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Post by MIZ-SIU on Aug 3, 2009 16:28:59 GMT -5
Okay so as some of you know I am a LHP. I have good stuff and a good pitchers body (6'1, 160lbs) but I need to increase my velocity. I am running and lifting weights right now but if anybody has some suggestion on how to get stronger they would be real appreciated
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Post by BTB07 on Aug 3, 2009 16:53:31 GMT -5
I was never 'bulky' strong. The key for me was always strong legs.
Leg exercises are all good in my opinion.
Without seeing your mechanics it is tough to figure out what you really need to work on (if you get too 'big' the flexibility that you most likely lose could go away).
Good luck bud.
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Post by MIZ-SIU on Aug 3, 2009 17:11:57 GMT -5
I would consider my mechanics somewhat like Cole Hamels
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Post by BTB07 on Aug 3, 2009 17:50:23 GMT -5
I would consider my mechanics somewhat like Cole Hamels Does that look about right? If you get your leg that high I assume that you have pretty strong legs, and great balance. Do you finish as strong as Hamels? (bringing your leg all the way around and back down?). How fast do you throw right now?
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Post by BTB07 on Aug 3, 2009 17:53:24 GMT -5
Good lord that guy has good mechanics.
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Post by tophb21 on Aug 3, 2009 17:56:44 GMT -5
I agree with BTB. I would work on conditioning your legs. Also work your back muscles as well. Another key component is flexibility and dexterity.
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Post by BTB07 on Aug 3, 2009 18:00:36 GMT -5
I am sure that you already do the arm band exercises which are good for the little muscles in your shoulder (which need to be strong).
I always liked the 'stork'. Where you go through your motion and then pause when your leg is in the air for 30 seconds or so at a time. It works the back leg (to push off) and doesn't make you 'bulky'.
Wall sits maybe...
Stretching...
If you finish like Hamels (with that intensity) then you might be getting all you can out of your frame and arm. That is why I wonder what type of velocity that you have now.
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Post by MIZ-SIU on Aug 3, 2009 18:07:14 GMT -5
I would consider my mechanics somewhat like Cole Hamels Does that look about right? If you get your leg that high I assume that you have pretty strong legs, and great balance. Do you finish as strong as Hamels? (bringing your leg all the way around and back down?). How fast do you throw right now? The only big difference I see is I do not finish like Hamels. I throw in the mid to upper 70s
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Post by BTB07 on Aug 3, 2009 18:12:00 GMT -5
The only big difference I see is I do not finish like Hamels. I throw in the mid to upper 70s
That is not too bad. Do you push off the rubber as hard as Hamels does? He does a great job of getting his body towards the plate (that would help pick up velocity).
I would recommend working on flexibility. Keep going through your motion and work on finishing as hard as Cole Hamels.
The weight training will help as well. Less weight with more reps is probably more beneficial for the type of muscles that you are trying to build up.
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Post by MIZ-SIU on Aug 3, 2009 18:19:08 GMT -5
The only big difference I see is I do not finish like Hamels. I throw in the mid to upper 70s That is not too bad. Do you push off the rubber as hard as Hamels does? He does a great job of getting his body towards the plate (that would help pick up velocity). I would recommend working on flexibility. Keep going through your motion and work on finishing as hard as Cole Hamels. The weight training will help as well. Less weight with more reps is probably more beneficial for the type of muscles that you are trying to build up. Yeah that is what I am doing with my pitching coach who also is training me. I know one thing is I am running a mile and a half every other day and the weather here is a bitch , so fucking hot
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Post by BTB07 on Aug 3, 2009 18:25:40 GMT -5
Sounds like you are doing all the right things MIZ. Best of luck bud.
Work on that finish it will give you more velocity. Also I have seen a lot of high school pitchers who 'fall' towards the plate instead of 'push'. Check out the video of Hamels, and look how pushes his body towards the plate to generate more velocity.
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Post by IrishNY on Aug 3, 2009 22:18:08 GMT -5
I saw this post earlier and thought...ah ha, he needs to talk to BTB & Top. I come back & there you are...Me, I'm just watching, learning, thinking about how all this will help my boy... He's a lefty as well, MIZ-SIU Good stuff, really good stuff. Thanks.
