This has a lot to do with the trickle down theory. Most of baseball gets their education from Major League Baseball. The problem with the MLB is that they are made up of an elite group of athletes. Therefore the league does not have to spend a lot of time in physical development of their players because everyone they acquire is already developed. This is why they draft athletes over baseball players. If you want proof just look at the 2000 MLB draft when the Colorado Rookies Drafted Michael Vick in the 30th round. The last time Michael Vick played baseball was in the 8th grade. They drafted him because he is one of the best athletes in the country. The MLB would rather draft athletes than just baseball players because they know it is easier to turn an athlete into a pitcher than a pitcher into an athlete. This is why the MLB has very little knowledge and experience in physical fitness and development. So why does all the levels under the MLB look to them for guidance in physical fitness and development? Good question!

This is why sites like TopVelocity.net are popular because elite leagues like the MLB are not providing adequate information in the physical fitness and development of baseball players.  This is also why their understanding of good pitching mechanics does not translate well to a physically underdeveloped pitcher.

Velocity Specificity

If you search velocity specificity on Google, you will discover a list of case studies on the topic. The reason for the studies is because of the demand for legal performance enhancement in sports. In the baseball world we are very aware of this demand for performance enhancement because illegal performance enhancing drugs have plagued the game for decades. These studies all look to the strength and conditioning world for this enhancement mainly because it is legal and it is effective. Strength and conditioning was first developed to rehabilitate the athlete from injury but what we discovered was that it not only rehabilitated the athlete, if continued, it would enhance performance. This is why today almost every top level college baseball team has some type of fitness expert on staff.

These velocity specificity studies have discovered, which is described in detail in the 5th study from the references below, that there is a lot of opposing theory around the most effective strategy to train velocity but all of the evidence does point to resistance training or weight training as the primary factor. Studies where a weight training group was compared to a non-weight training group proved that the weight training group always increased velocity. You will also find another 3-4 studies on this website with the same results. More important than the fact that resistance training or weight training is so effective in increasing velocity, is that in all cases where velocity was enhanced, the intent to move quickly was the consistent factor. It was more important than the load used during the training. The catch was heavy loads produced a higher intent to move quickly but if you lightened the load and could keep the same intent, velocity still increased. This means if you are training with 70% of your one rep max then you must move explosive enough to where your intent to move makes up for the other 30% of your max effort. This is extremely important to understand because you may not want to go really heavy with weights, so you must make up for this loss with your intent. This means you better train explosively if you are not training heavy which is not always easy to do.

As for velocity specificity when it comes to pitching mechanics it is most effective to develop the motor coordination through the entire kinetic chain as opposed to only training a few muscle groups like the throwing arm. This is where using weighted balls to train the shoulder is not as effective as using an weight training program to train the entire body and a throwing program to develop the motor coordination to use this total body power to increase velocity to the ball.

The 3X Pitching Velocity Program takes this approach and here is an introductory video to the 3X mechanics to learn more about total body explosive pitching mechanics.

References:

1. Velocity specificity of resistance training
2. Velocity specificity, combination training and sport specific tasks
3. Velocity specificity of weight training for kayak sprint performance
4. Coordination, the determinant of velocity specificity?
5. Velocity Specificity of Resistance Training: Actual Movement Velocity Versus Intention to Move Explosively

Many coaches and scouts would say you are either born with speed or not. I would say forget them. Speed can be developed. I was the slowest high school athlete. I was 6’1 170 lbs and could catch a football but because I was so slow they made me a tight end on the football team. I was the skinniest tight end in the state. I should have been a wide receiver but my speed was my problem. When I trained with the 3X Pitching Velocity Program in college as a pitcher, which helped me develop speed all around, I went from the slowest to the fastest on my team. What I learned was that when you increase your bodies ability to output more power then you increase your speed all around. So not only did my throwing speed increase but also my bat speed and my running speed. The key to this is called Force Production.

Force Production is your bodies ability to apply force into the ground or what I also call ground reaction forces. The reason we must apply force into the ground is because speed is movement and how else are we going to move if we can not push off of something? Throwing speed, bat speed and running speed all are products of ground reaction forces. This means to increase throwing, bat and running speed you must learn mechanics that work from the ground up and you must also train your body to enhance its force production. It is actually that simple. This is why I do not have much respect for coaches and scouts who believe speed can not be taught.

