All you have to do is read the science behind it and also look at the results. The most recent example is Tim Collins. He is the pitcher for the Kansas City royals. He used a strength and conditioning program to increase his velocity from 82mph to 97mph in about 3 years. Another advocate for Strength training is Josh Beckett. This is a pic of him during his off-season training program. Here is one of his quotes from the Men’s Fitness article here:”

“What you do during the offseason is, first, build a base,” he said. “That takes about three weeks, and then you try to get as strong as you can before you go to spring training. Once you get there, you taper down and it’s just a maintenance program for the next six or seven months.” – Josh beckett

You can learn more about his strength training program in the article.

Another great example of a pitcher who used strength training, is the famous pitcher that they did the  movie about called, “The Rookie.” Jim Morris was interviewed here on this site and he talks about his intense, heavy weight training program that he did religiously. You also have Roger Clemens, John Rocker and many other pitchers who had insane intense strength and conditioning programs. Any coach that would tell you strength training is a waste of time and will injury you, is clueless. Just do your research and you will discover immediately how effective strength and speed training is for pitchers.

The best example here at Topvelocity.net, with the 3X Pitching velocity program which includes a very intense strength and conditioning program is Mitchel Sewald. He is 17 and has been on the complete 3X program for the past 5 months. He went from 82mph to 92mph and just recently committed to LSU with a full ride. He has yet to even play his senior year in high school.

Here is an interview I did with him before he committed to LSU.

The Myths Behind Strength Training for Pitchers

1. Strength training with make a pitcher tight and less flexible.
2. Strength training for a pitcher will increase his chance of injury.
3. Strength training for a pitcher will reduce his velocity.
4. Strength training for a pitcher will hurt his mechanics.

Strength training must include a program that was developed for the pitcher but if done correctly all of these myths are untrue. If a proper strength and conditioning program is used for a pitcher then here is a list of the benefits. This is no different for any sport and any position.

The Benefits of Strength and Conditioning for Pitchers

Along with these benefits is an article with more information to support these claims.

1. Improved joint mobility. Read more on Joint Mobility for the Pitcher.
2. Enhanced performance and velocity. Read more on Pitching Velocity Specificity
3. Increased longevity.
4. Help prevent injury. Read more on how Heavy Weight Training Can Reduce Pitching Injury.

The Research to support Strength and Speed training for Pitchers

1. Characteristic ground-reaction forces in baseball pitching. You can view the study here http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9474404. This was the final results of the study:
   

   This study validates the clinical impression that the lower extremity is an important contributor to the throwing motion. Based on this study, strengthening of the lower extremities could be inferred to be important both to enhance performance and to avoid injury.

2. Baseball Throwing Velocity: A Comparison of Medicine Ball Training and Weight Training. Here is a link to the entire study. This is an excerpt from the results of the study:
   

   The results of this study suggest that the use of heavier loads has been more effective than the medicine ball training in increasing velocity…..

   Kaneko et al, determined that training with heavier loads of 100% maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) resulted in increases not only in strength but also in unloaded movement speed. Similarly, a training study by Schmidtbleicher and Buehrly found that the use of relatively heavy loads of 80-90% MVC enhanced the performance of powerful dynamic movements more effectively than light loads.

3. Velocity specificity of resistance training. Here is the entire study http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8341872. This is an excerpt from the results of the study:
   

   A recent review by Behm and Sale concluded that balistic movements such as throwing and jumping are preprogrammed and that maximum limb velocity is determined principally by the rate of force development and overall force output. Improvement in these factors does not seem to require low load, high velocity training, but rather heavy loads or even isometric contractions. Research by Behm and Sale demonstrated that it may be the intention to move quickly that determines the velocity-specific response.

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.

Dallas Baseball Instruction

If you are looking for instruction in the Dallas area then checkout Coach Pourciau’s video analysis which also comes with his One on One email coaching. His instruction is some of the best you will find. He has worked with hundreds of successful baseball players in all levels of play.

Dallas Baseball Training Programs

If you are a position player looking to gain sprinting and bat speed then the Baseball Training Manual is what you need. It comes with a free stream to the instructional videos for you to learn all of the drills, exercises and lifts. Coach Pourciau is also available to do video analysis for your lifting mechanics. For more information contact Coach above.

