QAfter Growth Spurt

My son is 12 yrs. old and has had a tremendous growth spurt in the last year. He is now 5'-10" and weighs ~160 lbs. He plays both football and basketball in addition to baseball, which has helped his overall conditioning. He has also done light weight lifting during the football season. In baseball, he is a 1st baseman and pitcher. My question relates to strength training. What are the best and safest exercises for him to use? I have heard and read a lot about surgical tubing, pyramid training, etc. as training tools and would appreciate any information you can give me on recommended/proper use of these techniques or any others. Also, is there any worry I should have (based on his quick growth spurt) on potential injury to joints and muscles? Are there any exercises/techniques he should avoid to reduce this risk?

AFirst, I assume you have looked through WebBall's info on pyramid training.
The conditioning for basketball, for football, and for baseball are totally different because the sports are so different. Baseketball has spurts over a base of continuous motion so the aerobic conditioning system is used. Football requires anaerobic strength (from static forces and from plays that last perhaps 10 seconds.)

Baseball, however, is ballistic - using the anaerobic alactic energey system - because most actions are split-second, the longest play in baseball is 5-10 seconds (running bases or chasing down outfield hit) and most actions (catching, throwing, hitting, happen in under 1-2 seconds. So be careful when you say that his 'conditioning' is improved - it really depends on sport-specific requirements.

Surgical tubing and pyramid programs, etc, are really examples of over/under training. You can find some insights on this on the Jeff Forney page and elsewhere in the Training section.

As for the growth spurt issue - great risk, in that bones tend to grow before the muscles and ligaments catch up, so right after a growth spurt two things happen the player can get awkward, losing his control, having his mechanics break down, and the muscle attachments at the joints and the muscles themselves are never fully relaxed.
What surgical tubing is all about, as opposed to say fixed weights is to allow some added force (overtraining) through a full unrestricted range of motion - which is good - but right after the spurt, the muscles may already be in a natural overtraining mode because of the growth, so I would work on restoring mechanics and range of motion, for a few weeks before getting into an over/under pyramid routine. (If the spurt was several weeks or a few months ago, you can proceed to the pyramid program.)

QArm Strength

I coach 7th and 8th grade. How can I increase arm strength in my pitchers? Half of them can only pitch 1 maybe 2 innings, even when their pitch counts are low. I have tried to encourage them to warm up slow and do some long toss. What else could I do?

There is an important word missing from your question. It should be "How can I increase arm strength safely?"

Slow warm up (to a point) is okay. Long toss is good, but not sure what you mean by 'some'. Because if you don't do a program to its full measure, you are not being effective. In other words, slow warm up is only going to matter if you still build to their max velocity in 40 pitches. Long toss is only long toss if you get them to air it out to at least mid outfielder distance. And none of that matters, if you don't do the parts of any pitcher development program that build stamina and endurance - like wind sprints and dynamic stretching. Or you don't have your pitchers do a proper post throw stretch and run - to ease out the muscle tightness. (Static resistance stretching does this, so does running which re-oxygenates the blood and dissipates the lactic acid build up in muscles.) In our conditioning area are some arm-care exercises. But it's mid season and - to cut to the chase - I would strongly advise you get going with Alan Jaeger's "Thrive on Throwing" program with his J-Bands. We don't like to always suggest buying something as an answer, but your option is to do a lot of reading through a lot of WebBall (we have a page on proper long toss for instance) to develop a program of your own when one already exists. Consider it, anyway.

QExtra Training

We have in town several varsity & JV players and freshman doing off-season training with a pitching coach or hitting coach (not from the area). This probably involves about a dozen players (all of who made their teams in middle school & high school). This year, when they got to the start of the season, the high school coaches asked the players to change their "style" from how they have been training in the off-season or face sitting on the bench! Parents have spent hundreds of dollars, players hours of training to develop their "muscle memory." How fair is it for the coach to ask these players to change their style given the time put in and the fact the coach knew outside instruction was happening and never mentioned anything to players or parents. I believe the coach should have warned the players & parents ahead of time. But to bench the players when they don't change (or have difficulty changing) is grossly unfair to the players.