Now that you understand that you can throw harder, hit farther and run faster, just by increasing your force production, you should be pumped up. Great, let’s take this energy and put it into your training. If you are a pitcher, then I highly recommend that you use the 3X Pitching Velocity Program to start enhancing your force production. This program will not only train you to do this but to specifically do this to increase velocity. Check it out to learn more! If you are a position player and are ready to increase your force production to increase your bat and running speed then I highly recommend that you purchase the Baseball Training Manual below. Best of luck and lets prove these scouts and coaches wrong!

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.

Atlanta Baseball Instruction

Coach Pourciau runs his instruction online through video analysis and One on One email and phone coaching. If you are looking to increase running speed, bat speed or throwing speed, then view the training manuals and the velocity program listed below. Coach Pourciau has developed one of the top velocity enhancement programs for pitchers in the game. To learn more about the 3X Pitching Velocity Program select the link.

If you would like a FREE pitching video analysis today then send me a note using the Contact Us link. I will be glad to get you started! You can view other pitching analysis here.

If you have a USSSA team that you would like a customized training program for your pitchers or position players contact Coach Pourciau going to the Contact Us link in the above navigation or call 985-377-9249.

Atlanta Baseball Video Analysis (Pitchers)

Here are some of the top Pitching Velocity Programs online. These programs and baseball training videos have produced some serious results in increasing velocity, preventing injury, improving longevity, enhancing power production and helping those ball players get to the next level. A good place to start is with a Pitching Video Analysis so you can learn how the 3X programs will benefit you.

All these programs or in a digital format. If you would like these digital programs gift rapped and shipped then add the 3X Digital Cube to your cart along with your programs and the digital programs will be uploaded to the USB flash drive, gift rapped and shipped to the address you specify in the gift shipping section at checkout.

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Atlanta Baseball Training Program (All Position Players Ages 14U)

Here are some of the top Pitching Velocity Programs online. These programs and baseball training videos have produced some serious results in increasing velocity, preventing injury, improving longevity, enhancing power production and helping those ball players get to the next level. A good place to start is with a Pitching Video Analysis so you can learn how the 3X programs will benefit you.

All these programs or in a digital format. If you would like these digital programs gift rapped and shipped then add the 3X Digital Cube to your cart along with your programs and the digital programs will be uploaded to the USB flash drive, gift rapped and shipped to the address you specify in the gift shipping section at checkout.

Atlanta Pitcher’s Velocity Program (Ages 8U)

Here are some of the top Pitching Velocity Programs online. These programs and baseball training videos have produced some serious results in increasing velocity, preventing injury, improving longevity, enhancing power production and helping those ball players get to the next level. A good place to start is with a Pitching Video Analysis so you can learn how the 3X programs will benefit you.

All these programs or in a digital format. If you would like these digital programs gift rapped and shipped then add the 3X Digital Cube to your cart along with your programs and the digital programs will be uploaded to the USB flash drive, gift rapped and shipped to the address you specify in the gift shipping section at checkout.

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I was in the same position as you in my career. I was an average ball player and wanted to always play at the next level. Eventually my genetics wasn’t getting the job done, so I had to find something that would reconstruct my DNA and turn me into an elite athlete. This is when I met the legendary Coach Gayle Hatch and his protege Kurt Hester. If you want to learn more about them, then you must watch this priceless interview I did with the Godfather of strength and conditioning, Coach Gayle Hatch.

You will learn in this video that what they taught me was that if I wanted to be a successful baseball player then I needed first to become an athlete. I needed to develop more than just strength, I had to develop explosive strength. As Coach Hatch says, strength is of very little use to an athlete but explosive strength is what makes you effective on the field. Once I started training with his protege Kurt Hester I learned quickly what explosive strength was and how little of it I had. This was when I started to work to achieve my success, instead of just waiting for it.

This is one of the best programs out there for developing explosive strength. This program will model your body to have more fast twitch muscle fiber which will increase your running speed, hitting speed and throwing speed. This program will build joint integrity which will protect your joints as you increase the load of stress you are now putting on them because of the increased speed. This program has been proven and tested over and over and over again. It is called the Fusion System because it is not just focused on one muscle group, one series of exercises or lifts, or one method of training. It encompasses a fusion of exercises, lifts and methods of training to build the elite baseball player.

