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!

I do have to say that I have never used the “Speed Chains,” so I am not talking from experience. If someone would like to send me one for a complete review, I would be glad to do it. I feel that my opinion would not change much but I could be wrong. What I find to be the major concern with using the “Speed Chains” as an alternative to a complete training program, is that these exercises do not incorporate the lower kinetic chain as effectively as the upper kinetic chain. This creates muscle memory that works against total body mechanics like the 3X Pitching Velocity Mechanics. These mechanics start with ground reaction forces and then converts that power or energy into torque and then the velocity of the pitch. Based on this understanding these “Speed Chains” are not training the central nervous system to function in a ground up explosive manner. I believe that those who have purchased this gimmick, if they had a complete understand of 3X Pitching Velocity Mechanics before purchasing, would have found very little use for this product.

Those in defense of this product would probably say that it trains speed better than other training exercise because how the chains increase resistance during the explosive movement, but most case studies on velocity specificity state that heavy load training at high or low speeds are more effective because of the intent to move quickly than actually moving quickly. This is a highly debated subject and I welcome those who would like to debate it but I argue on the side of heavy load training. I believe you must first train your motor skills with quick sport specific movements but then you must finish training explosive power through heavy loads. Putting quick upper kinetic chain movements with increased low load resistance is not the better alternative. This is why I do not believe “Speed Chains” help baseball pitchers as effectively as a complete training program.

This is the second velocity quick tip of the velocity quick tip series.

This quick tip covers the “Tilt” and how it is a key component to pitchers like Tim Lincecum’s total body mechanics. This tip will help support good hip to shoulder separation. It uses gravity to build more core torque at front foot strike. It is important though that you maintain balance when implementing the “Tilt” into your delivery.

Here is the article I wrote on Tim Lincecum and the Tilt to learn more about the effects of this key component of velocity.

These tips all are covered in depth in the Ace Pitcher Handbook and the 3X Velocity Camp Instruction Videos. If you are looking for velocity drills to help you become more total body in your pitching mechanics then you must consider purchasing this information.

If you have any questions please post your comments below.

Tim has an “Over the top” release point and Randy has a “Sidearm” release point. I am not saying that every pitcher should throw the ball with a higher release point the shorter they are because there are benefits with all arm angles. What I am saying is a higher release point, using total body mechanics, will generate more core torque and in return increase velocity.

Now why would a higher release point generate more velocity?

This is because of the tilting of the body over the landing leg to allow the arm to extend up over the head at release. This tilting, shown in the pictures of Tim Lincecum in this article, works with gravity to add more weight to the back shoulder at the component of “Separation,” as listed in the Ace Pitcher Handbook, and also illustrated perfectly in the picture of Tim above. Just a small amount of extra weight applied to the back shoulder at “Separation” and “Triple Extension” of the back leg, will create optimal core torque. It is like someone pulling your shoulders back after your back leg drives and just before your shoulders fire to the target. Notice in the picture of Randy Johnson, his weight is balanced over his entire body more than Tim’s, therefore Randy’s core torque is minimal. Another indication that Randy does not have optimal core torque is in his back foot and hip. They are both facing first base in comparison to Tim’s, who is facing home plate. This is because Randy’s weight is leaning more towards first base, which is pushing his hips back towards third base, instead of giving them the freedom to fire with his back leg, open to the target, like in the picture of Tim above.

At this point in the article please DO NOT run outside and start pitching with your head hanging way over your landing leg side because the head is not the focus of the “Tilt.” The key factor in creating the “Tilt” is the position of the chest. The chest must be centered and balanced perfectly over the landing leg and as the arm begins to extend out and up to release the ball, the chest must position itself farther away from the release point to balance this position. This is why Tim’s head moves more to his glove side the closer he gets to his release point. This is where balance is critical because anything more to the right or left initially, is too much and will effect velocity and accuracy.

Another benefit of the “Tilt,” is it helps prevent a shoulder impingement because the glove shoulder will adduct lower and the throwing shoulder will abduct higher at release, removing pressure created by the acromion impinging the rotator cuff.

