Velocity is a product of power and if you can understand how we generate power as athletes, you will then discover how you can personally increase and maintain velocity.

Power is both speed and strength. It isn’t enough to be an athlete who can only move a lot of weight or an athlete who can only move very quickly. You must be that athlete who can move a lot of weight, very quickly. This is called explosive power or explosive strength. This can all be measured in what I call the Pitcher Power Curve.

The Pitcher Power Curve

This diagram alone is the secret to velocity, if you have learned how to convert power to velocity. To learn how power is converted to velocity then watch the 3X Pitching 101 video. If you understand or have implemented the 3X Mechanics and you are dealing with a power issue then this diagram is what you need to discover where you must spend your time. The way this curve works is simple. Write down your percentages of your 1 Repitition Maximum or 1RM for these three lifts; the Back Squat, the Power Clean and the Bench Press. Also write down your vertical or broad jump distances with your sprint times in the 40 yard dash or the 60 yard dash. Here is how to decipher these numbers.

• Pure Strength can be measured in the Back Squat and Bench Press exercises.
• Pure Speed can be measured in the 40/60 Yard Dash. You can also record how many times you can jump rope in say a 1 minute time.

Now look at your measurements and determine, based on your age and size, where do you stand as compared to the average athlete at your age and size. You can determine this by measuring up your teammates and competition. Once you get a good understand of how you match up to them, within these lifts and exercises, then you can see where you fall on the Pitcher Power Curve.

Let’s say you rank very high in pure speed but you rank very low in pure strength. Your arrow swings all the way over to the right. Then you need to focus more on strength to develop more power. This doesn’t mean stop training for speed, but that you need to focus more on your strength training. Power is the goal here, so wherever you fall on the Power Curve, your goal is to get your ability more towards Pure Power.

The reason I told you to record your clean 1RM is because this is a Pure Power lift. It will tell you where you stand when it comes to Pure Power, which is the goal. The problem is the cleans do not tell you where are you lacking on the power curve. Is it pure strength or pure speed? The Power Curve will do this for you.

The Fusion System in the 3X Pitching Velocity Program includes a full spectrum of lifts and exercises that fall on the Pitcher Power Curve and if you would like to know the lifts and exercises that or more towards pure strength or pure speed, please contact me.

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.

Many athletes today have the desire to reach a higher level of athletics. Whether it is an athlete going from Jr. High to High School, or an athlete making the transition from high school to college athletics and the big one college to professional athletics. All throughout America, young athletes have dreams to make it to the top of their sport; many try only a few succeed.

To make it to the professional level it takes all the intangibles of practice, hard work, heart, desire, skill, strength, speed, etc; but, one of the most important traits is a simple word and it is genetics. Some athletes can top out their genetic potential only running a 4.97second 40 yard dash or topping out their fast ball at 78mph and that is ok, but ask yourself as a parent or an ex athlete, did I max out my potential? When did I start really training and being educated by my coach on how to and why? Did my coach teach me the right way to train and perform the different tasks, drills, or tests?

Like many of today’s strength and speed specialists, we have all heard of the NFL Combine and different combines being held around the nation that tests the athletic ability of the athlete. One of the questions in football is how fast the athlete’s 40 yard dash is, in baseball it is how fast the athlete can run a 30 or 60 yard dash. Some athletes are born with being able to run a 4.23 second 40 yard dash or other talented gifts such as being able to throw a baseball 98mph at only 18 years old but how about the athletes who are not blessed with these abilities and genetics. I am a speed and strength professional and I am going to tell you these things can be taught. In theory, can every athlete train and run a 4.2 second 40 yard dash or throw 98mph NO but if coached properly and if an athlete starts early enough in their life to program their body then they can get the most out their genetic make-up. In an athlete’s life they will be timed by a scout or coach to see how fast they are. Keep in mind, this does not tell the coaches or scouts how talented the athlete is at the particular sport but just their speed. Therefore, this is just a test and should be treated like a test which means being educated and studying for the test. This brings me to Fitts and Posner Three Stage model of learning a motor skill.

