WARNING!!! Only adults perform the following adult pitcher training activities.

Adult pitchers have completed medial epicondyle and humeral head growth plate development. Before coaches have pitchers perform adult pitcher training activities, they should have their elbows and shoulders bi-laterally X-rayed and read for completed medial epicondyle and humeral head skeletal growth and development.

Only pitching truly teaches pitchers to pitch. No weight training program perfectly replicates all the variables involved in pitching. Therefore, while properly designed training programs do improve pitching skeletal and muscular fitness, they must also always teach pitchers to perfectly perform the appropriate motor skill force application techniques.

a. Training Facilitators

Training facilitators are any devices that influence training. After years of experimenting, I have settled on three training facilitators; wrist weights, iron balls and baseballs.

1. Wrist Weights

To prevent pitching arm deceleration injuries, the cerebellum of the brain limits the velocity of pitching arms at release. Therefore, we must convince the cerebellum that pitchers can safely stop their pitching arms at increased release velocities. Consequently, to increase release velocity, pitchers must first train the muscles that stop their pitching arms. Plioanglos training methods increase the ability of the muscles that safely decelerate pitching arms to stops.

I use drag race cars as my analogy. If you had a drag race car with the acceleration ability to achieve five hundred miles per hour in a one-quarter mile track, but the race track has a two thousand foot cliff only one hundred feet past the finish line, then how fast would you go? You should ask, can I stop the car within one hundred feet? That is what your cerebellum asks every time you try to throw hard. You need big brakes!

When athletes train with handheld barbells, to keep from dropping the barbells, they have to continuously contract their handgripping muscles. When they continuously contract their handgripping muscles, the contracted musculature prevents blood flow. Therefore, I have my clients strap weights around their wrists. Because the athletes do not have to contract their hands to keep the weights on their wrists, blood flow can continue without interruption. Wrist weights permit relaxation instants. Adults start with ten pound wrist weights on each wrist with only the middle and distal phalanges of the second through fifth digits and the distal phalange of the first digit showing.

Straps that secure wrist weights wear out. To prolong the useful lifespan of wrist weights, coaches should tape the wrist weights with cloth duct tape. Pitchers should have to gently squeeze their hands through the taped wrist weights. During wrist weight exercises, pitchers prevent the wrist weights from slipping off their hands by holding on with their fingers.

2. Iron Balls

For pitchers to powerfully rotate their bodies to generate pitching force, they need anterior shoulder and elbow muscles to not only keep up with their bodies, but to generate additional force through release. Powerful upper arm and forearm acceleration muscles increase release velocities. Mioanglos training increases powerful pitching arm accelerators.

Adults start with six pound shot puts as their upper arm and forearm acceleration muscle facilitator. Six pound iron balls compare with softballs in size. Therefore, while six pound iron balls require extra gripping effort, that extra gripping effort strengthens atheir pitch grip strength. To insure adequate iron ball surface friction, pitchers should tape iron balls with athletic tape.

3. Baseballs

While wrist weight and iron ball training facilitators prepare pitching arm muscles to withstand pitching stresses, the principle of training specificity requires that pitchers pitch baseballs. Pitchers cannot accelerate their wrist weights or iron balls to the required release velocities. Therefore, pitchers throw baseballs to train their nerve conduction velocities for maximum velocity baseball releases. Pitchers with greater nerve conduction velocities, greater muscle fiber contractilities and perfect motor unit contraction and relaxation sequences will achieve the highest release velocities. Nevertheless, all pitchers should achieve their personal maximum release velocities.

When pitchers practice their Magnus fastballs, Magnus curves and Magnus screwballs, they should throw baseballs with stripes drawn vertically through the middle of the four loops. Coaches use one-quarter inch wide magic markers to draw these stripes on the baseballs. Ill 24.3: How to Draw Stripe Baseballs for Magnus Pitches

When pitchers practice Marshall sliders and Marshall sinkers, they should throw baseballs with circles of friction drawn around the end of one loop. Coaches use one-quarter inch wide magic markers to draw the circle of friction around the inside aspect of one loop.

b. Wrist Weight Exercises

Wrist weight exercises train the muscles that stop the pitching arm. Plioanglos training applies stress to muscles that lengthen across their joints while they contract. Pitchers perform their wrist weight exercises while looking into mirrors or darkened windows. Pitchers must be very specific with their forearm positions, leverage positions, drivelines and releases. Only perfect practice makes for perfect results.

