a perspective, a point of view, that will be beneficial to you.
7. Contrast...understand that contrast is shaping your future. It is giving you clarity to show you what you need to be better at and how to go about it. If you can take the contrast and perceive it as a good thing, as "showing you the way", then you can use it to fuel your desire and help inspire you to bigger and better things.
8. Stubborn...you must be stubborn enough to be your own man. Not stubborn enough to where you never listen or you are not open to information that could be helpful, but if there are things that you have done over the years that have made you the player you are now, you must be able to stick to your guns no matter who is in front of you asking you to change or do something different. If your gut is telling you that you are on the right track, then you probably are and shouldn't be persuaded by people who have no clue about how you feel inside.
9. Fun...you must have fun!! This process must be perceived as fun. No matter how tough it may seem at times or how many hours you will put into training or no matter how bad it may hurt at times you must look at it as fun. All the different emotions you will feel and all the different experiences you will have, do your best to see the bigger picture. Nothing matters, it is just the game of life. Have fun, smile and don't take it so seriously.
Alright, that is it for today. I am sure there are many more items to add to the list, but this is a pretty good start for now. I was just thinking of where I was and how there are so many guys here working on their dream and thought I would offer some guidance before you get to the same place. There are just too many athletes here who will not make it and it won't be because they weren't talented enough. It will be because they don't have an awareness of some of the things on the list above. So much easier to see these things being a coach and being on the outside looking in, but it is so true.
See you down the line!!!!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Pitching Inside
Today was the first day of minor league games in Spring Training. We played intersquad games where the AAA team matched up against our AA team and the High A team matched up with our Low A team. There were some great arms on the mounds today and it is nice to see some of the guys I had last year start up the new season.
Every morning before we head out to the fields for the day the coaches have a meeting to go over whatever is needed to prepare for the day or get the focus for the day that is about to begin. One of the portions of the morning meetings is saved for special topics. Today the topic we had a coach bring up was pitching inside.
Pitching Inside is such a taboo conversation because it is talked about a lot but performed very little or very badly on the field of play around baseball as a whole. It used to be where guys got knocked on their ass on a daily basis and nothing was thought of it. The pitcher tried to establish that he owned the inside half of the plate and the batter was not to disrespect that. "Old School" guys like Bob Gibson, Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax, and I am sure there were many more, made sure of it that hitters never got too comfortable in the box. But if you really want to be a successful pitcher and pitch for a long time, you need to learn how to throw inside.
Whenever discussing any sort of topic there are usually two sides, the problem, or issue, and the solution. So, we know that the problem is that a lot of pitchers have a tough time pitching inside. Now, instead of going too far into it and figuring out when should I pitch in side and to who and in what situation, let's go right to the solution and let the rest of that stuff take care of itself as you gain more experience along the path.
The first step to pitching inside is understanding that it is something you are going to accomplish. You are understanding why it is necessary and that it is a great part to the game of baseball. This is a game and part of being a competitor is owning both sides of the plate. Remember, as the pitcher you are the one who is supposed to be intimidating the hitters, not the other way around. You are the one throwing the baseball, they are the ones standing there hoping to see the ball well enough to hit it. You can't be worried about hitting guys when pitching inside. Understand that it is part of the game and that you are not intentionally trying to harm anyone. But if you learn how to throw inside at an early age, this will never be an issue for you.
The second step to pitching inside is understanding the lane you can throw the baseball down. You must be able to see the path the ball should take to end up at the spot and through the spot you want it to go. Ignoring the plate at this point would be a smart idea. Understand that as a pitcher you want to throw the baseball to a glove, not to the plate. The plate is just there as a reference for the umpire but your job is to hit the glove. So if you can see the lane that your ball should go down to hit the glove and be on the inside part of the plate, you have come a long way in this process.
