Pre-Throwing Routines For Pitchers

Hey There Friend!

This week I'm sharing a pre-throwing routine that I've used with pitchers that train with me for years. You can see what this looks like in the step-by-step video above.

This routine takes around 7-10 minutes to complete once it's memorized.

Here are the things I included and why:

1. Jumping Rope

Jumping rope is a great way to work on coordination, quickness and overall athleticism. I include jumping rope in nearly every workout I create for pitchers. I also TEST pitchers that train with me on how much they are able to improve their 60-second jump rope score over the training season.

Athletes that DO the reps consistently each workout make incredible progress in their coordination and quickness! The ones that don't work at jumping rope, not surprisingly, see little or no improvement.

Jumping rope is a SKILL that CAN be developed if practiced consistently over time, just like pitching! It's fun for athletes that invest a just a little bit of time (1-minute, 3-5 times every week during training) to see how that can result in big gains in their ability to improve!

2. Dynamic Stretching

This type of stretching is performed while moving and will often mimic some of the movement patterns involved in whatever sport/activity an athlete is going to perform.

Dynamic stretching moves the muscles/joints through a full range of motion. It improves blood flow and increases muscle temperature, which can help improve flexibility, strength and performance.

The video above shows an arm circle and leg swing routines. I ask pitchers to use these in their warm-ups every time they throw. They only take a couple minutes to complete and prepare their bodies to throw a workout or game!

3. Band Work

Arm care is important for EVERY pitcher and using bands is great "prehab" for her.

Prehab by definition is "participation in therapy based movements and exercises in order to avoid injury, decrease pain or to prepare for a surgery. It is known as a proactive approach and can address deficits in strength, stability, range of motion, balance and overall joint function."

Girls that injure their arm/shoulder are often prescribed band work during REHAB. If athletes would be proactive with arm care in a pre-throwing routine, many injuries may be avoided!

The video shows many of the exercises I like pitchers to do before throwing to prepare them for a workout or for competition. You will notice I have pitchers use bands for both the lower and upper body.

There are many types of bands you can choose from if you'd like to invest in a set for your pitcher. Most of my pitchers use either Arm-Pro Bands or J-Bands.

Make sure the bands are light enough for your pitcher to use a full range of motion with them. "More" isn't always better when it comes to lots of things, including how much resistance her bands give her! When in doubt, go with the lighter resistance!

I hope this information, and the video above, gives you some ideas about things you can be doing to help your pitchers incorporate a pre-throwing routine that will help them perform better AND reduce the chance of injuries in the future!

Teaching athletes things they can do to care for their body before performing is a valuable for all ages and skill levels!

As always, let me know if you have any questions about anything. I'm here to HELP you and answer your questions my friend! Don't hesitate to reach out to me HERE!

Have a fabulous weekend!

All My BEST,

Myndie