Throughout the pitching motion, segments of the pitching arm accelerate, decelerate, stop and snap back to add momentum to the following segment. The shoulder girdle leads to the shoulder joint leads to the elbow joint leads to the forearm joint leads to the wrist joint leads to the hand and finger joints. Therefore, the shoulder girdle, shoulder joint and elbow joint have stopped and snapped back before pitchers release their pitches.

If these segments did not stop before release, then pitchers could not accelerate their pitching arms to maximum. The force required to decelerate even a ten pound arm from one hundred and thirty-two feet per second in the short time between release and the arm reaching its full forward length is far too great.

In the study that I discussed in Chapter 2, from baseball release to full pitching arm extension toward home plate required seventeen frames of film at 0.002 seconds per frame, or 0.034 seconds. The formula the shows how much deceleration force I would have to apply to stop a ten pound arm traveling at 132 feet per second in 0.034 seconds is Force = (Mass)(Release Velocity) / (Time).

F = (10 / 32)(132) / (0.034)
F = (0.3125)(132) / (0.034)
F = (41.25) / (0.034)
F = 1213.24 pounds

No pitcher could ever apply 1213.24 pounds of force to decelerate their pitching arm. This demonstrates that pitchers do not have to apply 1213.24 pounds of force to decelerate their pitching arms.

1. Wrist Weight Pronated Swings

Wrist weight pronated swings stimulate blood flow in both shoulders and arms. Pitchers gently perform their wrist weight pronated swings as preludes to more intense training activities.

Pitchers stand with both arms hanging downward and their forearms supinated to thumbs out positions. To start, pitchers anteriorly swing both of their arms to shoulder height. With both arms forearms supinated at shoulder heights, pitchers gently pronate their forearms and inwardly rotate their shoulder joints and permit gravity to posteriorly swing both arms downward and backward. At their backward-most positions, pitchers supinate both of their forearms and outwardly rotate both of their shoulder joints and anteriorly swing both arms to shoulder height.

2. Wrist Weight Shakedowns

Wrist weight shakedowns stress elbow joint and forearm decelerators. Pitchers perform wrist weight shakedowns as preludes to more intense training activities.

Pitchers stand with both of their arms hanging downward and their forearms pronated to thumbs-in positions. To start, pitchers upwardly raise both arms to eye level with their forearms supinated to thumbs-up positions. Then, pitchers downwardly drive both wrist weights. When the wrist weights reach their downward limits, pitchers strongly pronate their forearms and inwardly rotate their shoulder joints. After the wrist weights hit bottom, gravity posteriorly swings both arms backward. When both arms return to the hanging downward position, pitchers repeat the movement.

3. Pitch Specific Wrist Weight Exercises

The next five wrist weight exercises are specific to the type of pitch. They are specific to the proper forearm position. They are specific to the proper leverage position. They are specific to the proper driveline. They are specific to the proper release action.

When pitchers train to throw Maxline fastballs, they must use the proper Maxline fastball forearm position, leverage position, driveline and release action. When pitchers train to throw Maxline curves, they must use the proper Maxline curve forearm position, leverage position, driveline and release action. When pitchers train to throw Maxline screwballs, they must use the proper Maxline screwball forearm position, leverage position, driveline and release action. And, so on.

a) Forearm Extensions

Forearm extensions primarily train the outward rotation muscles of the head of the humerus in the shoulder joint. With additional outward rotation muscle strength, pitchers can hold their pitching forearms horizontal without leaning their trunks backward.

To assume the start position, pitchers stand with their feet side-by-side spread beyond their shoulder width. They raise their pitching arm to slightly beyond vertical upward with their elbow at the height of their ear. They must have their elbow in front of their acromial line.

To start the exercise, pitchers gently lower their elbows to shoulder height and their forearms to horizontal. When they achieve the required shoulder height elbow position and horizontal forearm position, they push their wrist weights straight upward until their elbow returns to the height of their ear and their forearm returns to slightly short of vertical upward.

Initially, pitchers may have to lean backward to get their forearm to horizontal. However, with gentle training, pitchers should soon achieve horizontal forearms without any backward body lean.

b) Easy Leverage Throws

Easy leverage throws train pitchers to drive off their stride feet before they forearm accelerate their pitches through release. This force coupling technique is critical to achieving maximum release velocities.

To assume the start position, pitchers stand with their feet side-by-side spread beyond their shoulder width. They raise their pitching arm to slightly beyond vertical upward with their elbow at the height of their ear. They must have their elbow in front of their acromial line.

