My last blog was on the subject of pronation and how it is the body’s natural way to slow down the arm after a throw as well as its way to help dissipate the tremendous amount of energy and stress created during the throwing motion. Pronation is one of the best ways to help keep a throwing athlete, especially a pitcher, healthy and able to continue answering the bell week after week.

Although pronation is natural, not every thrower does it very well or very efficiently. Like I mentioned in my last post, the heavier an object the more your body naturally calls for you to pronate to help disperse the stress caused by this weighted implement. With a heavy ball such as a shotput or football the brain realizes that in order to protect the body from injury, which is its top priority, it must overemphasize its natural method for dissolving the energy of the activity. If too much energy, a.k.a. stress, is placed upon one muscle, tendon, or ligament, then a serious injury can occur, such as a U.C.L. tear (Tommy John surgery) or torn labrum.

The problem with throwing a baseball stems from how little the ball weighs. Because a baseball only weighs 5 oz the body does not perceive it to be a serious concern in terms of the stress it will place on the arm. This is problematic because now you have a weighted instrument which is light enough that the body does not place as much importance slowing the arm down coupled with the fact that the arm speed involved in throwing a baseball is increased over that of throwing a heavier object. This is what causes pitchers to break down time and time again more than any other throwing athlete.

This being said, it is possible to train a pitcher (or any baseball player) to improve pronation. By improving pronation I mean the pitcher is pronating sooner after release and is able to continue and hold this pronation throughout the entire follow through. Let me first explain what I mean by holding pronation throughout the follow through. Most pitchers pronate after release and are on their way to dispersing the energy safely throughout their body. But after release as the pitcher begins to come over his front leg in the follow through is where many pitchers encounter problems.

In order to continue the deceleration process safely and to keep the stress off of the elbow and rotator cuff, a pitcher needs to continue to rotate over his landing leg. This involves both coming over his front leg toward home plate as well as rotating over this leg toward first base. The old timers called this “showing your number to the catcher,” implying they would rotate enough that the catcher could see the number on their back. I’ve also heard people say they try to have their shoulder blade facing the catcher. This movement allows you to keep your trunk moving along with your arm, helping to slow it down gradually. Ideally, you want your hand to stay in the middle of your body never extending out across it.  As you can see in this picture on the right with multiple images of Lincecum, his arm stays in front of his body at all times. Cliff Lee on the left here has rotated so much that his shoulder blade/number are facing the catcher. 

The reason that some pitchers’ arms fling across their body out by their hip or even further is because their trunk stops moving. If the flexion and rotation of the trunk stops before the arm has finished decelerating, then the arm will straighten out across the body causing the “banging out on your elbow and/or shoulder.” I heard Coach Wolforth comment that this is similar to being in a moving car with your seat belt on that suddenly has a head on collision. Because the seat belt is stopping your trunk from moving all the energy is forced into your neck and your head flings forward, the result being whip lash. If you were only wearing a seat belt across your lap (not across the lap and shoulder) then your entire trunk would come forward spreading the energy across your upper body and would therefore save your neck the trauma of whip lash (this is hypothetical of course since you would most likely find the dashboard with your face). This is similar to what we are trying to prevent with pronation and flexion/rotation of the trunk, keep your upper body moving so you don’t experience whip lash in your arm.  Check out how upright this pitcher for the Padres is compared with Cliff Lee above.  His trunk stopped moving far earlier than Lee causing his arm to extend out.

As I have previously mentioned, athletes at the Texas Baseball Ranch are training to increase pronation during their throws. Coach Wolforth has implemented a throwing drill in which he is blending pronation into a pitcher’s throw. Earlier I talked about how it is easier to pronate when throwing heavier balls than light because the body naturally wants the stress of the ball/object to be spread throughout the larger muscles in the back. Because of this, it is easier to teach a throwing athlete what pronation feels like by having them throw weighted balls. At the ranch an athlete takes a 4lb, 2lb, 21oz, 14oz, 7 oz, and a 5 oz baseball and throws them in progression from heaviest to lightest.

The athlete is on one knee with this knee being on an incline board (the incline board is turned to where its highest point is closest to the target). The athlete spreads out his legs and focuses on a short tight arm action, without turning/torquing, and then throws it at the target concentrating on two things: 1.) Pronating as soon as they release 2.) Rotating as far as they can over and around that front leg. During this drill the thrower stays on one knee and does not come to a standing position after they throw. It looks similar to a final arc drill except it is done on one knee.

The progression from the heaviest ball to lightest is critical because as the athlete throws the 4lb and 2lb balls they will naturally pronate the most, therefore their body can get a feel for what it’s like. The thrower then works down to a baseball each time trying to keep the feel of pronation that they had with the previous heavier ball. Eventually the athlete will even throw a 4 oz underload ball, with the ideal being if they can pronate and keep rotating with this ball then they won’t have a problem doing it with a heavier baseball.

All indications from the Texas Baseball Ranch are that this drill has done a miraculous job teaching pronation and rotation during the finish. Many of the extremely hard throwers who train there love this drill as they say it seems to take all the stress off their arm, keeping them fresh and helping them to recover more quickly.

