Training Tools. SHOP. Caleb Thielbars is extraordinary. 150 ft 1 throw Once the base has been built through the stretching out phase, the arm is in a great position to work from and strengthen this base through the Pull Down Phase of long toss. e>lq3m t|HAGhyc> U$oqA1$Am p'WqnZ#'jPH\/Tv#2LG:PxLd\/"*|{E%Hcx)*'e$&XA{v0>#[|TI VA.A\$L5+&Ea'r}0np [0yEjul#_s POST SURGICAL INTERVAL THROWING PROGRAM Again, the arm will tend to want to increase its workload from week to week as it progressively gets into shape. Your job is to put your arm in a position to throw as often as possible, with awareness and sensitivity to your arm, in order to progressively build a strong base. The following provides a summary of each drill, its purpose, when we use them, our performance cues, sets / reps, common mistakes to avoid and a video to help you execute the drill properly. Athletes who are looking to improve their catching skills. Upper-Body Plyometrics. Players gradually ramped up over the 6-weeks to include kneeling, rocker, and run-and-gun throws with balls ranging from 2oz to 32 oz. 140 ft 1 throw NON-SURGICAL INTERVAL THROWING PROGRAM Complete every other day unless otherwise specified. Though most throwing programs are formatted so a pitcher has structure throughout the off-season, our throwing program places more responsibility on a pitcher listening to his arm. This program has progressions for receiving, throwing, and blocking over the course of several weeks. stream 150 ft + (optional 5 additional minutes of throwing at same distance or increase distance if the arm asks for it) You may also substitute bullpens which are the best way to test what youve been working on. Its like opening up a bank account with a million dollars in it and making deposits all year long, rather than opening up a bank account with a thousand dollars and making withdrawals right away. You will want to be 100% before beginning any velocity training. % 60 ft 5 throws (and any additional throws if needed), Week 3 (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) 110 ft 1 throw Hybrid B This is a lighter intent day (60-70%). If the arm is not ready to pull down in Weeks 3 and 4, continue to build distance and endurance. Satisfactory functional testing 4. When you factor in limb size, mobility, stability, previous injuries, etc. Click. Without well timed rest and a clear intention of how to best prepare the arm in the off-season, pitchers may wonder why they are lacking endurance or velocity in season, or even worse, why they may be breaking down. At 34, Thielbar defied all odds and outperformed mainstream projection systems by an entire win, putting up a career-best K and BB rate. During live at-bats we run a delayed video feed that allows the catcher to see how they received the ball right after the pitch. As you will see throughout this article, establishing rest at the right time, followed by the rebuilding or conditioning phase are the single most important factors in getting a pitcher into what we call a positive cycle that can last until the end of the season (Note: pitchers who begin their cycle in September/October may find it helpful to take another rest/rebuild period at the end of December. Though the first principle of the previous article was to listen to your arm and allow it to guide you from day to day, there are still a number of players and coaches that feel more comfortable with having some form of structure or guidelines to follow some players simply respond better to having structure and some coaches find it more efficient to have a standardized program that everyone can follow. In my experience, local batting cages are very generous when you are just coming in to receive off the machine. Consult a physician before starting any new workout regimen. Training catchers is mostly qualitative at this point, but we are working to change that. 60 ft 5 throws (or more if needed) Having good ankle stability / mobility allows for getting into the deep squat or "primary position" and stay there more comfortably. The goal of Phase 1 is to focus exclusively on stretching, hence the Stretching Out phase. 