Although the deadlift is a great power lift and works your lower body well, when it comes to pitching the strength doesn’t always transfer. Deadlifts are good for improving the posterior chain, stabilizing the hips, and front foot strike, so it will support the glutes, hamstring, and front foot strike which will decelerate the trunk, and stabilize the hips. Hip thrusters, deep front, and back squats, and power lunges are all good ways to get the same effects of deadlift. Done together, making improvements to your hip thrusters, deep front, and back squats, and power lunges has a better chance at increasing your pitching velocity as appose to raising your deadlift the same amount. The functionality of using multiple lifts is greater than just using one, and it will support the body better this way. When it comes to actually doing the lift for training it’s perfectly fine but it’s definitely not the end-all be-all lower half lift.
For the technique you have to be able to lock your back out because if you can’t you’re going to end up hurting your back. Focus your load more on your glutes and your hamstrings as appose to your back. For the grip we prefer a clean grip which is both hands pronated, where as some like one hand pronated and one supinated. The clean grip will allow you to increase your grip strength which is an incredible asset to baseball players.
All in all deadlifts do not need to replace squats and many other lower half lifts just because someone currently lacks the form and has mobility issues in different lower half lifts. If you do that you are basically ignoring your problems and it will only hurt your growth as a high velocity pitcher. The deadlift should be used as a tool to adding strength but you can’t cut out other lifts!
Youth Pitching Mechanics for Velocity
Leg strength will often times be an issue for kids this age which will make it difficult for them to sit on their back leg and drive properly. This is because most of their joints aren't matured yet, they are still a bit porous and malleable which will cause them to sometimes feel hyper mobile and other times not. In other words at this age kids will feel more restricted and weak compared to someone who has fully matured. These are all reasons why to go ahead and start developing your body now and get your legs strong enough to support your movements down the mound. Although you will try to sit on your back leg like you’re suppose to it will be difficult for an 11 year old to do because there won’t be much momentum down the mound. At the same time the lack of leg strength if you were able to properly drive down the mound your front leg wouldn’t be able to support you and you would probably collapse.
Every 11 year old isn’t quite ready to be on the mound yet, you need to step off the rubber and work on driving like we do at our camps to get you body ready for these movements. Doing this you will be able to progressively work towards actually being on the mound. You will also need to start putting loads on your body slowly. Start with the bar and get your technique down and then when that feels light you can work your way up. At our camps we will be able to develop your lower body movements first so that you can work your way up to the mound for drills. Get yourself in a good body development program! Med-balls and barbell work, all of which is included in the 3X Beginners Program, and will all help develop the technique of the lifts. This way when they get older they will already have the technique and the mobility down and ready to go up in weight. Do not be afraid to give you arm a break, don’t play too many baseball seasons in a year, go and play other sports, your arm needs the off-season.