If a pitcher can keep his arm from “banging out” or jarring during the throwing motion then the chances of that pitcher staying healthy is increased tremendously. Notice the pictures of pitchers who I have added in this post are pronating after release, rotating until their arm stops, and their arm never locks out always staying in the center of their body. These are also pitchers who have a history of being durable and arm injury free.

If you have any questions or comments about pronation, the drill to help with pronation, or anything else don’t hesitate to contact me.

Until next time,

Brian Oates

Brian@Oatesspecialties.com

Last weekend I traveled to Montgomery, Texas to attend an Elite Pitchers Bootcamp at the Texas Baseball Ranch. I had not been to the Ranch in a number of months so I figured there would be some new exercises and thoughts waiting for me. It turns out I was correct as there were a few new things being done by Ron Wolforth with his athletes and I plan to address some of these things in my next few blogs. But the first topic I want to discuss is pronation.

Pronation is a rotational movement of the forearm at the radioulnar joint. More simply put, if you tuck your elbows into your sides and move your hand/forearm so that the palms are facing downward you are pronating. Pronation is a naturally occuring process when throwing an object. Whether it is a baseball, softball, football, shotput, or a stick, pronation occurs. Even when swinging a tennis racket pronation occurs. The reason for this is because it is the body’s natural way to decelerate the arm no matter the activity.

Whenever you throw something your arm is traveling at a much higher rate of speed than the rest of your body, and the momentum created during the throw must be dissolved of fairly quickly. Your arm has, more or less, from the time you release the object you are throwing until it reaches your side/thigh or wherever the end of your particular arm action takes you to go from full speed to a dead stop. This is a relatively short path for your arm to go from 90 mph with a baseball to 0 mph. Or if you are throwing another object that is much heavier like a football or a shot put, this is a short time for your arm to dissipate all of the energy and stress from the combination of arm speed and the weight of the ball/shot you just threw.

Therefore your body naturally pronates so that it can use the larger muscles in the back to help slow the arm down. With pronation, the energy from the movement is able to dissipate down your back and these large muscles can handle the burden of stress much better than the smaller, weaker muscles in your rotator cuff.

Pronation does not only help to protect your rotator cuff but also helps to protect your elbow. Whenever a throwing athlete properly pronates no “banging out” of the elbow occurs. What I mean by that is your arm never reaches the locked out position which can cause serious damage over time. Ideally, when throwing an object your arm should never become fully extended, although for many pitchers this happens shortly after release, as the momentum of their arm and lack of pronation pushes their arm into the straightened out position. Over time this repetitive movement can cause damage. I know from experience since I had my elbow scoped and bone chips removed from continuously “banging out” my elbow.

Now some of you may be thinking, if pronation is a naturally occuring action then why should I even care about it and more importantly why do people still get hurt when throwing if it’s supposed to protect the arm. Well the simple answer to that is pronation does protect the arm from injury. If you take a look at football, softball, shotput, tennis, and javelin, all of these involve throwing actions, most are very similar to a baseball throw, and yet hardly ever do any of these activities lead to shoulder or elbow injuries. The reason for it is because these activities involve heavier objects than a 5 oz baseball.

Now that may cause you to think that it must be the arm speed of a baseball player which causes him to get hurt, and this has some validity to it. However, an elite tennis player swings his racket at over 100 mph. In fact, Andy Roddick who has the fastest serve of all time at 155 mph has had his racquet speed clocked up to 120 mph. Not only does Roddick have to slow his arm but also the tennis raquet which is moving 20 mph faster than the best major league fastball. Why doesn’t he need rotator cuff surgery?

What it boils down to is the weight of the object being moved/thrown. A football weighs nearly 2 lbs, a shotput weighs 16 lbs, a tennis racquet weighs around 10 oz and then there is the ultra light 5 oz baseball. Why does this matter? Because when you throw a heavier object your body feels the load created by this weight and the brain knows it must do a heck of a job protecting the arm and dispersing the stress throughout the big muscles in the back. When throwing a heavier instrument, your arm actually pronates more.

But then you get a light, 5oz baseball in your hand and the body/brain is not as worried or focused on the stress it will cause because it feels so light. This “mind trick” actually hurts the pronation process as many pitchers pronate late in the course of their throw and some can actually create habits where they hardly pronate at all. Most commonly, you will see players when throwing breaking balls never truly get to pronation as their hand stays supinated the entire time. This wrecks havoc on the shoulder and elbow as the smaller muscles in the rotator cuff bear the burden to bring the arm to a halt. 

The appropriate analogy to this would be taking your car, speeding up to 90 mph, and then slamming on the brakes 100 times every 5 days. Those brakes pads will soon wear down and you will be metal on metal in need of a brake job, or in a pitcher’s case, surgery. Pronation though can help save your arm from injury and allow the stress to be naturally dispersed throughout the large muscles in your back, keeping you healthy and on the mound. (Note: the picture above left is John Lackey who is not pronating. He has also struggled with injuries throughout his career)

It is possible to train your body to pronate sooner after release and to maintain this pronation throughout the follow through. This is one of the innovative things Coach Wolforth has his athletes working on at the Texas Baseball Ranch.

My next article will focus on how Coach Wolforth is training for earlier pronation after release and maintaining pronation throughout the deceleration process, which will pay huge dividends in arm health.

