The Velocity Trap
In my opinion, too many parents, athletes, and coaches treat velocity enhancement like a scavenger hunt.
“Look…I found velocity online!"
"We discovered the secrets to velocity at our local academy!"
"We're going to Texas in search of more 'pop' on our fastball!"
But in the quiet of our minds, we KNOW something is wrong with this approach.
Deep in the logical, reasonable side of our brain, we know there's no quick fix or instant solution to consistent, long-term, high-level performance. Elite performance is a deliberate process. It can't be hacked, cheated, or duped - no matter what's promised on Facebook, Twitter, or TikTok.
Good coaching can accelerate the process, but true skill development takes time. It takes intention and attention.
We KNOW in our hearts that sustainable velocity gains require arm health and durability. Period. Full stop.
We can't HOPE arm health happens, or that our soft tissue magically stops "barking" when we step on the accelerator.
Arm health and durability must be coveted. They must become an obsession. They must be priority number one.
The Elephant in the Room
The essential element so often missed, the elephant in the room that most go to considerable lengths to ignore, is that arm health and durability are prerequisites to long-term success.
The harsh reality many baseball coaches, parents, and players keep dancing around is this: without a healthy, durable arm and body, high-level performance is far more difficult to obtain and literally impossible to sustain.
Yes, I wrote impossible. And I mean it.
If your goal is to have a leading role on your high school team, earn a college scholarship, or be drafted by professional baseball, you must be on the mound at game time, performing well, over a three- to six-month period.
As they say in professional baseball, the best "ability" is "availability." If you're not routinely available when your current team needs you, why would anyone at the next level covet your services? They need the exact same thing - a consistent, durable, reliable performer. Failing today's test doesn't get you a pass to the next level.
In fact, it's the opposite. Failing today's test often excludes you from getting chances at the next level.
The Cliché Story We See Too Often
The stories are now so frequent they've become cliché to us at the Ranch.
Tell me if you've heard this one:
A young man gets a velocity program online or attends a local academy for weighted ball training. He makes modest velocity gains. His arm pain flares toward the middle or end of the process. He slowly gives back his velocity gains and/or can't transfer them to game situations. But what persists is arm pain. So after months of hard work, he's further behind than when he began.
The Truth About Improvement
"Okay, Coach Wolforth, what about command?"
How does one actually throw more strikes? By throwing, of course. But if your arm is always tender or "cranky," you simply can't throw enough.
You don't improve command by reading books or watching TikTok videos. You don't get better with a 400-pound squat or by firing weighted balls into walls. You make lasting improvements through deep, deliberate, purposeful throwing. And to make sustainable improvements in command, arm health and durability are required.
"What about stuff, breaking balls and changeups?"
By throwing. See the trend?
The Magic Wand Question
So many young people sit in front of me for video analysis, and I ask every single one: "Why are you here?"
Almost all say, "To gain velocity!"
About 65% of the time, I look at their information and say, "I see you have arm pain in your anterior shoulder or medial elbow at a 4-8 out of 10. You've shut down twice in the past 18 months. Is this correct?"
Then I pose this question:
"If I had a magic wand and could instantly add 5 mph to your throw, but changed NOTHING else, what are the chances your arm pain would increase?"
"Pretty high, right?"
"Now, what if I used that magic wand to eliminate your pain completely? Your arm feels amazing and will never hurt again. Would you immediately throw 1-2 mph harder?"
The answer is almost ALWAYS a resounding yes.
"So where would you like me to use that magic wand? On velocity or on health and durability?"
The Reality Check
1. I don't have a magic wand.
2. If you gained 5-7 mph over six months but then needed Tommy John surgery, have we done you any good? Absolutely not.
3. If we improved your arm health and durability and you gained 2 mph, aren't we now in a much better position to safely add another 2-3 mph?
We're often chasing the wrong rabbit. We should be obsessed with creating a healthy, durable arm and finding movement patterns that produce little or no pain at high intensity.
A Personal Example:
Two years ago, my then 25-year-old son was a AA catcher in the Astros organization. He's thrown 103 mph from the outfield and 89 mph to second base. From high school through four years of college ball and through five years of pro ball, Garrett has been unavailable for only three games - two from illness and one from getting hit by a pitch. He was the only position player on his AA team available for every single game that season.
Why? Well, obviously some good fortune was a significant part but also because we/he made health and durability while moving at full speed our obsession since Garrett was 14 years old.
As a trainer and father, I would NEVER risk my son's elite arm for a quick 3-4 mph gain. I would NEVER treat your son any differently than my own.
The Good News
There are far better alternatives than one-size-fits-all weighted ball programs.
With the right process, everyone can gain velocity, improve command, and enhance their secondary stuff. What I can't tell you is how quickly or how much you'll improve.
It has been said that how we view the problem is often the main problem.
My heartfelt call to all of you:
Stop viewing velocity enhancement as a scavenger hunt. Instead, give it the careful, hyper-personalized attention it deserves.
Coach Ron Wolforth
Texas Baseball Ranch®
Coach Ron Wolforth is the founder of The Texas Baseball Ranch® and has authored six books on pitching, including the Amazon Best Seller Pitching with Confidence. Since 2003, The Texas Baseball Ranch® has had 141 of their players drafted, and 651 have broken the 90 mph barrier. Coach Wolforth has consulted with 13 MLB teams, numerous NCAA programs, and is often referred to as “America’s Go-To Guy on Pitching.”
Coach Wolforth lives in Montgomery, TX with his wife, Jill. They are intimately familiar with youth select, travel baseball and PG events as their son Garrett (now a professional player) went through the process. Garrett, a former catcher in the Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros organizations, still holds the PG Underclass All-American Games record for catcher velocity at 89mph which he set in 2014 at the age of 16.
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Coach Wolforth will be hosting a special 90 minute webinar - "The Velocity Code: 3 Secrets to Improving Velocity and Staying Healthy" Thursday at 7pm CST. To sign up for the webinar, use the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DoAP-k5zQkmFXaqqt_md_Q
Fall/Winter Events at the Texas Baseball Ranch®
Join our 3-Day “Elite Pitcher’s Boot Camps” designed for pitchers ages 12 and above. These events are the gold standard in the baseball industry and are held every month from September-February. For additional details and dates, visit:
https://www.texasbaseballranch.com/elite-pitchers-bootcamp/
Interested in learning what sets our boot camps apart? Request our comprehensive information package “What Makes This Bootcamp Different?" by emailing Jill@TexasBaseballRanch.com
Free Book Offer: Want a free copy of Coach Wolforth’s book, Pitching with Confidence?
Visit: www.freepitchingbook.com.
From the Greater Houston area? Join us for our Fall/Winter classes or private training.
For more information, email: info@TexasBaseballRanch.com or call (936)588-6762.