ArmourBite is here! So Tom House has retired from USC as the pitching coach and he is now with the Rod Dedeaux Research for Baseball Institute. I believe this is good news for the pitching world because he will spend more of his time on research than coaching, which I feel this is what he is best at.
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 Association ArmourBite Claim

New Mouthpiece Improves Pitching 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

ArmourBite™ Follow Up

I have used the ArmourBite™ for 2-3 months since I first wrote this article and I wanted to post my review here.
When using the ArmourBite™, I did feel a difference in strength and endurance but I am not sure if this was a placebo effect. I initially liked having the piece in my mouth but it did become an annoyance over time because it was hard to talk with it in. Just like most gimmicks on the market, this does not replace a training program, it will only enhance it. I believe based on my experience using it in games and in training that the enhancement is minimal. I spoke with the Legendary Strength and Conditioning Coach Kurt Hester about the ArmourBite™ mouth piece and he said that you may see a 3% increase in strength, nothing significant.