Rob T posted:Wesleythecacther posted:Rob T posted:Well, I would say it's an older program with some good stuff in it. I don't think it goes into enough detail about certain aspects though.
Since it won't cost you anything, take a look at the Driveline 8 week program that you can get from their site. It is a little more detailed as far as a progression to follow, and has links to videos that explain the various drills.
As for a velocity increase - nobody can honestly say. Some guys have big improvements quickly, some don't. Some take longer to improve. Some never improve for various reasons.
In a general sense, if you take a player that has never really worked out before and introduce any type of program you are bound to see some improvements.
I think the program you linked is lite on the exercises you can do to strengthen the rotator cuff, but the stretches are pretty good. I've had a torn rotator cuff, and from experience doing some stretches makes the shoulder feel a thousand times better. You can find some more exercises here... Thrower's 10 variation .
Would the Driveline 8 week program work for a catcher? I am trying to improve my catching velocity.
In theory it should help anyone that throws a ball... However, the Driveline program is really tailored towards pitchers - and the mechanics they use. These aren't necessarily the same mechanics used by catchers.
While arm strength is obviously part of the equation, there is a lot more that goes into effective throwing for catchers. Usually it isn't arm strength that is the issue, but time leaked in other areas - footwork, transfer, stance etc.
If your goal is to simply get the ball from your glove to the bag faster - you can probably achieve quicker results cleaning up your mechanics as a catcher, rather than embarking on a throwing program.
So, yes - I would say it will work to strengthen your arm to some degree- but that may not equate into the results you seek.
If you are interested in some specific throwing mechanics related to the catching position, Austin Wasserman has a pretty good e-book on it.
I definitely think the 8 week program would help Wesley. it is not catcher specific but Wesley's arm is not that strong yet judging from the videos. It is not weak but I don't think he can throw upper 80s from a crowd hop yet.
BTW I would definitely use Kyle's program instead of the one posted above because of the plyo care drills.