"You need to get stronger."
Here is a common critique from college coaches to young pitchers. They need to add strength and size in order to make that particular college roster. Showcases are usually filled with the following feedback:
1. Get stronger
2. Put on some weight
3 Throw more strikes
It can be overwhelming, but don't panic.
First, getting stronger means you have the stuff. This is good news and takes a little focused work. Likely, your mechanics are solid, but maybe fastball is maybe not quite at the threshold a college coach is looking for - a common scenario. Second, gaining pitching strength does not always equate to adding a lot of weight. A proper training method involves first strengthening the ligaments and tendons around the joints. This is followed by training the muscles to build stamina (low weight, high reps) while increasing resistances incrementally, then getting to lifting heavier weights with less injury risk.
Young players often do not have the guidance or patience to work smart. After all, we are in a YouTube, TikTok world of instant stardom (or so it seems) and players want to show the world their gains - usually too much too soon. Throwing around too heavy of a weight might stimulate muscle growth, yes. But unfortunately, while this may help build muscle in a short amount of time, players are likely to lose size almost as rapidly, defeating the purpose of all that off-season work.
Consequently, these "instant size" players are faced with having to either lift extra hard during the season which can cause fatigue, or to stop lifting altogether, which can bring the body back to almost square one.
Be patient with your strength work. Putting a few pounds of muscle in the posterior chain (Hamstrings, Glutes, Lats, Scaps) is almost a sure-fire way to increase fastball velocity. I see a lot of young pitchers with an effortless throwing motion. They look like they should throw faster, and they will - when they start putting a few pounds of muscle in their back - this is where the decelerator muscles are. In other words, the "brakes". They aren't the larges muscles in the body, but they are important in keeping the arm in place through the violent action of throwing a pitch.
If the brakes (back muscles) are strong, the car (baseball) can travel faster, safely.
Lastly, the connection between a strong body and great arm lies in your core strength and mobility…In other words, stretch as often as you can.
If you are going to hit the weights, stretch as much as you lift. If you are resistant to heavy lifting that is ok, but, don’t avoid stretching.
Holding a stretch creates strength in the ligaments and muscles. Do your best to make your body move with a full range of motion. Stay as loose as you can by stretching on a regular basis. You will see amazing differences in your fastball speed and your overall control.
Use this off season to become a smarter pitcher - both in training and in competition.
