Is bad pitching mechanics a sign of poor awareness of movement or muscular weakness? Above average coordination takes fast twitch muscle strength. Fast twitch motor neurons recruit more muscle fibers. This means more control of the body and also more explosive power. The biggest problem for a pitching coach, when working with a pitcher who does not have good lower body power and movements to drive force up the body to the ball, is that no mechanical drill will be enough to develop this power.
Drills only help pitchers who are having a hard time changing flawed muscle memory. It doesn't help pitchers who have good muscle memory but poor muscle strength. This is why we have weight rooms. This is why any coach who tells you that weight lifting will NOT help you as a pitcher is clueless and is wasting your time and maybe even your money. A good strength and conditioning program that incorporates Olympic lifts, plyometric training and an intense speed training program is essential to developing good pitching mechanics. Good athletes make good pitchers.
Bad Pitching Mechanics
If you as a player or coach do not come to terms on what creates bad pitching mechanics then you could very easily spend your career chasing your tail. If you understand the body and what makes up movement then you will understand the brain starts the process and then the muscles finish it. If anywhere in this process the system fails then the mechanics turn bad. This means if the muscles fail to fire quick enough or hard enough to create the desired movement then you will never succeed until you develop the muscle past its current genetic ability.
Just talk to any strength and conditioning coach who deals with movement everyday. They will tell you you can't develop elite movement with average athletic ability. You must develop elite athletic ability to have the potential to create elite movement, so when you ask the muscle to fire at a certain speed and strength it has the capacity to accomplish the task. You wouldn't ask a small frail person to help you move your living room furniture. You would recruit big strong people, so you would have the confidence that the job would get done.
The Perfect Pitching Specimen
The two of the 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 performance. 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?
- To enhance pitching mechanical efficiency, which will lead to more consistency and increased longevity.
- Help the body heal faster.
- Remodel fast twitch muscle fibers which have a higher capacity for explosive energy.
The #1 BioMechanics Velocity Training Program
This program has helped tons of pitchers live the dream of throwing 90+mph and signing with a D1 University, getting drafted by a Major League Organization and making it back to Major League Baseball. Many scouts in all organizations of baseball have recommended this program to help young pitchers get to the 90+mph range to improve their value at the next level.
The reason the 3X Extreme Pitching Velocity Program works is because it is based off of science and it has been proven to develop the 90+mph fastball on thousands of pitchers. It isn't rocket science or voodoo, it is the real deal! The program comes with a high level workload of drills, lifts and exercises scientifically programmed to enhance throwing speed on the mound while developing an efficient pitching delivery. The format of the 3X Pitching Velocity Program is similar to the same approach Olympic throwers have been using for decades to increase throwing velocity. This approach isn't new to the sports world but it is new to baseball.
If you are serious about your career and are insanely driven to put yourself into an extremely small percentage of pitchers who are potential D1 prospects, top level draft picks or you just want to reach your potential on the mound then this program is the best chance you have to making your dreams come true.
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This is the perfect article that coaches in high schools need to read and abide by to Keep there star players healthy and the increase the talent on there teams. Balance and Strength training is a key part of team performance and the building a team chemistry a team that works out together builds a brotherhood between the players and a stronger and healthier competitive spirit. So Coaches you need to find a work out program that works for your age range of players
Nolan Ryan is not he greatest of our time…just no. Greg Maddux is the best of our time, better than Clemens.
@Rodney
That, of course, is debatable.
Best article ever