The problem with the traditional Long Toss was discovered in the latest case study performed by the famous ASMI which was backed by the famous Dr. Andrews. You can learn more about this study here. The final results proved that the traditional long toss, along with the popular extreme long toss, not only is destructive to your pitching mechanics but it puts a tremendous amount of stress in the elbow. The 3X Power Throws were developed to eliminate this stress in the elbow while also promoting the 3X pitching mechanics. The results have been revolutionary.

The Benefits of the 3X Power Throws

1. Increase your volume of throws, without abusing your arm.
2. Use distance to challenge your power production without effecting your mechanics.
3. Help maintain total body strength while in-season.

The Difference Between 3X Power Throws and Long Toss

Long Toss is an approach to conditioning the athlete using distance throws. The problem is most practices of Long Toss do not focus on pitching mechanics. This means the athlete is developing throwing mechanics that are different than pitching on the mound. This is the case because when Long Tossing the athlete usually starts with a light toss mainly only using the arm to throw the ball and then as the athlete increases the distance, he may close the shoulders more and develop more hip to shoulder separation. The problem is when the athlete starts to use a “Crow Hop,” or a run, or step into the throw. This will take the power production away from the drive leg during the delivery because momentum or power is being produced through the steps before the throwing delivery begins. This can force the athlete to wipe the arm around the body to power the throw or force the athlete to develop the power before the throw even begins, by using the traditional “Crow Hop.”

The 3X Power Throws start in a position that promotes optimal pitching mechanics and then builds the power demands on the entire body by increasing the distance without changing the mechanics. The distance used is based on the pitchers power production. Once he can no longer keep the ball on a line during the throw and/or he struggles to keep his pitching mechanics working together then this is his max distance. Just like weight training you must not sacrifice technique for weight. This means you must not sacrifice pitching mechanics for more distance when 3X Power Throwing.

 Why You Should Use the 3X Power Throw over Long Toss

3X Power Throwing is not only better for your arm than Long Tossing but it will help you take your off-season power gains and velocity gains on the mound while in-season. It will also help you keep your velocity and pitching mechanics more consistent through a long season. 3X Power Throwing is the upgrade to the “Old School” approach of Long Tossing. It is like using the bat technology of today as opposed to using the bat technology from 40 years ago. It is a no brain-er! The challenge is learning the 3X Mechanics behind 3X Power Throwing. To learn these mechanics it does require that you complete the off-season 3X Pitching Velocity program but you will discover that there is no better way to transform yourself into the dominate 3X Power Pitcher.

Important Notice: 3X Power Throws or the “Old School” Long toss should not be used in an off-season velocity development program. You do not want to use a high volume of throws off-season when trying to increase velocity. You must take stress off of your rotator cuff and elbow while in your off-season and focus on mechanics and power development during your off-season to effectively increase velocity and build a strong base before your season. To learn more about the ultimate off-season Velocity program check out the 3X Pitching Velocity program.

This Pitching Velocity Quick Tip will cover the pros and cons of throwing the football. Throwing a football can promote arm health, specifically in the throwing elbow. This is because the football forces the athlete to have good wrist pronation at release. This is critical for velocity and protecting the eblow. The problem is you must learn how to throw the football correctly to benefit from this important pitching component. If you only throw the football the way most athletes throw a football then it could have a negative effect on your pitching. Watch this video to learn more!

Some coaches may prohibit you from bringing a football to practice. I always got in trouble for this because it would always turn into a football game. Make sure the you check with your coach before bringing it on the baseball field. If you coach protests this then use the football on your own.

The football can be a great tool for a pitcher but only if you have a good understanding of how to use the football as a pitching aid. You can get some drills with then football for pitchers in the Beginner Guide to 3X Pitching which is now a part of the 3X Pitching Velocity program.

Pitching Video Analysis

With video analysis at the amateur or youth level, it is a great opportunity for the young athlete to step into the shoes of their ideals for a moment. It gives the pitcher the hope that if I can just move like the elite pitcher then I can accomplish what he has accomplished. I would confirm this theory and say yes, there is a chance this could happen but here is the problem. Video analysis allows us to slow down time and see things that we can not see with the human eye but at the same time, it forces us to loss track of time. This is critical because time is the measurement of speed or velocity and if your ultimate goal is to increase your speed or velocity then this can become a major problem. This is why to much analysis can result in what is called, “Analysis Paralysis.” The more we get caught in analysis as athletes, the more we slow down. This is very dangerous to ones career because the higher levels of the game are separated by time. This means, the higher levels have faster athletes, which create a faster game. If you can not compete at these speeds then you will never make it to these higher levels. This is why you must use video analysis wisely.

The Theory of Real Time and the Athlete

I am going to explain here why we slow down as an effect of over analyzing a personal skill. This may be to far out in left field for you, so if you are not staying with me, just jump to the last paragraph.

