Join our free discussion forum for pitchers, click here...            Follow us on , or    
Baseball Pitching Tips
Click The Links Below To View Articles
Click The Links Below To View Sponsors

Baseball Pitching Workout

Want to throw harder? Try our Pitcher Workout Program – an awesome training aid to increase pitching velocity fast!

Baseball Pitching Grips

Learn how to throw pitches using different baseball pitching grips!
 

Baseball Pitching Drills

Learn baseball pitching drills and techniques to develop rock-solid mechanics!
 

Baseball Pitching Strategies

Learn baseball pitching strategies to outsmart any hitter or team!
 

Baseball Pitching Tips

Learn essential baseball pitching tips for young players!
 

Baseball Warm Up

A dynamic baseball
warm up for position players, pitchers
and catchers

 

Baseball Nutrition

The ultimate high performance diet for baseball players
 

Fastest pitch ever?


 
Baseball Pitching Tips
 
Baseball Pitching Forum
 

Pitching Speed

By Coach May for PitchingTips.com

Baseball Pitching Training
A training guide for youth pitchers and coaches

Want to increase baseball pitching speed?

It starts with mechanics and then add some pitching-specific strength and conditioning.

To look at where baseball pitching speed generates, let's first look at pitching mechanics. The overhand throw is a complex motion involving the entire body in a coordinated manner.

Although the pitching arm receives the primary attention, the trunk and lower extremities play a vital role in throwing mechanics and pitch speed.

A biomechanical study of baseball pitching mechanics indicated that 46.9% of a pitcher's speed is attributed to the stride and body rotation. 53.1% of the speed was due to action of the arm.

Therefore, to increase baseball pitching speed, a weight training program for pitchers should be performed both pre-season and in-season, and should include arm, trunk, and lower-body exercises (2).

Weighted implements including surgical tube exercises, throwers 10, lower body exercises (seated leg presses, leg-extensions, leg curls, calf raises), core exercises (sit-ups), and upper body exercises (triceps extensions, bicep curls, shrugs, dumbbell presses, rows, wrist extensions, wrist curls) all can dramatically increase pitching speed.

For a significant increase in baseball pitching speed, the pitcher's training protocol should include a minimum of 3 training sessions per week, performing 3 sets of 6 to 12 repetitions, for at least 8 weeks (2).

Total body weight training can significantly improve baseball pitch speed (2). If you want to increase the speed of your fastball, develop quality pitching mechanics and strength train.

Sources: (1) Newton, Robert U., McEvoy, Kerry I. 1994: Baseball Throwing Velocity: A Comparison of Medicine Ball Training and Weight Training. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 198-203. (2) DeRENNE, COOP, HO, KWOK W., MURPHY, JAMES C. 2001: Effects of General, Special, and Specific Resistance Training on Throwing Velocity in Baseball: A Brief Review. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 148-156.

Want more free baseball pitching tips? Subscribe to The Complete Pitcher's Newsletter today. You'll get new baseball pitching tips by email every week from former Chicago Cubs pitching pro Steven Ellis. Just enter your name and email below...

Enter Your Name:
Enter Your Email:

 

 
 
Baseball Pitching Tips
Copyright © PitchingTips.com, part of The Complete Pitcher, Inc. All rights reserved. | Contact

Baseball Pitching

Related Sites

Pitching Instruction

Baseball Training

Baseball Pitches