The third step to pitching inside is understanding the angle that the fastball needs to take as you throw it to the plate. A lot of pitchers stand on the mound and look to the inside part of the plate and don't see the angle the ball should take to throw properly to the inside part of the plate. Do your mechanics need to be pretty solid to make this happen? Well, of course, but we wouldn't want it any other way, right? So, what does the angle look like? If I am a right handed hitter, facing a right handed pitcher, I should see the ball working from the middle/inside part of the plate and continuing further inside as the ball travels towards me. The look of a 4 seam fastball should be constantly bearing down on a hitter. You do not want the baseball starting on the inside part of the plate and then working back towards the middle. If you work with the wrong angle it will make it a lot tougher to stay in on hitters and to not make mistakes over the middle of the plate when you are trying to go inside. Also, if the ball works back over the middle and the hitter hits the ball out in front of the plate, it will be a lot easier for them to keep the ball fair down the line.
The fourth step to pitching inside is going out and doing it. Take your Dad, your friend, or whoever you can get to the field and practice throwing inside. You could even purchase some padding for your buddies to wear. Anything you need to do to not worry about hitting someone while you are working on pitching inside is what you should do. If you have your friends there and they know you are throwing inside and they are ready for it then there should be no issue. They could even just stand there with a glove on so just in case you miss they can protect themselves. You are going to hit batters on your path to the big leagues. That is a definite. But the more you work at it now, the more comfortable it will become, the more you will recognize the arm path and arm stroke to use to that inside pitch. Practice with the understanding that you are working for the feel of the inside lane. You want to be aware of how it feels in your body to own that lane, angle and placement.
Owning the inside part of the plate and having the confidence to throw it there is a big part in becoming a successful pitcher. Stay positive, understand the process, and then go after it! Enjoy and we will chat soon!!
Every morning before we head out to the fields for the day the coaches have a meeting to go over whatever is needed to prepare for the day or get the focus for the day that is about to begin. One of the portions of the morning meetings is saved for special topics. Today the topic we had a coach bring up was pitching inside.
Pitching Inside is such a taboo conversation because it is talked about a lot but performed very little or very badly on the field of play around baseball as a whole. It used to be where guys got knocked on their ass on a daily basis and nothing was thought of it. The pitcher tried to establish that he owned the inside half of the plate and the batter was not to disrespect that. "Old School" guys like Bob Gibson, Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax, and I am sure there were many more, made sure of it that hitters never got too comfortable in the box. But if you really want to be a successful pitcher and pitch for a long time, you need to learn how to throw inside.
Whenever discussing any sort of topic there are usually two sides, the problem, or issue, and the solution. So, we know that the problem is that a lot of pitchers have a tough time pitching inside. Now, instead of going too far into it and figuring out when should I pitch in side and to who and in what situation, let's go right to the solution and let the rest of that stuff take care of itself as you gain more experience along the path.
The first step to pitching inside is understanding that it is something you are going to accomplish. You are understanding why it is necessary and that it is a great part to the game of baseball. This is a game and part of being a competitor is owning both sides of the plate. Remember, as the pitcher you are the one who is supposed to be intimidating the hitters, not the other way around. You are the one throwing the baseball, they are the ones standing there hoping to see the ball well enough to hit it. You can't be worried about hitting guys when pitching inside. Understand that it is part of the game and that you are not intentionally trying to harm anyone. But if you learn how to throw inside at an early age, this will never be an issue for you.
The second step to pitching inside is understanding the lane you can throw the baseball down. You must be able to see the path the ball should take to end up at the spot and through the spot you want it to go. Ignoring the plate at this point would be a smart idea. Understand that as a pitcher you want to throw the baseball to a glove, not to the plate. The plate is just there as a reference for the umpire but your job is to hit the glove. So if you can see the lane that your ball should go down to hit the glove and be on the inside part of the plate, you have come a long way in this process.