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Post by irish08 on Aug 4, 2009 12:57:31 GMT -5
Well I was a lefty pitcher in high school. I only threw mid to lower 80's so I was not that fast, but I would say pretty much what everyone else is saying on here. Work the legs.
Also maybe try a new pitching coach. I had one and then switched and he changed my mechanics a little bit and I added a couple MPH on my fastball. I mean it wont help a lot but it could help a little.
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Post by BTB07 on Aug 4, 2009 13:17:39 GMT -5
Well I was a lefty pitcher in high school. I only threw mid to lower 80's so I was not that fast, but I would say pretty much what everyone else is saying on here. Work the legs. Also maybe try a new pitching coach. I had one and then switched and he changed my mechanics a little bit and I added a couple MPH on my fastball. I mean it wont help a lot but it could help a little. An extra set of eyes might be a good idea (not sure I would get rid of the one you got right now though).
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Post by MIZ-SIU on Aug 4, 2009 13:19:42 GMT -5
Well I was a lefty pitcher in high school. I only threw mid to lower 80's so I was not that fast, but I would say pretty much what everyone else is saying on here. Work the legs. Also maybe try a new pitching coach. I had one and then switched and he changed my mechanics a little bit and I added a couple MPH on my fastball. I mean it wont help a lot but it could help a little. An extra set of eyes might be a good idea (not sure I would get rid of the one you got right now though). Well I love my pitching coach and in the winter I also pitch for the school coach so I think I am set there
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Post by irish08 on Aug 4, 2009 15:42:02 GMT -5
oh I wasnt trying to imply of getting rid of one, I was just thinking as BTB07 said have an extra set of eyes. Maybe they can see something you are doing wrong.
Just a thought
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Post by BTB07 on Aug 4, 2009 23:42:14 GMT -5
An extra set of eyes might be a good idea (not sure I would get rid of the one you got right now though). Well I love my pitching coach and in the winter I also pitch for the school coach so I think I am set there Sounds good. Keep working man it sounds like you really want to get better, which leads me to believe that you will. Keep your pitches at the hollow of the knee.
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Post by JSS on Aug 5, 2009 7:46:43 GMT -5
MIZ-SIU:
I previously was a catcher from age 5 until 16; then the coaches figured out I could throw the ball pretty well and moved me to pitch and center in high school/summer leagues. I began throwing in the lower to mid seventies. Then, I started to work on my mechanics and lower body (at this time I was 5'11'' and about 155lbs. The more I worked on my lower body and core region, I noticed my velocity increased dramatically. During my junior year, I had about 5 decent pitches. Fastball four seam, high eighties; two seam hit ninety two or three times; curve/sinker around 73 and I likely my best pitch (when it was working) was my knuckle ball (Tim Wakefield showed me how to throw it when I was 13--no shitting). Anyway, I figured out that the speed/velocity came from my legs and core and not my arm/shoulder. I was recruited by some D1 schools for baseball but I followed my love (football).
I would work on doing plyo-metrics and concentrate on forcing yourself to push off the rubber. Best of luck!
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Post by tophb21 on Aug 5, 2009 7:52:14 GMT -5
An extra set of eyes might be a good idea (not sure I would get rid of the one you got right now though). Well I love my pitching coach and in the winter I also pitch for the school coach so I think I am set there If your mechanics are that similar to a guy like Hamels, I would say that mechanically you're really sound. Like others have said, really focus on the legs and core as this will give you the ability to give you the explosion that you need when pushing off the rubber. That is what will increase velocity.
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Post by MIZ-SIU on Aug 5, 2009 13:57:34 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice. I have been working out for about 3 weeks now and I can feel my legs getting stronger with all the running
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Post by BTB07 on Aug 5, 2009 14:32:51 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice. I have been working out for about 3 weeks now and I can feel my legs getting stronger with all the running Good news. Make sure that you push off the rubber hard (as seen in the Cole Hamels video).
