10 Reasons Why You Are Stuck on Your Velocity
One of the most common questions we receive at the Texas Baseball Ranch® is, “Coach Wolforth, if I come to the Ranch, do you think you and your team can find the reason I am stuck on my velocity? I lift weights. I long toss. I use weighted balls. I’ve gained a lot of strength and put on 15 pounds. I now squat over 300 pounds. Yet, I just can’t seem to gain velocity.”
The short answer is, “Absolutely, that’s what we do at the Ranch!”.
The longer answer is that in our 30 years of doing this, we have found 10 common constraints that frequently can, and do, limit and restrict velocity development. Unfortunately, athletes and their parents are often convinced by social media that there are simple hacks, tricks, and recipes for velocity enhancement.
The reality is that, unlike a Caesar salad recipe, human beings represent a very dynamic and complex system. Complex systems are… Well…. Complex.
Dynamic systems are systems whose behavior is intrinsically difficult to model or predict due to the dependencies, competitions, relationships, or other types of interactions between their parts or between a given system and its environment. Complex systems do not lend themselves effectively to one-size-fits-all programming.
While some “hacks” and “shortcuts” may indeed accelerate the growth of certain individual athletes, the danger is in thinking that a velocity “hack” that helps one athlete will be a great idea for all athletes. This is patently untrue and treating it as true can often be unproductive and occasionally detrimental.
A good non-baseball analogy I can give to explain this phenomenon is the obvious reality most of us are aware of regarding the common antibiotic referred to as “penicillin”.
A. Penicillin has been a wonder drug and has saved the lives of millions of people with bacterial infections.
B. Penicillin is used to treat infections caused by bacteria. It does not work on viral infections, such as the cold or flu. Therefore, if you do not have a bacterial infection, penicillin would be of little benefit.
C. About 10% of the population reports adverse effects using penicillin and 1% experience serious side effects.
This is the reason we all are very familiar with the question posed by receptionists, nurses, physician assistants, and doctors, “Do you have any allergies? Are you allergic to penicillin?”.
The answers, of course, can matter a great deal.
So, if your “hack” to health is to immediately give a sick individual a penicillin shot, those who happen to have a bacterial infection will probably do well. However, those with viral infections will show no improvement, and those allergic to penicillin will do far worse.
The secret to being a good pitching coach, as well as a good health provider, is to first have a comprehensive assessment of the individual, and then prescribe a solution based on the specific current makeup and needs of the patient. This is then followed up on and the prescription is adjusted if/as needed. We refer to that process as “hyper-personalization”.
Today’s medicine is pretty good at it. They have been at it for years, and whenever they fail to customize, the consequences are often quite stark.
In general, the baseball community are newbies to this concept of hyper-personalization. We are improving quickly but, in my opinion, there is so much more work left to be done in this regard.
It is my hope that at this point in the discussion, I have convinced the athlete or parent to, at the very least, be skeptical of any one-size-fits-all velocity enhancement programming before diving in with both feet.
Instead, before beginning a velocity enhancement program, I recommend you complete this simple 10-step self-evaluation. Do not worry if you are not certain of the exact number choice in your answer, just go with your gut. These answers will often prove to be of great benefit in guiding your path to gaining velocity safely and naturally.
Welcome to Hyper-personalization, Ranch Style: Initial Self-assessment!
Rate each answer 0-10.
0 = Extremely poor/awful – I am 100% certain this area is a primary contributor to my inability to gain or sustain velocity.
10 = Exceptional – I am 100% certain this area is NOT a contributor in any way to my inability to gain or sustain velocity.
***Obviously, I worded the ranking system to make it very difficult to score a flat 0 or 10. We have worked with three Cy Young award winners and hundreds of elite throwers over the last 25 years, and I will tell you, the number of true 0s and 10s in any self-assessment would be rare. We seldom are “completely awful” or “nearly perfect” in any area. It is looking at the scores as a whole that is so helpful in guiding our steps forward.
1. Pain/Discomfort
0 = I have significant and regular discomfort. My arm pain affects me daily. I find myself needing to take NSAIDs like naproxen (Aleve), aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil), or acetaminophen (Tylenol) to make it through practice or a game. It is imperative that I utilize ice or a muscle stimulator to mitigate the pain. I must strategically limit my throwing volume and intensity daily in order to simply make it through a season without significant time shut down from practice or competition.
10 = I have zero discomfort ever. I can throw hard, a lot, and bounce back nearly overnight. I have what others consider a “rubber arm”. I’m never concerned about limiting my volume, frequency, or intensity. My arm is always ready for service and is exceptionally durable and healthy.
Score:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2. Anatomical Structure/Physical Alignment/Strength Balance
0 = I have significant physical asymmetries and misalignments in one or more of the following: feet, knees, hips, lumbar spine, thoracic spine, cervical spine, scapula, shoulder, elbow, wrist, or hand. These significantly affect my posture and movement patterns. I have significant muscle imbalance(s) exceeding normal ranges between one or more of the following: right side vs. left side, upper body vs. lower body, prime movers vs. antagonists, prime movers vs. synergists.
