The Problem with Interval Throwing Programs 🚨

Most pitchers will at some point in their careers progress through a return to throw program.

However, the standard protocols leave much to be desired.

A thread exploring this industry-wide problem.

[🧵] After many years of playing & coaching, having run through countless return to throw programs personally & w/ our athletes, and hearing the frustrations of dozens of forward-thinking PT's, it's time to push forward this conversation.

Here's a typical ITP ⬇️

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I went from throwing 73 mph at 16, to a D1 walk-on, to a 15th rounder, to throwing 98 mph.

Here's a letter to my younger self, covering the top 10 lessons I learned from my pitching career.⬇️

[Thread🧵]

1/ You don’t know me, but I know you.

You’d give anything to play alongside the superheros you see on TV. To channel that combination of power and precision into a baseball.

To make it do ungodly things from 60 feet, 6 inches.

If they can do it, why not me? You ask yourself.

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Improving command through breathing 🧘‍♂️🎯

The breath is a powerful tool for centering oneself on the mound.

It serves as an anchor for the mind as it's bombarded by internal/external stimuli.

Finding that brief moment of quiet can massively improve consistency. Other ways to use breathing between pitches:

Deep nose inhale + slow mouth exhale: this is a calming breath that will lower your heart rate.

Rapid double inhale though the nose followed by double exhale through the mouth. 2-3 of these will increase heart rate & energize you.

What is the ideal stride length for pitchers?🤔

Your ideal stride length is determined by how long you can stay in the hinge while still being able to ROTATE out of it.

Longer strides aren't inherently better.

More examples (& what the research says) below 🧵 ASMI's research found that elite pros ranged from 77-87% of height in stride length (from rubber to lead ankle).

However, some elite pros stride ~100% of their height, calling into question if this is the "ideal" range.

(Castillo, ~88% of height)

A Pitcher's Path to Enlightenment🧘‍♂️

The classic arc from ignorant high school pitcher to salty vet or coach.

(Plus common mistakes made along the way).

🧵 You're 15, and you have your whole high school career ahead of you.

Baseball has been a source of joy for your whole childhood, but you begin to hear teammates talk about college.

You realize you're not good enough and begin to watch everything you can find on social media.

In <18 months Maizen Price, 22, went from low 80's to touching 96+ mph.

What differences do you see & what insights can other pitchers draw from his progress?

Let's take a look.

@MaizenPrice Maizen came from a basketball background, with only a couple of years of focusing seriously on baseball.

He was 6'6" 195 lbs, now up to 220 lbs, with room to keep filling out.

His coach @FranchFrys25 called from the start that he might throw mid-90's based on his athleticism.

Pitchers: are you a pronator or a supinator?

If you answered, "I have no idea," do yourself a favor and read this thread on how to tell and what it means for your arsenal. What is a supinator vs a pronator?

Supination-dominant pitchers tend to prefer to apply force to the outside of the baseball.

Pronation-dominant pitchers tend to prefer to apply force through the center or inside of the baseball.

This is a spectrum, and some can do both well.

Mass does not equal gas.

[Lean] mass equals [potential] gas.

Fat doesn't contract. It's about 𝟏) adding lean tissue, which can improve power output & relative strength, while 𝟐) maintaining or improving mechanical efficiency & mobility.

Check this graphic for data ⬇️

1/ Gaining excess body fat or gaining size but losing mobility are both flawed interpretations of the "mass equals gas" myth.

That being said, pitchers don't need to be shredded. Most pros fall within the 10-20% range for % body fat.

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5 Weight Gain Myths for Pitchers 🤔

I struggled for years to gain weight - but once I understood the process, it not only took me from 155 to 210+ lbs, (& low 70s to mid 90's), but has helped many others do the same.

Here are 5 common weight gain myths ⬇️

Myth #1: "I eat all the time, I guess I just can't gain weight"

Me: -How many calories are you eating?

Athlete: ...

How much you think you eat is subjective and irrelevant. The only thing that determines whether you gain weight is whether you are in a caloric surplus.

Nice guys lose if they don't learn how to flip the switch when they take the mound.

Coaches want the nice guy in the locker room.

But they want a competitive motherf'er on the mound.

Finding your alter ego i.e. "game face" is a powerful tool many young pitchers overlook.

🧵1/ In particular, a lot of the kids who haven't experienced much adversity have trouble unlocking that aggressive side of them.

You have to look at the batter like he's trying to take something from you.

Don't let him.

📽️ @PitchingNinja
 
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The Lat is a double-edged sword when it comes to pitching and velocity development.