The third step to pitching inside is understanding the angle that the fastball needs to take as you throw it to the plate. A lot of pitchers stand on the mound and look to the inside part of the plate and don't see the angle the ball should take to throw properly to the inside part of the plate. Do your mechanics need to be pretty solid to make this happen? Well, of course, but we wouldn't want it any other way, right? So, what does the angle look like? If I am a right handed hitter, facing a right handed pitcher, I should see the ball working from the middle/inside part of the plate and continuing further inside as the ball travels towards me. The look of a 4 seam fastball should be constantly bearing down on a hitter. You do not want the baseball starting on the inside part of the plate and then working back towards the middle. If you work with the wrong angle it will make it a lot tougher to stay in on hitters and to not make mistakes over the middle of the plate when you are trying to go inside. Also, if the ball works back over the middle and the hitter hits the ball out in front of the plate, it will be a lot easier for them to keep the ball fair down the line.
The fourth step to pitching inside is going out and doing it. Take your Dad, your friend, or whoever you can get to the field and practice throwing inside. You could even purchase some padding for your buddies to wear. Anything you need to do to not worry about hitting someone while you are working on pitching inside is what you should do. If you have your friends there and they know you are throwing inside and they are ready for it then there should be no issue. They could even just stand there with a glove on so just in case you miss they can protect themselves. You are going to hit batters on your path to the big leagues. That is a definite. But the more you work at it now, the more comfortable it will become, the more you will recognize the arm path and arm stroke to use to that inside pitch. Practice with the understanding that you are working for the feel of the inside lane. You want to be aware of how it feels in your body to own that lane, angle and placement.
Owning the inside part of the plate and having the confidence to throw it there is a big part in becoming a successful pitcher. Stay positive, understand the process, and then go after it! Enjoy and we will chat soon!!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Spring Training
Hello Passion for Pitching Family!! Hope everyone is doing well out there in the baseball world and that your seasons have started out as you would have liked them to. Currently I am in Jupiter, FL for the start of Spring Training with the St Louis Cardinals. I thought since this is the first year I have been doing this blog and it just so happens that I am starting the professional season, that I could change up the format a bit. For the next 6 months I have decided to let you the viewer in on what it is truly like to be a professional baseball player and coach in the minor leagues.
The daily work, the processes, the rituals, the long bus rides, the extended spring training season, the new draftees, the daily fundamental work, the sandwich lunches, the early mornings, all of it I will share with you!!
So, let's get started!! On March 3rd I started a long trek, 2600 miles cross country, to get from San Diego, where I live in the off season, to Jupiter, FL, where I will be for the next three and a half months. It took me three full days of driving to get here and now I am "home" for a while. The drive felt unusually quick this year. The days were sunny and clear, the mornings were exceptionally crisp and it was very nice to see the sunrise for the first time in a while. I never really get to see the sunrise when I am in San Diego, although I can't really complain because the sunsets make up for it!! Either way it was a nice change of scenery and it makes you remember how many different reasons there are to love this earth we are living on. Driving cross country gives me a chance to think a whole lot. There is nothing like being alone in a car for ten hours a day with nothing but your thoughts rolling across your mind. Sometimes it is nice to have that alone time to ponder on some subjects in your life and to gain a new perspective on things.
I arrived on the night of the 5th at about 10pm. The hotel we stay at here in Florida is a beautiful place. All the coaches get there own rooms and have plenty of room on the big King size beds to spread out!! Whenever I get to a new spot I immediately like to get unpacked and organized. I rolled the luggage carrier about a half mile around the hotel building until I finally arrived at my car for the unloading process. With all the "stuff" I bring I feel like a woman. (no offense to the lite packing ladies out there) I piled all my stuff about 5 feet high on the roller and then headed to the elevator and then on to my room. About 30 minutes later I was all set up and ready to get into my big, comfortable bed for the night.