The main reason for “Analysis Paralysis” is because we begin to transfer our muscle control from a subconscious level into a conscious level. This means we start to move our bodies with our brains, instead of with our nervous system. This is like when you are first learning a dance move and you feel like a goof ball as you are starting to learn the dance but overtime as you get more comfortable with the movements, you begin to relax and enjoy yourself. It always happens this way because as you start learning the dance, you are using your thoughts to control your movements and then as you continue the pattern of movements, your nervous system is alerted that this is a pattern and then your nervous system takes control of the repetitive movement as your brain relaxes into enjoyment. This continues on until the brain tells the nervous system that a new pattern has begun. Another way to understand this theory in your everyday life is the next time you are driving a car and you take a right or left turn, notice that you never once thought to your self, “OK, [Your Name],  grab the wheel at 12 and 6 o’clock and rotate the wheel counterclockwise for a total of 3.75 rotations.” This would more than likely cause an accident and you may feel that you need to be committed into a mental hospital. This is because if you had to do this every time you took a left turn in the car, the process would slow down your reaction time because you are having to verbalize and visualise the entire process while it is actually happening. This adds a complexity to a simple process and prevents the skill from occurring effectively in real time. This is what happens when we over analyze our pitcher delivery. We get so caught up in the analysis, that our brain is doing all the work and our nervous system is never given control. This will also produce pitching mechanics that may look like an elite pitcher on film but your speed and velocity has suffered.

The most effective way to use video analysis is only a few times a month. You need to keep the big picture that if you are going to become an elite pitcher, you not only have to have similar mechanics as the elite pitcher but you must move through these mechanics with similar speeds. So when you get a video analysis of you pitching next to an elite pitcher here at Topvelocity.net, you also need to get the speeds of the pitcher and then work to match his speeds as well. For example, if his vertical is 38 inches then your vertical needs to be 38 inches. If his 60 yard dash is 6.6 seconds then your 60 yard dash needs to be 6.6 seconds. Don’t just be satisfied with having similar mechanics on film of an elite pitcher because you could then fall victim to, “Analysis Paralysis.”

More than likely your Pitching Coach has no idea what Force Vector Pitching is and why it is so critical for velocity. I would love to see the look on his face when you ask him what force vector pitching is and why is it so important.

I have talked about the Pitching Force Vector many times on this site and in my analysis. It is also in the 3X Pitching Velocity program and the fact is, I really can’t talk about this critical component enough.

What is the Pitching Force Vector?

The Force Vector is the angle of the line from the ankle to knee. It is called the Force Vector because in any athletic event, yes pitching is an athletic event, the athlete must use ground reaction forces to produce force which will initiate body movement. Therefore the drive of the leg from the ground is what I like to call Force Production. The more force you can apply into the ground, the faster and harder we move as athletes, but this force must be guided in the direction that the athlete intends to move. This direction of movement is based on the angle of the Force Vector. If your Force Vector is vertical, you move vertically like a basketball player, if your Force Vector is horizontal, you move along the surface of the ground like a pitcher in his stride phase.

Force production in pitching will occur in both legs during the delivery, which if performed correctly, will rotate the hips. If we compared these pitching mechanics to an engine, the legs would be the pistons and the hips would be the drive shaft. We apply force to the piston and it then rotates the drive shaft.

Improving Pitching Mechanics and Velocity

In 3X Pitching, triple extension is the movement to create force production in the drive leg and triple flexion is the movement to create force production in the landing leg. The 3X Pitching eBook which is a part of the 3X program defines this into more detail. What is important to understand is that triple extension followed by triple flexion, where the force vectors are both in line towards the hips, like in all the pictures here, is what produces a high velocity pitcher. This is why I put together these animated clips of some of the games hardest throwers and labeled their force vectors so you can see how similar they all are. If I was to label the force vector of a low velocity pitcher, the force vectors would not be in line with the hips at any point in the delivery. They would be more vertical. These high velocity pitchers are able to keep their force vectors in line with their hips because of both leg power and they have developed the motor coordination to use this leg power effectively. Why this c0nverts to velocity is because these pitching mechanics create more explosive hip rotation than any other mechanical movement in the human body. All they have to do after the stride phase is to make sure that the shoulders have separated from the hips during this explosive hip rotation and the rest will come very easy. Most velocity loss and inconsistency is due to the loss of leg power and the breakdown of the Pitching Force Vectors during force production.

I highly recommend that you either film yourself pitching to analyze your force vectors or educate someone who can be that third eye for you, especially your coach. You can also post your videos in the forums for a video analysis but don’t forget that this has as much to do with strength than with motor coordination. You need a strength and conditioning program like the Fusion System in the 3X Pitching Velocity program to make it possible for you to implement these mechanics on a consistent basis.