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Post by MIZ-SIU on Aug 5, 2009 14:48:14 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice. I have been working out for about 3 weeks now and I can feel my legs getting stronger with all the running Good news. Make sure that you push off the rubber hard (as seen in the Cole Hamels video). I could be BTB's prodigy
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Post by BTB07 on Aug 5, 2009 15:05:22 GMT -5
Good news. Make sure that you push off the rubber hard (as seen in the Cole Hamels video). I could be BTB's prodigy Yeah I am sure. Since I wasn't good enough to be anything more than an OK high school pitcher maybe I can help someone else be better than that. Just like baseball too much to just leave it alone...so now all I can do is try to help others do better than I could.
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Post by MIZ-SIU on Aug 5, 2009 15:27:07 GMT -5
Could you have played college ball BTB?
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Post by BTB07 on Aug 5, 2009 15:43:33 GMT -5
Could you have played college ball BTB? I probably could have played somewhere small. Being a lefty that threw about 82 MPH with pretty good offspeed stuff I probably could have. Didn't have any offers, but was told by a few that I should try to walk on. Since I was 17 though I have grown (from about 5'10) to 6'2 so maybe I could have thrown harder if I would have kept going...who knows? I guess I figured that I didn't (couldn't) dedicate that type of time without getting some financial help.
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Post by MIZ-SIU on Aug 5, 2009 15:57:49 GMT -5
That will be a tough decision for me. I have connections with lower Division 2 and 3 coaches around here and if I when I get into the 80s I will have to decide between baseball at a lower level college, go to Mizzou and pursue journalism, go to SIU where I am very comfortable around campus, or go somewhere else
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Post by Bradimous1 on Aug 5, 2009 16:06:06 GMT -5
That will be a tough decision for me. I have connections with lower Division 2 and 3 coaches around here and if I when I get into the 80s I will have to decide between baseball at a lower level college, go to Mizzou and pursue journalism, go to SIU where I am very comfortable around campus, or go somewhere else If those coaches like you and want you to go there... you can get some academic grants for D3 and D2 can give you some baseball money (unless the rules changed and D2 cannot give athletic schollies anymore)... but you can definitely get some academic money from the D3 if they really want you.
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Post by BTB07 on Aug 5, 2009 17:00:03 GMT -5
That will be a tough decision for me. I have connections with lower Division 2 and 3 coaches around here and if I when I get into the 80s I will have to decide between baseball at a lower level college, go to Mizzou and pursue journalism, go to SIU where I am very comfortable around campus, or go somewhere else That will be a tough choice MIZ. If I could have gotten a little more financial aid I might have been able to pursue (unfortunately some other family things slowed me down from making that commitment as well). Sounds like you have a couple of really nice choices though.
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Post by tophb21 on Aug 6, 2009 9:52:30 GMT -5
Could you have played college ball BTB? I probably could have played somewhere small. Being a lefty that threw about 82 MPH with pretty good offspeed stuff I probably could have. Didn't have any offers, but was told by a few that I should try to walk on. Since I was 17 though I have grown (from about 5'10) to 6'2 so maybe I could have thrown harder if I would have kept going...who knows? I guess I figured that I didn't (couldn't) dedicate that type of time without getting some financial help. You could have played D1 someplace. There's such a lack of LHP in most college bullpens. I worked out my FR fall at UR, but like you decided I didn't see the effort as being worth it. Then my SR year, the team's only LHP in the bullpen went down with injury. By that time, it was too late. I slightly regret it. MIZ/SIU- Keep up the hard work. Make sure your HS and Legion coaches are working their end with the college coaches to get you some looks next year.
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Post by BTB07 on Aug 6, 2009 17:20:21 GMT -5
I went to an Ohio State game this spring and thought the kid who was pitching had terrible mechanics. Hell my mechanics after not playing for a few years are better than that guys. Some of the kids hitting for the Buckeyes were guys I faced in High School/Legion. I got them out a number of times, and at that time I thought maybe I could have played...
Don't regret it a bit though..
I agree with Toph, keep working hard MIZ. Being a lefty is a HUGE advantage.
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