Offseason Pitching Program - App

Description

In this comprehensive program, you will be guided through your pitching-specific training day by day. It is divided into phases, each with a different focus. Different variations allow you to choose your own focus. Whether you just want to get into "playing shape", build up speed, improve your control or improve your pitches. Depending on how much time you have, anything is possible.

Would you like to customize your program? Then book a (remote) assessment in which we can analyze you, clarify everything with you and then put together your program (program: €25/month).

The programs are based on scientific findings, the experience of various coaches and institutions and our personal training experience (as coaches and players), which we have compiled in these programs.

They are aimed at physiological development (muscles, ligaments, tendons etc...) as well as motor improvement and consolidation (technique, variability - how quickly can I adapt to new motor tasks and changing external circumstances).

Each training day includes a section of pitching drills. These are largely based on the methods of backwards chaining and chunking (dividing the movement into individual parts, starting at the end of the movement) and differential learning (creating deviations that lead to small inefficiencies in order to challenge the player to find the optimal solution). We often create these deviations (variability) by using different heavy and large balls, which lead to different speeds and increased or decreased perception of the movement (proprioceptive feedback). The training equipment is used in more or less restricted forms of movement (to improve various areas of the throw in a reinforced and isolated manner or to bring all parts together and make them interact).

On-ramp phase

The initial phase offers time to progressively build up arm fitness and get to know the drills. The increase is specified for each day (how many throws, at what intensity and distance) and is based on the "Acute to Chronic Workload Ratio" (ratio of long-term to current load). This should not exceed 1.3-1.5 if possible.

Velocity Phase (only available after assessment))

The focus here is on building up throwing speed. This is achieved through physiological adaptations (special strength, speed, etc.) as well as by improving coordination (technique, when which muscle fires best, etc.). In this phase, throwing is done at maximum intensity on two days of the week - on one day, plyoballs are thrown in various exercises at maximum intensity. On the second maximum day, baseballs (with different weights) are thrown at full intensity.

ATTENTION: The harder you throw and the higher the intensity, the greater the risk of injury. This phase is only recommended for athletes who already have several years of training experience and are very disciplined (i.e. train regularly and also complete the less exciting parts of the program). In the case of high-intensity training, the following is definitely true: more is NOT necessarily better. A good dose is better.

Mound Blend Phase:

This week lasts 2-4 weeks and helps the player to get used to the mound again. It is therefore always completed before a phase that takes place on the mound. If the Mound Blend phase is completed after the Onramp phase, it also serves to build up arm fitness. This is where the plyoball drills are performed from the mound and the first light bullpens are thrown.

Command Phase 

Here we work on controlling the pitcher. Three pitches are thrown from the mound per week, one of which is low intensity. The other two bullpens are the command days. These are thrown with approx. 80-90% intensity. Strikes and balls are documented to track progress. There are two ways to improve control:

1. Improving technique (this happens continuously through drills)
2. Increased challenge of the body's proprioceptive system through small changes to the ball (slightly heavier or lighter, a little smaller or larger and later all possible combinations of these).

Pitch Design (only available after assessment)

In this phase you work on improving/changing pitches. This phase works best with a coach, a high-speed camera and/or if a Rapsodo device or similar (Diamond Kinetics PitchTracker) is available. Alternatively, the changes in a pitch profile must be observed together with the catcher. However, our eyes often deceive us because we like to deduce pitch profiles from pitch locations.

Blend to Competiton

This phase is basically structured very similarly to the in-season weeks. Live AtBats and scrimmages begin here. It is also a good time to experiment with your personal in-season week routine.

Required training equipment

Necessary:

Baseball

Plyoball set (2kg, minimum: 1kg, 450g, 225g, 250g, 100g)

Wall/net for plyoball throws

Recommended:

Wristweights (between 3-5kg)

J-Band