* The first person to post who these pitchers are here I will send you a 50% off coupon to the 3X Pitching Velocity program.

Velocity is a product of power and if you can understand how we generate power as athletes, you will then discover how you can personally increase and maintain velocity.

Power is both speed and strength. It isn’t enough to be an athlete who can only move a lot of weight or an athlete who can only move very quickly. You must be that athlete who can move a lot of weight, very quickly. This is called explosive power or explosive strength. This can all be measured in what I call the Pitcher Power Curve.

The Pitcher Power Curve

This diagram alone is the secret to velocity, if you have learned how to convert power to velocity. To learn how power is converted to velocity then watch the 3X Pitching 101 video. If you understand or have implemented the 3X Mechanics and you are dealing with a power issue then this diagram is what you need to discover where you must spend your time. The way this curve works is simple. Write down your percentages of your 1 Repitition Maximum or 1RM for these three lifts; the Back Squat, the Power Clean and the Bench Press. Also write down your vertical or broad jump distances with your sprint times in the 40 yard dash or the 60 yard dash. Here is how to decipher these numbers.

• Pure Strength can be measured in the Back Squat and Bench Press exercises.
• Pure Speed can be measured in the 40/60 Yard Dash. You can also record how many times you can jump rope in say a 1 minute time.

Now look at your measurements and determine, based on your age and size, where do you stand as compared to the average athlete at your age and size. You can determine this by measuring up your teammates and competition. Once you get a good understand of how you match up to them, within these lifts and exercises, then you can see where you fall on the Pitcher Power Curve.

Let’s say you rank very high in pure speed but you rank very low in pure strength. Your arrow swings all the way over to the right. Then you need to focus more on strength to develop more power. This doesn’t mean stop training for speed, but that you need to focus more on your strength training. Power is the goal here, so wherever you fall on the Power Curve, your goal is to get your ability more towards Pure Power.

The reason I told you to record your clean 1RM is because this is a Pure Power lift. It will tell you where you stand when it comes to Pure Power, which is the goal. The problem is the cleans do not tell you where are you lacking on the power curve. Is it pure strength or pure speed? The Power Curve will do this for you.

The Fusion System in the 3X Pitching Velocity Program includes a full spectrum of lifts and exercises that fall on the Pitcher Power Curve and if you would like to know the lifts and exercises that or more towards pure strength or pure speed, please contact me.

There are three main properties to Kangen Water:

1. Alkalizing – we know that an athlete does better, and lasts longer if he/she is very careful with their diet. But, did you know that most of the fluids that are used in the sports arena are acid in the pH quality? Most sport drinks and sodas are rated 2.5 – 3.0 on the pH scale. How can that help in cellular recovery? Bottled water is not much better. Most are on the acid side of the pH scale. Kangen Water ranges 8.0 – 9.5 on the pH scale, supporting the athlete in the balancing of the pH in their body.
2. Antioxidant – Kangen Water contains large quantities of negatively charged ions that act as antioxidants in the body. Kangen Water has a strong negative ‘ORP’ (Oxidation Reduction Potential), which makes it a powerful antioxidant.
3. Micro-Clustered Water – Kangen Water is micro-clustered this means the actual molecules of water are reduced in size. This allows the water to be easily absorbed in your body and can hydrate your cells more efficiently.

“Kangen Water is a great way to increase hydration, balance body pH, obtain optimal health, neutralize free radicals, reduce pain , and so much more.”

• Clean, refreshing & tastes great
• Balance body pH over time
• Powerful anti-oxidant
• Detoxifying & cleansing
• Micro-clustered to increase hydration
• Neutralize free radicals
• Reduce pain
• Improve energy & reduce fatigue
• Improve over all health

Article by Ellen Larocca

If you are sick of having average bat speed, average arm speed and average leg speed then you are not training effectively. You need a program built for the baseball player that enhances your bodies ability to generate power in a short period of time. The key is total body explosive lifts like the Olympic lifts. Dr Garhammar has studied the Olympic lifts for years and he proved that the second clean or hang clean, is by far the greatest lift in the weight room for training power production in the athlete. The problem with the O-lifts is that these lifts are as intricate as the mechanics of hitter and throwing a baseball. This means you will need a training program that comes with an Olympic Lifting specialist to teach you how to perform the lifts correctly, so you are benefiting from the training and not setting yourself up for disaster. If the training program does not comes with a specialist then you need a training program that comes with instructional videos of a specialist to teach you the proper technique.

Here at TopVelocity.net we are developing some of the top baseball strength training programs in the country. Our most popular program is the Baseball Training Manual using the famous Fusion System. This program was influenced by Kurt Hester who built the training programs for LSU in the 1990′s when they won 5 National Championships and were called “Gorilla Ball.” They earned this name because they were the most developed ball players in the league and broke the single season home run record. Here is an interview with Kurt talking about his success with LSU and how he built his fame as one of the top strength trainers in all of sports.

