If you’re a high school pitcher heading into the off-season without a game plan, you’re making a huge mistake. Every year, pitchers waste valuable time training without direction, only to realize in December or January that their efforts haven’t paid off. Why? Because they’re training blind—putting in effort without knowing what they actually need to work on.

Effort without a plan is like pouring gas into a car without a destination—you’re going nowhere fast.

This year, don’t make the same mistake. In this guide, we’ll walk you through six critical self-assessments that will help you take control of your off-season training. With these tests, you’ll pinpoint your strengths, identify gaps, and build a roadmap for success.

Why These 6 Tests Are Essential

A successful off-season starts with understanding where you currently stand. These six tests will provide you with a clear picture of your athletic profile, covering:

1. Strength
2. Speed
3. Agility
4. Power
5. Mobility
6. Age-Related Stature

Each test is designed to give you actionable insights so you can target your training and avoid wasting time.

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1. Strength: Build the Foundation

Strength is the bedrock of athletic performance. It keeps you injury-free and allows you to handle the physical demands of pitching. Without adequate strength, you’re putting your durability—and your season—at risk.

How to Test:

• Upper Body: Bench press using percentages of your body weight.
• Lower Body: Hex bar deadlift or back squat with progressive loading.

Why It Matters: Stronger pitchers stay healthier and perform better over the course of a season.

2. Speed: Measure Your Quickness

Speed reveals how fast you can move, which is crucial for developing explosive power. Some athletes excel in quick impulses, while others thrive in generating force over time.

How to Test:

• Perform a 10-yard sprint test.
• Compare your time to age-related norms and score yourself on a 1-5 scale.

Why It Matters: Knowing your speed helps tailor your training to amplify your natural strengths.

3. Agility: Optimize Force Absorption

Agility may not seem like a priority for pitchers, but it directly impacts how efficiently you absorb and redirect force when your front foot hits the ground. In fact, agility has up to a 69% correlation with throwing velocity.

How to Test:

• Perform the 5-10-5 shuttle test.
• Compare your results to age-related norms for a 1-5 score.

Why It Matters: Improved agility translates to better velocity and efficiency on the mound.

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4. Power: Predict Throwing Velocity

Power is the combination of strength and speed—it’s about generating force and delivering it quickly. For pitchers, power is a huge predictor of throwing velocity.

How to Test:

• Perform a broad jump to measure relative power output.
• Score yourself using age-related benchmarks.

Why It Matters: Power-focused training can significantly increase your velocity.

5. Mobility: Maximize Your Range

Mobility isn’t just about flexibility; it’s about optimizing your range of motion to produce force efficiently. Poor mobility can limit your ability to deliver max effort pitches.

How to Test:

• Perform a lunge reach test to identify limitations.
• Score yourself based on how many restrictions you uncover.

Why It Matters: Targeted mobility training can unlock new levels of performance.

6. Age-Related Stature: Understand Your Profile

Your height-to-weight ratio is one of the strongest predictors of throwing velocity, with correlations as high as 89%.

How to Test:

• Measure your height and weight, then compare to age-related norms.
• Score yourself on a 1-5 scale.

Why It Matters: Knowing where you stand helps set realistic goals for physical development.

Take Action: Start Your Self-Assessment

Ready to get started? Download our free self-evaluation walkthrough and scoring sheet to complete each test with precision. By understanding your results, you’ll be able to craft a targeted, efficient off-season plan that sets you up for success.

No more wasted time. No more guessing. Just results.

Click here to download your free guide and take control of your off-season today.

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