The next morning came and it was March 6th, one day from the start of meetings and the first official day of Spring Training 2010. This is my third year with the organization so I am already familiar with the area and know exactly where all the best places are to eat. Breakfast is great, it is right across the street from the hotel and is only about 6 bucks to fill my stomach. It is a neat little spot. The owner is definitely from the northeast because he has banners up from the Yankees World Series win, the Patriots last Super Bowl victory and the Boston Red Sox championship from 2004. It feels good to be back in a place that is familiar to me although I can't lie that it is tough to leave San Diego. After breakfast it was on to the clubhouse to get set up for the start of Spring Training. It always feels good to first walk into the clubhouse and see all the coaches again and get reacquainted with everyone. We all look at each other in wonderment that we made it through another season and that we are crazy enough to do it again!! I don't mean that in a bad way because the experiences are well worth the grind, but it is funny what us coaches go through each year during a season. There are so many different emotions that come into play during a season and so many different personalities that you come across that it is definitely one of the most challenging professions a person could choose. The growth you take as an individual is truly amazing, as long as you allow yourself to take the growth of course. There is so much to learn on and off the field from the players, other coaches, the game itself that each year at the end of it all you are left in amazement at what you have been through and made it out alive...lol!!
Well, that is it for me tonight, it is time to make some phone calls to friends and family and then hit the sack. Tomorrow's day begins at 8am and it is another full day of meetings. I'll fill you in later!! Goodnight Passion for Pitching Family.
The daily work, the processes, the rituals, the long bus rides, the extended spring training season, the new draftees, the daily fundamental work, the sandwich lunches, the early mornings, all of it I will share with you!!
So, let's get started!! On March 3rd I started a long trek, 2600 miles cross country, to get from San Diego, where I live in the off season, to Jupiter, FL, where I will be for the next three and a half months. It took me three full days of driving to get here and now I am "home" for a while. The drive felt unusually quick this year. The days were sunny and clear, the mornings were exceptionally crisp and it was very nice to see the sunrise for the first time in a while. I never really get to see the sunrise when I am in San Diego, although I can't really complain because the sunsets make up for it!! Either way it was a nice change of scenery and it makes you remember how many different reasons there are to love this earth we are living on. Driving cross country gives me a chance to think a whole lot. There is nothing like being alone in a car for ten hours a day with nothing but your thoughts rolling across your mind. Sometimes it is nice to have that alone time to ponder on some subjects in your life and to gain a new perspective on things.
I arrived on the night of the 5th at about 10pm. The hotel we stay at here in Florida is a beautiful place. All the coaches get there own rooms and have plenty of room on the big King size beds to spread out!! Whenever I get to a new spot I immediately like to get unpacked and organized. I rolled the luggage carrier about a half mile around the hotel building until I finally arrived at my car for the unloading process. With all the "stuff" I bring I feel like a woman. (no offense to the lite packing ladies out there) I piled all my stuff about 5 feet high on the roller and then headed to the elevator and then on to my room. About 30 minutes later I was all set up and ready to get into my big, comfortable bed for the night.
The next morning came and it was March 6th, one day from the start of meetings and the first official day of Spring Training 2010. This is my third year with the organization so I am already familiar with the area and know exactly where all the best places are to eat. Breakfast is great, it is right across the street from the hotel and is only about 6 bucks to fill my stomach. It is a neat little spot. The owner is definitely from the northeast because he has banners up from the Yankees World Series win, the Patriots last Super Bowl victory and the Boston Red Sox championship from 2004. It feels good to be back in a place that is familiar to me although I can't lie that it is tough to leave San Diego. After breakfast it was on to the clubhouse to get set up for the start of Spring Training. It always feels good to first walk into the clubhouse and see all the coaches again and get reacquainted with everyone. We all look at each other in wonderment that we made it through another season and that we are crazy enough to do it again!! I don't mean that in a bad way because the experiences are well worth the grind, but it is funny what us coaches go through each year during a season. There are so many different emotions that come into play during a season and so many different personalities that you come across that it is definitely one of the most challenging professions a person could choose. The growth you take as an individual is truly amazing, as long as you allow yourself to take the growth of course. There is so much to learn on and off the field from the players, other coaches, the game itself that each year at the end of it all you are left in amazement at what you have been through and made it out alive...lol!!