This program isn’t for everyone. It takes a tremendous amount of intensity and commitment. This isn’t a training program that you should just tryout. It is a program that you should have total faith in because you are certain that it will help you accomplish your goals and transform you into an elite athlete. Commitment doesn’t happen when someone takes an associate position. This means being committed in this program must begin when you purchase it. This is the reason this program is for sale. If it was free then this program would be setting you up for failure. You are asked to spend your hard earned money or your parents hard earned money to pay for something that will change your life. If you didn’t make this financial commitment in the beginning then you would be starting on the wrong foot towards your goals. So make the commitment from the begin when you spend your money on this program and don’t look back. This is the only way you will make it to the promise land one day!

The famous military leader of France, Napoleon Bonaparte once said, Fail to plan…and you plan to fail. If you are going to complete this program and achieve success then you are going to have to plan your schedule which is ultimately your level of commitment. Before you start this program you need to make sure you have the gym and equipment necessary and you need to make sure the entire program fits into your schedule. You must do this first before starting the program. Once you are ready to make the commitment and you have planed your sucess then purchase the manual TODAY!

Baseball Training Manual +
Unlimited Instructional Video Stream
(All Position Players Ages 14 Up)
$59.99

Includes the manual and the Unlimited stream to the Instructional Videos.

Frequently Asked Questions About MLB Open Tryout Camps.

*Note: The information below comes from Major League Baseball at MLB.com. Please read the frequently asked questions below before posting a comment or sending us an email.

Q. “Who is in charge of your tryout camps?”

A. Territorial scouts from the Major League Scouting Bureau sponsor the tryouts. They work for Major League Baseball and all 30 major league organizations.

Q. “Are there any age requirements as to who can tryout?”

A. All players must be at least 16 years old to participate.

Q. “What should I bring to the camp?”

A. Bring gear that you would practice or play a game in. (Hat, cleats, glove, baseball pants). Bats and balls are provided at the workout. Catchers may want to use their own catching gear.

Q. “Is there any cost involved to tryout?”

A. The tryouts are free of charge. Transportation costs are those of the participant.

Q. “I’m a center fielder and a pitcher. Can I tryout at both positions?”

A. No, a participant will be asked to choose their best position.

Q. “Can I go to other MLSB Open Tryout Camps?”

A. Yes, participants can attend as many of the tryouts as they wish.

Q. “Do I have to register for the camps?”

A. Registration cards will be passed out prior to the beginning of each camp to identify each participant.

Q. “Who watches the players at these camps?”

A. All thirty major league baseball organizations are invited to the tryouts.

Q. “If a team is interested in me after seeing the tryout, can they sign me to a professional contract on the spot?”

A. No, the tryout camp must be finished and the participant cannot sign until he leaves the facility.

Q. “What are the chances of a baseball player signing a contract out of a MLSB Tryout?”

A. About 1 out of 1,000. This is a rough estimate made by TopVelocity.net

If you have any questions that you would like to add to this MLB FAQ, please post your questions below.

DO NOT GO TO THE CONTACT PAGE AND SEND AN EMAIL OF YOUR QUESTION.

If you would like more information on what to expect at a MLB Tryout then read this article on MLB Tryout 101. It is important to be prepared before attending the event. The MLSB runs every tryout the same and you will look stupid if you do not know what is going on.

Evidence that the MLB folded this hand is in articles like this here on MLB.com. The title says it all, Coach wants methods to catch on in bigs – Jaeger’s old-school, unorthodox regimen preserves arms. What will they do next, MLB forcing their pitchers to run longer distances for conditioning! This is just mind blowing. Alan Jaeger’s reason for his old school approach, over the new school approaches of the MLB which are still old school in my book, is in his quote here from the article.

“Among nature’s mightiest, most majestic creations are the Great Redwoods, which stretch skyward to heights of 350 feet and beyond…..But what might happen if you planted a baby Redwood tree in a greenhouse with a 10-foot ceiling reinforced with steel? The tree, much like a young Geisha girl’s feet shoved into unusually small shoes, would never reach its intended growth capacity. Both are examples of natural development being stunted, unnaturally. This, says Alan Jaeger, is the plight of pitching arms in America — and, by extension, many arms in Major League Baseball.”

The fact that this is the language that Jaeger uses to coach pitchers through his program is child’s play. If I was forced into a debate over this rhetoric I would have to counter his analogy with an analogy that is similar and defines the new school approach of Bigger, Stronger, Faster. My analogy would go something like this.