1st Stage of Learning

Paul Fitts and Michael Posner presented their three stage learning model in 1967 and to this day considered applicable in the motor learning world. The first stage called the cognitive stage of learning is when the beginner focuses on cognitively oriented problems (Magill 265). This is when the beginners try to answer questions such as: What is the objective of the 40 yard sprint? Where should my hand be on the line coming out of a three-point stance? How and where do I place my feet? How is the weight distributed? There are many questions that an athlete has when they first try to learn a three point stance for the 40 yard dash. And surprisingly the older the athlete, the harder it is to teach the proper mechanics of the start. This is because they have been doing it their way most of their life. Remember it is easier to teach new habits than to try to fix bad habits. Fitts and Posner explain the learner must engage in cognitive activity as he or she listens to instructions and receive feedback from the instructor (Magill 265). Of course during the first stage the learner or athlete is going to make many errors and the errors they make have a tendency to be large. The learners or athletes in this stage are conscious incompetent. This is when the athlete realizes that they not as skilled as perhaps they thought they were or thought they could be. One of the ways to help the athlete through this first stage and show their mistakes is through video analysis. From experience, once the learner or athlete can watch their errors they tend to correct them at a faster rate.

2nd Stage of Learning

The second stage of learning in the Fitts and Posner model is called the associative stage of learning. The transition into this stage occurs after an unspecified amount of practice and performance improvement (Magill 265). The learner or athlete reaches this stage when they have developed the knowledge of what, how and when to do the different tasks in a sprint to achieve the goal of the skill. Of course the athlete makes fewer mistakes in this stage and is more consistent with the different stages of the 40 yard dash. The athlete now understands how to start, how to load the arm and legs in a three-point stance, how to breathe, when to breathe, arm placement, etc. In the associative stage, the athlete is going through conscious competence. The learner or athlete knows how to do something; but, in spite of this, demonstrating the skill or knowledge requires a great deal of consciousness or concentration. This great deal of consciousness and concentration usually makes the athlete tense or disturbs breathing which could inhibit the athletes’ sprint performance.

3rd Stage of Learning

The third and final stage is called the autonomous stage of learning. In this stage the skill has become almost automatic or habitual (Magill 265). Learners or athletes’ in this stage do not think about all the steps required to run a fast time, the athlete just performs and runs. In this stage as a coach we like to call it unconscious competence. The learner or athlete has had so much practice with a skill that it becomes “second nature” and can be performed easily with only little thinking. During this stage the learner or athlete can go up to the line knowing all the answers he or she was asking, thinking, and being coached on during the cognitive and associative stage.

In closing, Fitts and Posner’s Three Stage Model of learning can be used in any athletic drill or movement. Of course, there are other different theories of learning but with the Fitts and Posner model it is simple and it works. As a coach you can use this model with all of your athletes learning a new skill or movement. Remember coaching means teaching, of course it is easy to go out and train a bunch of athletes just running them into the ground and many coaches still do that because they think the harder the better. To be a great coach remember sometimes less is more. This means that sometimes less work and more coaching towards the athletes’ can be more beneficial. Finally, in motor learning and motor control the whole basis is being able to program your body to learn and do different things. The earlier you start programming the correct way to do specific movements, like run, jump, throw, lift, etc. the better student or athlete you will be. The important aspect is learning the proper technique sooner because the longer an athlete waits there is a greater chance of the athlete picking up bad habits. That is why it is so important to find a qualified, educated coach or teacher who can show and teach and explain why the proper techniques of training.

References
Magill RA. Motor Learning and Control: Concepts and Applications. 8th ed. New Your, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2007

The start of a 40 yard dash is first based on the athlete’s explosive power to help get them from a static position out into the drive phase of the sprint. Many coaches today have their athletes start in a 3 point stance athlete stands with front foot 2-6 inches from line depending on the athletes size and back foot 2-4 inches from front foot with toes facing forward. The athletes front knee should be bent nearly at 90 degrees and back leg around 120 degrees with hips slightly above knees, back flat and chin tucked. The left arm is bent at 90 degrees at the hip if the left leg is in front, and the right arm is on the line with thumb pointing towards your left foot and index finger point to the right. The athlete’s right shoulder is directly over the right hand with the athlete’s weight leaning forward.