✅On the one hand, it's a primary accelerator of the arm
✅On the other, it can become overly stiff and contribute to shoulder dysfunction.

A few tips to optimize lat function for pitchers:⬇️ The latissimus dorsi is a large and powerful muscle that contributes to internal rotation, adduction & extension of the shoulder.

Translation: the final "pull down" into ball release.

Pitchers are dropping like flies this year.

I was interviewed on this last week by @MLBNetworkRadio

But what is the culprit and is there any hope to reverse this alarming trend?

A Thread⬇️ Is this year an anomaly?

@Travis_Sawchik posted this graphic recently, showing that 9 TJ's isn't abnormal since 2000 by Mid-April.

That number has now climbed to 10, & counting Strider/Loaisiga/Giolito's Internal Braces, MLB is now at 13 UCL surgeries.

Nice guys lose if they don't learn how to flip the switch when they take the mound.

Coaches want the nice guy in the locker room.

But they want a competitive motherf'er on the mound.

Finding your alter ego i.e. "game face" is a powerful tool many young pitchers overlook.

🧵1/ In particular, a lot of the kids that haven't experienced much adversity have trouble unlocking that aggressive side of them.

You have to look at the batter like he's trying to take something from you.

Don't let him.

📽️ @PitchingNinja

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Not getting innings?🧐

Yesterday I walked a struggling college pitcher through a few basic steps for addressing his mental game & lack of innings thus far.

Here are several keys you can implement immediately ⬇️

1/ Find a way to still compete 🔑

He had only been throwing 1 pen a week, wasn't getting to throw intrasquads, and his bullpens weren't highly game-specific.

If you aren't getting in games, do whatever you can to throw live at least once per week to stay sharp.

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I went from throwing 73 mph at 16, to a D1 walk-on, to a 15th rounder, to throwing 98 mph.

Here's a letter to my younger self, covering the top 10 lessons I've learned since being a high school pitcher.⬇️

[Thread🧵]

1/ You don’t know me, but I know you.

You’d give anything to play alongside the superheros you see on TV. To channel that combination of power and precision into a baseball.

To make it do ungodly things from 60 feet, 6 inches.

If they can do it, why not me? You ask yourself.

2/

What are The Top Velo Training Misconceptions?

Many pitchers have unrealistic expectations when entering into a "velo" program.

Here are 8 common misconceptions:

[Thread🧵] #1: Weighted balls are the key to gaining velo

Most of the weighted ball programs that lead to velo gains would still work if you only threw 5 oz balls.

Varying ball weights can help in some cases, but they aren't the primary driver.

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Nice guys lose if they don't learn how to flip the switch when they take the mound.

Coaches want the nice guy in the locker room.

But they want a competitive motherf'er on the mound.

Finding your alter ego i.e. "game face" is a powerful tool many young pitchers overlook.

🧵1/ In particular, a lot of the kids that haven't experienced much adversity have trouble unlocking that aggressive side of them. You have to look at the batter like he's trying to take something from you. Don't let him.

📽️@PitchingNinja

2/

I was drafted in 2014 after being a college walk-on. By 2016, I was released.

Here are my top 7 pieces of advice for recently drafted players.

[Thread 🧵] 1. Don't blink

Most MiLB players will be out of affiliated baseball in about 1-3 years.

Top draft picks will have another couple years before a team cuts their losses.

You likely won't get years to pan out - ask yourself what would I need to do to be MLB ready in 12-18 months?

Last year I interviewed Ben Joyce, and it was full of development gems.

Here are my top 14 takeaways for pitchers after talking to @benjoyce08

[Thread 🧵] 1. It’s okay to be a late bloomer.

Ben threw 67 mph as a freshman in high school, weighing 95 lbs.

Nobody at that time would have imagined he'd be where he is now.

It’s not about where you start, but where you finish.🔑

I went from being a D1 walk-on, to barely pitching for 3 years, to getting drafted as a college senior.

Here's what I learned about how to become an impact player.

[Thread🧵]

1/ 1. Accept that you aren't good enough.

If you aren't currently an impact player, it's almost certainly because you aren't good enough.

Your coach gets paid to win - and he's going to put who he thinks are the best players on the field.

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Nice guys lose if they don't learn how to flip the switch when they take the mound.

Coaches want the nice guy in the locker room.

But they want a competitive motherf'er on the mound.

Finding your alter ego i.e. "game face" is a powerful tool many young pitchers overlook.

🧵1/ In particular, a lot of the kids that haven't experienced much adversity have trouble unlocking that aggressive side of them.

You have to look at the batter like he's trying to take something from you.

Don't let him.

📽️@PitchingNinja

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