Flat ground or Mound?

quote:

What percentage should be mound work vs. flat ground.

The argument for mound work is that you should practice as you play. That way you get your timing right.

The argument against mound work is that it places more stress on the arm (which is why you can throw harder).

I'd say you do only as much mound work as you need to keep your timing and mechanics sharp. Conditioning should be done on flat ground.

If there is a debate between flat ground vs short pen vs mound, I prefer to see:

1. Mound

2. Flat

3. Remove Short Pen.

Bottom Line: Practice your craft from the mound.

Coach Chris

Credentials please?

Sure would not like to see people led astray by an internet imposter

Exactly Bear.

How many games a year do you pitch on flat ground?

Quote from DM site - interesting


The idea that flat ground throwing is less stressful than throwing off the mound. It is actually the exact opposite since throwing off the mound allows gravity to assist the body in taking more stress from the arm. This theory has been around for years, which many of us including Nolan Ryan, took as a scientific absolute. It has also been responsible for killing velocity in thousands of pitchers and increasing many arm injuries.

I became a proponent of throwing on the mound a few years back when one of my players started passing everyone else on the staff in terms of velocity. All he did was throw on the mound. No long toss that I know of. Had a mound in his back yard and that's all he did. Later came across Dick Mills stuff and of course he's a big proponent of throwing off the mound. His arguments for it seem to be validated by what I am seeing. I have concluded that a combination of good instruction, long toss, bullpens on the mound and core strength conditioning are the best bets for pitchers. Of the course, none of it does any good unless it is done with purpose, sound mechanics and regularity.

COACH I THINK YOU HIT IT ON THE HEAD !!!! STAY WITH THAT and your players will see good gains in their pitching.

Bear, what do you mean. Is there never a need for a short pen? Throw off the mound instead of long toss? Maybe a little more depth, if possible, would be of assistance.

quote:

throwing off the mound allows gravity to assist the body in taking more stress from the arm.

This doesn't make any sense.

Do you mean that you are able to use your lower body more efficiently and throw more with your body and less with your arm?

yes ! exactly right in his new book he proves this with doctors and scientist studies

We do both. We do chairwork per some of the stuff we heard at one of Nolan Ryan's speeches, we do shadow/mirror drills and we throw working on form from flat ground. We always get in mound work. We have 3 indoor mounds going and I move between the 3. We have half, 3/4 and full pen workouts.

When we say form from flat, we are talking about 30 feet from the other player working on various grips such as the curve. We are using 2 balls taped together, spinner disk, highlighted balls...

Whether ground or mound, they should always be preceeded by a good stretching program. We include band work. Then followed by a good stretching program. In either case, you also have to get some type of leg work in. Some believe in sprints while others believe in distance but that's another topic.

Dick Mills doesn't believe in long toss. I know a guy who will sell you all the books and CDs cheap (Canadiand Funds)
Just another reinventor of the game. Stick with the tried and proven methods LT FlatG Mound surgical bands all good for you just don't buy the books and the promises.