To start the exercise, pitchers gently lower their elbows to shoulder height and their forearms to horizontal. When pitchers achieve these elbow and forearm positions, they drive their bodies forward off their stride foot. During this stride foot drive, pitchers forward rotate their hips and shoulders and keep their elbow and forearm at shoulder height and horizontal. Just before their rear foot contact the ground directly in front of their stride foot, pitchers powerfully accelerate their forearms through release.

Pitchers must feel the coupling of their stride foot drive and their forearm acceleration through release. This proprioceptive awareness of the force coupling of the stride foot drive and forearm acceleration through release is critical to pitchers achieving their maximum driveline lengths and their maximum release velocities.

c) Power Leverage Throws

Power leverage throws train pitchers to add the contralateral step in front of the easy leverage throws. Pitchers must not lose the proprioceptive awareness of the force coupling of their stride foot drive and their forearm acceleration through release. They only add the momentum of the forward step with their contralateral foot.

To assume the start position, pitchers stand with their feet spread beyond their shoulder width in the proper position for Maxline or Torque force application pitches. They raise their pitching arm to slightly beyond vertical upward with their elbow at the height of their ear. They must have their elbow in front of their acromial line.

To start the exercise, pitchers gently lower their elbows to shoulder height and their forearms to horizontal. When they achieve the required shoulder height elbow position and horizontal forearm position, they reverse rotate their hips and shoulders slightly until their wrist weights are in the proper leverage position for the pitch for which they are training. While pitchers reverse rotate their hips and shoulders, they also lift their stride leg to counterbalance their body weight.

Once the pitchers have placed their properly positioned forearms in the appropriate leverage position for the pitch for which they are training, they forward step with their stride foot to the appropriate location. After their stride foot securely contacts the ground, pitchers strongly drive off the pitching rubber and start the forward rotation of their hips and shoulders.

During this one hundred and eighty degree hip and shoulder rotation, pitchers must drive behind their wrist weights in the appropriate driveline for the pitch for which they are training. To expedite the hip rotation, pitchers should keep the femur of the rear leg vertical throughout.

After pitchers forwardly rotate their hips and shoulders to slightly ahead of their stride foot, pitchers should start their stride leg drive. From this point onward, the power leverage throw exercise becomes the easy leverage throw exercise. Pitchers must 'feel' the force coupling of their stride foot drive and their forearm acceleration through release.

d) Wrong Foot Stride Transition Throws

I use wrong foot stride transition throws to initially train pitchers how to keep their transitions toward second base, how to keep their driveline straight from leverage through release, how to drive their forearms over their elbows without forearm flyout and how to maximally extend their drivelines. Further, when pitchers stride forwardly with their wrong (ipsilateral) feet, they practice the new force application technique without their former throwing motion interference.

I do not use wrong foot stride transition throws for very long because the pitching rhythm differs from the proper throwing rhythm. Further, wrong foot stride transition throws have another purpose. Pitchers can use wrong foot stride transition throws to snap-throw baseballs to second base and third base in pick-offs and quick-response fielding plays.

To assume the start position, pitchers stand with their feet side-by-side perpendicular to the throwing line. They hold their hands together below their waist slightly to their non-pitching arm side.

To start the exercise, pitchers simultaneously take a short step forward with their stride foot and gently pendulum swing their pitching arms lateral and backward to the downward handshake position. At this point, pitchers should have reverse rotated their acromial lines to the position appropriate for the pitch for which they are training.

From the downward handshake position, pitchers simultaneously step forward with their rear leg and raise their elbows upward under their forearm until their forearms are horizontal in the position appropriate for the pitch for which they are training. Once their rear foot securely contacts the ground, pitchers drive their forearms vertically over their elbows through release.

The wrong foot stride transition throws do not permit the force coupling of the stride foot drive and the forearm acceleration. Pitchers apply force against their wrong foot forward for the stability against which to forwardly accelerate their forearms. For the limited purposes of learning not to take transitions behind their bodies and to learn a quick snap-throw technique, wrong foot stride throws have merit. However, I use them for only a very short duration. Pitchers must master the 'feel' of the stride foot drive and the forearm acceleration force coupling.

e) Rock-Back Transition Throws

Rock-back transition throws train pitchers to add the transition in front of the contralateral step of the power leverage throws. Pitchers must not lose the 'feel' of the momentum of the forward step with their contralateral foot or the force coupling of their stride foot drive and their forearm acceleration through release.

To assume the start position, pitchers stand with their feet spread beyond their shoulder width in the proper body and foot position for Maxline or Torque force application pitches. They hold their hands below their waist slightly toward their non-pitching arm side. They have their body weight shifted toward their stride leg.