I have stated on this website that long toss is not as effective in developing velocity because it forces the thrower to use more of the arm to throw the ball a long distance like 300 feet. I also said that if you want to increase velocity you must develop throwing mechanics that use more big muscle groups, like the core and legs, rather than the small muscle groups, like the shoulders and arm. Once you have learned these “Total Body Mechanics,” like I talk about constantly on this site and have listed in detail in the Ace Pitcher Handbook, you will not only begin to throw harder but you will take more stress off of the arm which will allow you to throw longer.

Now for the research Mr. Jaeger!

I will use Dr. James Andrews and his studies on proper throwing mechanics at the American Sports Medicine Institute to support my claims above. You can read his case studies here http://www.asmi.org/asmiweb/research/baseball.htm.

A quote from Dr. Andrews’ case study on “Interval Throwing Program” states:

“Throwing from flat ground produced a shorter stride and less shoulder external rotation at foot contact, more elbow varus torque during arm cocking, a more upright trunk at ball release……”

A quote from,  Dr. Andrews’ case study on “Shoulder Abduction and Lateral Trunk Tilt Influence the Peak Elbow Varus Torque During Pitching” states:

“The combination of 10 degrees of lateral trunk tilt and 100 degrees of shoulder abduction produced the minimum peak varus torque among all conditions in the study. Thus, the results of this simulation study clearly show that shoulder abduction angle and lateral trunk tilt have an affect on elbow varus torque and thus can be helpful in reducing stressful forces on the shoulder and elbow during pitching.”

A quote from Dr. Andrews’ case study on “Flat-Ground Throwing” states:

“Elbow varus torque was greatest during 180 ft’ throwing.”

You can read Dr. Andrews’ case study on “Biomechanics of Elbow Injuries During Throwing” to learn about Elbow Varus Torque here http://www.asmi.org/asmiweb/research/usedarticles/elbow_injuries.htm

Based on these three studies performed by the most respective Doctor in the game of baseball, we learn that throwing long toss at only 180 ft, which was the farthest distance used in the study, causes more elbow varus torque because of the shorter stride and the lack of forward trunk tilt than pitching on a mound. Could you imagine the results of these case studies if they used 300 ft instead of 180 ft?

Mr. Jaeger, I am sure you have an answer for all of this and your Long Toss Program addresses these issues but there is a better way then using this “Old School” approach to “Arm Development.” I believe that better way is learning “Total body mechanics” by using normal throwing distances because we do not throw with just our arms. We also never throw the ball 300 feet in the game. If you want to develop more velocity and decrease injury, you must also work hard to develop fast twitch muscle fibers in the weight room using total body lifts, like the Olympic lifts, along with plyometric training and speed/agility work.

I warn all pitchers that perform a long toss program, that pushes the distances to 300 feet, you better make sure you have “total body mechanics” because if not, based on Dr. Andrews’ case studies above, you are putting extreme amounts of pressure on your elbow which could ruin your arm and end your career.

I am not the only pitching coach against long toss programs. Dick Mill’s has a similar opinion in this video.

When I speak of long toss, I mean throwing the ball more than 120 feet. This means throwing the ball farther than from home to second base. To make this easy to understand and for you to base your opinion, I will break long toss down into a list of pros and cons.

The Pros of Long Toss:

It is a max effort exercise which is pushing the body to generate more force to the ball. If performed with total body mechanics, this can train and help develop the total body. Long toss mainly trains the “Load position.”

The long distance toss increases the chance of error in locating the target. This is training accuracy for long distance.

The Cons of Long Toss:

It is a max effort throwing exercise which is putting a lot of stress on the arm. Especially the decelerator muscles. If a pitcher has poor mechanics and throws with more arm than body, then long toss can be very destructive to the pitcher. If you are looking for an overall total body training program I would suggest mixing Olympic lifting and plyometric training with a throwing program that does not over throw the arm.

It is training long distance accuracy which is a different release point than 60 feet pitching accuracy. If performing long toss, it is important to finish throwing  from at least 60-65 feet after throwing long, to re-establish your pitching release point.