130 ft 1 throw 90 ft 1 throw Ruwe's 42% K rate and 1.92 FIP were both in the 95th percentile across High-A relievers. What weve found with the guys who have gone through our training program, and have been allowed to maintain their long toss (maintenance) program throughout the year, is that they have less of a need to have a significant rest or conditioning period throughout the year. 90 ft 5 throws We recommend trying out different setups and glove patterns to find what fits your style. Any athlete who has recently undergone a significant throwing arm injury needs to first finish any prescribed physical therapy and complete a physical therapists throwing program before starting this program. Throw the medicine ball overhead against a wall, to the side . Motion capture and biomechanics will be used to analyze movement patterns during the throw. You can perform these drills and stretches for baseball catchers at any time. Use this research to continually improve and enhance our training program. In this post, we describe our catching program and how it optimizes the skills that make a backstop irreplaceable to their team. 40-60 ft 15 throws 90 ft 5 throws 120 ft 5 throws, 120 ft + (optional 5 additional minutes of throwing at same distance or increase distance if the arm asks for it) Pitches to either side in the dirt must be blocked, and quick lateral movement is the key to getting in front of a wild pitch. :gE[I4I{U]V7r@V These further distances are critical to gaining flexibility, range of motion, extension, which in my experiences have led to looser/quicker arm action, explosiveness, freedom, increased velocity and endurance. 150 ft 1 throw It is an essential workout for any baseball or softball player whose goal is to have a long and healthy career. Focus on stretching, flexibility, range of motion, freedom, breathing and proper technique when doing these exercises. 190 ft 1 throw 150 ft 3 throws All rights reserved. 225 feet in Week 5), then once you do peak out that day (e.g. Experiment and find what works in live ABs then transition to the season with a game plan, and coaching you can trust. Week 1 (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) It means to abandon those contrived restraints that prevents the arm from being built the most effective way by allowing the pitchers arm to dictate the amount of throwing rather than following someone elses pre-determined format. Phase 2: Stretching Out & Pulling Down (10-14 Days). Once your foundation is built, the remainder of the year becomes one of maintaining this foundation, and even strengthening this foundation. Symbolically, your first 10-14 days of throwing should also follow this same mentality: stretching, loose arm action, range of motion, freedom, and so on. Create and implement a data-driven program for developing catchers. All these drills use plyo balls of varying weights listed in our plyo ball routines within our baseball throwing programs. At Driveline, we identify the key skills that matter for a baseball catcher receiving, blocking, throwing and build programs to develop them, preparing catchers to be elite at whatever level they play at. Catcher's Instructions- Baseball General Rules 1) Break a sweat 2) Shoulder Stretches 3) Throwing program Warm-up 4) Rotator Cuff strengthening 5) Shoulder stretches 6) Ice for 20 min. There are two Hybrid B workouts in this program, one with some weighted ball catch play and one without. Training Days. Squats are an exercise that builds leg power, which catchers need during a game, and to endure a full season behind the plate. [email protected] (505) 892-9222. . 70 ft 1 throw For many years Ive been asked a number of questions about when and how pitchers should train in the off-season to best prepare for their upcoming season. 135 ft 2 throws Receiving is what catchers do the most and that is reflected in this program. |, Bridging The Gap Making a safe and effective transition from High School & College Baseball into Professional Baseball. 90 ft 1 throw Though we still want our pitchers thinking stretch, loose and freedom on their pull-downs, we want them to do it in an aggressive manner. 75 ft 10 throws stream Athletes will receive programming based on strengths and weaknesses identified in an assessment. These training plans address those with a different focus each day. Thats because each pitcher has their own unique history. Here we go. 240 + (optional 5-10 minutes of additional throwing at same distance or increase distance if the arm asks for it) Athletes will receive programming based on strengths and weaknesses identified in an assessment. 75 ft 3 throws As with all programs at Driveline, catching training is designed for the athlete who understands that improvement comes from focused effort over time. For the first few days of Week 3, there may only be 10-15 pull downs after the pitcher has peaked out to his furthest distance on that given day. Your body may respond well to the new stimulus right away, or take several weeks before breakthrough. Drive hips aggressively forward, rotating into foot plant, Feet are too close together, hips are too high, Knee leaks over the toe-causing force to be applied vertically instead of horizontally. Things to look for in Weeks 3 and 4 are pacing and recovery period. This doesnt mean reckless abandon. Knowing when to shut down after a demanding period of time and how to best prepare the arm in the off-season is the key to maximizing a pitchers health, strength, endurance and recovery period in season. Chief among all of our principles of our throwing program is the principle of listening to your arm. hbbd``b`i@i` m $#$@4 !