Gaining MPH by August

That's a lot unless you are unperfroming bigtime right now. How hard do you throw and how old are you?

If you've got a couple hundred bucks, I can't recommend anything more than to follow Ron Wolforth's full program:

www.theathleticpitcher.com

My son has had great success with this program.

15 6 months- 73 MPH January 06

I'd like to be 83 by August 06

Your ability to increase velocity is based on your God given body/arm. Sure there are exercises you can do to take full advantage of what you have to work with, but you'll never be able to exceed the limitations on your own body's make-up. If it were as easy as following a formula, everyone would be throwing 95. I heard Coach Kuhn, pitching coach for University of Virginia, give a very passionate talk about this very topic. He said there are 2 people you can thank/blame for your pitching velocity... your mom and dad (i.e. genetics). Kind of funny, but absolutely true.

Absolutely, but it's just one of those things where you won't KNOW your outer limits until you bust your backside to get there. Don't let the fear of an unknown ceiling ever keep you from finding out how far you can go.....in baseball or any aspect of life.

thats just too much. Maybe you can gain 10mph in a year, but by august!

quote:

Originally posted by mdhsbbfan:
Your ability to increase velocity is based on your God given body/arm. Sure there are exercises you can do to take full advantage of what you have to work with, but you'll never be able to exceed the limitations on your own body's make-up. If it were as easy as following a formula, everyone would be throwing 95. I heard Coach Kuhn, pitching coach for University of Virginia, give a very passionate talk about this very topic. He said there are 2 people you can thank/blame for your pitching velocity... your mom and dad (i.e. genetics). Kind of funny, but absolutely true.

any person with a strong arm and a good size on them can throw in the high eighties, maybe 90. IF they are taught properly to use their bodies. But only a few can hit 95mph+

My pitching coach gets guys that can barely throw a ball, and a year later they are throwing 89mph.

quote:

any person with a strong arm and a good size on them can throw in the high eighties, maybe 90. But only a few can hit 95mph+

quote:

My pitching coach gets guys that can barely throw a ball, and a year later they are throwing 89mph.

So that's what your (paid???) baseball coach says! Plenty of 6'4" kids can't hit 72 even after years of playing baseball and working out. About one HS varsity pitcher in 100 can hit 88 I'd guess. Look at any local showcase (not national ones)

It's just too much in a short amount of time.

Not a big fan of genetic limits but I do understand the thinking behind them. I just dont think you could do enough in that amount of time that wouldn't end up in injury.

Set a 18 yr old goal or a goal for 17 and go for that. With time you can do some amazing things.

Tom

quote:

Originally posted by Krakatoa:
Absolutely, but it's just one of those things where you won't KNOW your outer limits until you bust your backside to get there. Don't let the fear of an unknown ceiling ever keep you from finding out how far you can go.....in baseball or any aspect of life.

Wise words.

quote:

Originally posted by micdsguy:

quote:

any person with a strong arm and a good size on them can throw in the high eighties, maybe 90. But only a few can hit 95mph+

quote:

My pitching coach gets guys that can barely throw a ball, and a year later they are throwing 89mph.

So that's what your (paid???) baseball coach says! Plenty of 6'4" kids can't hit 72 even after years of playing baseball and working out. About one HS varsity pitcher in 100 can hit 88 I'd guess. Look at any local showcase (not national ones)

I meant if a kid had solid mechanics and could use the power developed by the lowerbody. i barely threw 77mph with really bad mechanics. In six weeks, he showed me where exactly the power came from. i was throwing 85mph+.

maybe for some it's different

quote:

Originally posted by smokky1:

quote:

Originally posted by mdhsbbfan:
Your ability to increase velocity is based on your God given body/arm. Sure there are exercises you can do to take full advantage of what you have to work with, but you'll never be able to exceed the limitations on your own body's make-up. If it were as easy as following a formula, everyone would be throwing 95. I heard Coach Kuhn, pitching coach for University of Virginia, give a very passionate talk about this very topic. He said there are 2 people you can thank/blame for your pitching velocity... your mom and dad (i.e. genetics). Kind of funny, but absolutely true.

any person with a strong arm and a good size on them can throw in the high eighties, maybe 90. IF they are taught how to use your body correctly-Good pitching mechanics. But only a few can hit 95mph+

My pitching coach gets guys that can barely throw a ball, and a year later they are throwing 89mph.

GreeningJ-

10 mph is not a very realistic number for a 5-month period.

Finding an instructor that understands how the body performs to support explosive movements to throw hard would be your first step. Depending on how long you’ve been pitching/throwing will determine just how much the instructor should deviate from your current mechanics….in other words, a total reconstruction of your mechanics may not be the way to go, and the instructor must be able to work with what you present to him.

You need to be able to have one-on-one sessions for such a short period of time, but that in itself does not guarantee anything. Even if you’re able to, your velocity may drop as your body learns to remap the “instructions” from the brain. If your current mechanics are not very efficient, any changes toward efficiency will be interpreted by you (your brain) that something is wrong…”this is too easy, I must be doing something wrong.” The amount of perceived effort you use with efficient mechanics will be less than your perceived effort with non-efficient mechanics, and change will be difficult.

Your efforts will need to be redirected to other areas than previously used. Those new areas will take on new roles, and those new roles will require the new task of becoming stronger to perform the physical moves. That’s why it’s easier to work with younger throwers. The older the student, the more resistant the student is to change…and this has nothing to do with being “coachable,” it has to do with perceived feelings. Once you start to harness efficient mechanics, and become proficient with those mechanics, you will be able to start to find out what your physical limits will be.