Until next time,

Brian Oates

Now that many of you have read my article about overload training I want to focus this week on the concept of underload training. While overload training has to do with demand or resistance greater than those levels normally encountered in daily life or in competition, underload training is the opposite. Underload training involves demands or resistance lighter than those levels normally encountered.

Unlike overload training whose focus is on developing strength and durability, underload training is geared toward speed. Because the load on the athlete is less than normal he/she can move faster, quicker, and more explosively than usual. The purpose of underload training is to accelerate muscle firing in order to make fast twitch muscles work at top speed. This method was first implemented in Track and Field by having athletes run down inclines, being pulled by machines, and using bungie cords to pull them forward.

Think about when you run down a hill. Most of the time you immediately put on the brakes to slow down because you are moving faster than your body is accustomed to and this makes you feel uncomfortable. But if you harness this extra momentum and energy and try to run at top speed down an incline you will move much faster than on an even surface.

Or have you ever chased after a moving vehicle or golf cart once you’ve griped onto it? Because you are being pulled forward at a faster speed than you would if you were running on your own it forces your legs to move faster which teaches your body/muscles to fire quicker in a more synchronized manner. Over time this will help to improve an athlete’s speed when returned to a normal load or resistance.

We know of all the success underload training has had in Track and Field but this is not the only sport which can benefit from it. Underload training can be adapted to many sport specific movements which require speed and explosiveness. One common example of underload training is with certain weighted ball throwing programs. For example, the program I spoke about a few blogs ago is a five ball set with 4 of the balls being heavier than a baseball. These are obviously part of the overload aspect of weighted ball training.

The 5th ball however, weighs 4 ounces and is commonly called the “underload ball.” Much like when we discuss the benefits of underload training for increasing running speed, the same principles apply to increasing arm speed. Because the underload ball weighs less than a 5 oz baseball, the athlete throwing it is able to realize faster arm speeds due to the lighter instrument being thrown. This teaches the arm and body what it feels like to travel at an increased rate of speed and can help improve the neuromuscular pathways which control bodily movements. If you train your arm to move faster, and the athlete feels his arm moving faster, than the body will be tricked into keeping this same arm speed even when a 5 oz baseball is once again placed back in the hand.

Another type of sport specific underload training can be implemented for hitters as well. The common practice for improving bat speed is to add weights to the bat while practicing or in the on deck circle. While this can be beneficial, underload training has proven to increase bat speed on a much more consistent basis than overload training. Underload training for hitters would mean they are using lighter bats in training than in games. This differential provides the body with a decreased load to swing and bat speed increases. Just like when improving arm speed with underload training, swinging a lighter bat teaches the body to move quicker and more explosively throughout the movements of a swing which will carry over when they are at bat during a game with their normal bat.

I’ve also seen underload training in sport specific movements such as stealing a base. One way this is done is when a coach or trainer attaches a resisted running flat band around the waist of the base runner while the other end is stretched tightly by the trainer in the direction of the bag about to be stolen. The runner assumes the lead off position creating a lot of tension against the band. When the runner makes the movement to steal, the band helps slingshot the athlete down the basepath. This drill is specifically trying to emphasize the explosive first few steps in stealing a bag and because the stretched band is helping the athlete explode right out of the gate, he/she is learning to move quicker than normal.

As you can tell by my examples of underload training if you want to run faster, throw harder, or just be generally more explosive you must train to be faster and more explosive. The lighter instruments (balls/bats) or training aides such as the large resistance running bands help your body feel what it’s like to move at a much faster rate of speed. By continually training faster and teaching your body to move faster than it can presently, you will help teach your muscles how to fire more rapidly and in better coordination with one another because you will be creating more efficient neuromuscular pathways by which nerve impulses travel through. This creates speed, quickness, and explosiveness.

Always remember, your performance in competition directly reflects the type of training you do, so if you want to become a better athlete then train to be one.

Until next time,

Brian Oates

My last article focused on weighted balls and the benefits in which they can have for a throwing athlete. Since weighted balls are a type of overload training I thought that my focus this week should involve the overload principle.

The overload principle is defined as the application of any demand or resistance that is greater than those levels normally encountered in daily life. The body is quite amazing as it has the ability to adjust to the demands of physical stress placed upon it. When you stress the body in a manner it’s unaccustomed to, the body will react by causing physiological changes in order to handle the stress in a better way the next time it occurs.

The most well known example of overload training takes place in the weight room. Athletes perform movements with added weight and this overload creates physiological changes in the body such as increased muscle strength and size. The problem with most weight room lifts is that the athlete is moving a tremendous amount of weight through a short, restricted movement and at a very slow rate of speed. While this may help offensive lineman in the NFL, it does not make much sense for baseball players (or most other athletes for that matter).

Athletes have specific movements which they must repeat over and over during the course of a game. One of the most effective ways to strengthen and prepare for these sport specific movements is by utilizing the overload principle. For example, like I mentioned in my last article, throwing weighted balls is a type of overload training. When you place the additional stress of the extra weight of these balls on the arm and shoulder the body will adjust to this new demand. It adjusts by creating a new arm action which is more efficient and places less stress on the arm/body. This is obviously a benefit to a throwing athlete but is not the only one. The added weight also will help to strengthen the arm and shoulder since there is additional weight being thrown. This strengthening will also help to protect the arm from injury once you drop back to a 5 oz baseball.