$x{O M/t005@ 8 I As athletes develop, this program will too. Purpose Helps train trunk stacking, glute/pelvis engagement as well as pelvic tilt. For more information, see the How exceptions are . Regardless of how far out you get on Day 1 or how much time you may throw for, if you go out virtually everyday for the 10-14 day period, and you are religious with your arm circles/surgical tubing exercises, your arm should begin to feel better with each passing day. This is where we bring a stretched out, well conditioned arm from Weeks 1 and 2 into the more aggressive and explosive throwing dynamic of the arm into weeks 3 and 4. 170 ft 1 throws You can perform lower-body plyometrics by simply crouching down and jumping as high as you can over and over, or you can create specific exercises. You will compromise your training and could leave yourself compromised for a game. top of page. Also, long tossing on bull-pen/game days is effective because the rest of the days of the week can be used for rest, recovery and rebuilding. . Were here to help guide you to the best training option. Transfer drills for . 140 ft 1 throws Each pitcher may respond differently. 90 ft 3 throws 4 0 obj . Focus on stretching, flexibility, range of motion, freedom, breathing and proper technique when doing these exercises. What you do after this six week period may differ from pitching coach to pitching coach, but if youve built your arm correctly, and are in tune with it through this off-season throwing program, than you will probably want to maintain some form of distance throwing throughout the year. If the currently executed method doesn't contain such a catch block, the CLR looks at the method that called the current method, and so on up the call stack. In essence, listening to your arm means to let it guide you to follow it. I also really appreciate him being real, that goes a long way. Your body breaks down when you work hard. This will change over time, but our goal is to find the movement solutions that work for each player. Alan Jaeger has worked with over 250 professional baseball players (including Major Leaguer All-Stars Barry Zito, Dan Haren, and Andrew Bailey), consulted with several Collegiate Programs (including 2004 National Champions, Cal State Fullerton) and four Major League Organizations including the Texas Rangers.. Alan founded Jaeger Sports in response to the growing need to address the two most neglected areas of baseball: The Arm and The Mind. We modeled this off very commonly performed programs. 70 ft 1 throw To perform a squat, stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and bend your legs until your thighs are about parallel to the floor. As with all programs at Driveline, catching training is designed for the athlete who understands that improvement comes from focused effort over time. Thing is, tight biceps undermine your ability to throw efficiently, and again, they put you at risk for complicated injuries. To deliver the best training tools and methods to our athletes through data-driven programming. Reverse Throws are a standard in our plyo ball routine. This improves receiving range. Resist the urge to combine programs or mix and match. Its hard to put a number of throws on it, or a time or distance measurement, but from my experience, based on a pitcher that throws in the 82-90 range, he will probably start pushing 240-300 feet by the end of the second week. If you are under the age of 18, seek parental or guardian consent before starting this program. This allows us to see how the glove is approaching the ball and how clean a catchers movements were after the receipt. 195 ft 3 throws This means that Weeks 1&2, Weeks 3-5, and Weeks 6-8 all have 3 specific receiving training days. 170 ft 1 throw 120 ft 3 throws 75 ft 10 throws 105 ft 3 throws 90 ft 5 throws 60 ft 5 throws (or more if needed) Finally, remember that the bottom line is to listen to your arm. *** Flat Ground Work Tuesday/Friday (15 Change-Ups, 10 Light Breaking Balls). Throwing programs often include Plyo Balls drills for improving pitching mechanics and overall movement patterns. Effort is limited to no more than 50% for the first week (5 days) and gradually increased until reaching near-max effort approximately 7 to 10 days prior to the first spring game. And thats we want our players to ultimately learn to do.know their arm. If you needed more than 2 weeks to build your base, than Weeks 5 and 6 essentially become Weeks 3 and 4 for you. Any discrepancies can cause vaulting off the rubber, excessive lateral trunk tilt and or early/late pelvis rotation. 