How To Throw Harder

By Steven Ellis, former Chicago Cubs pitching pro

To become an effective pitcher you need a lot of different qualities. Throwing hard is one of those qualities. And although throwing hard is far from the most important, it is important enough to mention as well as a popular subject.

While it's true, most of velocity is God given, but some can be produced to help you throw harder.

I have mentioned on this site a number of drills and workouts that can be used to help you throw harder. Yet proper mechanics is perhaps the most important aspect.

Good pitching mechanics will give you the efficiency you need when you pitch.

Think about it this way: If you are pitching at 85% efficiency, increasing efficiency could increase pitching velocity and help you throw harder by a good 5 mph.

Like cars, a sleeker car is usually faster than a boxier car. For proper baseball pitching instruction to improve your pitching mechanics, you can read the pitching mechanics article on this site.

Pitching fitness is also very important in throwing harder.

Push-ups, sit-ups and running are all recommended. More advanced pitchers should be using 3-5 pound dumbbells during season for their shoulder, while lifting heavier weights off-season. More over, before and after games you must put aside 10-15 minutes of good stretching.

In between starts you can long toss for how to throw a baseball harder, too. Any chance you get, unless your arm is too sore, long toss! This is where the muscles in your shoulder stretch out and build up. Long tossing for 15-20 minutes is critical to building velocity and helping you throw harder at pitching a baseball.

Start with regular distance, close up. Gradually move back further and further until you are using all your might to reach your partner on a line. A little arc will be needed, but do not make it like a "hail mary" type arc. There is no set distance, it will vary will each pitcher. Also if you or your partner does not have the arm strength to reach, one hopping the ball is fine. This will increase velocity.

Set aside a time to throwing the ball with good arm speed off the mound in between starts. Increasing arm speed will result in a faster fastball.

Much of arm speed is developed in high school. Many pitchers are throwing a lot of breaking balls to get hitters out. But these pitchers are looking short term. By doing this they are slowing their arm speed down. Not building up strength.

Primarily breaking balls are not taught to younger pitchers not because they will hurt there arms, it is because the development of their fastball will be stunted. Thus not making them noticeable to college or pro scouts.

The fastball is the foundation for curveballs, sliders etc. If you work on the good arm speed and throwing harder, your breaking balls will become more effective. Harder curves, sinkers, better change-ups, etc.

So you want to know how to throw harder in baseball?

• Perfect proper mechanics.
• Become more fit.
• Throw more in between starts (long toss, etc.).
• Throw less breaking balls, slowing the arm speed down.
• Throw more fastballs/sinkers, speeding the arm speed up.