Any baseball players here??

[speakup23]

How do I improve my arm strength?? I play the outfield and I feel that my arm is pretty sub-par. I dont know if it really is but I feel that it is. Im not on ateam now, Im trying to get in shape so that I can play for my school next season. Im pretty confident in my ability, I just feel that my arm needs improvement.So how can I do that?? Im in college btw

Thanks for any help

 

[wawaweewa]

Long toss.
Throwing motion/technique.

Long toss is a must to build up arm strength but throwing motion and technique is just as important.
Try diff. motions and arm slots. Sooner or later you'll find a motion where you generate more torque.


Also, gripping the ball tightly is important. It's similar to a rifled barrel of a firearm. The more spin you put on the ball, the further it will"fly" without losing velocity and eventually dropping.

 

[speakup23]

I appreciate your input good sir. I will definitely do the things you suggested.

I also have to work on throwing the ball on a line as opposed to throwing in the air trying to get more distance

 

[bastitch]

To make it interesting, I always found that throwing a football was great cross-training to build arm strength. The football throwing motion doesn't mimicthe exact throwing motion of throwing a baseball, but it builds strength in the same muscle groups and forces you to use your hips and lower body.

Underrated in all of this is really building lower-body strength and improving your footwork to get the most out of your crowhop.

There are a ton of different things you can do try.

 

[Retroballer]

Originally Posted by Bastitch

To make it interesting, I always found that throwing a football was great cross-training to build arm strength. The football throwing motion doesn't mimic the exact throwing motion of throwing a baseball, but it builds strength in the same muscle groups and forces you to use your hips and lower body.

Underrated in all of this is really building lower-body strength and improving your footwork to get the most out of your crowhop.

There are a ton of different things you can do try.

ya alot of minor league teams do this before they do all the baseball warm ups. They also play Frisbee

 

[kiddin like jason]

I also have to work on throwing the ball on a line as opposed to throwing in the air trying to get more distance
Most important.

Being able to throw the ball 300 feet doesn't mean much if it's in the air for ten seconds.

Try diff. motions and arm slots. Sooner or later you'll find a motion where you generate more torque.
Overhand is the way to go, in regards to being an outfielder.

 

[pokeyneil30]

long toss. my arm was the strongest when i would play long toss pretty much every day, some days tho you have to try and throw the ball as high as you canwhile playing long toss, and not necessarily as hard as you can so that you lengthen out your throwing muscles. im not sure if i explained it well, does thatmake sense?

 

[wildkycat]

Go get a resistance band from a physical therapist and use google to find the exercises relative to baseball/arm strength to use it with. I'm on my phoneor else I'd show you. You can also perform the same exercises with the cable machines at your gym, but having one of those bands will allow you to work outat home.

 

[wawaweewa]

Originally Posted by Kiddin Like Jason

Try diff. motions and arm slots. Sooner or later you'll find a motion where you generate more torque.

Overhand is the way to go, in regards to being an outfielder.


You're right but a few degrees left or right can make a big difference.
It's bio mechanical so it's up to the individual to figure it out.

 

[speakup23]

Originally Posted by Bastitch

To make it interesting, I always found that throwing a football was great cross-training to build arm strength. The football throwing motion doesn't mimic the exact throwing motion of throwing a baseball, but it builds strength in the same muscle groups and forces you to use your hips and lower body.

Underrated in all of this is really building lower-body strength and improving your footwork to get the most out of your crowhop.

There are a ton of different things you can do try.

I used to warmup with a softball. You think that would be just as good??

And yea on the lower body thing. I really need to start working on that more. My lower body strength is good I think but it wouldnt hurt to improve more.



Thanks for all the input you guys. I might have to check those resistance bands out

 

[wildkycat]

Don't use a softball.

 

[speakup23]

Originally Posted by wildKYcat

Don't use a softball.

Really?? Why not??

 

[osh kosh bosh]

Make sure your throwing with your entire body not just your specifically make you are throwing with your entire body and not just your arm.

1. To increase power first thing you should do is insure you're turning your hips before your shoulders rotate, if you have a dead base that is going toreally decrease the amount of speed you can get, by making shure your hips rotate first it stretches your core muscles and allows you to pull your shouldersaround to deliver the ball. Make sure you keep your body sideways to the target to maintain accuracy.

2. Make sure you get separation between your hips and your shoulders to further utilize your core oblique muscles, this is very important, this where a lot ofvelocity comes from the more seperation you can get the more you can velocity your body can generate. You should make sure your core is conditioned before youattempt this to avoid in pulls or strains.

Now your probabaly wondering what "hip and shoulder separation" means well look no further then the king of separation Tim Lincecum, you do you thinkhe can pull 98 MPH from his 5'7 frame? He uses every inch of his body and even Scott Kazmir who isn't a big dude back in the day pre TJ surgeory couldget up to 98.

The hips have rotated and there core oblique muscles are going to turn and deliver the ball, see how the hips are not in line with the shoulders but leaning?Power comes from the bottom-up, this is true even for an out fielder.

Derek Holland increased his velocity from 88-90 TO 92-95 and you can see how he utilizes his core here.

I don't really believe arm slot matters, Alex Rios goes from a low 3/4 and he has got one of the best arms in baseball, but remember if you change armslots your arm does not change, merley the tilt of your shoulders, the elbow should NEVER go above the plain of the shoulder.

 

[djaman]

In regards to long tossing: it is much more helpful to throw on a line, but getting some air under the ball as a means of stretching out your entire body isalso helpful in building velocity with the involvement of your entire body. You shouldn't expect to throw 300 feet on a line drive. The physics of it arenearly impossible (of course depending on how low you determine "on a line" is). When I long toss, I incrementally move backwards starting from 50feet, eventually to 300-310 feet. The key element is on the "come down" where I attempt to compress the energy and mechanics from throwing at mymaximum distance to the lower distances as I move in. During this process, focus on less of an arc and more of a line drive. I'll do this all way back downto around 60-70. The whole process of stretching and then long-tossing takes around 45 minutes, at least for me. In other words, take your time. I've donethis routine for two years now, it works extremely well with the health and strength of my arm when done correctly. Most importantly though, listen to yourarm; don't overexert it.

By other means, band exercises also help.

 

[fenixconnexion.]

what are y'all opinions on using a penny ball (tennis ball filled with pennies) to warm up with to throw harder?

 

[osh kosh bosh]

Originally Posted by ElijahDukes

what are y'all opinions on using a penny ball (tennis ball filled with pennies) to warm up with to throw harder?

Dr. Mike Marshal recommends throwing with iron balls to increase velocity so I image penny ball would have the same effect.

 

[lunatic 809]

Throwing footballs/softballs is good.

If your serious about it you should long toss everyday and increase your distance as time goes by.

I also use bands and they really help but I'm a pitcher not an outfielder so idk.

 

[incredibleev]

make sure you have the right throwing motion going, look into it. absolutely long toss but do it correctly, work on the lower half of body and throwingfootballs helps too. i disagree with whoever said to grip the ball tightly i always thought a looser grip can produce more velocity.

 

[speakup23]

Thank you everyone for your input.

But I have this huge problem where I honestly dont have a consistent throwing partner for long toss everyday. So would throwing off of a wall be just as good??

 

[durden7]

Originally Posted by wawaweewa

Also, gripping the ball tightly is important. It's similar to a rifled barrel of a firearm. The more spin you put on the ball, the further it will "fly" without losing velocity and eventually dropping.

Gripping the ball tighter wont create more rotation.