Top Velocity Baseball Strength Training Program

I highly recommend this program to those baseball players who want to get Bigger, Stronger, Faster. This program was developed to build the elite ball player. It will increase bat speed, arm speed and running speed within the first 8 weeks of the 8 week cycle or your money back. Yes, it comes with a 60 day money back guarantee. It also comes with a free stream to the instructional videos. The Strength and Conditioning Specialist in the videos is none other than Chad Englehart. This program was developed by the best, to train you to become the best. Purchase it TODAY!

It is important to also make sure that you are educated in the mechanics of the lifts. The Olympic lifts are some of the most powerful lifts in the weight room to training the athlete to grow Bigger, Stronger, Faster. These lifts though are as intricate as learn proper throwing or hitting mechanics. You must spend as much time learning these lifting mechanics as you spend learning your throwing or hitting mechanics. This would mean you need a program that comes with a trainer who is educated enough to coach these lifts or a training video that will replace the trainer. You will find some great training videos below along with the baseball training programs.

What to look for in a effective baseball workout?

1. Olympic Lifts
2. Plyometric training
3. Medicine Ball training
4. Joint Integrity training
5. Anaerobic training
6. 8 Week Cycle which includes a: base week, volumn week, recovery week and performance week.
7. Repititions based on one rep max percentages per lift.
8. Days off per week for full recovery.

If you like what you are reading here then I highly recommend that you purchase the Baseball Training Manual below. It is made up of the popular Fusion System. This is a Bigger, Stronger, Faster approach to training the baseball player. This program is ideal for all position players including pitchers. If you are a pitcher, I highly recommend that you purchase the 3X Pitching Velocity Program because this includes everything you will need to implement the benefits of this superior training program into your pitching mechanics.

If you would like a taste of what this type of training is all about before you purchase the Baseball Workout then check out the Beginner Baseball Workout.

If you are ready for the real deal then step up to the plate and take your game to a whole new level with the Baseball Training Manual.

The remedies of today for muscle recovery are continuously improving. There are always new supplements coming out on the market that claim to improve recovery. The hard part is determining the ones that actually work without wasting a lot of time and money. I have put together a list of products and links to purchase these products at amazon.com. This way I will save you time and money. These are products that I used in my career which helped me not only overcome a career ending injury but to reach my velocity goals of 94mph. I am not claiming that these products will do this for you but they will definitely help.

Pitching Recovery Supplements

All of these products are remedies for muscle fatigue and more. The first two products help you remove the acid from your body post workout or game and the last two help you rebuild or replenish your system.

Apple Cider Vinegar – Poor this into a glass of water and drink it everyday. Especially after a workout or game. This will prevent muscle fatigue after exercise and support a health immune system. It also supports an alkaline diet.

Alka-Seltzer – Take this immediately after a workout or a game. This will help alkaline your body and speed the recovery process. This has aspirin so DO NOT exceed the recommended dosage.

Honey – Researches have proved that carbohydrates and proteins help to recover muscle after energetic weight training. The latest research proves that honey can generate the best effect among lots of carbohydrate.

Amino Acids – Amino Acids are the building blocks of your muscles. This means in recovery you need to provide your body with these blocks for it to rebuild.

It better be important because if you look up another word for speed in a Thesaurus you will get Velocity. Now let me ask that question again with the other word.

How important is Velocity to you on the mound?

Now, I hope I got your attention. If you are confused then I suggest you read my article called The Phenomenon of Speed Mechanics!

Seriously, read the article!

Welcome back! Now that you understand the importance of body speed in pitching I can introduce to you Alex Maroko. He is a speed and agility trainer and he is one of the best. He has a program called the “Truth About Quickness” and instead of stealing it from him and putting it into the Ace Pitcher Handbook, I decided to just tell you about his program and then let you decide. His program focuses on pure speed for the athlete. He is a speed freak and he knows his stuff. His program will not only teach you how to model more fast twitch muscle fiber but also how to maintain it during season. His program is full of valuable information on building the elite explosive athlete.

Alex’s program fits perfectly with the Ace Pitcher Handbook and the Fusion system. I recommend that you substitute his program for the anaerobic training portion of the Fusion System. It will take the anaerobic training portion of the Fusion System to a whole new level. This will help you move a lot faster towards your velocity goals. To get a better understanding of his program here is a video library of some of his speed drills.

If you feel the same way I do about Alex’s program and you want to jump on the incredible offer he is selling this program for I suggest you select this link that he sent me to his best offer. I do not know how long this link will put out his lowest offer so I would act now! Best of luck!

Click here to check out Truth about Quickness!