140 ft 1 throw At Driveline, we identify the skills that matter for catchersreceiving, blocking, throwingand build programs to develop them, preparing catchers to be elite at whatever level they play at. The mere presence of a strong arm behind the plate can deter the run game. Full, pain free ROM 2. ), Written by Maxx Garrett Catching Coordinator & Hitting Trainer. This information is presented as a template only and not a specific recommendation for any individual athlete. 80 ft 1 throw We also have a more detailed Year Round Throwing Manual that builds off this article in much more detail and shows you exactly what to do for a throwing program throughout the entire year. endobj Certifications are good for the life of the course. F5 Sports and Driveline Baseball partnered to give athletes a chance to pair the pitchLogic ball. We train with Drivelines Plyo Ball , weighted baseballs, Wrist Weights, J-Bands, iPitch Machines, and various training gloves. We want our catchers to see what they look like and how they move. It takes you through eight weeks of velocity programming of tested Driveline protocols. Taking into consideration that a pitcher is coming off of an extended rest of 2-3 weeks, like anything else you would build in life, start off slowly and surely walk before you jog and jog before you run. 180 ft 3 throws You must be medically cleared to throw. Simply move away from your throwing partner each time you begin to sense that you are going to throw the ball over your partners head. This is conditioning at its best because we are allowing the higher intelligence of the arm to guide us, and you will almost assuredly find that the more you allow your arm to throw (smartly and progressively), the more your arm wants to throw. A catch/frame, however, does, because umpires make a judgement call based on what they see. But if you feel like only stretching your arm out one day, or just throwing 150 feet, or not throwing at all on a given day, than do so. Shop Now. 225 ft 3 throws Perform an equal number of reps on each side. Read More January 11, 2023 . They have been around for quite some time and were not here to re-invent the wheel. This mentality is what optimizes your ability to insure health, strength, endurance and improved recovery period. From setup to frame, block, or throw, we work to get our athletes in positions that set them up for success. 90 ft 1 throw Catchers can make quick adjustments based on this instant feedback loop. One of the most powerful training tools we implement with catchers is a video delay feed. , You guys are top notch. You can also perform plyometric push-ups by exploding up off the floor in the middle of each repetition. This is an amazing source for my passion project of baseball training thank you for making this!!!! Throwing program 6.) Chris did an unbelievable job of explaining things to me and always trying to help me understand things. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Jaeger Sports Off Season Throwing Program, https://www.jaegersports.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/main-jaeger-sports-logo.png, https://www.jaegersports.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/jaeger-sports-in-the-news.jpg, Copyright Jaeger Sports. 100 ft 1 throw full 10-week throwing program this throwing program starts with the on-ramping series to prepare the arm and body for intense throwing, while the rest of the program consists of the blend-to-season series to transfer velocity gains to position-specific throws, including weekly bullpens for pitchers How many throws you make at each increment is dependent on how your arm feels. 75 ft 10 throws The drill is great for training T-spine rotation during counter rotation of the trunk, as well as keeping the trunk stacked when coming down the mound. Our programming is designed to increase quickness, accuracy, and velocity. Thats why the first two weeks of our throwing program place such a huge emphasis on Surgical Tubing and the Stretching Out phase of Long Toss. This will change over time, but our goal is to find the movement solutions that work for each player. 110 ft 1 throw 70 ft 1 throw 180 ft 3 throws Purpose Reverse throws are a ballistic movement that train power while helping to activate the posterior shoulder musculature when going into lay back. You should be moving aggressively at your target during these throws with a shuffle. Once at 60 feet, feel free to throw as many as your arm feels it needs at that point. In that case, the rest period may only be a week and the conditioning period may only need to be 2 weeks because the base from the Fall/Winter is still relatively strong). 2 0 obj One of the most powerful training tools we implement with catchers is a video delay feed. Normal, pain free muscle strength 3. We are a data-driven baseball performance facility. 