Overload training can also be used in hitting. Everybody has seen batters who are on deck add donuts or bat weights to their bat when warming up. A hitter can use differently weighted bats to strengthen his swing and to prepare the muscles used during the swing for the stress of the activity. I suggest that in order to get the most out of overload training with heavier bats that the weight not be dramatically heavier than the one used during a game because the object is to make the swing as game like as possible. This is best accomplished by measuring bat swing speed and to constantly try to improve swing speed with each of the heavier bats (just like you would measure the velocity when throwing weighted balls).

Another way to train hitting via the overload principle is to hit weighted balls. This is essentially overload training at contact point. By hitting balls which are heavier than the baseball which you normally hit, it will force your forearms and hands to become stronger at the most important point of the swing. Often times a hitter, especially a young or muscularly undeveloped hitter, is unable to keep driving the bat through the ball at contact. It looks as though the bat rebounds backward when contact is made. Working on impact training with weighted balls can help translate into hitters driving the ball further.

Overload training doesn’t solely pertain to increasing the weight during the exercise. It can also mean a higher work load in the form of more reps and longer distance. One example of this is long tossing. Many of us are familiar with the long toss programs of Alan Jaeger and Ron Wolforth, who promote long tossing for 30-40 minutes while stretching it out as far as you can throw. This forces the body to find new ways to throw the ball longer than ever before which often creates more energy throughout the throw, more efficient arm actions, and a stronger, more durable arm. This type of long toss program puts more “stress” on the arm in two ways: Increased distance than normal and more throws than usual.

Many people may not like the term “stress” but that is exactly what you must place upon the body in order to get better results. There is constantly stress on your body whether you are walking, running, or playing a sport. The purpose of placing additional stress on the body is to prepare it for the usual stress that accompanies what you do when playing your sport.

Overload training can also take place in speed and conditioning training. Equipment such as running parachutes, partner tow and release, bungee cords, and resisted running flat bands to name a few. All of these devices allow for an athlete to train as they normally would yet with added resistance which forces their muscles to move more weight than normal thereby strengthening them. Whether the athlete is looking to improve speed, power, explosiveness, or their running form all of these things can help accomplish that goal while not changing the training exercises.

The best thing about overload training such as I have mentioned is that the athlete is able to train his body and the specific muscles used during game situations by adding resistance to sport specific movements. Not only is the athlete able to train through the same range of motions but also closer to game speed even with the additional weight. This is far superior to overload training involving random, slow movements in a weight room that an athlete will most probably never perform during competition.

Overload training helps prepare your body for competition since it has had to consistently deal with far more stress than it will during actual games. It also helps to improve performance since your body naturally responds to this additional load, creating more efficient and stronger movement patterns. Most of us already do overload training to some capacity, I just encourage you to re-evaluate how you are using it and try to make it as game like as possible.

Next time I will be discussing underload training and what its benefits consist of.

Until next time,

Brian Oates

There always seems to be a whirlwind which accompanies the subject of throwing weighted balls. People are often divided in terms of how they feel about using them. Many coaches dismiss weighted balls with the notion that they can lead to injury. Well if that is the case then these coaches better not let their players throw a baseball either. The truth is that every baseball player throws a weighted ball each day. A baseball is a 5 ounce weighted instrument that has caused more injuries than any other weighted ball in the world.

I personally have alot of experience with weighted balls as I used them for many years. I attribute the throwing program I did with them as one of the primary reasons I was able to go from topping out at 84 mph my Junior year of high school to 94 mph my Junior year of college. The weighted ball “set” which I used consisted of a 2lb mini medicine ball, a 21 oz, 14 oz, 7 oz, and 4 oz balls.

There are a couple of reasons the weighted ball program works. The additional weight of the balls causes your body to recognize you are throwing a heavier than usual instrument. Therefore, the body’s natural reaction is for your arm action to become more efficient. This is due to the fact that your body wants to protect the arm since the ball is heavier and it does this by forcing your arm into stronger, more efficient positions, not allowing your arm action to get long and sloppy.

Think about a quarterback throwing a football, which weighs about a pound, or a shot-putter throwing a 12 lb shot. Both of their throwing actions are much tighter and shorter than that of the average baseball player. This is due to how much heavier their balls are. The heavier ball will make your body want to take the most compact, economical route to the release point which over time helps to create a better arm action.

Part of the reason players develop a long inefficient arm path is due to how light the ball is. This lightness almost tricks the body into thinking there is nothing in the hand and this is why you sometimes see kids reach way back with their arm trying to find more velocity. Although the body doesn’t feel like there is much of a load in the hand when a player has a baseball, we all know the staggering number of injuries caused from this “light” load. This is also a result of the arm speed which a baseball player generates. The lighter the ball, the faster the arm speed which means the quicker the arm must be decelerated. As some would like to say, this is similar to flooring a car and then slamming on the brakes over and over again, eventually the brakes are going to wear out.

Arm speed is another reason why weighted balls are both safe and beneficial. The heavier the ball being thrown, the slower the arm is moving. This means that when you are throwing the 2lb or 21 oz ball for example, your arm speed will not be nearly as fast as what it is with a 5 oz baseball and therefore not nearly as hard on your body to slow the arm down. Although the arm is not traveling as fast when using weighted balls, they actually help to increase it. As a player drops in weight from the 21 oz to the 14 oz or to the 7 oz the arm now has a lighter load than the throw before which causes it to increase in speed. This is very similar to the example of a person picking up boxes off the ground. After you have lifted a number of boxes weighing 100lbs and then you pick up a box not knowing it only weighs 20lbs and expecting it to be just as heavy as the previous boxes you nearly fall over backwards because you spring right up with it.

