Motor coordination is the combination of body movements created with the kinematic (such as spatial direction) and kinetic (force) parameters that result in intended actions.

Michael Jordan spent most of his life playing basketball. Olympians spend most of their lives practicing their Olympic skills. This means their motor coordination is specific to their skill set and if they want to convert their talents into another sport then they would have to spend a good portion of their lives re-programming their motor coordination. Just watch the Biography of Michael Jordan playing minor league baseball late in his career. He struggled for years before he started to see any success in the game. He also had to double his practice time to keep up with his competition.

The point to this argument is that when the conventional wisdom of the game dismisses the statements that jumping farther, running faster, lifting heavier does not apply to the act of throwing or hitting a baseball, is absurd. If this was the case, then why does Major League baseball measure the vertical jump, running speeds and overall speed and strength of the athlete when scouting? I understand, it isn’t enough to just find the logic in this argument, I must also produce a study to help prove my point. View the study below called, The Relationship Between Power And Lean Body Mass To Sport-specific Skills Of College Baseball Players. You can view the source to the study here.

METHODS: Thirty-seven members of an NCAA Division I men’s baseball team (age =19.7 ± 1.3 yr) volunteered to be evaluated. Tests included percent body fat, lean body mass (LBM), grip strength, upper (1RM bench press and 1-arm dumbbell row) and lower body (1RM squat) strength, rotational power (medicine ball side toss), leg power (vertical jump), running speed (10, 30, 60 yd sprint), throwing velocity (TV), bat velocity (BV), and batted-ball velocity (BBV).

RESULTS: Correlation coefficients were calculated for all variables by utilizing a correlation matrix from raw scores. Significant (p < 0.05) and moderately high positive relationships were indicated between BV and BBV (r = 0.70); 60 yd sprint and 30 yd sprint (r = 0.77), 10 yd sprint (r = 0.70). Significant and moderately positive relationships were indicated between BV and vertical jump (r = 0.58), LBM (r = 0.43); medicine ball side toss and BV (r = 0.50), TV (r = 0.49), BBV (r = 0.45); 1RM squat and 1RM bench press (r = 0.58). Significant and moderately negative relationships were indicated between 60 yd sprint and vertical jump (r = -0.57). Coefficients of determination for all variables were also calculated. Of particular interest was BV and BBV (r2 = 0.49), vertical jump (r2 = 0.34), medicine ball side toss (r2 = 0.25), LBM (r2 = 0.18); medicine ball side toss and TV (r2 = 0.24), BBV (r2 = 0.20); 60 yd sprint and 30 yd sprint (r2 = 0.59), 10 yd sprint (r2 = 0.49), VJ (r2 = -0.32).

CONCLUSION: Results suggest that strength training programs designed to improve baseball player’s performance should emphasize increasing leg power, rotational power, and LBM.

This study is suggesting that increasing ones vertical jump or leg power, along with rotational power and Lean Body Mass, will increase velocity. So this study supports the claims that jumping farther, running faster, lifting heavier will actually increase your velocity. This study goes to show you how illogical and uneducated the conventional wisdom of the game is, which unfortunately includes most pitching coaches!

If this case study isn’t enough, then here are some great examples of how this athletic approach to training the pitcher is changing the game. The best example of the athletic pitcher, in my book, is Tim Lincecum. He is small and explosive like an Olympic gymnast. Here is an excerpt from the New York times where his teammate Mark DeRosa is talking about his amazing athletic ability.

Outfielder Mark DeRosa, who signed with the Giants last winter, said he never knew Lincecum was so athletic until he saw him ace the team’s agility testing — standing broad jump, vertical leap — in spring training. DeRosa already knew how that translated to the mound. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/sports/baseball/07giants.html

I am assuming Mark DeRosa knows how Lincecum’s vertical leap power converts to the mound because he understands the basics of motor coordination. How many conventional pitching coaches in this game understand the difference between motor coordination and athletic ability? I would say very few.

Here is another great excerpt from an ESPN article where one of Lincecum’s teammates are amazed by his athletic ability.

In one well-traveled story from last year, the ace (Tim Lincecum) walked through the clubhouse and suddenly did a complete backflip, sticking a perfect landing. Centerfielder Aaron Rowand, one of the crustier Giants, took Lincecum to task immediately, telling him he was too valuable to endanger himself with such frivolity. The pitcher didn’t argue, but his father says, “They don’t understand what kind of athlete he is. He’s not going to hurt himself doing that.” http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3931546

I understand that Tim Lincecum was born with the potential to be this athletic but I believe most all people have this potential as well, just some have to work harder than others to get it out of them. Here is a perfect example of a pitcher working hard to pull this kind of athletic ability out of him. Men’s Health put together an excellent article on how Major League Pitcher Tim Collins turned himself into an elite athlete, using hard work and a strength and conditioning program, that developed his lower body, core strength and Lean Body Mass. Here is some excerpts from the Men’s Health article which illustrate his transformation.

Tim Collins was a 131-pound high school senior who stood 5’5″ and threw an 82-mph fastball.

The 131-pounder with the 25-inch vertical jump is now 172 rock-hard pounds with a 38.7-inch vertical. The guy who was gassed racing against a couple of strength coaches now spends 8 hours a day in the gym, hanging out with the athletes and coaches before, between, and after his training sessions.

The fourth pitch is Collins’ fastest so far, a 93-mph dart that Hunter swings at, and misses.
http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/transformation-tim-collins/

Tim Collins is a pitcher who tapped into his potential through hard work and went from 82 mph to 93 mph, using a strength and conditioning program developed by Eric Cressey.

At my Baseball Academy, just outside of New Orleans Louisiana. I have a very similar story with one of my local pitchers. His name is Mitchel Sewald and he has been on the 3X Pitching Velocity program for the past 6 months. His vertical jump was around 28 inches before the program and his 60 yard dash was around a 7.3 before the program. At the end of this summer, his vertical jump went over 36 inches and his 60 yard dash went down to 6.5 secs. At the same time his pitching velocity went from 82 mph to 92 mph. He just committed to a full ride to pitch for LSU after his senior year. He is going into his senior year season this new year.

This is all proof, that increasing your vertical or linear jump, which is your power production, while developing proper motor coordination around good pitching mechanics, like the 3X mechanics, will increase velocity. So yes, you can tell your pitching coach that if you can Jump Farther, you will Throw Harder.

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.