“Among nature’s mightiest, most ferocious creations is the Awesome Lion, the King of the jungle, who has the strength and speed to caught a Gazelle and rip his flesh to pieces…….But what might happen if you caged this Lion in a 30 foot cage reinforced with steel and barbed wire and force him to attack and kill large elephants and hippos? Much like the way Michael Vick raised his pit bulls for cage fighting. The day the lion was freed from his cage he would more than likely devour everything in his path. This, says Brent Pourciau is how I train my pitchers to grow Bigger, Stronger, Faster so they can reach their potential velocity or maybe even exceed my expectations.”

The fact that the likes of Nolan Ryan would actually entertain this old school approach on arm health for his Ranger pitchers makes me believe that major league baseball is going backwards again. Just when I thought the likes of Tim Lincecum had pushed the MLB into a new school revolution I was wrong. I believe the only hope that the MLB has is Dr. Andrew’s. If he finds the time to convince the MLB with his scientific studies of why arm injuries occur when unorthodox methods like Jaeger’s “air it out” throwing program are used then maybe the MLB will step into the future of strength and conditioning. Until then I am going to remain an MLB outcast and preach against this nonsense!

What to expect at a MLB tryout!

If you are planning to attend a MLB Scouting Bureau tryout then you need an idea of what is expected of you. When you arrive at the tryout you will need to check in. Arrival times are usually early in the morning and it is good to be a little early. When you check in you will be asked to fill in a questionnaire. The information they will be requesting is basic contact information, what schools have you played for, have you been drafted before and if you are under the age of 18 you will need a legal guardian to sign for you. There is a number at the top of the sign up form that is your identity for the rest of the tryout. Do not forget your number. The scouts hate it when someone forgets their number.

After everyone has checked in you will then be asked to meet on the field and organized into lines based on position. YOU CAN ONLY TRYOUT FOR ONE POSITION. Do not ask if you can tryout for two or more positions. Once you are put into your lines based on your position you must remember your position in the line. This is the order you will tryout in for your position.

The first event of the tryout will be the 60 yard dash. This is for all positions except pitchers. Pitchers will not run the 60 yard dash. Pitchers will wait on the side while all positions run the 60 yard dash.

Two players at a time will be timed in the 60 yard dash. It goes pretty quick so make sure you are paying attention when your number is called. Do not ask for your times after you run. You can ask for them after the tryout is over. If you have a good time you may be asked to run again at the end of the event.

After the 60 yard dash is finished, this is when the pitchers will pitch off of the mound in the bullpen. You will be put into lines to warm up before entering the bullpen. You must be warm before entering the pen. They will clock your velocity on the first pitch and remember that first pitch is critical to your success in the tryout. You should get about 6-8 pitches and make sure every pitch is 100%. They will ask you to throw some off speed pitches at the end if they want to see it. The worst thing you can do is not be ready!

After your 6-8 pitches in the bullpen the pitchers are done until cuts are made for the simulated game in the afternoon. Find a comfortable place to sit and stay out of the sun.

While the pitchers were throwing in the pen the position players are hitting in the cages. They are looking for bat speed. You will not get many pitches to show your skills so make sure you are ready right out of the gate.

After hitting in the cages all position players will go to their position. They will start from the outfield and work into the infield evaluating your arm speed and quickness. Once again you will not get many throws so take advantage of what you get.

Once all players have been given their opportunities to show their talents the scouts will make their cuts. They will have you all meet together and give you a speech about how it is getting close to the end of the road in your career and you all have some discussions to make. Blah Blah Blah. Then they will call out the names of those who they would like to see perform in the simulated game in the afternoon.

If you do not make it, don’t worry, because the odds of making it out of a Scouting Bureau tryout is poor. Just continue to attend any tryout you can find. I would also recommend independent minor league tryouts. If you do make the tryout then get some lunch and get ready to sit around again.

The simulated game is exactly that. Pitchers will pitch two or three batters and position players will face the pitchers and play the field. They are mainly looking at the pitcher and hitter at this point. They want to see how the pitchers perform against live hitting and vice versa. Pitchers make sure that your velocity is up and your location is on point. They are still recording your velocity and they want to see how effective your pitches are with the hitters.

The simulated game is your opportunity to show them more of what you can do. If you perform well they will stay in contact with you and if you perform poor they may not. It is really a crap shoot and if you are going to make it somewhere it will be determined on how well you persist. Just like I said to the guys who will not make the first cut, don’t give up if you really want to play professional ball. I believe if you don’t give up, something is bound to happen. Search the web and this site for more tryouts. Remember if it doesn’t work out there is always next season.