This concept is called overload training, where you prepare the body for a task by lifting/moving/throwing more weight than you will need to when the time comes to perform. The weighted ball series also includes a 4 oz ball which we call the under load ball. This ball is lighter than a baseball and is meant to test the limits of your arm speed. In other words players throw it harder than they can throw a baseball which teaches their arm what it feels like to move faster than ever before.

It should be noted that you have to be smart when using the weighted balls. We never long toss with them, throw off the mound with them, or use the heavier ones when we get close to our game velocity. We use the 2lb and 21 oz balls when standing close to our target (15 feet or so) and do the lower velocity drills with them such as double knees and final arcs. Then we drop weight to the 14 oz to do the torque drills and when we begin to throw with some real velocity in drills such as hookems, step-intos, step-behinds, etc, we never use heavier than the 7 oz ball.

Weighted balls force players to create better arm actions as well as act as overload/underload training which creates better arm speed and the combination of these two things can make for some really impressive jumps in velocity. I encourage you to look into training with a weighted ball set because as long as you use them correctly you will significantly improve your skills.

On a side note, the weighted ball program I followed which is arguably the most successful program of all time was developed by Ron Wolforth…check out his website at http://www.theathleticpitcher.com

Until next time,

Brian Oates

Last week I had the opportunity to travel to Mechanicsville, VA, a suburb of Richmond, to visit with Coach Hunter Hoy at Hanover High School. Since Hanover High School opened 8 years ago, their baseball program has become a dominant baseball force in Virginia, culminating with an appearance in the State Championship game 2 years ago. Due to the success of his high school program, I was very interested to see the types of workouts and practices Coach Hoy implements for his players.

As I quickly found out once I arrived in Mechanicsville, Coach Hoy is an avid student of the game and had material from just about everyone who has published work regarding baseball. He likes to take information from different sources and apply them simultaneously, which helps to make his practices unique but extremely beneficial.

Although he does like to learn from a multitude of sources, the biggest influence on his workouts clearly came from the Athletic and Combat Pitcher Programs by Ron Wolforth. The main reason I visited Coach Hoy, besides wanting to talk with a very knowledgeable coach, was to watch a summer workout with many of the Hanover High School players, ranging from upperclassmen to incoming freshmen.

The workout began with all of the players using High Density Foam Rollers to help loosen up their muscles, specifically looking for any tender spots which they could focus on before they began another demanding workout. Following foam rollers was a series of plyometrics and dynamic stretching exercises. Those of you familiar with the Combat Pitcher Program would know this activity as “Verstegen’s.”

Once the players were sufficiently warm, Coach Hoy had his players run 10-15 yard sprints starting on their back, stomach, and in a lead off position, waiting until they heard “Go,” at which point they had to make it through the line as quickly as possible. The purpose of these sprints were to focus on the players being as quick and explosive as possible, whether getting to their feet and through the line or the first 10 yards when stealing a base. While running, the players were paired up so that every sprint was a competition with each player being told their time from start to finish and then recording it in a notebook.

After the running I followed the players to the team shed which was full of workout equipment. The guys then pulled out this equipment and carried it to the school’s sand volleyball pit. The players removed their shoes so that they would be performing all of the exercises barefoot. I loved that they did this because as I mentioned in a previous article discussing feet/ankles it is a phenomenal way to strengthen the lower limbs.

In the sand pit the guys, still paired up like they were during running, rotated among numerous stations which included, a large diameter 1 1/2 inch 100 foot rope; a large tire for flipping; a sledge hammer which they pounded a tire with; a 14 lb handle medicine ball against a wall; a PVC pipe filled with water which they held while doing lunges; and a Target Glove Set which includes a Focus Mitt and Bag Gloves.

The players targeted all areas of their body during this circuit. They worked their shoulders, grip, and core while doing arm swings with the Large Diameter Rope. The upper body was also utilized when pounding the sledge hammer into a tire on the sand. The core was trained with the 14lb medicine ball during the wall series, while the lower body was targeted when holding the water filled PVC pipe during lunges. Meanwhile, the Focus Mitt and Bag Gloves work on upper body quickness and explosiveness.

Coach Hoy used the Sport Timer to measure these exercises which were all done in 8 second increments. This way the athletes target their fast twitch ATP energy system, the one relied upon during a baseball game. The Sport Timer is a great tool because it is accurate to one thousand of a second and can be programmed for precise count up or count down stopwatch functions. The Sport Timer has a loud audible beep to start and stop the countdown which is important as it allows all athletes no matter how close to Coach Hoy to clearly hear it even when in the middle of an activity.

After these demanding but incredible workout circuits the players headed back to the field to do their throwing specific warm-ups. At this point many sets of Oates Specialties Tubing, Shoulder Tubes, Super-Pro, and an Exercise Plyometric Ball with dumbbells were brought out as the players used them all to prepare for the long toss which they were about to do. The long toss lasted around 20-30 minutes as the players were careful to take it out nice and easy and then pull the ball down on a line as they brought it in.