Well, that is it for me tonight, it is time to make some phone calls to friends and family and then hit the sack. Tomorrow's day begins at 8am and it is another full day of meetings. I'll fill you in later!! Goodnight Passion for Pitching Family.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Throwing vs. Pitching
Often I receive emails from prospective clients who have children that are 8 and 9 years of age asking what they can do to help their kids become pitchers. The answer I always give them is, "don't make them pitchers, make them throwers."
If you have a young athlete at home (ages 6-9) who wants to become a major league pitcher someday, enable your athlete to be a thrower first and a pitcher second.
It is very important to develop the athlete's throwing ability before ever thinking about the actual pitching process. The most important activity to practice with a young athlete is how to properly throw a baseball. Here are a few key components to becoming an effective thrower:
Any young athlete should be able to notice the freedom they have when throwing with a friend and using all of their body. Guide them toward feeling that same type of freedom when they get on the mound and see what they can come up with. Most times the kids will be able to figure out what is best for them all by themselves.
Rhythm, Tempo and Timing
Rhythm, tempo and timing are three very important parts to the throw and can be learned at very young ages. Try doing any type of drill but make sure the athlete is focusing on the fluidity of their movement––their rhythm––and how easy they can make the movement.
Running or skipping is a great way to illustrate tempo. Show them examples of moving too slow, too fast and then a happy medium. Let them figure out the right tempo while they throw a baseball. If they move too slow or too fast they should be able to recognize that and feel what that is like. Then help guide them towards that happy medium and ask them how their body and arm feel when they are throwing; they will be able to tell you exactly what worked and didn't work in each instance.
Timing refers to the process of taking the ball out of the glove and the time the athlete actually commits to the throw. Taking the ball out of the glove too soon is a big problem young throwers seem to experience often. Most people would think that taking the ball out of the glove early is better for young athletes to throw; they feel it helps get their arms into position to throw the baseball on time.
Watch your child throw and see what happens. If you are looking at rhythm, tempo and timing, you will be able to determine the right time for the athlete to take the ball out of the glove. The athletes will also be able to tell you whether they are on time for the throw. Too early will feel slow and heavy, too late will feel rushed and out of control, but on time will feel just that. It will feel smooth, easy and fluid and be very easy to notice.
If the athlete can do a traditional grip and has a big enough hand, make sure the thumb is directly in between the index and middle finger on the bottom part of the baseball. Simply point the baseball at yourself to check and see if your grip is correct. Rotation is the key when using the four-seam grip. Your throwing partner should see nothing but white coming at them if you are throwing the ball correctly with proper spin and rotation.
In addition to getting the arm in shape, long toss can also be used to steadily increase the distance a thrower can actually throw a baseball. If an athlete can throw a ball farther and farther as they use the long toss process, and is also able to use the athletic components in long toss and transfer that type of freedom to the mound, then the long toss will convert and the athlete will be able to throw the baseball harder when on the mound. This explains why athletes can gain plenty of distance on a long toss throw but for some reason are not able to throw with any type of real velocity on the mound (they are not able to maintain the athletic movement and freedom they have in a long toss throw on the mound).
In other words, if an athlete never learns the ability to throw a ball far (master long toss), they most likely will never be able to throw a ball with significant velocity on the mound. But if we can assist the athlete in creating as athletic of a throw on the mound as they use in long toss, it will transfer to the mound and the young athlete will be grateful for their long toss work.
Long toss is the most important technique that a young thrower can have. The ability to throw the ball far and understand the importance of long toss is invaluable. Avoid going too far into explaining the process; help them to understand the importance of using the entire body aggressively to throw the baseball and throwing the ball as far as you can when doing long toss. There is a complete art to long toss and it is a very satisfying and fun workout once the young athlete truly understands what long toss is all about.