10 = I am nearly perfectly symmetrical, aligned, and balanced from a standpoint of both structural and muscular development.
***You almost certainly will need a physical therapist to accurately and definitively assess #2-#4 and to determine where precisely you are on this continuum. We utilize our local PT nearly every week throughout the year for this very reason. However, if you are significantly asymmetrical or imbalanced, you will almost always have a nagging suspicion or see clues that this may be a constraint. My advice is to do two things… First, trust yourself here. Your judgment is better than you may think. Second, when convenient, go to a PT and get a professional assessment completed.
Score:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
3. Mobility/Flexibility Constraints
0 = I have significant limitations in terms of mobility and/or flexibility. I am exceptionally tight or restricted (or I am exceptionally hyper-mobile – we refer this issue to the next classification, “stability”. I have very limited range of motion and for my body to organize itself for performance, I often have to modify my movement based on those limitations. I have significant limitations in one or more of the following areas: ankle mobility, hamstring flexibility, hip mobility, t-spine mobility, shoulder mobility, and/or wrist mobility.
10 = I have phenomenal mobility and flexibility. My mobility and flexibility allow me to maximize my strength and stability throughout the full range of motion, including the end ranges of that motion.
Score:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
4. Strength/Stability Constraints
0 = I have significant limitations in terms of stability and/or strength. I am exceptionally hyper-mobile, unstable, or weak. It is nearly impossible for me to stop/brace/co-contract and/or support the energy being generated via momentum or rotation/angular velocity. Instead, I experience oscillation and energy leaks up and down the kinetic chain. I have very limited stability at the end ranges of motion and for my body to adapt itself for performance, I often have to modify my movement based on those limitations. I have significant stability limitations in one or more of the following areas: the bottom of my feet, knee(s), lumbar spine, scapula, and/or elbow.
10 = I have phenomenal mobility and flexibility. My mobility and flexibility allow me to maximize my strength and stability throughout the full range of motion, including the end ranges of that motion.
Score:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
***The Texas Baseball Ranch®, in conjunction with our physical therapist, Dr. Andy Arthur, have created an assessment sheet to take into your local PT to have them fill out to assist you in your assessment of #2-#4. In our opinion, assessments #1-#4 are rarely utilized in baseball until there is an injury. We think that is unfortunate and unwise. Prehab is far superior to rehab in our experience. If you would like a copy of the PT assist form, simply email me at wolforthbaseball@gmail.com, and our office will email you one.
5. Intention
0 = When I move and throw, it is never with high effort, high energy, or purpose. I have been told maximum effort is bad and dangerous, and to never engage in that manner. Therefore, my effort is always to be in control and significantly below full effort.
10 = At least 25% of my efforts each week are made with the deliberate purpose of being as dynamic, explosive, and athletic as possible. During the week, especially in the off-season, I dedicate segments of my training in an attempt to organize myself for maximum energy output.
Score:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
6. Mechanical Inefficiency (Overview)
0 = My movement pattern is out of synergy and out of sequence with the rest of my body. My arms, trunk, hips, and legs are disconnected from each other. I place soft tissue at increased risk of injury by having my extremities in very unfavorable (biomechanically unsound) alignment and positioning as the body and arm begin to rotate, unravel, and eventually decelerate and come to a stop.
10 = My movement pattern is always in perfect synergy and in sequence with the rest of my body. My arms, trunk, hips, and legs are superbly connected. My extremities are in very biomechanically sound alignment and positioning as the body and arm begin to rotate, unravel, and eventually decelerate and come to a stop.
Score:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Important Note Here: At the Texas Baseball Ranch®, we do not believe that a single universal ideal biomechanical model exists. Every athlete’s physical body is simply too unique to demand strict compliance with some theoretical ideal segment, digital data point, or position in space and time.
What we can do is observe how the body works together, organizes itself, and, most importantly, what feeling of synergy, timing, and connection each specific organization gave the athlete. Of course, a high-speed video analysis (+150fps) with several viewpoints synched together is a great tool in assisting with the discovery of mechanical efficiencies too.
Typically, there are ranges of movement and positioning that can guide an athlete’s path. However, in our opinion, humility and empathy from the trainer, instructor, or coach must be omnipresent to actually be effective over time. The coach or parent, assuming they know exactly how the athlete must move, is almost always fraught with danger.
The five primary classifications of mechanical efficiency at the Ranch are:
1. Upper Body Loading and Acceleration
2. Upper Body Deceleration
3. Lower Body Loading
4. Lower Body Unloading
5. Lower Body Stability
Velocity leaks can come in any of these five areas. It is almost always necessary to have a competent pitching instructor/movement coach to guide you in these areas. It is true that some athletes figure this out on their own, but that is the exception. I have found the greatest risk actually comes from a well-intentioned pitching instructor who erroneously wants you to comply with his version of “ideal”, which happens to not fit the individual athlete.