AWell, I'm not yet sure what others might think - it sounds like a possible topic for a future Nose 2 Nose debate. But I can tell you what I think right now. I have been on both sides of this.

First I believe that some, but not all, private instructors may be worth the money you pay. Repeat: some, not all. So paying money does not guarantee that you are getting good instruction - there is no accreditation system, after all, anyone who wants to can open up shop as an instructor and take your money. Whatever you get as training is based on what that instructor believes, knows, or understands. Maybe you get good advice, maybe not. Buyer beware. So maybe that's why the team coach sees the need to re-educate. I have also, as part of a volunteer coaching staff, been told that my opinion or approach (on pitching in the most recent case) was not valid because they had gotten professional instruction, and I was just a volunteer coach. (At the time they were not aware of WebBall or our level of experience.)

Their judgement was not based on who could help their son the most, but on who they had paid the most to. But I had seen a flaw in his mechanics that I felt was limiting his ability to maximize command and velocity and I felt it would be beneficial to him to work on that.

Note: this was after observation and was an individual correction (see below). On the other hand, there are many team coaches - including those paid by high schools - who also have little or no top-level training but just "know what they know". I suspect that may be the case here because "style" is not substance.

What do I mean? Even a short time watching pro, college, high school or youth games will show you that there is not just one right way to pitch or hit a baseball consistently or effectively. So anyone - instructor or coach - who presumes to tell you or your son otherwise is, at the least, misguided. We have gone on at length about our opposition to the cookie-cutter approach to teaching. The clue that cookie-cutter thinking is at work in this case is the comment about "the start of the season". We are well into our own season with a team, and we have yet to address every player's individual hitting or pitching challenges. Why not? Because first you have to see what they can do on their own. You have to study the individual mechanics to look for what works and what could create problems. Maybe a hitter is good at everything but low inside pitches so you work to correct that without taking away his other skills. Or maybe a hitter is only good on one pitch in one location, so your challenge is different. I guarantee you that what you cannot do is tell everybody to swing the same way or else sit on the bench.

No private instructor would work that way. No coach should do that either. Among WebBall Pitching Challenge authors most would tell you that the reason for their opinion is based on substantive results, not on molding everyone to a style of delivery. In fact at least one author, in other articles, has gone out of his way to explain why they don't mess with style. Ditto for the best hitting instructors.

So, bottom line, I think your H.S. coach is wrong to insist, pre-season, that everyone do it his way. On the other hand, please don't assume that because you have paid one resource and not the other that what you paid for is always the right way. the coach may be quick to judge; don't you be. So, encourage the coach to let the kids first show what they can do. Ask him to wait, observe, see what works, then help them get better. Remember: His approach to problem solving is wrong but that doesn't mean he doesn't have good ideas.

QFinding Instructors

As a father of a 12 yr old who is just getting into pitching, but takes it very seriously, I am concerned about teaching him proper mechanics in order to avoid injuries later. The question is...how do I find good instruction? Most of the coaches I know are not terribly knowledgable about pitching. How can I find private instruction and be comfortable that it is correct instruction?

ALocally, the best (only) thing to do is look for the best pitchers in your age group and ask their dads/moms if they have had private instruction and where. In interviewing private instructors ask the key questions - how many types of pitches will you teach him (fewer is better to start) - what should he do on days he's not here (jogging, wind sprints, core work, leg strengthening are all good answers) - how long are the sessions, how much warm up time, how many pitches (be wary of any instructor that doesn't count the pitches).

To the answer given above, we could also add that any of the instructors who participated in our first Pitching/Hitting Challenges are worth considering if you are willing to travel and they are willing to take you on. There also some others listed in event calendar. But unfortunately beyond that we cannot provide recommendations in all markets.

QHeavy vs Light Weight

I ordered this copy of Dick Mills weight-lifting survival manual the past off-season. He stresses a lot on lifting only light weights for your upper body. But to me, that seems like it wouldn't do much. What do you think about this opinion? I was wondering if you could lift heavier weights and still maintain flexibility to be the best pitcher you could be?