Once the athlete has left the static position the athlete is now in the acceleration or drive phase. Michael Gough (2006), defines the acceleration phase from the initial movement of ground contact until the athlete reaches top end speed. A powerful triple extension of the hip, knee, and ankle joints is important for maximum power development off the start. Forward body lean is critical during the acceleration phase with the shoulders always over the hips. Most coaches want the athlete driving out in a 35 to 45 degree angle with elbows at 90 degrees and driving their heel over their knee with foot dorsiflexed and foot striking under hips. In fact, research by Weyand, Sternlight, Bellizzi and Wright (2000) indicated that the force applied at ground contact is the most important determinant of running speed. Ken Jakalski (2008) states in his article that the dorsiflexion of the ankle is the “magic bullet” of the sprint cycle. He explains this of the dorsiflexed ankle because it puts a stretch on the gastrocnemius, soleus and achilles complex which contributes to knee flexion and hip flexion. He goes on to explain that if the athletes does not dorsiflex the ankle, the gastrocnemius soleus and achilles complex cannot help out as a leg flexor. If the gastrocnemius cannot assist in this process, another muscle group will, which are the hamstrings. Hamstrings should not serve a primary role as knee flexors they are hip extenders, not knee flexors. If the hamstrings are called upon to assist in knee flexion, they will be less effective in carrying out their primary responsibility.

The next phase of the forty yard dash is maximal velocity. This takes place for the last 12.66 yards. Michael Young (2007) of the USA Military Academy and Human Performace Consulting explains there are three primary goals of maximal velocity sprinting: preservation of stability, minimizing braking forces and maximization of vertical propulsive forces. Preservation of stability is the body’s ability to stay in perfect posture for the sprint because when stability is disrupted the loss of elasticity occurs. This stability relates to the athletes core for the most part, think of a squat an athlete holds their breath on the way down to support their back and keep their spine protected. The next goal is to minimize braking forcing which is any force that act in the opposite direction of the desired movement. The primary cause of excessive braking forces is making ground contact too far out in front of the athlete’s center of mass. This can go back to the stability goal because if an athlete has good stability the athlete is less likely to lean back or stand strait up which tends to disrupt the foot strike under the hips. The last goal is maximization of vertical propulsive forces which is the distance traveled in the air before ground contact. Vertical propulsive forces help the athlete with a more effective ground contact position and an increase in negative foot speed which when the foot is moving backwards at ground contact with respect with body moving forward; which, in turn helps the athlete accelerate through the line. Another benefit to the maximization of vertical propulsive is an increase in leg stiffness which is the ability of the legs to act like a spring during contact. Actually, Bret, Dufour, Messonnier and Lacour did study on leg strength and stiffness as ability factors in 100 meter sprints and found that leg stiffness is critically important to maximal velocity sprinting and the maintenance of momentum developed during the acceleration period of a sprint.

Throughout this paper one can see that there are many detailed mechanics through a 40 yard sprint. In a recap we know how to start, we know during the drive phase the athletes elbows are firing past the hips to the shoulders at 90 degrees, the heels are driving up over the knee, the shoulders are in advance of the hips and the athlete is making ground contact beneath the athletes hips which helps drive the athlete forward. During max velocity phase the athlete is doing everything that is in the drive phase except now we are trying to aim for more of a vertical propulsive movement. There is many other factors that go into sprinting for instance breathing, power and strength but for the purpose of this paper I am just explaining the mechanics of a sprint.

