All About Pitching

The Best Tool For Improving A College Pitcher’s Velocity

Every college pitcher  is looking to improve his pitching velocity.  The large majority are throwing below 85 mph.  For many an extra 3-6 mph of pitching velocity could mean not only much better performance but for some...it is a ticket to their dream...a chance to play pro baseball. 

Unfortunately, many college coaches are giving out  very poor advice to pitchers who want to maximize their velocity. They tell them this time of year to go off a play summer ball and work on getting bigger and stronger.  Bad, bad advice. Neither more weight training nor more long toss is going to have much of an effect on improving velocity and yet the large majority of coaches at the high school and college levels do not know this.

There are no magic bullets to improve pitching velocity.  Sports science research has proven this but coaches do not read research. Instead they pass around the same old beliefs over and over that have no basis in fact.  Magic bullets for improving velocity do not exist such as weighted baseballs, long toss or going into the weight room to get bigger and stronger.  

Pitching velocity does not come from arm strength. All coaches and parents should read that again and again.  Those who are selling weighted baseballs for improving velocity are ripping people off. And whatever else they are selling should be suspect as well.  Pitching velocity comes from using the entire body to build momentum into a long stride. By the time the pitcher's front foot is on the ground he will not be able to produce much more velocity.  This means that most of a pitcher's velocity is produced before his throwing arm even starts to move the ball toward the plate. 

Hard to believe...isn't it. But that and many of other facts have been proven by sports science research. http://pitching.nexcess.net/product/the-science-and-art-of-baseball-pitching/

There is one tool however, that is the most powerful tool for helping pitchers improve velocity and yet you will rarely see it being used by even experienced coaches or high paid private instructors.  What is that tool.  Video analysis or the use of a simple camcorder that instantly provides all the feedback a parent, coach or players needs to help recognize which mechanical faults are holding that pitcher back.  

Unfortunately, most pitching instruction today is a waste of money and time.  

Any instructor who is not using a camcorder regularly is a fraud.  Why? Because there is no way on this earth that any instructor is able to recognize mechanical problems using just the naked eye.  None.  Not even big league pitching coaches.  This is why the most important aspect of our instructional DVD program is about showing parents, coaches and players how to videotape using a simple camcorder.  Without this tool coaches and instructors are just guessing. http://www.pitching.nexcess.net/product/complete-pitching-instruction-program/

So if it's so important to video analyze a pitcher why don't just about every instructor or coach at every level use it?  Because they do not understand pitching mechanics.

Pitching lessons composed of pitching drills are largely a waste of time.  The foolish towel drill, balance drill or kneeling drill will never in a million years help a pitcher improve his velocity or control.  And yes, even the well known pitching gurus recommend every imaginable drill and seem to invent more each day.  Drills are now used by pitching instructors to kill time during lessons because they don't know what else to do. 

I got an email just recently from the father of a freshman D1 pitcher from the Boston area.  His son is 6'3" 185 lbs. and throwing mid 80's. What do you think the coach wants him to do this summer to improve his velocity?  He wants him to get bigger and stronger.  That coach is simply ignorant because he has no idea how the body is supposed to work to improve velocity.  He looks at this pitcher, whom he recruited, and says he is just too skinny so more weight and more muscles must be the solution.  Or more long toss.

Hey Coach...but how will that improve velocity?  How will more weight and muscle help the arm move faster. Coach...we are throwing a 5 oz. baseball that some 10 year old Little League pitchers can throw at 70 mph...without much muscle or weight at all. Coach...what does that tell you?  It should tell you that throwing a baseball with above average velocity does not require much strength at all. 

What is required to improve velocity is usually improved speed of movement for developing more momentum into a longer stride.  Give me any 6'3" 185 pitcher who is not maximizing his momentum into a longer stride and I will show you how to almost instantly improve his velocity from 3-5 mph in one lesson.  Or sometimes it just requires that the pitcher improve his timing so he is making a much smoother throw so that his body is building more energy longer.  Smoothness in a pitcher equals good timing.

Most pitchers simply want to get to ball release too fast.  The secret to more velocity is to get to ball release later so that more energy has a chance to be stored in the body. That stored elastic energy is the secret to moving the arm faster. The arm does not move fast by itself.  The body moving fast is required.

I will say categorically, the single most important aspect for helping a college pitcher improve his velocity is to have an expert analyze his pitching mechanics. http://pitching.nexcess.net/product/professional-video-analysis/

I just did this with a 20 year old RH college pitcher who is 6'4" 210 lbs. and stuck at 85 mph.  What did I find once I analyzed his delivery.  Here is what I found and told this pitcher:

• No back leg drive
• Over-rotates the trunk and hips away from the target to begin
• Moves his body too slowly
• Breaks his hand too early
• Support foot does not stay in contact with the ground long enough
• Shifts upper body too soon toward the plate...not leading with his front hip
• Stride is too short
• Landing leg does not brace up upon landing

This pitcher is doing everything possible to reduce velocity.  He is simply not using his body efficiently to maximize energy production so that his arm moves faster.

Interestingly, this 20 year old pitcher's uncle is the one who sent me the video to analyze.  His uncle instinctively knew his nephew had more potential and he also knew that what his coaches were telling him was not going to work.

I have not yet had a phone consult with this pitcher so I can tell him how fortunate he is to have all these problems. Why fortunate? Because when he puts in the time, this summer and fall, to make these changes his velocity will shoot up.  And he will feel like he is throwing effortlessly.

I would ask that coach how on earth would more strength help this pitcher improve his velocity?  It won't and it can't.

There are thousands upon thousands of high school and college pitchers who could improve their velocity anywhere from 3-12 mph by getting an expert opinion on their mechanics and also finding out how they are spending their practice time trying to improve.

A video analysis by an expert is one of the most valuable tools for pitching improvement.  But make sure that instructor is an expert.

Dick Mills

Don't Forget - My Complete Pitching Instruction program is the only complete "pitching clinic" home study course available that is backed by real sports science research. It's designed for parents, coaches, and players of all ages. Whether you're a pitcher just starting out, or an advanced pitcher looking for answers, we make it simple to understand for both the parent and pitcher.

"Dick’s program has given me the knowledge I need as a pitching coach to help young people succeed. I highly recommend it to any pitcher Little League through college. From mechanics to conditioning to the mental aspect, everything he does is top notch. His program helped our pitchers go 29-1, have a 0.80 ERA last season, and win a State Championship."

Banks Faulkner, Gilbert Indian Baseball, Gilbert, SC

If you're serious about improving pitching performance without risking arm injury or worse reserve your copy of the Complete Pitching Instruction DVD Set today!