After reflecting on this off-season workout I can easily see why Hanover High School has one of the leading baseball programs in the state. Coach Hoy implements cutting edge workouts for his players. While many programs stick to conventional training methods such as weight room lifts and long distance running, Hanover players are put through a rigorous, explosive training program which is sport specific. This helps to prepare them for the demands of the game of baseball both by targeting specific movement patterns and the correct energy system used during competition.

I would encourage all of you out there to become as active a learner about the game of baseball as Coach Hoy and to utilize every piece of information you can get your hands on. If we can get players to train smarter, more efficiently, and specifically for the game which they are playing, the results will be overwhelmingly good. Injuries can be reduced, performance enhanced, and players will have the chance to play at levels they thought they never had a chance at reaching.

Until next time,

Brian Oates

As I find myself in the middle of the summer I think back to the many baseball games I played throughout past summers. Whether it was Little League All-Stars, select teams in high school, or the summers in college playing in New England, North Carolina, and Cape Cod, I spent a hefty portion of my life playing ball during the summer time. This is far from rare as the common thought in baseball is that if you are serious about the sport you will play year around. Summer ball into fall ball into the regular spring season and so on.

There are valid reasons behind this occurrence. For starters it allows a player to get more at bats and innings at his position. As important as it is to play the game and become more baseball savvy by experiencing different situations in games, I do not agree with this philosophy for pitchers. The act of pitching is one of the most demanding and stressful activities in all of sports. A pitcher needs a period of time away from game situations where he can concentrate on things beside simply getting a hitter out.

Like I mentioned before, I played year around baseball most of my life. But I took three summers off from competitive baseball to focus on training and working out and they were without a doubt my most productive summers. During these summers I increased my velocity from 87 to 90, from 91 to 94; and after my last summer training I had my best college season and signed with the Seattle Mariners. I made more velocity gains as well as molded myself into a better athlete during these 3 summers than the rest of my baseball life combined. For those wondering, these summers were after my senior year of high school, sophomore year of college, and after my “first” senior year (I red-shirted) of college. I mention this because I was not undergoing any significant growth spurts or puberty, which many people often try and associate with velocity gains.

A pitcher wears down over the course of a season. Even if it doesn’t show up in decreasing velocity it will most likely show up in decreasing strength, explosiveness, and athleticism. This is due to the fact that a pitcher, for the most part, cannot train as hard during a season. Because of the physically demanding nature of the activity of throwing 100+ pitches at max effort every 5 or 6 days, much of what a pitcher does during the season is focused on recovering for the next outing, not making gains in athleticism and explosiveness which is necessary if you want to increase velocity.

During a season a pitchers main concern is getting hitters out. This is great but it often will lead you to stall out in terms of your stuff. I say this because I know that every coach on every team is focused on the now and getting hitters out right this second, they don’t want you to work on new things even if it could lead to better velocity down the road. Coaches always want you to get a hitter out right now and if you can’t then you might not be pitching for a while. Sometimes getting a hitter out today is not nearly as important as pushing the envelope and working on something that will pay dividends to you later on. This is another reason taking some time for yourself is so important.

Now many will argue that there is no substitute for “mound time.” Sure, a pitcher needs innings to get a feel for throwing his pitches to hitters in a game. A pitcher needs to learn how and what to throw during certain situations. And then there is the one you hear all the time, “You need to get out there and pitch so you can be seen by scouts.” These comments have truth to them to a certain extent. However, if you are a low 80s guy then there isn’t much point in getting “mound time” or being seen by scouts. You won’t be pitching much longer at that velocity as most colleges will not sign you and you definitely do not have a shot at professional ball.

Unless you are perfectly content with your velocity and off-speeds (if you are then you better be throwing mid to upper 90s with a Koufax hammer) then I would be willing to bet you would get more return on your time if you spent a summer (or fall if you are in high school) challenging yourself with a training program than pitching. Think about how much different your life would be if you dedicated your summer to improving your athleticism and molding yourself into better shape, thereby becoming a more dynamic pitcher and increasing velocity, for example, from 83 mph to 88 mph. You would change your baseball world. Even if you are already at 88 mph and you took it to 91mph, now you are possibly looking at the draft instead of just college.

Just to be clear, when I say take a summer “off” from playing ball I don’t mean head to the lake or beach and become a bum. I’m talking about working 3 hours a day 5 days a week with a lot of sweat and hard work. I personally spent those life-changing summers at the Texas Baseball Ranch with 30-40 other baseball guys who were there to push me and challenge me to set new personal records everyday. It was hard and at times I didn’t want to do it but I did and I think I became stronger mentally from those summers. Much stronger than I ever had become during the course of a season.

It is possible to still pick and choose certain tournaments or showcases if you absolutely feel as though you need to throw in front of scouts. There is no problem in doing this as you can tailor your workouts up to this outing and then once it is over get back to training. I just believe that too many players, parents, and coaches feel as though playing year around is the only way to get to the next level, which is certainly false. If you work hard and become an upper 80s or 90 mph guy then the scouts will find you. Trust me, how do you think players from po-dunk high schools and small colleges get drafted. Scouts have their ear to the ground and know about guys who have talent.