Now, that sprint mechanics are understood, what are some improper mechanics that athletes usually do and how can they be fixed. For starters many young athletes have problems with mechanics and it starts with their posture. Most young athletes have tight hips, glutes, hamstrings and gastrocnemius, soleus and achilles complex, internally rotated shoulders and an everted foot due to sitting in class all day. Think about if these kids are in flexion all day and that is what their body knows. So, how can these athletes improve their posture and the answer is through corrective exercises. Pete Egoscue suggests in his book Pain Free to do arm circles for internally rotated shoulders, and many other great corrective exercises for the hips, glutes, hamstrings and gastrocnemius, soleus and achilles complex. But, the most important corrective exercise when it comes to sprinting is foot circles. If an athlete has a foot that is everting and supinating the athlete may lose up to 2/3 or more of surface area and all important assistance of the knee and hip and their associated musculature (48). Once foot circle are performed the athlete feels an increase on surface area as well as more strength because of the assistance of the knee and hip so, if an athlete increases surface area, the athlete then increases force and if the athlete increase force the athlete in turn increase speed with proper sprint mechanics. The next error most athletes are with their elbows many athletes kick their arm back to 180 degrees past their hip which turns their arm into a long slow pendulum. Some athletes cross their bodies with their arms and many do not lock their wrist out which can inhibit the stretch reflex mechanism in the athletes shoulder if the hand supinates past the hip. These improper elbow mechanics can be improved by seated arm swings drills and arm circles. Brown and Ferrigno (2005) explain seated arm drills Starting Position: Seated on the floor with the legs straight out in front of you. Swing arms in a sprinting motion. Elbows should be kept at 90 degrees and keep hands relaxed. Your hands should come up to about shoulder height and should go past your hips in the back. Be careful to not bounce off of the floor as you swing your arms faster. Other problems athletes have is driving heel over knee, driving off of their power pads, heel contacting ground and shoulders not over hips. To help improve these faults there are the Mach Drills invented by Gerard Mach. A cornerstone of his system was the A B & C drill series. Mach (1977) broke the stride into its components parts, knee lift, foreleg action and the push off through the drills. The A Drills were designed to work the knee lift component. The B Drills were designed to work on foreleg reach or pawing action. According to Mach All exercises with leg extension and active down are special exercises to strengthen the hamstrings (6). Mach (1977) also explained The marching and skipping exercises were designed to develop the technique required for body lean, arm action, high knee lift, leg extension, and keeping the center of gravity high, but did not emphasize the strong driving forward or push forward action and the C Drills were designed to work on push off and extension (6). Brent McFarlane uses similar drill for improving speed and technique as does Tom Shaw. Other ways to enhance performance is by doing explosive Olympic lifting and plyometrics. In fact, Eduardo S¡ez, Gonz¡lez-Badillo, Juan Jose, Izquierdo did a study on Low and Moderate Plyometric Training and found that the lower training frequency produced a greater jumping and sprinting gain compared to high frequency. Therefore, sometimes as a coach remember less is more.

In closing, one can see how complex and how much detail goes into sprint work. Again, there is much more that goes into sprinting besides mechanics for instance strength, muscle fibers, breathing and etc. Finally, remember that the start and the finish of a sprint are equally important and if you want to run a good 40 yard dash there is much more than just genetics that come into play. In the words Vern Gambetta used in his article about speed drills there are many roads to Rome and another famous idiom there are many ways to skin a cat. What this mean is coach the drills and training that work for your athletes.

References

1. Bret, C., Rahmani, A., Dufour, A.B., Messonnier, L., and Lacour, J.R. (2002). Leg strength and stiffness as ability factors in 100m sprint running. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. 42(3): 274:281.
2. Brown, Lee and Ferrigno, V. (2005). Training for Speed agility and Quickness: Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
3. Eduardo S¡ez, Gonz¡lez-Badillo, Juan Jose, Izquierdo, Mike .Low and Moderate Plyometric Training Frequency Produces Greater Jumping and Sprinting Gains Compared with High Frequency. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 22(3): 715-725. 2008.
4. Gough, Michael. The Forty-Yard Dash for the High School Athlete. National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal. 28( 2): 24-25. 2006.
5. Jakalski, Ken. Sprint Technique and Speed Training. 2008. Enhanced Fitness and Performance.http://www.enhancedfp.com/sport-specific/track-and-field/400-meter-training-ken-jakalski
6. Mach, Gerard. Sprinting & Hurdling School. CTFA 1977: Page 6
7. McFarlane, Brent. A Basic and Advanced Technical Model for Speed. National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal. 15(5): 57- 61. 1993.
8. McFarlane, Brent. A Look Inside the Biomechanics and Dynamics of Speed. National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal. 9(5): 35-41. 1987.
9. Pete Egoscue (Author), Roger Gittines (Contributor) (1998). Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method for Stopping Chronic Pain: New York: Bantom.
10. Weyand, P., Sternlight, D., Bellizzi, M. and Wright, S. (2000). Faster top running speeds are achieved with greater ground forces not more rapid leg movements. Journal of Applied Physiology, 89, 1991-2000.
11. Young, Michael. Maximal Velocity Sprint Mechanics. Track Coach. No. 179. Spring 2007.