Last September a pitcher came to me who had tried everything: weighted balls, physical therapy, bands, all the usual gimmicks; with no results.
He’d been frustrated and stuck at 81-83 for quite some time.
His first tournament after starting training with me he texted me his genuine fears that he was just never going to break through. I posted my response to his text in short telling him that like so many high school pitchers, after over a decade of competitive throwing he’d simply maxed out his SHOULDERS genetic ability to generate velocity; but credit to him, he had sought out a solution. Now with smart, hard training, he was going to be able to start producing force from the REST of his body, namely his hips. I told him that as long as he showed up, worked hard, and was coachable, he’d break through. And 9 months later, he’s gained 20 lbs, and increased his deadlift from Not Applicable to 365. Here was his text from a couple weeks ago:
Not only 90 then, but this past weekend he hit 91 with numerous 90’s! It’s truly exciting to see a kid commit himself to the process, put in the hard work, and go from frustrated, to prospect. What a difference 9 months can make!