A 90 mph fastball is something that every ballplayer playing in every sandlot dreams of having. A dominant fastball used to be something that people thought was genetic. Since then, many pitching coaches have proved that a few simple exercises can help increase velocity.
Increasing Velocity with Long Toss
Long toss is one of the single best things you can do to increase your pitching velocity. Start out at a distance of about 30 feet from a throwing partner and gradually work your way farther and farther apart. Use your full wind up as if you were pitching and be sure to concentrate on pushing off with your back foot.
You should long toss every other day and cycle it off with throwing with weighted balls during the off-season. During the season, once a week is fine as long as it is not the day after a pitching day.
Throwing with Weighted Balls to Increase Arm Strength
On the days you are not doing long toss you can throw with weighted balls to increase velocity. Choose a weighted ball that you can throw consistently and not one that forces you to strain while throwing. Bigger is not always better. Resist the urge to jump onto a heavier ball as it may do more harm to your arm than good.
Make sure your arm is loose before throwing the weighted ball. Start with 15 crisp throws with the weighted ball and then follow it up with 15 crisp throws with the regular ball. Repeat a second time and then call it quits for the day.
Weight Training to Increase Velocity
When thinking of weight training to increase pitching velocity, the misconception of most young pitchers is that it is best to work on exercises to strength the arm. In reality, most pitchers benefit the most when working on their legs and strengthening their quads.
Pitching great Roger Clemens once stated that he felt he got most of his pitching power out of his legs. Incorporating Leg presses and squats into your workout will benefit the quads and create a lot of push off power when pushing off the rubber.
Throw Within Your Own Limits
Anyone with any sort of pitching talent runs the risk of being overworked at a young age by coaches only looking to win their current ballgames. It is common for young players to play on multiple teams and pitch for all of them. Knowing when to say no and knowing your own body’s limits is one of the single most important things you can do to maintain your pitching health.
For more information on pitching, visit the Pitching Professor website.
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