When I developed the revolutionary approach to pitching velocity called 3X Pitching, I first analyzed some of the hardest throwers in the game to try and discover their secrets. I wasn’t as interested in their training programs because most of these hard throwers, I felt, had superior genetics. I knew that if I could learn what they were doing mechanically, which was causing them to throw so hard, I could then try to emulate these mechanics through training my body to move like theirs. I believed that this was a good strategy for success. I soon learned that this was true.

The mechanical components that I pulled out of these hard throwing delivers are a main part to the 3X Pitching Velocity Program. The program lists all of these components and covers them in detail. More important than uncovering these velocity components was discovering the key component which was the foundation. This one component, if not performed correctly, would prevent all of the other components to be performed correctly as well. This was the case because these hard throwers were using the entire kinetic chain to generate their power and their velocity was initiated in the very start of the kinetic sequence. This component that I discovered was Triple Extension or what I call 3X. The day I discovered this key component I could not believe how effective it was and how clueless the rest of baseball was, to completely miss it. Even today I am shocked that I am the only pitching voice coaching it.

The problem with most velocity enhancement programs is that they focus on the mechanics more than the training or the training more than the mechanics. They must go hand in hand. The mechanics must be used as a measurement for the effectiveness of the training program and the means to the end. If not then you are training blind and going no where fast. The 3X Pitching Velocity Program is a multi-faceted approach to pitching velocity that believes a more powerful athletic pitcher will more effectively develop high velocity mechanics than the average pitcher. This is why this program produces results and makes it possible for all young pitchers to add 5-10 mph to their velocity.

Most baseball coaches and players do not want to hear that if you want to hit bombs or throw gas, it is only going to happen with an insane work ethic which starts with heavy load training in the weight room. This is because this type of training is a ball breaker. Not many ball players have the “balls” to spend 3-4 days a week kicking their ass in the weight room, especially with the total body Olympic lifts. This is because this type of training is what separates the men from the boys. I am not trying to be macho here. My intentions are to show those, who want to hear it, that your ability to throw harder will come if you are man enough to put a maximum effort into a training program that incorporates heavy load training. Especially using lifts that involve triple extension as the means to generate power. It will not come by substituting your throws with heavier balls, chains or long distances. You will see some results but not the results you will discover using a 3X training program that involves heavy loads.

I continually post scientific evidence on this site to support my claims and programs and here is more evidence to help give you the confidence that my word is supported in the science world.  Here is a study from the Department of Orthopaedic Biomechanics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. It is called 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.

This study recorded data from the throwing mechanics of 7 pitchers and found that the explosive push off or drive of the lower kinetic chain, along with the ground reaction forces from the landing limb of the lift leg, increased arm velocities. They also stated that “poor mechanics at the arm may originate in the lower extremities.” This is another study that once again supports my claims that triple extension, which is the extension of the drive leg ankle, knee and hip flexor, along with triple flexion, which is the stabilization of the three joints of the lift leg at front foot strike, is the foundation to building the explosive or power pitcher. I highly recommend that you purchase the 3X Pitching Velocity Program to learn more about this approach. It comes with the 3X Pitching eBook which will give you more information and more scientific evidence of my findings on 3X Pitching.

I promise you that greats like Jim Morris, Billy Wagner, Nolan Ryan and Bob Feller didn’t get to the heights of greatness using methods similar to “Speed Chains” and “Weighted Balls.” They were all involved in some type of heavy load training using the lower kinetic chain. Even the old timers like Bob Feller, who was an advocate for fitness, and who grew up on a farm bailing hay, which bailing hay and power cleaning are cousins, spent his off season kicking his ass to get better. Don’t let the elites fool you in Major League Baseball today. Just because you see them using methods like Yoga and stretching before games, doesn’t mean this is how they got to the “Big Leagues.” My favorite quote from the legendary Nolan Ryan should give you a better perspective of what it is going to take to reach your goals and dreams.

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

Using the overload to underload approach to train the pitchers body and central nervous system to increase arm speed is the right concept but the wrong approach when using weighted balls. The problem with using weighted balls is that it sacrifices the arm to teach the body how to move weight more quickly. To understand how backwards this weighted ball approach is we must first look at what role the arm plays in the pitching delivery.

The Role of the Arm in the Pitching Delivery

The role of the arm is to get into position to allow for the transfer of energy from the lower kinetic chain into the upper kinetic chain. Once this energy has coiled the shoulder during external rotation the arm’s role is to deliver the pitch to its desired location. Never does the arm work to generate velocity except for using the elastic properties of the arm muscles when coiling during the energy transfer. To better understand the sequence of events through the entire kinetic chain, which leads to the top velocity of the pitcher, you need to learn the revolutionary approach to pitching velocity called 3X Pitching. 3X Pitching proves that to increase the coil of the shoulder during external rotation the pitcher must first increase linear stride power and then transfer that power into core torque at front foot strike.

Why Weightballs are a Waste of Time for Pitchers?

Based on the understanding of how velocity is generated through the entire kinetic chain of the body stated above and also in the 3X Pitching approach, you can see that training with weighted balls using an overload to underload approach is a waste of time because it does not work with power pitching mechanics. Yes, this weighted balls approach may increase arm strength, using the weights, and may increase some arm speed, through training the central nervous system to rotate the arm faster, but the final result will be much less effective than taking a total body approach to velocity like with the 3X Pitching Velocity program.

I used the Overload Underload weighted balls throwing program for years when Dick Mill’s once preached it back in the 90′s. He now credits it to causing injury. It happened that I was using this program the year I torn my rotator cuff. I am not saying that this program was the reason for my tear but it did speed up the process of the injury. My problem was I had bad mechanics. I was an all arm pitcher and when I used this program it made everything even worse. The overloading with the weighted balls put more wear and tear on my cuff and in the end, even if I had added a few mph, it wouldn’t have been worth the extra wear and tear that came with it.

If you are looking to use weighted balls to increase velocity, I really believe that you are looking for the easy answer here. Increasing velocity is developing power pitching mechanics and also developing yourself into a power pitcher. The 3X Pitching Velocity program gives you all of this with a revolutionary approach to pitching velocity. This approach uses the famous 3X Velocity System throwing program to develop the 3X mechanics and the famous Fusion system which is the strength and conditioning program to develop you into an elite power pitcher.So, stop looking for the easy way out and get serious with a serious velocity program like 3X!