AThis is a tough area and I'm glad you used the word "opinion" in your question. I think (my opinion) many instructors have gone overboard in being cautious, while others are setting up injury risk by not explaining that a weight-lifting program is more than about the weight used - it's about overload/underload, about dynamics and ballistic power and range of motion.

In truth, light weights can work as part of a strengthening program if you move them slowly for the full range of muscle motion (more effective and safer than quick weight work). But this works for strength, and pitching is not about strength it's about power (strength X speed). So weights themselves (or resistance tubing) can benefit but only if done correctly. And only if you realize that the entire body is required for pitching... the whip or sequence or kinetic chaining that leading instructors talk about. And only if you remember that throwing is "balliistic" - i.e. the object is to release the ball at maximum velocity towards a target - speed must be maximized and it is a combination of raw power and controlled chaining that will make that happen.

The problem is that weight-lifting for pitchers should be focused on the legs and torso where the power starts building in the kinetic chain. Hence our recommendation of Plyoballs and other tools for lower body power and weighted balls (for instance) for added throwing resistance.

I have not read the Mills manual you refer to so can't comment directly. But if you don't find enough in the WebBall Training section which covers pyramid training, range of motion, ballistics, etc, then check out a site called SetPro.com - one of that site's main points is that you cannot get better unless you actual work at it. (For the record Paul Nyman of SetPro and Dick Mills are about as diametrically opposed as two pitching instructors can be and I know where I'd put my money.)

[A lot of water under the bridge sinse this answer was first given. WebBall would not endorse either business, and we are not in agreement with Mills on very much, if anything. At times he has advocated no weights, at other times he does. We do believe Nyman has brought science not supposition to the the discussion but we can not recommend SetPro per se.]

QMuscle Memory

I'm 16 years old and I'm very serious about baseball. I've been playing for about 10 years now. At this point, should I be more focused on building muscle memory or should I be more focused on weight training?

AFirst, it's never about one thing, it's about the whole package. Focusing on either of the terms you used "muscle memory" and "weight training" could take you down the wrong path.

Here's why... Muscle memory is a term we avoid, by the way, it should be neural pathway programming. Anyway, it's nothing more than saying if you practice something over and over again - CORRECTLY - you will get better at it.

The key is correctly.

Which means good coaching, and a good personal understanding of the best mechanics for you for your throwing and your hitting, and your fielding. With that base, just keep practicing. which leads us to... The problem with the term weight training is that everyone has a different interpretation of what it means and how to go about it. If you mean adding resistance through tubing or use of weighted balls (see above) or weights on cables as you go about your warm-up routine and full range of motion required for, say, pitching, then you are on the right track. But if you think of weights in terms of strength exercises in a weight room to bulk up then you would be doing the wrong thing for baseball. But even getting those right is not enough. There is a much more important mental component to all of this - which covers everything from committee to the practice/exercise routine daily, to learning how to focus and get in the zone when you are out in the field or up to bat. Some players find that the hardest part of all.

Others take to it naturally. Alan Jaeger in his book has an important discussion about where athletic ability resides in the brain vs where our thought process exist. Any athlete, especially the ball player, has to learn to clear the thoughts that create mental congestion and let the instinctual intuitive performance come through. The point is, mental training should also be a part of your routine, as important as mechanical repetition and resistance work. Might not be the pick A or pick B answer you were hoping for but we hope it helps.

QMuscles Now!

I am 12 years old in the 7th grade. I weigh about 93-95 pounds which I think is about average for my age. I am a medium sized kid with 10 inch muscles around my arm (which I think is little). I have just started weight-lifting about a week ago. I have not started puberty yet and I need some muscles NOW!!!

AThe worst thing you can do at your age is build up big thick biceps. Why? Because muscles must work in pairs and through their full range of motion in a way that's best for baseball. If you concentrate on only one muscle group, or you only bulk up the middle of the muscle and not the ends, or you do not work the muscle as it's need in in baseball (that's called sport-specific training) you can actual create an imbalance that will result in tight sore muscles, pulls, and worse.