The mechanical difference from long toss to pitching on the mound, is almost the same difference as playing home run derby as opposed to hitting off of a live pitcher. There is a mechanical adjustment from hitting slow pitches intended for home runs, to hitting hard pitches intended to strikeout the hitter. This adjustment is proof that throwing long toss to pitching has a placebo effect (A placebo is anything of no real benefit which nevertheless makes people feel better.) For example, hitting the home runs in a home run derby would build confidence, which then would effect how you perform against a live pitcher. Just like throwing the ball 350 feet would give you more confidence when you start throwing the ball at 60 feet. It is now a shorter distance and it requires less effort, so you feel a lot more powerful. This is because throwing the ball 350 feet gives a visual measurement of your strength. To help you understand this point I ask this question. Which way do you think it is easier to tell who is throwing harder? The difference between a pitcher throwing 85 mph to a pitcher throwing 90 mph, or the difference between a pitcher throwing 310 feet to a pitcher throwing 350 feet.

There is a difference in mechanics for a pitcher throwing at max effort from 70 feet away to 350 feet away. The difference is in the release point. A pitcher should always throw with the same release point because it is crucial for velocity and accuracy. Continuously changing release points from throwing long toss to pitching on a mound will effect a pitchers consistency. Therefore, the only reason to perform long toss is for the placebo effect. It is just like taking an over the counter supplement that says it will increase your muscle mass. It gets you all excited and pumped up, but this doesn’t mean it is actually working. If this feeling is all that matters to you, then keep playing long toss. Otherwise, if you feel the placebo effect is a waste of time and emotion, then I would suggest you train your pitching delivery the same ever day. Constantly making mechanical adjustments to increase your velocity on the mound, without putting a lot of throws on your arm. You will see more velocity gains from a total body training program than from a long toss program any day.

Remember you are bound by nothing. You have the ability to throw 90+ mph. Doctors told me I would not be able to and I proved them wrong. These tips will help you do the same.

Tips for Improving Pitching Velocity

1. Change speeds.

This should always be your first step in developing velocity because there is no risk involved. This creates an illusion of velocity. By changing the speed of your pitches this will throw the hitter’s timing off and can make a 70 mph fastball look like a 90 mph fastball. Pitchers like Trevor Hoffman have made long major league careers off of this one tip. He is a master of the fastball change up combination. Use this tip for immediate effect while you work on the other velocity tips.

2. Pitch from the ground up.

We all make the mistake at a very young age, that to throw a baseball only takes the arm to perform the task. Then as we grow bigger and move up levels in the game, we find ourselves continuing to only use our shoulders and arms to throw the ball. This is a major problem. This is why we still have an incredible amount of shoulder injuries in the game. You must change your perspective. You must teach your body to recruit bigger muscle groups when you demand more velocity from your delivery. This begins in learning to pitch from the ground up. Velocity comes from forces added to the ball. These forces come from momentum in your lift leg and your push off the ground. You then must learn to transfer these forces into the ball. This can be learned through the Ace Pitcher 6 Components of Pitching. View the Handbook with these components at the bottom.

This video talks more about the throwing mistakes we make at a young age.

3. Loading your weight back until launch.

Timing and efficiency of weight transfer, during delivery, is the essence of velocity. This is where velocity lives. Most young pitchers do not load at all. Once they lift their leg they fall towards the target. This causes poor velocity and arm injury. Read my article “Lift for Show, Load for Doe” to understand “The Load” position.

4. Building Core Torque.

The most important component of velocity, is building majority torque in the core. The core is the area from just above the knees to just below the chest. This area contains the strongest muscles in your body. So it makes sense that you should use this part of the body to generate velocity. If the core is not mainly used to build torque, then the shoulder and elbow will be forced to hold the torque needed to generate velocity. To learn more about “Separation” or the importance of building core torque, read the article “Pitching Torque and the 3 pivots” and also watch this video.

5. Create more Elastic Energy.

Once you have built core torque and your weight is still back, rotate and thrust your chest forward while your arm externally rotates behind your head. This stretching of the stomach and shoulder is creating elastic energy in your body. The more relaxed you are, the more elastic energy can be created. To learn more about this read the article, “Pitch Velocity = Elastic energy.”