If you are a pitcher and looking to add 5-10mph to your velocity then you must start the revolutionary 3X Pitching Velocity Program today. It is a 16 week program which comes with the 3X Velocity System of med throws and target throws along with the Fusion system which is a complete strength and conditioning program.

Dallas Baseball USSSA Travel Teams

If you are a travel team looking for a training program for your position players or pitchers then contact Coach Pourciau and he will customize your program to meet your needs. 985-377-9249

Dallas 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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Dallas 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.

Dallas 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.

Serving Areas: Addison, Mesquite, Farmers, Richardson, Lancaster, Irving, Martin’s Mill, Sunnyvale, Garland, Hutchins, Balch Springs, Plano, Carrollton, DeSoto, Duncanville, Wilmer, Red Oak, Rowlett, Grand Prairie

Go here to read the entire transcript of the interview.

I was lucky enough to have a 40 minute interview with someone who’s story inspired my ability to overcome major rotator cuff surgery to throw 94 MPH and play professional ball. His story not only inspired me but more than likely hundreds of thousands of athletes to this date. Not only is his story inspiring it is amazing. It makes my story look like a B movie!

His name is Jim Morris and he is soon to be legendary. I have to say it was such an honor to speak with him. If you do not know who he is then you may know him better by the movie that was based on the true story of his own life called “The Rookie!” If you have not seen this movie then I suggest you stop reading this article now and go watch it.

In the interview above, Mr. Jim Morris will give you the secrets to his success. You will learn that, like I, we both used a core and leg based strength and conditioning program similar to the Fusion System in the Ace Pitcher Handbook. I was so excited to hear him talk about the importance of a heavy leg and core based weight training program and how it was a big part of his ability to pitch again because it is what I feel allowed me to make a comeback in my career. I have heard many “Old School” pitching coaches and others say that weight training is not important to building an explosive pitcher. In this interview you will hear from someone who did what very few people have done and in one case, no one has done. He threw 99MPH and was the oldest player at 35 years old to make his Major League debut. Mr. Morris continues on through the interview to inform us that the keys to his success where not only a good strength and conditioning program but building the complete pitcher or person involves everything from diet, to a healthy mental approach and most importantly your Faith.

I started off this interview a little nervous but by the end I was once again inspired by a very wise and passionate man. I beg everyone and anyone to listen to this interview and hire him to speak at your local community function if you can. I believe and his accomplishments prove it, that Jim “The Rookie” Morris discovered the secrets to throwing hard and becoming an elite pitcher with all of the odds stacked against him. This is a must see video and I hope you enjoy my interview with him because I really did!

More information on Jim “The Rookie” Morris and his motivational speaking.
www.JimTheRookieMorris.com

Increasing Pitching Velocity

This is not an easy task. It takes a good understanding of velocity mechanics and the will to work and train hard and smart. If you are looking for a quick fix then you are wasting your time. I spent five years of my career only working on reaching my velocity goal of 94 mph and it was the hardest thing I have ever done. If increasing velocity was easy then the web would not be full of people claiming to have the secrets to its success. If you are going to reach your velocity goals it will be by learning how to become more total body in your pitching delivery and by developing more fast twitch muscle fibers with a good strength and conditioning program.

The problem with most pitching coaches or strength and conditioning coaches claiming that they have the program to help you increase velocity is that these programs lack a major phase in the process. This phase is adapting your new fast twitch muscle fiber that you developed in the weight room and on the field into your pitching delivery. It is not an easy job to take your strength gains from the weight room and apply them into your pitching delivery. Just like it would almost be impossible to teach an Olympic lifter, who has never pitched, how to throw 90 mph. This is also why most baseball coaches tell you to stop wasting your time in the weight room, this is because they do not understand how it correlates to pitching. The only program that I have ever found to how this keystone to a legitimate Velocity Enhancement program is the Ace Pitcher Handbook. This is because I spent my career working with very talented coaches and trainers to develop the missing link.

If you are determined to find the answer to your question here on How to increase pitching velocity and you will stop at nothing to find the answer then I promise you the answer is here in the Ace Pitcher Handbook. I have sold over 10,000 copies thus far and have received countless testimonies praising its success. Here is the latest testimony from a excited parent that I received yesterday.

“Reed has hit 90 mph for the first time this May. These velocity drills are working. The Ace Pitcher Handbook has been the answer!”

Reed bought the Ace Pitcher Handbook 6 months ago and followed up with me on a weekly basis during the program. He went from 86 mph to 90 mph by the end of the program.

There is no reason that Reed’s success and the countless others who have benefited from the Ace Pitcher Handbook could be yours as well. If you are determined the I suggest you purchase the Ace Pitcher Handbook TODAY!

How to increase pitching velocity? answered here!

Last week the Assistant GM for the New Orleans Hornets called me about implementing a core strength and flexibility program for the team. My reply was not taken well by him because I laughed. After I regained my composure I explained that if you have a well thought out strength and conditioning program, core strength and flexibility components are built in and done on a daily basis. I felt it was a waste of the teams time for me to go in once a week for thirty minutes to train explicitly on core and flexibility work. Needless to say; he was not very happy with my reply.

This conversation did trigger a host of thoughts about past training concepts, present training concepts and future training concepts. I remember the days when strength coaches had a background in either power lifting, olympic lifting or bodybuilding. Then high intensity training became the fad of the day. That was followed by sport specific training. Sport specific training gave way to core and stabilization training, which gave way to functional training. What do all these training methods have in common? A lot of books and videos have been sold. Yes, I am jaded and sarcastic by nature. I just want to know; what ever happened to a basic well thought out training cycle? I think coaches and athletes are so impressed by the latest line of training equipment and the latest training fad that they forget about the basics of performance: power, strength and speed. This is not an indictment of training philosophy, but an article to provoke thought.

I incorporate some faction of every training philosophy in my training cycles. I pride myself on being able to steal from the best and worst programs. If I can find one thing to make my training cycles better than my athletes are getting better. When it comes to training I do not dismiss anyone or any system. I will learn from anybody, anywhere, anytime.

Now if you employ this technique when writing a training cycle things still have to mesh and it has to be logical. I have seen training cycles thrown together that made absolutely know sense. There are facets of training programs that you can use to enhance your training cycles. For example:

Bodybuilding – a ridicules repertoire of exercises
that can be performed.

Power lifting – absolute strength lifts, max effort
lifts and dynamic effort lifts.

Olympic lifting – explosive power and speed lifts.

HIT – lifting for muscle hypertrophy, endurance
and volume.

Core/Stability – building your athletic foundation.

Functional Training – isolateral and balance training.

Rehab -joint stability work.

Sport Specific Training – there are few exercises that truly mimmick sport. This has always been a catch phrase that I have true distain for. If you’re an athlete who is getting stronger, more powerful and faster then your getting better athletically.

You can take bits and pieces of different training philosophies and mold them into a coherent and concise program. Do not pigeon whole your athletes into one training system. Let your guard down and absorb knowledge form non traditional sport training areas. Don’t be swayed by entire training systems that come around every two to three years. Stick to your basic philosophy and enhance it with sound practices of other philosophies.

The two greatest pitchers of our time is Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens. Their success came from their genetic make up and also their work ethics. Both of these pitchers had intense training programs. Roger Clemens was even using illegal drugs to enhance his work ethic and increase his improvements. Both of these pitchers grew bigger, stronger, faster in their careers and they both threw harder the older they got. This is because their work ethics improved their overall strength, which helped keep their flawless mechanics consistent and efficient. If they had slacked on their off-season training programs then you would have noticed a decline in their careers. This wasn’t the case and it is known today that they both where extremely hard workers.

Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens careers are proof that proper weight training and plyometric training will lead to a successful career. So why do coaches ignore this fact? Because they usually do not have first hand experience. If you want to be a high performance machine then you must train your body to become one.

Why should pitchers use a good strength and conditioning program?

1. To enhance pitching mechanical efficiency, which will lead to more consistency and increased longevity.
2. Help the body heal faster.
3. Develop fast twitch muscle fibers which have a higher capacity for explosive energy.

I am not talking about hormone levels like body builders talk about hormone levels. I am speaking for athletes who are always looking to grow more athletic. Your hormone levels are a major component to your athletic ability, so it is essential that you learn about your Endocrine System. The chart below comes from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. This chart describes how to manipulate your hormone levels naturally to gain athletic benefits.

What this chart teaches us athletes is that performing lifts that recruit major muscle groups and as many muscle fibers as possible, will cause more muscle fiber damage overall. In return the body is forced to heal this massive  event of controlled muscle damage as quickly as possible, to prevent damage from continuing. The body then sends out and army of natural occurring anabolic hormones to heal up the damaged muscle fibers.To make sure this event doesn’t continue, the body builds more muscle fibers for future events.

The difference in training muscles without recruiting as many groups of muscle fibers per repetition, like with aerobic conditioning or light weight training, is the body dumps only a small about of testosterone and GH to heal the small amount of damage. This is why body builders are bigger and more powerful than long distance runners.

To take advantage of this new information, it is important that you train smart. Training smart is not going one extreme to the other. So DO NOT take off with this new information and start throwing on weight that you can’t handle and perform 1-2 reps a set. That is unsafe. Just like pitching everything must be controlled and you must make small adjustments for a healthy career. This information should motivate you to start working for quality lifts instead of quantity. Another important piece of advice is not to take this mentality of bigger, stronger, faster into the weight room while in season. This is an off season mentality only.

So you have pain in triceps or biceps or both and it has more than likely been hurting for a while. You are searching the web for answers because you need this pain to go away so you can get back to business. I get it! I was you!

When I had this problem and I couldn’t find the answers to a quick fix of the problem, I just looked for ways to hide the pain. I was taking Advil almost everyday and I started to have to take tons more of it because the pain was getting worse. The pain first started in my elbow and then it moved up my bicep into my shoulder.

It got so bad that I had to take the maximum dose of pain killers, along with icy hot and in between innings, I had to hit my arm so I would feel the pain of the hit and not the pain coming from my throbbing arm. This was the day that my rotator cuff tore and my career completely stopped. I was shocked and depressed, at this time in my life, because I had let the pain get so bad, that it ended my career.

I am writing this article here to help you because I wish someone would have helped me at that point in my pitching career when the pain first started. If you have pain in your lower, or upper bicep, or your lower or upper tricep and maybe even in the back or front of your upper forearm, you are overusing and abusing your arm. If you have anyone or all of these pains, then you need to stop and listen to your body.

Pain is your bodies way of telling you that something is wrong. Pain does not just go away. It will only get worse, like it did in my career, if you do not make some changes immediately. Unfortunately, you should have not waited this long to make the changes but better late than never!

Why the Pain?

Here is a list of possible reasons you have pain in your arm.

1. Inflammation of soft tissue due to pattern overload of the joint. Here is a great article to learn about pattern overload and pitching.
2. Bone spurs or bone to bone contact.
3. Muscle or tendon damage.
4. Pain caused from twisting or torquing the hinge joint of the elbow. This is due to poor mechanics.

I believe that most arm pain is the sign of not just one thing but a few. It usually is the cause of poor mechanics, poor joint integrity (strength and conditioning) and overuse. Most pitchers who have this pain, all they need to do is address one of these issues and the pain will usually go away if there is not damage to the muscles, tendons or bone. Fixing all three of these issues, will not only remove the pain completely, but it will also increase performance. Most performance can be enhanced by more effectively distributing the stress of the sport through the body effectively, instead of putting it all in the arm.

In my career, if someone would have told me that all you needed is a program that will teach you to pitch with pitching mechanics that will take away your pain and in return will help you increase your velocity, I would have done a back flip. This program exists and it is called 3X Pitching. This program is what I learned and developed when I fought to overcome my career ending injury because I didn’t listen to my body. You arm pain is caused mainly by poor mechanics and overuse. The 3X Pitching Velocity Program will teach you how to use less of your arm and more of your body. This will allow you to pitch pain free, so you can focus on getting better. This program will also develop you as an elite athlete, so your body can handle a lot more stress than what you are currently conditioned to endure.

Steps to Pain Relief

If you are serious about fixing your arm problems and you do not want to go down the road to destruction like I did, then follow these steps to relieving your arm of this abuse.

1. Take a few weeks off from throwing if possible.
2. Ice your arm to start the healing process. Read this article on how to ice your arm.
3. Visit a medical professional who can examine your arm for serious muscle, tendon or bone damage.
4. Start eating better. Eat more protein.
5. Purchase the 3X Pitching Velocity Program and start learning why you are abusing your arm. Start the strength and conditioning program to start building joint integrity.

BONUS TIP: Learn about proper pitching pronation. This mechanical adjustment can have an immediate effect on arm pain. Read this article to learn more, Proper Pronation Pitching.

This will get you on the right track and will definitely save your career. If your pain sounds like the pain I had before I tore my rotator cuff then I suggest you contact me above and tell me about your pain. I will advise you if you need medical help! Best of luck!

What makes a BAD pitching Coach?

Someone who has no experience in playing the position at the top levels of the game, or someone who has no certified education of how to coach the position.

How can a BAD pitching Coach effect a pitcher?

Pitching takes a tremendous amount of muscle coordination. The body must naturally understand how to build maximum momentum and torque, to deliver an above average fastball to a specific location. It is a pitching Coaches job to guide the pitcher to reaching his athletic potential. This takes an expert understanding of the position and the athlete. If the pitching Coach is far from an expert then the chances of him being a guide to the pitchers athletic potential, is very poor. This could be detrimental to a young pitchers career because promoting bad mechanics, due to the lack of experience or education, will decrease velocity and cause injury. It happened to Me.

What are the signs of a BAD pitching Coach?

1) No experience in the top levels of the game.

2) No certified education in the world of pitching and athletic training.

3) A poor understanding of Physics Driven Pitching Mechanics.

4) A poor understanding of the physiology and psychology of his pitchers.

5) Over throwing his staff of pitchers.

6) Discouraging his pitchers from using a strength and conditioning program.

7) Forcing his pitchers to throw more breaking balls than fastballs.

8 ) Using Long Distance running to build endurance in his pitchers.

9) Excessive amounts of long toss.

10) A poor warm-up and dynamic stretching routine.

11) Not educating his pitchers on proper athletic nutrition and rehabilitation.

12) Not educating his pitchers on the mental game.

13) Uses a lot of poor conventional wisdom to coach his pitchers.

What are the signs of POOR conventional wisdom of pitching mechanics?

These are old techniques of pitching, that have been proven throw science, to decrease velocity or cause injury.

This would be Coaching the pitcher to:

1) Take the ball out of the glove and reach it to the sky.

2) Get into the T position. Glove hand to target and ball to center field.

3) Pull the glove hand in hard to your body, while pulling the throwing arm down to throw.

4) Kick the back leg up high after release. He may even use a chair for the pitcher to kick his leg over, after release, to force this bad pitching mechanic.

5) Keep your landing leg bent at release. Do not let it straighten!

6) Pull your head down hard during pitch.

7) Wipe your arm.

8 ) Slam your chest into your landing leg.

9) Move your arm faster.

10) Drive your glove hand to the target.

How to PLEASE a BAD Pitching Coach?

I will be the first to tell you that this isn’t easy. Due to the high percentage of BAD pitching Coaches in all levels of the game, ever pitcher will deal with a BAD pitching Coach a few times to many in their career. The best way to deal with a BAD pitching Coach, without him having an effect on your career, is not to avoid him but to please him. Here is some TIPS that will help.

1) Do whatever he says when he is looking and then do what you think is best when he isn’t looking.

2) Study the game, the position, physics driven mechanics and strength and conditioning. Become your Coach.

3) Do not let him catch you educating the other pitchers. Especially if he is a HOT HEAD.

4) Do not screw around when he is around you.

5) Do not talk bad about him to other players.

This is the MOST IMPORTANT TIP:

6) You must IMPROVE.

The hardest thing that any pitcher or athlete must learn, is that it is a rare case for you to find a Coach that will propel your career to the top levels of the game. This is because, they are just as concerned about their job, as you are about your job. So if you want to make it as a professional one day, you are going to have to knock down a lot of doors. You will always find support but the only person that is going to help you get their is yourself. I will leave you with this quote from Nolan Ryan.

“Pitching in the big leagues is a dream. Preparing to pitch in the big leagues is a nightmare.”