Read no-weight training advice, and concentrate on improving your mechanics - remember baseball is not a strength sport (like weightlifting) it's a power sport - which is strength X speed - without good mechanics and flexible muscles you will never get the speed up! Instead of weights - get your Dad or Mom to buy some flexible surgical/fitness tubing - tie it to a fence or doornob and do pull-release exercise like swinging a bat or throwing a pitch.

QPush Ups for Baseball?

Our son, 13, is growing quite fast, now 5'7", 142 lbs. Are push ups/sit ups o.k. for general exercises say 3 times per week? If yes, what reps. should he be working toward?

APush ups and sit ups are, in our view, a complete waste of time for baseball. What he needs to do is work on baseball motions as often as possible, crouching down as if to field grounders, and doing back stabs, and side steps, and over the shoulder catches, and turning hips for bunts, and taking full swings, and making full throwing moves.

All these can be done with the glove on but without a bat or ball - maybe 20-25 reps of the complete cycle which should take no more than 7-10 minutes every day. He should also find room to do some high-knee sprints - forwards and backwards - and also the carioca move (legs criss-crossing as he moves sideways).

Finally some lunge walks in which during each stride forward he brings the trailing knee almost to the ground. To add a level of complication to that, the lunge walk (about 20 strides) should be done with hands together out in front and moving side to side. Note that all of the suggested exercises are dynamic in nature, we have done away with static stretching in our own warm-ups.

Also we would suggest that Push-ups and sit-ups are strength moves and that's not what baseball is all about. It's the same situation when we see players jogging around the diamond. Jogging is aerobic and baseball is anaerobic, so we always add a sprint relay component on top of the jog - you've got to move fast to train for baseball. (The only time we slow things down is when using tubing for resistance training or when we do isometrics at the end of a practice - with one player pushing his arms against a static object - usually another player pushing in the opposite direction.

QStronger Arms?

I am a baseball player and we are going to playoffs this year but the season is over for me because I am on junior varsity. I just wanted to know are there any good arm strengthening drills or weight lifting drills I can do to get my arm stronger. Coach said we all need to get our arms stronger and I would like too. Also do I need to work out my legs more than my arms.

ACoach is wrong, you are right. What you need to do is work on getting your legs more powerful and your mid-section (hip torque) quicker, and then getting your shoulders (chest and back muscles) more powerful - this is best done with plyometrics (power jumps) for the legs and long toss for the upper body. Whatever you do, do not go on a weight lifting program because that will bulk up the middle of the biceps. 

QThose Football Coaches

I live in a tiny town and we just got high school baseball here this past year. I really want to do well in baseball so I practice with my dad hitting balls at me and pitching to me but that's about all I can do (beside, of course, regular practices). I really would like to get in the weight room and stuff but as I said, this is a tiny town and the only coaches that are ever in the weight room are the football coaches so we always lift weights that I feel are primarily for football. All we ever do is Bench and Squat, also do a few plyometrics. I went every morning before school started at 7:00 until 7:45. We did bench press and squats on M-W-F and plyometrics on T-Th. I saw results but I still don't feel comfortable with my performance in the field or at the plate. What could I do to get better in the weight room or out?

AStay away from the football coach! He wants to build strength - you want to build ballistic power. Okay first statement is an exaggeration - the plyometrics is good - do more of that for explosive fielding movements, more power in throwing, etc.. But the bench press is a no-no - you need your body to work through the full range of motion required of baseball and what presses do is primarily strengthen the mid section. See our Training section for details.
On the hitting, you should also work on soft toss into a net or have your dad throw you wiffle balls from a short distance - to improve bat speed (shorter reaction time) and the best hand-eye coordination will come from something like the Rocket Rod training kit, but if you can't afford that work with an old broom handle sawed off to the right length.

QTraining at 10?