7. Ramp-up (Macro)
0 = I went from not throwing for weeks and months to pitching in competition within two weeks.
10 = My ramp-up from my off-season to my competitive season was long, cycled, and gradual (12-16 weeks) giving my soft tissue ample time to prepare for the intensity and the volume of my season.
Score:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
8. Ramp-up (Micro)
0 = Each day I arrive at the game, practice, or training and immediately begin throwing without a functional wake-up, full body warm-up, or arm care/arm prep of any kind.
10 = Each day I arrive at the game, practice, or training early enough to give myself sufficient time to wake up and warm up my body from feet to fingertips, as well as prepare my arm, shoulder, scapula, and spine exceptionally well for the specific energy required from throwing in today’s event.
Score:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
9. Internal Systemic
0 = I average less than seven hours of sleep a night. (Many athletes are not sure; I suggest you pay attention for one week and do the math.) I often stay up late playing video games, scrolling on social media, and/or watching a blue screen on my phone or computer before I go to bed. I do not intentionally stay hydrated with water and instead, my drinks are high in glucose, or they are Monsters or Red Bulls to help me perk up. My diet is full of empty, simple carbohydrates and I have cravings close to my bedtime.
10 = I make it a priority that I get eight to nine hours of sleep a night as a general rule. 90 minutes before bed, I turn off my computer and phone. I intentionally make my bedroom the best possible environment for sleep that I possibly can – comfortable, dark, quiet, and cool. I intentionally stay hydrated with water and severely limit any drinks that are high in glucose, caffeine, taurine, glucuronolactone, opium poppy seed extract, or ephedrine. My diet is full of fruits, vegetables, complex carbohydrates, good fats, and high-quality protein.
Score:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
10. Volume and Workload
0 = I am really pushing the envelope on all aspects of my training. I lift heavy three to five times a week. I am conditioning hard, especially with either long-distance running or intense conditioning exceeding 45 minutes of length a day, three to five times a week. I am throwing more than I ever have in my life, including a weighted ball velocity program two to three times per week. I have very, very few light or off days. A vast majority of my days are heavy/medium days.
10 = I intentionally cycle my work week: two heavy days, two light days, and two medium days. My heavy days are followed by a light day and are separated by a minimum of 48 hours between pushes. My macro ramp-up is sufficient and gradual. My micro ramp-up does a great job of preparing me each day for my work. I pay close attention to my body and how it recovers, and if needed, I back off to a degree that allows my body time to recuperate before I push again.
Score:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Now what? What is the next step?
Based on your self-assessment scores in these 10 areas:
Score:
1. Pain/Discomfort
2. Anatomical Structure/Physical Alignment/Strength Balance
3. Mobility/Flexibility Constraints
4. Strength/Stability Constraints
5. Intention
6. Mechanical Inefficiency (Overview)
7. Ramp-up – Macro
8. Ramp-up – Micro
9. Internal Systemic
10. Volume and Workload
Choose the lowest one to three scores (three max. for now) and focus your efforts on those three over the next four to six weeks. In our experience, this will give you your best opportunity to break through your current constraints and plateaus and generate the gains you are seeking.
Reminder: ***The Texas Baseball Ranch®, in conjunction with our physical therapist, Dr. Andy Arthur, have created an assessment sheet to take into your local PT to have them fill out to assist you in your assessment of #2-#4. If you would like a copy of the PT assist form, simply email me at wolforthbaseball@gmail.com, and our office will email you one.
Coach Ron Wolforth is the founder of the Texas Baseball Ranch® and has written six books on pitching including the Amazon Best Seller, Pitching with Confidence. Since 2003, The Texas Baseball Ranch® has had over 543 pitchers break the 90mph barrier, 194 have topped 94mph or better, and 129 students have been drafted in the MLB’s June Amateur Draft. Coach Wolforth has consulted with 13 MLB teams, dozens of NCAA programs and has been referred to as “America’s Go-to-Guy on Pitching” and “The Pitching Coaches Pitching Coach”. 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 catcher in the Houston Astros organization) went through the process. Garrett still holds the PG Underclass All-American Games record for catcher velocity at 89mph which he set in 2014 at the age of 16.
Upcoming Texas Baseball Ranch® Events: 3-Day Elite Pitcher’s Boot Camps for pitchers ages 12 & up. The assessments mentioned in the article above are completed during this event and a hyper-personalized plan is created for each athlete during the camp. More details and a free information package can be found at https://www.texasbaseballranch.com/elite-pitchers-bootcamp/
To Learn More About the Texas Baseball Ranch, go to: www.texasbaseballranch.com