How To Improve Pitching Velocity 2-3 mph Instead of 5-10 mph
by Dick Mills on June 08, 2010
Every pitcher wants to get their velocity to the 90 mph mark. However, are they going about it the right way. The pitcher on the left in the side-by-side photo is Red Sox Daniel Bard, who throws 96-100 mph. The pitcher on the right is a 23 year old college pitcher who throws 86-88 mph. They are both 6'4" and about 200 lbs.
How could you get that college pitcher to improve his velocity 2-3 mph? I have pointed out two things. One he has a low elbow at landing and notice he is landing heel first. Fix those two actions and his velocity will improve at least 2-3 mph.
I also told you recently about one of our students who after a video analysis improved his velocity from 84-86 mph during the regular season to 88-91 mph just a week after we did a video analysis.
We simply compared him to Red Sox pitcher Daniel Bard, who throws 96-100 mph and pointed out how he was not shifting his weight as Bard was doing. And that is all it took for him to change and boost his velocity in a matter of just one week. By shifting his weight sooner and getting his entire body moving out he was able to create more forward momentum sooner which provided more energy to move his upper body and arm faster for more arm speed.
That one change, plus showing him how to get his elbow to shoulder height helped him get an extra 3-5 mph very quickly.
So why not just shoot for getting an extra 2-3 mph right now and then go up from there?
That extra 3 mph put him in a different category and now he is a legitimate D1 prospect and we believe a pro prospect as well as a high school junior.
That extra 2-3 mph can be achieved in many ways but of course you must have the ability to videotape and find the leaks that reduce pitching velocity such as:
- poor posture and starting position
- early hand break
- poor weight shift or leaning back too much
- swinging the leg out and around
- not landing in a straight line
- over-rotating the trunk or showing the back pocket or number to the hitter
- poor bracing action upon landing
- low or high elbow at landing
- slow movements or hesitations
-
...etc.
Plus if you are working on changing too many things then nothing changes and therefor there is little to no improvement.
Pitchers need to be patient. After all pitching like golf is a skill activitiy that requires lots of practice.
Many want to get that extra 5-10 mph too quickly. How do you eat an elephant. One bite at a time.
But remember this... there are no secrets to pitching improvement. Just sound sports science principles that we apply to pitching that just make common sense. No magic spoken here.
A video analysis is your best insurance policy against poor instruction, guaranteed improvement and added arm insurance against injury. http://www.pitching.com/video_analysis/
Our Explosively Pitching DVD program teaches parents how to help their sons use their bodies to pitch instead of just their arms. Not only does this improve velocity but reduces the risk of arm injuries. We also teach them proper conditioning.
See our Off-season discounts on our instructional DVD's: http://www.pitching.com/products/
"I had spent several hundred dollars on a pitching coach who was leading my son down the path to ruin. He embraced every failed philosophy and technique you've identified - long toss, towel drills and more drills ad nauseum. My son's skills were deteriorating. When I found your website and read your report, I sense intuitively your words had merit and deserved further study." Mark Smith, Downers Grove,IL