My son is 10 years old and is an excellent base runner, he steals bases all the time, he has good speed but is not a really fast runner although he thinks he is the fastest. I would like to send him to a camp or find out what drills will help improve his speed, it seems that they don't have things like that for his age but for 15 years old and up. Can you give me some tips and also why is it that the speed training is not popular or not done for the younger kids.

ANothing in the way of serious training is all that important at age 10 - it should be about having fun playing and clearly he is.

One reason: you want your son to peak in his mid to late teens when it might bring him the opportunity to have a college scholarship.

The other reason is that serious training is designed to focus on both technique and power. Power comes from muscle mass and fast-twitch muscle fiber and the ability of the body to draw on that power when needed (technique). However muscle development is not retained in most kids until after puberty. And the catch is that some research with young athletes like gymnasts has shown that late-onset puberty is often the result of very intense training - good for gymnastics in which flexibility is key, not so good in sports in which musculature is eventually needed. Too much intense training now might actually delay his ability to develop power - not necessarily but it is a possibility. And if you need another reason not to worry about serious training now, consider the base path - when it's 90' and you are running against catchers who can throw down in 2 seconds - then speed gets serious. Best to work on his hitting, throwing, fielding technique now (but sustain the fun) - and worry about serious development programs for speed later. When you do, the first step should be something like the Jeff Forney Youth Training Edge DVD.

QTraining Cycle

My 11 y.o. son has worked very hard at pitching over the past few years and has developed into a very good pitcher. Last year made All-Stars, named outstanding pitcher of the state tournament. He is constantly throwing, does a lot of long-toss. He also worked with an ex-MLB pitcher on mechanics several times. This off-season we looked at a 12-week program with long-toss (50 throws up to 120 ft.) 3 times a week; weighted ball pitching/pyramid (50 throws) 3 times/week; push-ups/pull-ups (3X10) 2/week; surgical tubing exercises 2/week; and medicine ball training 2/week. He has great control and would like to add more velocity and generally condition/strengthen his arm. Is this too much training? Should he be following recommended recovery periods and not throw weighted ball pitching for three/four days after a previous session, etc. Are the push-ups/pull-ups bad at this age? He has, and is, working so hard - I want to make sure he doesn't injure his arm.

AForget push-ups/pull-ups - these bulk the muscles and do not work on the full range of muscle motion needed for pitching. Also at 11 he may not retain muscle mass. (See Coaching > Grass Roots for details.)

Also be aware that he is still maturing - arm growth plates are in state of change - too much pitching can create deformations. I would work more on core strength - medicine ball training, etc - and also leg work - running, plyometrics (jumping box stuff) etc.

As for the cycle - you need rest/recovery days - so each day's session should mix whatever training elements you think are important - followed by a rest day - in other words - no more than 3 intense training days in a week. So if the cycle is ... long toss day - rest day - weight ball day - rest day - tubing day - rest day - etc. then include core and leg work in each of those work sessions, not on the alternate days.

Remember nutrition is the key to recovery and water prior to training is the key to reducing fatigue. Every session must have a proper warm-up and cool-down component.

QTryout Prep

I'm 17 yrs. old and I got back on the mound after a year off. I'm throwing harder than I've ever thrown - in the low 90's. My brother-in-law played in the minor leagues for a couple of years and he taught me my mechanics from when I was young. I like running and working out to stay in shape and hopefully I would go to a tryout in March for the Northern League. What else should I do to prepare for this other that the norms.

AKeep your eyes sharp, work on hitting all year round as well as pitching (the more tools the better your prospects). Add swimming to your off-season conditioning routine (great for upper body). Most importantly, though, if there is a particular tryout that is important to you, don;t hang all your hopes on it, and don't go in unprepared. Earlier, go to some other tryouts - you need to gain experience in tryout situations to be confident and relaxed for the one that matters.

QWeight Gain?

I am a 16 year old shortstop/pitcher, and I am 5'11" and weigh 145 lbs, I have been weight lifting since freshman year, and gained plenty of muscle, but no weight. Could you suggest some way that I would be able to gain more weight? Thanks.

