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Ok, you have heard us say it before, and until baseball changes something, “Velo Is King”! With that said does that mean this is the only attribute that is needed from a pitcher in order to be considered elite? Absolutely not!! But it will undoubtedly provide them with a higher ceiling of potential success, more room for error, and ultimately give them an elite advantage over their counterparts.
With all that being said, we must understand that a well-balanced program and pre-this construction would be an effective evaluation, all of which will be centered around what you need most at that moment.
In this article, however, I did want to address some of the more common misconceptions we see young athletes have regarding velocity training.
The adage "more is better" does not apply effectively to velocity training. High-output throwing once or twice per week is beneficial, but increasing this frequency without adequate recovery can lead to diminished returns and increased injury risk. Effective velocity training programs balance intensity and recovery meticulously.
In line with delusion #1, athletes often believe that they should be crushing the weight room while trying to increase intensity on the throwing side of their development massively. While integrating strength training with throwing programs is vital, it's crucial to adjust lifting volumes based on throwing workloads. High-volume upper body or grip training, in particular, should be moderated to avoid overtraining and injuries. Coordination between strength and conditioning coaches and pitching coaches is essential.
There are so many of our athletes who come to train and have several months to years of training prior to ever being in a position to execute maximal effort-throwing days. These styles of training are incredibly demanding and at certain stages in the developmental process, some athletes are at an incredibly increased risk for injury.
Progress in velocity training is rarely linear. Pitchers must be prepared for fluctuations, periods of stagnation, and frustrations as part of the development process. Patience and persistence are key in these programs.
High-effort velo days are exciting and certainly effective at increasing an athlete’s potential work capacity. However, the potential for increases in velocity from improving movement efficiency, strength, power, and mobility capacities is likely higher and certainly with significantly less risk.
It is crucial to remember that all training that involves improving strength, power, mobility, and movement efficiency will most likely improve an athlete’s throwing velocity capacity and, ultimately their performance. The necessity or privilege of partaking in high-velocity throwing days is not always necessary to improve one’s throwing performance!