Learning to be a Thrower
No matter the age, athleticism rules when you are an athlete and learning any type of sport. The most athletic kids will almost always be the best players at a young age, but that won't always be the case. Provide your young athlete with the proper knowledge and time in order to learn how to be a thrower. Young athletes at ages 6-9 have plenty of time but also need to start throwing and developing their craft at an early age. Remind your athlete that they don't need be in any rush to be the strongest, biggest, fastest kid on the field of play. No need to be discouraged; just have fun and start the process to success.
If you have a young athlete at home (ages 6-9) who wants to become a major league pitcher someday, enable your athlete to be a thrower first and a pitcher second.
It is very important to develop the athlete's throwing ability before ever thinking about the actual pitching process. The most important activity to practice with a young athlete is how to properly throw a baseball. Here are a few key components to becoming an effective thrower:
- Being athletic and using your body
- Rhythm, tempo and timing
- Grip
- Long toss
Being athletic and using your body to throw a baseball is very important when learning how to throw a baseball. 'All the body, all the time' is a great phrase to explain throwing. Always moving your feet to throw and not just taking one step, being aggressive with your steps towards the target, and remaining sideways as you move towards your target are simple ways to explain this process. A lot of the time pitchers make themselves into robots, thinking they need to look a certain way and be very controlled while on the mound. But when you are young, if you learn to throw the baseball with aggression and with your whole body moving with you, it will be easier to make that a part of your pitching process later on.
Any young athlete should be able to notice the freedom they have when throwing with a friend and using all of their body. Guide them toward feeling that same type of freedom when they get on the mound and see what they can come up with. Most times the kids will be able to figure out what is best for them all by themselves.
Rhythm, Tempo and Timing
Rhythm, tempo and timing are three very important parts to the throw and can be learned at very young ages. Try doing any type of drill but make sure the athlete is focusing on the fluidity of their movement––their rhythm––and how easy they can make the movement.
Running or skipping is a great way to illustrate tempo. Show them examples of moving too slow, too fast and then a happy medium. Let them figure out the right tempo while they throw a baseball. If they move too slow or too fast they should be able to recognize that and feel what that is like. Then help guide them towards that happy medium and ask them how their body and arm feel when they are throwing; they will be able to tell you exactly what worked and didn't work in each instance.
Timing refers to the process of taking the ball out of the glove and the time the athlete actually commits to the throw. Taking the ball out of the glove too soon is a big problem young throwers seem to experience often. Most people would think that taking the ball out of the glove early is better for young athletes to throw; they feel it helps get their arms into position to throw the baseball on time.
Watch your child throw and see what happens. If you are looking at rhythm, tempo and timing, you will be able to determine the right time for the athlete to take the ball out of the glove. The athletes will also be able to tell you whether they are on time for the throw. Too early will feel slow and heavy, too late will feel rushed and out of control, but on time will feel just that. It will feel smooth, easy and fluid and be very easy to notice.
Grip
Always work with a traditional four-seam grip when developing a young athlete's arm strength. If the athletes hand is too small you can always try a three finger grip. Just make sure the thumb is underneath the baseball and cuts right through the middle of the ball.If the athlete can do a traditional grip and has a big enough hand, make sure the thumb is directly in between the index and middle finger on the bottom part of the baseball. Simply point the baseball at yourself to check and see if your grip is correct. Rotation is the key when using the four-seam grip. Your throwing partner should see nothing but white coming at them if you are throwing the ball correctly with proper spin and rotation.