80 ft 1 throw Velocity seems to come more quickly endurance seems to last longer swelling is minimized. The post An Introduction to Driveline Catching: How We Train Catchers appeared first on Driveline Baseball. 90 ft 5 throws You must also be strong enough and prepared for the physical demands of the sport. 287 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<351F710134024BC8A5AC9F07A87BC0E4>]/Index[269 42]/Info 268 0 R/Length 93/Prev 798528/Root 270 0 R/Size 311/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream Continue your development in season with year-round support and monitoring. When an exception is thrown, the common language runtime (CLR) looks for the catch block that can handle this exception. A swing doesnt necessarily have to pass the eye test. After not competitively pitching for two years, Thomas Ruwe made the decision to come train at Driveline. The reason I mention this is pitchers may often shut down early because of false signs. 3 0 obj Ready to get to work? Our philosophy is pretty simple its of minimal importance as to when a pitcher is expected to throw his first bull-pen in the fall/winter, considering that the pitcher has the balance of the year to work off of the mound. As with all programs at Driveline, catching training is designed for the athlete who understands that improvement comes from focused effort over time. The main skills for catchers involve receiving, blocking, and throwing. Since you are not throwing off a mound, you should have relatively good recovery period. Lower-body plyometrics refers to jump training, and it is an effective way to build explosive leg power. %PDF-1.4 % Shift COM forward and backward (including the hips) NOT UP! On days that you dont feel great, try throwing through this feeling unless it is obviously a sign of pain. Conduct research to further understand the skills, movements, and characteristics that make catchers elite. They have been branded by major companies such as Driveline Baseball amongst other companies and are used worldwide for all ages of throwers. What matters most is what the pitcher does in this 4-6 week window leading up to the first bull-pen, and understanding how to maintain or strengthen this base throughout the remainder of the Fall, Winter and Spring. If you have an athlete with extreme deficiencies, we recommend addressing these with mobility and stability exercises and then re-testing on a regular schedule. you will find different bodies have different strengths and limitations. As you will see below, I have broken down our Throwing Program into 3 phases. In order to establish the best time to rest and rebuild a pitchers arm, you must establish, 1) what the pitchers workload has been like from the previous season/seasons (their past season may have been only the summer, or it may have been the preceding spring, fall and winter season as well), 2) find out how much pitching theyve been doing as opposed to training or conditioning (unfortunately, many pitchers pitch year round, and leave little or no time for training or conditioning), and 3), devise a plan that gives pitchers a chance to shut down and rest (minimum of 2-3 Weeks), and rebuild their arm for an additional 4-6 week period before getting back on a mound. See the full story here http://bit.ly/Drivelinebaseball Do the program as it is laid out. P 3LAbyi? All participants had been throwing and weight training prior to prepare for the program. Receive training and in game insights all year long such as command and average miss distance. The reason for this is that the arm tends to respond better on the mound after a good long toss session its been trained for it. The arm will tell you what to do from day to day, and even throw to throw. 170 ft 1 throw Once you are sufficiently warm, complete your high intent throws from behind the plate. Rio Rancho's only baseball and softball throwing program. Squats can be performed while holding a barbell across your upper back, with dumbbells at your sides or with just your own body weight. An Introduction to Driveline Catching: How We Train Catchers. (Two or three throws each way) 3. You will only be executing the extension phase of catch play. <>>> How far you go out, or how fast you come in may vary from day to day. This is where listening to your arm is imperative. He used to bring his glove toward his body when he caught a pitch. As you will see, this program is based on 3 days of throwing for week 1 and then evolves into 4 days of throwing for the next 5 weeks. Ive found that pitchers who can get out to 300 feet throw in the 88mph range, those who can get out to 330 feet may push the low 90s and those who can get out to 350 feet are typically in the 93-98 mph range. *** Flat Ground Work Tuesday/Friday (15 Change-Ups, 10 Light Breaking Balls), Week 6 (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday)