Now that he is back, Tom House is claiming that he did some research on the new ArmourBite™ and he found that it will add 1-2 mph to your fastball when using the plastic mouth piece. This is the info coming from the home page of his National Pitching Association website.

National Pitching Associtation ArmourBite Claim

New Mouthpiece Improves Velocity!

Yep you read that right. Our research team at RDRBI lead by Tom House did some testing with the ArmourBite® to see if it could improve velocity. It works!

Because I have a lot of respect for Tom House and Under Armour®, I had to purchase the ArmourBite™. I will put together a full review of my performance after I use it for at least a month. Tom House is not the only one making the claims. Under Armour® is saying it will increase strength up to 20%, Increase Endurance up to 25% with Less Lactate Acid build up (This is confusing because research has shown that Lactate Acid is good for performance!), and improved reaction time up to 12% faster. This all makes me want to be so skeptical but Major Dena Garner, PhD at the Citadel said she felt the same before she did the research which has proven Under Armour®’s claims. Under Armour® is known for producing or support legitimate sports technology, so I am very close to being a believer but ultimately I need more research and to experience it myself.

The reason for my skepticism is because this device and these claims remind me of those plastic bands that everyone wears around their wrist because they also claim to increase strength and balance which I think is a joke. The more research I have done on this mouth piece though, the more I believe it may be worth its weight in gold. Supposedly, this mouth piece prevents the mouth from clenching during high intensity performance which this clenching causes a lot of performance issues. BiteTech who is the inventor of this technology, which Under Armour® is selling, says:

Clenching the jaw triggers the production and release of a cascade of hormones, including cortisol, the stress hormone. Performance Mouthwear prevents teeth clenching and relieves pressure on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). By preventing the excessive production of hormones, the body is able to unlock its full potential.

They are also saying that the clenching effects breathing as well which leads to fatigue. This reminds me of those nose bands that the football players wear to help them with breathing during performance which is also worth its weight in gold. If the ArmourBite™ does prevent this excessive dump of cortisol into the system and support better breathing then maybe they can make these claims. The cortisol issue is important because research shows that testosterone is reduced when cortisol is present.

The more I learn about this mouth piece, the more I can’t wait to get it in the mail. This also gets me more excited because now you have a well respected pitching coach admitting that increasing strength will benefit velocity. This would mean he would have to make the same claims about a program like the 3X Pitching Velocity Program which uses the same approach to increasing velocity. It used the Fusion System which is by far the best strength and conditioning program on the web. I will not make my claims before I do my own tests but I would recommend using the ArmourBite™ with the 3X Pitching Velocity Program because if it does what it claims, it will enhance the programs ability to develop speed and strength around the 3X Pitching Velocity Mechanics which will help you reach your velocity goals even faster!

For more info on the product select the image below and search “ArmourBite”.

ArmourBite at UnderArmour.com

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.”