Long Toss
Long toss is one of the most important components to becoming an effective thrower. Long toss is also the key to creating the arm endurance and strength that every pitcher needs. Some people would say that long toss creates arm endurance but not arm strength. Long toss creates arm endurance AND it can also increase arm strength. However, if an athlete never increases the distance of their throws through long toss, they may never have the opportunity to throw with quality velocity on the mound.In addition to getting the arm in shape, long toss can also be used to steadily increase the distance a thrower can actually throw a baseball. If an athlete can throw a ball farther and farther as they use the long toss process, and is also able to use the athletic components in long toss and transfer that type of freedom to the mound, then the long toss will convert and the athlete will be able to throw the baseball harder when on the mound. This explains why athletes can gain plenty of distance on a long toss throw but for some reason are not able to throw with any type of real velocity on the mound (they are not able to maintain the athletic movement and freedom they have in a long toss throw on the mound).
In other words, if an athlete never learns the ability to throw a ball far (master long toss), they most likely will never be able to throw a ball with significant velocity on the mound. But if we can assist the athlete in creating as athletic of a throw on the mound as they use in long toss, it will transfer to the mound and the young athlete will be grateful for their long toss work.
Long toss is the most important technique that a young thrower can have. The ability to throw the ball far and understand the importance of long toss is invaluable. Avoid going too far into explaining the process; help them to understand the importance of using the entire body aggressively to throw the baseball and throwing the ball as far as you can when doing long toss. There is a complete art to long toss and it is a very satisfying and fun workout once the young athlete truly understands what long toss is all about.
Learning to be a Thrower
No matter the age, athleticism rules when you are an athlete and learning any type of sport. The most athletic kids will almost always be the best players at a young age, but that won't always be the case. Provide your young athlete with the proper knowledge and time in order to learn how to be a thrower. Young athletes at ages 6-9 have plenty of time but also need to start throwing and developing their craft at an early age. Remind your athlete that they don't need be in any rush to be the strongest, biggest, fastest kid on the field of play. No need to be discouraged; just have fun and start the process to success.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
The Complete Pitcher's Workout
Often parents ask me, "What should my son be doing for workouts to prepare for the season?" It's a great question for every young pitcher to ask himself. Every time a pitcher goes out to train they should know what they are going to do that day and what the focus of the workout is going to be. With a simple program, pitchers of any age can get the most out of their training time. There are several throwing programs that a pitcher can utilize in their training. The first is for a throwing workout.
The throwing workout program normally includes:
Body preparation
Long toss
Focused throwing
Arm care
Body work
Body Preparation
The first part of ANY throwing program or workout should be body preparation. A normal body preparation consists of three things: visual work, balance work and joint mobility work. The whole point in preparing your body for the training it is about to do is to wake up the nervous system. You want the body to respond to the work it is about to do and you also want the body to accept the work. This includes visual work, balance and joint mobility. The body preparation portion of the training session will assist in waking up your nervous system and will allow you to get the most out of your training for the day.
Long Toss
Once body preparation is finished it is time to move on to the throwing part of the workout. Long toss is what most people, including myself, like to call it. I will go into the particulars of long toss in later blogs, but the basis of long toss is to throw as far as you can for that specific day, nice and relaxed on the way out and then more intense on the way back in. A normal long toss period during off season training sessions may last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on how far that particular pitcher can throw a baseball. With long toss, there should be no rush to back up to the farthest distance; the pitcher should take their time. As for younger kids, naturally their long toss session may not be as long because they will not be able to throw the ball as far.
Focused Throwing
Immediately following the long toss portion of the training session there should be some sort of focused throwing. There can be several ways to use this portion of the workout including velocity work, command work, bullpens, flatground, working on off speed pitches and many more ideas. Whatever the pitcher chooses to work on that day is not as important as the focus they bring to the process.
Arm Care
Now we move on to the arm care portion of the session. For this part the pitcher should have a handful or so of exercises that assist in keeping the arm healthy. Scapula movement and rotator cuff exercises should be the focus. Making sure the body knows how to move the scapula properly and also doing maintenance work on the rotator cuff muscles in and around the shoulder should go a long way in keeping the pitcher's arm healthy.