A(from Jeff Forney): Your problem is quite the issue with most athletes: what to do about gaining those extra pounds to help my game. I have had this question from Major League athletes all the way down to Junior High students. The answer I give them is, their concern should be on added strength and not so focused on weight gain. We can gain weight and if we don't gain strength where is it's application.

For example; if I tied a ten pound dumbbell around your waist without any strength gain how do you think you body would respond? not very well I imagine. With all the controversy over supplements with the recent deaths of Football players I'm not big on giving you a bunch of supplements to go out and buy to help you gain weight. Your age and your level of activity play a major role in you being able to gain weight. Your metabolism is probably very high which also makes it difficult to gain large amounts of weight.

 I must take the high road out and tell you to increase your intake of quality foods eat a well balanced diet including all the major food group and continue to train hard with your emphasis on gaining strength. This approached may take a little longer than a quick fix of the hottest supplement going for today but it is safe and healthy. I hope this helps you in your training approach and answers your question. If you still want to pursue a more aggressive approach to weight gain I would check with your doctor and get a referral to a good clinical nutritionist.

QWhat is Sport-Specific Training?

I have been training in gym / bodybuilding and have put on good size and muscle, but I am now finding that my throwing arm (LH) is taking serious strain. My arm starts to ache and go numb halfway through practice and a game. What can I do to strengthen my arm as well improve my throwing speed with gym training as well as baseball training?

AOne problem is that your work-outs have not been sport-specific to baseball. You might have bulked up in the middle of your biceps for instance - but unless you develop long, fast-twitch muscle fiber over the full length of those muscles, and unless you balance that with the same development of triceps, pecs, delts, etc. what could be happening is that some muscle groups are overpowering others - the strongest muscles are straining the weaker areas (weaker in terms of what is needed for baseball).

Also deceleration is as important as acceleration - so how you brake your throwing arm across to the opposite hip is important. I would say body building is the opposite of what is needed for baseball - which is a power-ballistic sport. You might actually need to let some of the cut-look and tone you have now dissipate before rebuilding for baseball. A tough decision.

That was a specific answer to a specific situation. But we've had many similar questions about training and we've been considering the broader issues involved.

For instance, if body building in the gym is not a good alternative or augmentation to baseball training, what is?

Short answer: swimming and cycling - at least when it comes to keeping the body in shape. Both sports require power and in most cases endurance. Now the endurance aspect is less important to baseball because most throwing, hitting, fielding actions take only a few seconds each so baseball taps into different energy systems than longer-duration repetitive-action sports. But swimming and cycling together do a great job of working the large muscle groups in the upper body and lower body under fairly intense conditions - important for every player, especially pitchers.

The other need, though, is to maintain the athletic sharpness - quick responses to unpredictable external forces... translation: a hitter reacting to a pitch, or a fielder reacting to a hit, or a baserunner reacting to a pick-off move. (Because the pitcher controls the start of each play but is involved in every play, common thinking says he needs endurance over quick reaction ability. Not true if he's playing his position correctly - covering first, backing up third or home, etc.)

So how do you train on your own for sharpness and build power muscle tone at the same time when you aren't actually at a ball practice? The sports-specific answer would be throwing and catching and hitting - bouncing tennis balls off a wall, or swinging at one of the hitting tools that have a moving target involved (Hit-Away, Pro-Zip, Rocket Rod, etc). You should also be working with stretch tubing, Plyoballs, free weights and cable weights - for power - but tools like that aren't for reaction training.

For a non-baseball training drill that helps with quick reaction times in fielding, I'm a big fan of traffic cones. Set up four traffic cones in a square maybe 8-10 feet on a side. Work on lateral, forward, backward moves and quick turns. With your glove on you can tap on the top of each cone to give yourself a precise target and fine-tune your footwork (balance, balls of feet). You will also be working your core area - torque and stretches, and your arms too (on reaching with the glove). You can do this on your own in preset patterns or have a friend or parent call out which cones is next. You can have the cones closer for mostly body work and farther for more leg work (cross-overs, backpedaling, etc). It's a really work out.

Now the above doesn't sound like a conventional baseball training approach but it does help baseball-specific needs.