Since the time of pulldowns and plyo velo for most has come to an end, our athletes and schools have withdrawn from the off-season training and are now in full competition mode. This means that most days aren’t scripted out with every detail like their off-season training program has consisted of.We’ve taken out the extended plyo routines and have given our athletes the autonomy to incorporate as much athleticism as possible. Pre-season and in season our goal is simple: maintain arm health, maintain velo, consistently throw strikes, and get hitters out. There’s no one way to do this, therefore, we’ve scripted out 10 different ways you can simulate your weekdays to transfer over to on field performance.
1. Eliminate the vast majority of your plyo routine
We love plyos. However, often they’re used poorly. Ideally, we want to have targets on the wall when we throw plyos. Since most of the schools we consult for can’t make that happen, we only use 2-3 plyo drills that have a significant use for the athlete. From there, we move their drill work into catch play. For example, those who are used to completing pivot picks into a wall, grab an 11 oz baseball and start that in catch play with your partner. Your body will organize itself differently and allow you to focus on command and patterning while hitting a target within that constraint.
2. Throw your breaking balls at 120 feet
If you can execute a slider at 120 feet, you’ll have more consistency at 60 feet 6 inches. Another way to create better feel to translate into your pens or game is to throw your breaking balls and change up out of your pivot picks in catch play daily. It will force a proper decel and allow your shoulder to travel.
3. Throw up and down the mound
Our goal as coaches is to create robust and resilient throwers. No matter the circumstance of the mound, our athletes need to execute. We shouldn’t train on perfect mounds. Force your athletes to adapt.
4. Create athletic catch play
Infielders typically have great command on the mound because they can throw from all angles in different positions. Not to mention they typically have clean arm actions due to timing constraints. As coaches we sometimes create too stiff of athletes. Quick hands, throwing from different arm slots, and throwing off the opposite foot are all ways that we can improve command just by adjusting and varying our catch play.
5. Field ground balls
This plays off athletic catch play. Not only is it a good substitute for PFP’s, but it also allows our guys to throw to a target from adjusted distances and from different angles.
6. Eliminate catch play and throw to a target
When we miss our spot playing catch it isn’t amplified and our brain doesn’t register how far off the target we were. When throwing to a pad and we miss the entire screen, our visual feedback is significantly different. Plus, I would bet most college pitchers are not dialed in on a small target during catch play. Targeted pads force you to pick a small spot and execute each time.
7. Throw everything
I could remember my senior year of college I could only throw Wilson baseballs. I would even pocket a few after every outing to make sure I had some for catch play each day. I wish I had someone to throw me off the deep end. Throw softballs, plyos, weighted balls, and dog toys at different targets throughout your hybrid days.
8. Get off the mound 2 times more than you think you should per week
People associate getting off the mound with bullpens, short boxes, or games. If our main goal and what our body of work is judged upon lies on a slope, why do we not train off it every day? Play catch off the mound, complete your drill work, or long toss off the mound. If you do not get off the mound enough, you’ll find major disruptions in your timing.
9. Blend your lifting and training
This is another way to create robust throwers. You can also super set a lift with a drill to enforce proper patterns.
10. Lite Flight Pens
Inspired by coach Ian Walsh, have someone who throws significantly slower with a batter in the box? Hand him a 2 oz Lite Flight with no catcher and tell him to throw it as hard as he can for a strike with a batter standing in.
For the rest of your season, promote athleticism, challenge yourself, and maintain your in season training. For help and guidance, contact Training@Connected-Performance.com