I would encourage everybody to take a look at training for a summer and laying off games for a few months. It is nearly impossibly to train for increased velocity during a season since your main concern is recovering from your last outing and therefore everything becomes maintenance. If you play year around and are in maintenance mode all the time then you will lack any real improvement in your stuff. All athletes need a period of time when they can push themselves to new levels of speed, strength, and athleticism and this can only truly be done when they focus not on playing their game but on their own abilities.

Just remember, guys like Greg Maddux, Jamie Moyer, and Trevor Hoffman didn’t make it to the big leagues throwing low to mid-eighties. They were low to mid 90s guys when they were called up. So if you plan on pitching at the next level, whatever level that may be, I wouldn’t be as concerned about being a “polished” pitcher but instead on having the most dynamic, explosive stuff that you can possibly have.

Until next time,

Brian Oates

Brian@Oatesspecialties.com

It has been a couple of weeks since my last post regarding forearm strength, but there were some other topics which surfaced that I felt like I needed to address first. As for forearm/grip strength, there are many ways to strengthen it and I’m going to tell you of some that I have done as well as seen others do. There are really two different types of forearm strengthen exercises: those that directly target the forearm and those that indirectly work it as the athlete performs other dynamic exercises. I’ll talk first about those which indirectly work to strengthen it.

Examples of these types of exercises are working out with the Large Diameter Rope, Speed Chains, and Gymnastic Rings. When an athlete is performing exercises with this equipment he is having to securely hold on to the rope, chain, or ring so that he can correctly and explosively perform the exercise. Although the grip is not the main focus of the exercise, it is in fact a critical part, because as the athlete uses his grip the forearm is being engaged and thereby strengthened. I never realized how much your hands and arms were worked until I began to do the Ropes and Gymnastic Rings and noticed the soreness/tightness the day after using them.

These types of forearm strengthening exercises are the best in my opinion because it is the most functional (a.k.a game like). During a game an athlete will be doing explosive, full body activities yet will have to use his grip and forearms at the same time in order to properly perform many sport specific movements.

Although I like activities which actively engage your forearms while doing other movements, there are times when it is important to specifically concentrate on forearm and grip strength. I utilized several different pieces of equipment to accomplish this goal. The first piece of equipment I used is called the Super Pro. The Super Pro is great for strengthening the upper forearm as well as the elbow. As a pitcher, I really loved this device because it helped me build muscle throughout my forearm to help protect my Ulna Collateral Ligament and other tendons which were constantly being stressed as I pitched. The Super Pro also has an adjustable weight on it which makes it great for users of all strengths and sizes.

As for targeting my grip strength I often used the Hand Master Plus. This device is commonly used by climbers (who need phenomenal strength to hold on to sheer faced cliffs) and resembles a stress ball except there are loops for each of your fingers. The ball is then squeezed to strengthen the front of the hand and then the user opens up his hand and fingers against the resistance of the loops to strengthen the back of the hand. With the Hand Master it is possible to target a single finger or groups of fingers to strengthen, which can be especially useful for pitchers who want to work on their first two digits.

The Power Web is another product I used for grip strength and is commonly seen in physical therapy offices. It is a versatile and effective resistance exerciser for strengthening the muscles and joints of the fingers, hand and wrist. Not only can the resistance of each web be modified to meet specific needs by adjusting the hand position and/or depth of finger insertion but there are also several different color resistances available to choose from. The Power Web is very useful as almost any hand and wrist movement can be emulated using this strengthening tool.

Over the years I have picked up a number of forearm and grip strengthening exercises in the weight room as well. The first and possibly most basic exercise I would perform in the weight room was a basic forearm/wrist curl with a dumbbell in my hand. This specifically targets the inside of the forearm and the muscles used when throwing a ball. In order to strengthen the forearm equally I would always do the opposite as well. This consists of taking a dumbbell with my palm facing down and lift the back of my hand toward the ceiling.

An exercise I first saw being performed by hockey players that I soon began to utilize myself was holding onto metal plates in the weight room. I would pick up a 45lb metal plate, which did not have handles, and would hold it down at my side with my arms straight using solely my finger and grip strength to hold onto the edge of the plate. I would always time myself doing this plate hold and would constantly try to beat my old time. This is a great way to actively strengthen the forearm and was always one of my favorite forearm exercises.

The last weight room type strengthening exercise I would utilize is probably the most simple, yet one of the hardest. I would take a rope, such as an 8 foot long Large Diameter, and hang it over a pull up bar. I would then grab onto the rope with one in each hand and do a series of pull ups, rows, and body weight hangs. Because you are having to support your entire body weight during all of these exercises solely by holding onto the large rope, it will quickly tire out your forearm and add a whole new dimension to a normal upper body workout.

Because in everything you do you can only improve if you measure it, Oates Specialties also offers a Baseline Hand Dynamometer to measure grip and forearm strength. This was the instrument used to record grip strength measurements at Spring Training when I was in the Seattle Mariners organization. The Baseline Hand Dynamometer will help you to record your improved strength week in and week out.

Whether you decide to use a product designed specifically for forearm and grip strength, focus on full body exercises which actively engage the area, or head to the weight room to do wrist curls and plate carries, the important thing is to make sure that you or your athletes are spending time on this often neglected area. You will be surprised how this improved strength can positively effect your on field performance and can also help keep your wrist and elbow areas injury free.

