Switch Pitching 101

High school pitchers often ask the question: How fast do I have to throw to be recruited by a college team?    Division I recruits throw in the high 80s to low 90s    College recruits who throw 92+ often get drafted Velocity Examples: RHPs on the UCLA 2012 roster threw an average of 91.5 mph , while RHPs on the Washington State roster threw only  85.5 mph  in high school. Both teams play in the PAC-12 conference, which is one of the premiere leagues for college baseball. UCLA won the College World Series in 2013 with their dominant pitching. RHP vs LHP velocity In general, RHPs throw 3 to 5 mph faster than LHPs in high school. In the MLB, RHPs average about 1 mph faster than a LHPs. Switch Pitcher A switch pitcher with good mechanics usually throws 3-5 mph faster with their dominant hand (typically right-handed). Switch pitchers tend to throw in the low to mid 80s in high school. Perfect Game USA posts information on the average vel...

Are you looking to gain 3-5 mph on your fastball? Here are tips to help you gain throwing velocity. This 2 minute video highlights several exercises to build strength in the arms, shoulders and back. Strengthen the decelerator muscles to gain velocity. Most pitchers focus on strengthening the accelerator muscles by doing presses and pushups, but strong back muscles are very important in throwing velocity. If the arm speeds up, then it also must slow down (decelerate) properly to avoid injury. Suggestion: Do twice as much work with the decelerator muscles over six weeks and you will see a jump in your throwing velocity. What muscles slow down the arm? The main  decelerator muscles  are the latissimus dorsi (lats), posterior deltoid (  back  of the shoulder), the biceps (front of upper arm), trapezius (major  back muscles) and rotator cuff muscles. These muscles work together to slow down the arm after release and keep the arm from coming...

Increase Arm Strength and Velocity  using Weighted Baseballs Weighted baseball training programs have been shown to increase arm strength and throwing velocity – when done properly by mature players with good throwing mechanics.  Some programs use overload training with 6 to 9 oz weighted balls. A standard baseball weighs only 5 ounces.  Other weighted baseball programs also use lighter balls of 3 to 4 ounces – adding an under-load component to the throwing routine. Long toss and proper warmup is part of most of the weighted baseball throwing programs. The weighted ball is thrown into a net or backstop at 20 to 30 feet, using step-behinds and good throwing mechanics. NEW FREE EBOOK: Why Weighted Balls Work - http://t.co/onebqAmTb4 pic.twitter.com/28o1FTaWSv — Kyle @ Driveline (@drivelinebases) September 11, 2015 Throw Safely It's very important to have good throwing mechanics prior to starting a weighted baseball pr...