To start the exercise, pitchers gently rock their body weight back toward their rear leg and pendulum swing their pitching arms lateral and backward to the downward handshake position. At this point, pitchers should have reverse rotated their acromial lines to the position appropriate for the pitch for which they are training and raised their stride leg to the height appropriate to counterbalance their backward body weight shift.

From the downward handshake position, pitchers raise their elbows upward under their forearm until their forearms are horizontal in the position appropriate for the pitch for which they are training and step forward with their stride foot. Once their stride foot securely contacts the ground, the transition throw exercise becomes the power leverage throw exercise. Pitchers must 'feel' the momentum from the forward step and the force coupling of their stride foot drive and their forearm acceleration through release.

4. Iron Ball Exercises

The first two iron ball exercises, bucket twirls and finger spins, are warmup exercises as the first two wrist weight exercises, pronated swings and shakedowns are warmup exercises.

a) Bucket Twirls

Pitchers need to store their striped baseballs, circled baseballs and iron balls. I have pitchers find two square five-gallon plastic buckets. I purchase my laundry detergent in these buckets. However, these plastic buckets have wire handles. With continuous twirling action, these wire handles break. Therefore, I have the pitchers replace these wire handles with 1/2" polyurethane rope.

First, pitchers remove the wire handles. Second, pitchers drill 1/2" holes through the holes where the wire handles had attached. Third, pitchers thread one end of a 1/2" x 18" rope through one hole, through a 1/2" fender washer and tie a knot inside the bucket. Fourth, pitchers thread the other end of the rope through a 3/4" x 6" plastic pipe. Fifth, pitchers thread the remaining rope through the other 1/2" bucket hole and 1/2" fender washer and tie another knot inside the bucket at a length that permits pitchers to put the lid on the bucket and twirl the rope without the rope wrapping around itself. Lastly, pitchers wrap athletic tape around the rope and the 3/4" pipe to 1/2" rope in the middle of the new rope handle.

I have pitchers practice bucket twirls to get the blood flow started in their lower forearms, wrists and hands. Bucket twirls mioanglosly and plioanglosly train the pronator and supinator muscles in the forearms of pitchers.

I have pitchers store their personal twenty-four striped baseballs, twenty-four circled baseballs, six pound iron ball and eight pound iron ball in two square five-gallon plastic buckets. Pitchers practice buckets hold twenty-four baseballs, one six pound iron ball and one baseball glove. Three rows of three baseballs should snugly fit in pitchers practice bucket bottoms. If nine baseballs do not fit, then coaches vertically cut at the four corners near bottoms to expand sides. At five and one-quarter ounces each, twenty four baseballs weigh seven pounds fourteen ounces. Baseball gloves weigh slightly over one pound. Therefore, pitchers practice buckets weigh about seventeen pounds.

Pitchers stand with slightly elbow bent arms hanging downward holding pitchers practice buckets. To start, pitchers maximally supinate both forearms. When pitchers' forearms maximally supinate, pitchers maximally pronate both forearms. When pitchers' forearms maximally pronate, pitchers repeat the movements.

4. Iron Ball Pronation Spins

Iron ball pronation spins stress hand and finger joint muscles. Pitchers perform iron ball pronation spins to strengthen fingertip pitch releases.

Pitchers slowly walk with ninety degree elbow bent arms anteriorly and posteriorly swinging beside rib cages. With iron balls in pitching hands, pitchers posteriorly swing bent elbow arms backward and maximally supinate forearms, wrists, hands and fingers. When bent elbow pitching arms reach posterior limits, pitchers anteriorly swing bent elbow pitching arms forward, maximally pronate pitching forearms, wrists, hands and fingertips to simultaneously toss and spin iron balls toward non-pitching hands. After non-pitching hands catch spinning iron balls, pitchers posteriorly swing bent elbow arms backward and maximally supinate forearms, wrists, hands and fingers. When bent elbow non-pitching arms reach posterior limits, pitchers anteriorly swing bent elbow non-pitching arms forward, maximally pronate non-pitching forearms, wrists, hands and fingertips to simultaneously toss and spin iron balls toward pitching hands. After pitching hands catch spinning iron balls, pitchers repeat the movements.

The remaining iron ball exercises are precisely the same as the wrist weight exercises. They are also specific to the type of pitch. They are also specific to the proper forearm position. They are also specific to the proper leverage position. They are also specific to the proper driveline. They are also specific to the proper release action. Therefore, rather than rewrite the same instructions, I will refer readers to the preceding descriptions.

