Although the sports world has largely accepted strength training as an effective way to improve sports performance, there are still a few hard headed old-schoolers who refuse to believe that increasing strength will improve athletic ability. This is a ridiculous notion. Baseball coaches seem to be the most reluctant group to acknowledge the benefits of strength training. Often, this is due to the incorrect beliefs that lifting weights will make you inflexible (it won’t), or hurt you (it won’t if you do it right). But some coaches simply don’t believe that weight lifting will improve any aspect of sporting performance, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Posts Tagged ‘velocity development’
Throwing Harder By Getting Stronger
Posted: September 17, 2013 in Baseball, Training, Velocity DevelopmentTags: baseball, Dick Mills, pitching, power, strength, throwing, velocity, velocity development, weight training
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Why You Should Be Long Tossing, and How to Do It
Posted: May 3, 2013 in Baseball, Softball, Velocity DevelopmentTags: arm speed, baseball, long toss, softball, velocity, velocity development
Even with all the strength training my athletes do in the offseason, I always tell them the most effective way to develop throwing velocity is just throwing a baseball (or softball). That’s not to say that strength training isn’t important; building strength in the offseason allows players to exert more force and minimize injury risk during the season. But all the leg, core, and rotator cuff strength in the world will do you no good if you can’t figure out how to apply your strength properly when throwing. Enter: long tossing.
In my opinion, if you’re a baseball or softball player and you’re NOT long tossing, then you’re stunting your development as a ballplayer.