quote:Originally posted by ghoti:
my son is a lefty pitcher who has lost alot of flexabilty from being in the weight room. he says he has no option but to do what he's told. it has hurt his abilty to pitch with loss of velo and command. he looks like a linebacker. can he regain his flexabilty and still do the workouts that are required?
Don't know much about your son's program, but I find it hard to believe that someone who truely knows what he is doing (trainer or pitching coach) has forced your son to train more like a linebacker than a pitcher. Has this happened to other pitchers, or just your son? Does he play another position? When did he lose velocity (this fall) and how much? He shouldn't really be near full velocity at this time if he has begun throwing.
I agree with the loss of flexibility not necessarily due to weight lifting, but an over abundance of the wrong stuff on top can cause an issue for pitchers. How much does he actually lift in weights in upper body? How often does he lift upper body. Is his condtioning all weight training? His lower body should be much better developed for pitchers, and that takes a really long time.
You might want to consider a serious discussion with your son to make sure that he has not brought this upon himself, which athletes often do. They tend to do what they need to, ust too much of it. And make sure he isn't taking something that he shouldn't.