5. Pitch Specific Baseball Exercises

Home plates are seventeen inches wide. Pitching rubbers are twenty-four inches wide. Home plate middles are eight and one-half inches in. Pitching rubber middles are twelve inches in. Therefore, three and one-half inches of pitching rubbers are outside of home plate on each side. From the first day, I have pitchers stand on the three and one-half inches of the pitching rubber on both sides.

When they throw Maxline pitches, pitchers stand on the three and one-half inches of the pitching rubber toward their non-pitching arm side. When they throw Torque pitchers, pitchers stand on the three and one-half inches of the pitching rubber toward their pitching arm side. This provides pitchers with either laterally or medially-directed drivelines that help the sideways movement of their pitches.

Between the third and the twelfth days of my first two week training program, I use wrong foot stride transition throws to teach my force applications techniques. After the twelfth day, I never use the wrong foot stride transition throws until the end of my forty week training program when I teach pitchers pickoff throwing techniques. The wrong foot stride transition throw technique is critical to left-handed pitcher pickoff throw to first base and for right and left-handed pitcher pickoff throws to second base.

After the twelfth day of my first two week training program, I use only my rock-back transition technique until the two hundred and thirty-sixth day for my forty week program. The rock-back transition technique permits pitchers to focus only on their arm action and body rhythm without the distractions of unnecessary body movements. However, pitchers cannot use the rock-back transition technique in games. Therefore, I have to teach the set position technique. Then, after pitchers perfect the set position technique, I teach them how to pitch from the windup position.

a) Set Position Throws

The set position technique closely resembles the rock-back technique for the Maxline pitches. Therefore, to teach the set position, I have pitchers assume their Maxline rock-back starting position. To change the Maxline rock-back transition technique, pitchers need only to put both hands together on their non-pitching side hip, raise their hands to slightly above their waists and resettle their hands to below their waist slight toward the non-pitching arm side of middle. This action satisfies the stretch requirement of the set position. From this position, pitchers follow their rock-back technique to throw their pitches.

The only problem with this set position technique occurs when pitchers throw their Torque pitches. The Torque rock-back transition position requires pitchers to have both feet on the pitching rubber. Pitchers cannot have both feet on the pitching rubber in the set position. Therefore, pitchers must use the Maxline rock-back transition position for their Torque pitches also.

The reason that I have pitchers start with both feet on the pitching rubber for their Torque pitches concerns the reverse rotation of their hips and shoulders. On Torque pitches, pitchers cannot reverse rotate their hips and shoulders beyond the non-pitching arm side batters. With both feet on the pitching rubber, pitchers could reverse rotate their hips and shoulders the same amount as they did with their Maxline pitches. However, in the Maxline set position, pitchers cannot reverse rotate their Torque pitches but about one-half as far.

b) Windup Throws

Pitchers falsely believe that they can throw harder when they windup. Pitchers should throws equally hard from the set position. They can apply force with their pitching arms for the same time period from the set position as from the windup. In fact, with the strong possibility of unnecessary body movement interfering with the arm action, pitchers should typically throw harder with better consistency from the set position. Therefore, I do not teach the windup until pitchers perfect their set position throws at about the two hundred and sixtieth day of my forty week program.

When pitchers windup, they regain the reverse rotation range of motion that they had with the rock-back transition technique that they lost in the set position. During the windup, pitchers add only raising their arms and stepping backward to the rock-back transition technique.

For the Maxline pitches, pitchers stand with their rear foot at a forty-five degree angle to the pitching rubber on the three and one-half inches on the non-pitching arm side. They place their stride foot parallel to their rear foot shoulder width apart on the dirt portion of the pitching mound.

For the Torque pitches, pitchers stand with their rear foot pointing toward home plate on the three and one-half inches on the non-pitching arm side of the pitching rubber. They place their stride foot parallel to their rear foot shoulder width apart in the middle of the pitching rubber.

Pitchers start their windups with a short backward step with their stride foot. At the same time, they raise both arms vertically over their head and lay their forearms horizontally backward. Pitchers lower their arms with their hands together in the glove. When their hands approach their waists, they step forward with their stride leg.

When their hands reach a position below their waist slightly toward the non-pitching arm side, pitchers start reverse rotating their hips and shoulders. This is the same position that they use in the rock-back transition technique. When their stride leg crosses the pitching rubber, pitchers start the vertical pendulum swing of their pitching arm.

When their stride leg reaches forty-five degrees in front of the pitching rubber, the pitching arm should reach the downward handshake position. At this point onward, the windup technique follows the rock-back transition technique.

Coaching Adult Pitchers