………then again……you could pick up a book and tack on 10 mph in a week.

Just some observations by a novice mom--I'm not into the "can't" thing--lost too many bets that way. I've seen quite a noticeable increase in my son's velocity over the holidays until now from him working on a long toss program, running, abs, and doing lots of running, legs and abs. Haven't gunned him yet but I bet it is close to 5 mph in just a couple months. You may not make 10 but you can certainly do all you can to make the highest increases your body will allow--hard work and lots of belief in yourself will take you farther than you may know. Good luck!

GreeningJ,
You need to rethink your approach to getting better. As a pitcher you should NEVER set velocity as a goal. If you do you are setting yourself up for failure and disappointment along with significantly increasing your chances of injuring your arm. Velocity gains are a pleasant surprise of practicing proper mechanics and following proven workouts. Increased velocity is normally achieved if you adhere to a good pitching program and protect your developing arm along with normal growth and maturity. I suggest you go to a qualified pitching instructor and get instructions on proper mechanics and proper care of your arm. Ask him to help you develop a good work-out procedure and then follow his instructions. Things will work out. The average velocity gain of a high school pitcher having good mechanics and a good workout program is about 3 mph per year. However, if you currently have bad pitching mechanics and are not working out or protecting your arm you may see a significant increase on the front end but 10mph??? …….. I can’t see it.
Fungo

Well, ok maybe I meant only 7 MPH. Is it possible? I feel I can do it.

F Greening Fugo and others give you good advice. Be patient and learn to pitch. Mechanics,location and arm health are the important things. You do have to push yourself but be realistic. Many pitchers donot reach their max until their 20s.

Velocity doesnt get people out kid (unless you throw 95+)...work very hard on your location, your movement, and your deception. Anyone who says that they can make you throw harder in a short period of time is full of it, and trying to sell something. Unless your mechanics are grossly ineffeciant no one is going to put 10mph on you. Work hard on your strength and be patient. I threw much harder when I was 15 then when I was 12, much harder when I was 18 then 15, and much harder when I was 22 then when I was 18. As your body matures so will your heater. Your velo is the least important thing that you should be worried about. I understand that its cooler to throw harder, but keep learning how to pitch...in-out,up-down, change speeds, and work real hard on a change up. God willing you will look up in a few years and the gun readings will be to your liking. Good luck kid, and dont buy into anyones gimmicks.

An attempt to summarize:

1. Get with a good pitching coach. Work very hard on your mechanics.
2. When really focused on your mechanics & when changes are made, velocity may go down for a little while. Don't sweat it. That is not unusual. You will come back stronger than ever.
3. Continue with a baseball oriented strength training program.
4. Work hard & keep working hard.
5. You will see velocity improvement over time from the above. How much is impossible to say. Don't be discouraged if it isn't as much as you like (see step 4). If it is, be happy (and still see step 4).
6. If you develop very solid mechanics, all of your growth & strength improvement will go toward increasing your velocity.
7. It is more important how fast you throw two years from now than it is how fast you grow today.
8. Make sure you develop as a pitcher, as opposed to just a thrower. Have a changeup you can throw for strikes on any count. Use a couple of fastball grips. Learn about how to read the batter, and about pitch strategy. Develop a mental toughness stronger than an Abrams tank.
9. See step 4.

Best of luck to you.

I 100% agree with what Texan said. Read it, re read it, and re read it again.
Also, while working on your mechanics, try to do it off a mound as much as possible.
Throw off the mound regularly+good mechanics = rise in velocity.

The highest gains I have seen from my son was this past winter. He jumped from 69 to 75 in about 2 and half months. He didn't get taller but we threw(not pitch) about 3 times a week. Only doing moundwork with about 30 pitches once a week.

We did purchase Alan Jaeger's DVD and Wolforth's DVD's. We did core exercises and long toss. We also purchased a set of 2 lb. dumbells along with a good weighted ball program(arghhhh no not those).

I think you can come close if you find a good instructor in your area to work on mechanics and stick to a strict throwing program. 10 MPH seems a bit of a stretch but it really comes down to you putting in some serious work. Video taping yourself is also a good way of seeing if your mechanics are there.

Good luck and remember the hard work will pay off!!

well i am a new member, i decided to join this site cause of this forem. it is possible to gain 10 mph in a month.

i am 15 years old. i play high school baseball for Seton Academy in South Holland,Illinois.

i used to throw 54 mph. and in late june, i decided to try to become a better pitcher.

so i lifted weights a lilttle bit. i also pitched almost everyday. by the end of august i was able to throw 64 mph.

in order to gain velocity u must go threw repitition. it will make the body streanthen your arm up. u can also play long toss. but roper mechanics help alot.

but u must be commitede and not slack off.

Pitching every day will put too much wear & tear on you. Don't recommend it.

I think I read somewhere that one must throw as hard as possible (100%) in bullpens to increase velocity. Maybe not every pitch, but the arm must be challenged to be strengthened.

It is kind of like weight lifting: to get stronger, unlike maintaning strength, one must lift heavy weight so as to challenge the muscle groups to go beyond what they are capable of currently.

it did make my arm tired. i remember about 2 days in the month werre i couldnt throw at all.
but i say u should throw about 5 out of 7 days in a week. 1 of those days playing long toss. and lift weights about 3 days out of 7. the days u lift and u go and throw( dont over power anything) try to go threw proper mechanics every time u go out and throw.