Body Work
Last but not least in the training session should be some sort of body work. How many and the type of exercises the pitcher chooses depends on what type of weight training work they do during the week. All of the week's schedules, weight training, throwing, conditioning, etc. should all work together and be thought out before the week begins. This way the pitcher will know exactly what they need to be doing each day and how hard to push themselves depending on what type of training and intensity level they are using for the week.
Normally it is recommended to do some sort of cardiovascular work at the end of each training session. I usually have my guys doing short bursts of speed with small rests in between drills. If the pitcher is going to do strength exercises with cardiovascular work for that session, make sure to do the cardiovascular work first and then do the strength exercises. (There are all sorts of different point of views on this particular subject that also will be discussed in future blogs.)
Once the pitcher gets a feel for the workouts it is very easy to follow the program and plan out the workouts before they go to the field to throw. Remember to make the workouts as specific as possible but also make them as fun as possible. Try adding in fun games that are challenging and will also help with developing you into the pitcher you are wanting to become. We will discuss the individual parts of the entire training session in later blogs.
For now, have fun and enjoy!
The throwing workout program normally includes:
Body preparation
Long toss
Focused throwing
Arm care
Body work
Body Preparation
The first part of ANY throwing program or workout should be body preparation. A normal body preparation consists of three things: visual work, balance work and joint mobility work. The whole point in preparing your body for the training it is about to do is to wake up the nervous system. You want the body to respond to the work it is about to do and you also want the body to accept the work. This includes visual work, balance and joint mobility. The body preparation portion of the training session will assist in waking up your nervous system and will allow you to get the most out of your training for the day.
Long Toss
Once body preparation is finished it is time to move on to the throwing part of the workout. Long toss is what most people, including myself, like to call it. I will go into the particulars of long toss in later blogs, but the basis of long toss is to throw as far as you can for that specific day, nice and relaxed on the way out and then more intense on the way back in. A normal long toss period during off season training sessions may last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on how far that particular pitcher can throw a baseball. With long toss, there should be no rush to back up to the farthest distance; the pitcher should take their time. As for younger kids, naturally their long toss session may not be as long because they will not be able to throw the ball as far.
Focused Throwing
Immediately following the long toss portion of the training session there should be some sort of focused throwing. There can be several ways to use this portion of the workout including velocity work, command work, bullpens, flatground, working on off speed pitches and many more ideas. Whatever the pitcher chooses to work on that day is not as important as the focus they bring to the process.
Arm Care
Now we move on to the arm care portion of the session. For this part the pitcher should have a handful or so of exercises that assist in keeping the arm healthy. Scapula movement and rotator cuff exercises should be the focus. Making sure the body knows how to move the scapula properly and also doing maintenance work on the rotator cuff muscles in and around the shoulder should go a long way in keeping the pitcher's arm healthy.
Body Work
Last but not least in the training session should be some sort of body work. How many and the type of exercises the pitcher chooses depends on what type of weight training work they do during the week. All of the week's schedules, weight training, throwing, conditioning, etc. should all work together and be thought out before the week begins. This way the pitcher will know exactly what they need to be doing each day and how hard to push themselves depending on what type of training and intensity level they are using for the week.
Normally it is recommended to do some sort of cardiovascular work at the end of each training session. I usually have my guys doing short bursts of speed with small rests in between drills. If the pitcher is going to do strength exercises with cardiovascular work for that session, make sure to do the cardiovascular work first and then do the strength exercises. (There are all sorts of different point of views on this particular subject that also will be discussed in future blogs.)
Once the pitcher gets a feel for the workouts it is very easy to follow the program and plan out the workouts before they go to the field to throw. Remember to make the workouts as specific as possible but also make them as fun as possible. Try adding in fun games that are challenging and will also help with developing you into the pitcher you are wanting to become. We will discuss the individual parts of the entire training session in later blogs.
For now, have fun and enjoy!
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