Driveline

My soon to be 13 yo son plays C/OF. He has been on the HTKC youth program for both fitness and arm conditioning. It is a very good program. He has been clocked (OF throw) in upper 60s during the spring to mid 70s in the summer. 

BaseballAddict1020 posted:

As a positional player would doing driveline be a smart choice? Also typically what results do you see from this.

At it's core, the program helps you develop the strength and techniques to throw the ball harder.  That's a valuable skill no matter what position you play.  It's geared towards pitchers obviously - but many of the things taught are easily carried over to other positions.

As for the results - it's like any type of skill development program -  you will only get out of it what you put into it. It takes time, and you won't hear Driveline make any promises to anyone that their program will provide any specific improvement. Some people get a lot better, some don't.  A lot of guys think they are willing to work hard initially, but when they don't see overnight results, their "dedication" fades. None of us can say what kind of player you are or the dedication you have, so it would be misleading for anyone to say if you could improve or not by using Driveline, or any other training program.

I do not know, in detail, their program, but follow Kyle on twitter and can see from a distance it appears his program also includes lifting, so getting bigger-stronger-faster with improving throwing strength can only help you. What you should consider is how much spare time you have and then put in place a cohesive program based on that time. Depending on your position, your first priority should be athleticism and hitting, so focus on those first.  It should also be phased based on the time of the year so I would get someone who can lay out a comprehensive program and see how the Driveline piece fits into your complete year round schedule. Good Luck!

Are you planning to go to Driveline or do a remote program?  Going to Driveline for Winter Break, etc. wouldn't do much good because it's too short.  I think if you go there for at least a month in the summer, you may see some differences.  For a remote program, they will individualize the program for your position.  They have programs for hitting, too.  If you do make a commitment to do a program like Driveline, it is a full time job.  You need to follow a strict nutrition/diet, extensive arm care and recovery, in addition to the work outs with the weighted balls and weights.

Driveline is a good program.  But like so many other things pertaining to youth baseball, its pretty expensive.  You should probably take an honest look up front and determine if the potential benefits merit the expense (which is guaranteed). If you decide that the expense is not justified (and imho it would not be unless you are a legit upper level college pitching prospect) it would not be too difficult to consult with coaches & trainers and come up with your own program. 

My son is a D1 position player taking a "gap year" in residence at Driveline (we live in Seattle) before transferring from the school he attended as a freshman. I actually intended to write post about his situation, but haven't been able to get to it.

I would offer you this: The position player training program is like all things Driveline. Extremely well-designed and tested. The position-player coaching, the hitting program, the throwing program, and the strength and conditioning program dovetail perfectly. And the flat fee approach (pay X$ and train as much or as little as you want) encourages the go-getters and shines a light on the slackers. 

The trainers are dialed-in and extremely serious about player development for high school, collegiate, and professional players. The training environment is exceptional and challenging. There's no hand-holding there. You have to want it to get it and you have to go get it. Nothing gets handed out. Everything is earned. Kyle will call out any client that he thinks needs it. That includes professionals and friends etc.

One last thing: Please do call their customer service number with any questions, but do not inquire about expected results and expect to get a promise about results. Driveline will not be one of those outfits that promises "X MPH velo gains in 90-days" ever.

We have seen players that have been involved with Driveline. They swear by it and have improved dramatically.  I have no reason to promote Driveline other than I am impressed with what I have seen.

Regarding improvement, some things take time before seeing results.  Sometimes a simple mechanical change can produce immediate improvements.