Until next time,

Brian Oates

Brian@Oatesspecialties.com

Twitter: @Oatesspecialty

Many of you already know UCLA’s ace pitcher, Trevor Bauer, has trained at the Texas Baseball Ranch for several years now and uses a number of Oates Specialties products. If you didn’t know that you probably do by now after the many clips on ESPN of Trevor doing tubing exercises, final arc drills, and using the Shoulder Tube.

Trevor is an incredibly driven individual and he works his tail off from the time he steps on the field until he hits the showers. I can attest to this, I’ve trained with him. In my mind however, this is not the most impressive thing about Trevor. Sure, his desire to succeed and his work ethic is something that should be praised but it’s his ability to keep doing what works for him and not conform based on what others think that I admire most.

Trevor has learned over the years from training with Jim Wagner, Alan Jaeger, and Ron Wolforth, among others, what drills, warm-ups, and activities are most beneficial for him. Many of the exercises he likes to do pre-game are considered out of the ordinary and are scrutinized by coaches, scouts, and announcers. But Trevor doesn’t care, nor should he.

Throughout the course of the College World Series I listened to the ESPN announcers call Trevor quirky and they couldn’t help but talk about his pre-game and in-game routine. They were mesmerized, including Nomar Garciaparra and Robin Ventura, two former Major League stars, over a college kid who had an extensive, dynamic routine. At first as I watched I thought those calling the game were just intrigued by what Trevor was doing and I think they were. But as they continued to call him quirky and many other synonyms it started to irk me.

Both Nomar and Robin soon let me know their true and utter ignorance as to the things Trevor was doing. After his first dominating performance against Florida, Robin Ventura made the comment that Trevor was “only allowed to do all those things because he is so good.” Implying that if he was not the ace of the staff there is no way he’d get away with doing all of those things. Are you kidding me? Robin you have it backwards, the reason Trevor is so good is because he does all of those things. Do you think he is just doing them for fun? To occupy his time before a start? Give me a break!

But this pales in comparison to the conversation Nomar Garciaparra and Mike Patrick had after Trevor pitched 8 phenomenal innings against TCU to lead his team to the championship series against South Carolina. Nomar was once again discussing the many “odd” things which make up Trevor’s routine. He then said that Trevor would not be able to continue with his exercises in professional baseball. Nomar expressed that when an organization invests a lot of money in him he will have to follow the organization’s instructions more closely because he could get hurt doing stuff like that. It took his fellow announcer, Mike Patrick, the guy in the booth without any professional baseball experience to have the intelligence to bring up the fact that maybe Trevor is who he is because of the many “quirky” exercises. Wow, what a revelation.

Baseball is perhaps one of the most conventional, think inside the box sports on the planet. Heaven forbid somebody go against the grain and actually do something to warm up for a game besides poles, static stretching and 20 minutes of throwing. I can say this with certainty because during my time as a collegiate and professional pitcher I got a lot of attention and people made comments when I did some of the same things Trevor is doing. It’s the herd mentality, people are afraid to be different. But not Trevor, he does his own unique thing on national television.

I think one of the most accurate quotes I’ve ever heard and I’ve heard it many many times (thanks Coach Wolforth) is, “If you do what everybody else does, you are going to get what everybody else gets.” How true is that? If you stick to the norm the chances are you will get the norm. And do you know what the norm is getting the average baseball player from the United States? A job at Burger King. Currently 30% of MLB rosters are from Latin America and over half of minor league baseball players are from outside the U.S. This is absurd when you look at the populations of Latin American countries versus that of the United States. Looks to me like our “norm” is letting other countries dominate “America’s Pastime.” These Latinos are clearly doing something we are not.

So my advice to the millions of others baseball players at all levels across the nation is if you find something that works for you, no matter how unconventional or “quirky” it may be, stick with it. You are the one who takes responsibility for your own performance, not the pitching coach, manager, or pitching coordinator so why would you let them dictate your routine.

I encourage you all to push the envelope, think outside the box and incorporate anything which helps you prepare for competition no matter what others say or think. It’s the reason Trevor Bauer is who he is, a future 1st round draft pick.

Until next time,

Brian Oates

Brian@Oatesspecialties.com

For those of you who have been watching the College Baseball World Series you have most likely seen a clip of UCLA’s ace pitcher Trevor Bauer and what the announcers (namely Nomar Garciaparra) are calling his Javelin. The camera’s have been focusing on Bauer using the Javelin during his warm ups before the game and between innings. The “Javelin” is in fact Oates Specialties’ Shoulder Tube.

The Shoulder Tube is a phenomenal warm up tool used before throwing as well as a great way to cool down after. Pitching coach Ron Wolforth, of Pitching Central and the Baseball Ranch, had this to say about it, “We view the Shoulder Tube as the single most important piece of equipment in our facility. We initially thought it was a great warm up tool and it is. But now we’ve come to realize its contribution to the health and durability of our pitchers’ arms/shoulders/elbows. If I lost all the equipment in our facility, the first thing I’d bring back is the Shoulder Tube.”

Trevor has been utilizing the Shoulder Tube for years now and as you can tell he uses it often to keep his arm loose and healthy.

Click here and check out the Shoulder Tube for yourself!