6. Momentum transfer.

What is the benefit of creating momentum when you can not control or transfer the momentum to the ball? The problem with coaching someone on how to generate more momentum when pitching is that they have no idea how to control it and they get worse before they get better. This is why proper momentum transfer is essential for good velocity. If you leave any momentum in your body, then you have left some velocity behind. The Ace Pitcher component of “Stabilization” describes how this momentum transfer must occur.

7. Early elbow extension and Internal Rotation.

Most throwers believe that if they pull their arms down at release then this will generate more velocity. The opposite is true. High velocity pitchers release the ball earlier than low velocity pitchers after external rotation of the throwing arm. Which happens after momentum transfer when their chest is out over their toes and their arms are externally rotated. This means after your body has done its job you must release the ball as quickly as possible by allowing your elbow to extend up and away from your head. You must also begin internally rotating your arm, as soon as your elbow extends, so you can release the pitch with your thumb pronated down. This will protect your arm during the deceleration phase. Read the article “Pulling down is slowing down” to learn more.

8. Refuel your ATP.

ATP is the main source of energy for all muscle contraction. There are several chemical reactions that take place to produce ATP. When a muscle is used, a chemical reaction breaks down ATP to produce energy. There is only enough ATP stored in the muscle cell for two or three slow twitch contractions, or one burst of power from a fast twitch contraction. More ATP must be created.

To understand rest between throwing a pitch, first you must understand what happens during the delivery of the pitch. Initially your muscles use ATP to power the contractions but the levels of ATP available are limited. The cells have a very limited ability to replenish ATP during the activity before having to switch to other methods to fuel the activity.

Fortunately, your body can replenish ATP when you are resting. About 50% or half of the depleted ATP is replaced after one minute of total rest. Almost all of the ATP that the body can replenish (just over 95%) is restored after about three minutes of rest. I know pitchers can not wait that long between pitches, but the longer you can wait, the better opportunity to develope more velocity.

9. Fast Twitch Muscle Fiber.

A proper strength and conditioning regime like the Ace Pitcher Handbook, is based around developing fast twitch muscle fiber. This is important for velocity, because when adding a little more velocity to a pitch, you must recruit more muscle fiber within your muscular system to make this happen. We have already talked about where that muscle fiber should come from, now you need to learn how to develop more muscle fiber in the correct places of your system. Spending most of your time in the weight room sitting on cushioned machines, isn’t the answer. Start with the “Beginner Pitching Workout” and then you can move to the “Fusion System” in the Ace Pitcher Handbook at the bottom.

10. Speed your recovery.

By speeding your recovery time between starts or appearances you are making sure you never enter a game at less than 100% recovery. If your system is completely rebuilt and replenished, this is a better chance you will have the ability to generate top velocity. This is why it is important to keep a strict routine of a good strength training and conditioning program, along with a balanced alkaline based diet. You need to learn about alkaline based foods. These are green vegetables and more, which help restore the PH levels in your system. When your system becomes very acidic, you do not recovery as quickly. Diet is extremely important to recovery. Read this article on “Pitching Nutrition and Supplements” and start eating more alkaline foods from this chart.

Bonus tip: Lay off your arm.

Stop wearing your arm out. It takes enough abuse on the mound. You need to make sure your strength training program isolates the core and legs more than the shoulders and arms. If your arm is constantly sore and tired, it is because you use it to much. Try changing habits, like brushing your teeth with your non-pitching arm and do not arm wrestle your roommates with your pitching arm. Take care of yourself and it will take care of you.

I understand each one of these pitching velocity tips did not go into much detail. The purpose of this article was to give you some guidance for developing efficient and effective velocity, without sacrificing the body in return. If you would like more detail on any one of these tips, then sign up for the FREE newsletter up top and start reading the articles. If you are really serious about pitching then purchase the Ace Pitcher Handbook to take control of your career. Best of luck!

Tips and Articles on Pitching in Baseball

3 Keys to Pitching Velocity

Triple Extension – 3X Pitching

The Phenomenon of Speed Mechanics!

The Pitching Key to Torque is in the “Tilt”

The Secrets behind throwing hard!

Comparison of High Velocity and Low Velocity Pitch Deliveries