How To Increase Pitching Velocity By 10 Mph

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Let's talk pitching velocity...

If y'all're looking for proven means to increase pitching velocity based on science, you're going to beloved this article.

A pitcher'south power to increase velocity and maximize brawl speed while avoiding shoulder and elbow injuries is an of import determinant of a successful career.

For as long as baseball has been played, difficult-throwing pitchers have been part of the lore and lure of the game.

We cared virtually velocity even before we could measure it with modern engineering today.

Dorsum in 1912, a pitcher named Leslie Ambrose Bush oft walked more batters than he struck out, but he threw and so difficult he earned the name Bullet Joe.

In 1917, a Negro League pitcher named Joe Rogan became Bullet Rogan and went all the way to the Hall of Fame.

Walter Johnson's fastball "hissed with danger," Ty Cobb once said. A hundred years ago Johnson'south fastball was timed not with a Bushnell, Jugs or Stalker radar gun, only rather against a speeding motorcycle and estimated at 97 mph.

Xxx years later, Bob "Rapid Robert" Feller took the same motorcycle examination and his fastball was estimated at 104 mph.

MLB's hardest throwers

There's a general consensus that major league pitchers are now throwing harder than ever before. The same is happening with velocity evolution of amateur pitchers.

Did you know? A seventy-mph fastball in Lilliputian League is the equivalent of a 92-mph fastball in the Major Leagues. Detect out how your son'southward pitching velocity compares to other pitchers his historic period with this chart below. (Scott Kane / Icon Sportswire)

If you look at data compiled from MLB'due south very authentic PitchFX system over the past 10 years, the numbers prove more than and more pitchers throwing harder each year.

Hither are two things that stand out:

First, the number of MLB pitchers throwing 95+ mph is way up

Let'south go back to 2007, the first year avant-garde technology standardized and began reliably tracking the speed of pitches...

As the chart beneath shows, in 2007 but viii major league starters averaged 95 mph or better on their fastball. The number jumped to 15 by 2012 and to 20 in 2014.

The same thing happened with relievers:

In 2007, just 27 relief pitchers were throwing 95 mph or amend. In 2014, at that place were 54 at 95 mph or better – an increase of 100% in simply 7 years.

Clearly a lot more pitchers are throwing harder than ever before.

Second, the average fastball velocity of all MLB pitchers is up

If we await at pitching velocity another manner, we meet that in 2008 the boilerplate four-seam fastball in Major League Baseball was ninety.ix mph, according to data on Fangraphs.com.

That number jumped to 92.6 mph in 2014 — a gain of almost 2 mph in less than 10 years!

Pitching has always been further ahead in the analytical world, and applying information to the contest has been much faster on the run-prevention side than the run-product side.

Data shows pitchers are throwing harder in the analytic age, where many big leaguers have had their mechanics analyzed at Driveline Baseball, Cressey Sports Performance or the American Sports Medicine Institute in an try to proceeds velocity, efficiency and durability.

Today, the average four-seam fastball velocity is 93.5 mph, according to Statcast, up from 93.4 mph in 2000, 92.ix mph in 2015 and 92.six in 2014, as mentioned in a higher place.

There's no consensus on why pitchers are throwing harder today, but there are enough of contributing factors that I think are worth exploring farther:

1. Pitchers are getting bigger and stronger than always before; in many instances, pitchers are at present the best athletes on the field.
2. Pitchers are throwing with better deliveries learned and perfected at younger ages.
3. Pitchers are able to set velocity goals for themselves and measure results to work to meet them.

This combination of good strength while maintaining flexibility, good pitching mechanics, and good throwing programs to build speed, stamina and a potent arm are the main factors to MLB pitching velocities that are truly off the charts.

Let's have a look at the hardest throwers in baseball game from 2007 to 2014... (I'm in the process of updating this information for this season.)

Fastest pitchers in baseball

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Fastest four-seam fastballs, 2007-2014

Starters (200 pitch minimum)	Average velocity (mph)
Yordano Ventura	98.xix
Carlos Martinez	97.73
Gerrit Cole	96.79
Matt Harvey	96.59
Nathan Eovaldi	96.36

Relievers (200 pitch minimum)	Average velocity (mph)
Bruce Rondon	100.34
Aroldis Chapman	99.45
Joel Zumaya	99.27
Kelvin Herrera	99.xviii
Henry Rodriguez	98.78

What's impressive virtually these 10 pitchers is not only the fact that they're putting up 3 digits on the radar gun, but rather the consistency of their velocity equally well... these numbers are averages.

I retrieve this pic pretty much sums information technology up:

Dang, correct!?

Which leads us to Noah Syndergaard who seems to be testing the limits of man velocity.

Bank check out this 99-mph fastball from the Mets' ace:

Over almost 184 innings in his 2016 season, Syndergaard's four-seam fastball sizzled at a major-league all-time for starting pitchers.

His average was 97.9 mph — near 1.5 mph amend than the next best starter.

"I like to say it'south controlled violence," Syndergaard said of his delivery that produces his high velocity.

Although data isn't available from earlier eras in baseball, when the mound superlative and altitude were different at times, Syndergaard'south average fastball velocity every bit a starter in 2016 might have been the fastest to date.

Increasing pitching velocity

An explosive fastball alone can even so get a bullpen to college and entry into pro ball, while wowing coaches, scouts, players and fans along the way. (Velocity is a human foot in the door. Other variables like proficient control, control, movement and irresolute speeds are yet needed to pitch at these levels.)

Then how can your son develop a amend fastball?

In the simpliest terms, pitching instructor Christian Wonders sums information technology up similar this:

Now, let'southward go into how to increase pitching velocity in a little more than detail...

22 means to increment pitching velocity

Here are 22 means to improve pitching velocity and point you and your son in the direction of success:

one. Increase torso mass

When I was growing upwards, I was tall but skinny so my Dad used to preach Mass = Gas, which usually meant information technology was fourth dimension for another peanut butter sandwich.

Mass = Gas was a long-running joke between us throughout my baseball game career.

But research has actually proven there'southward a lot of truth to this statement.

Gaining weight through both growth spurts and eating 500 actress calories per day can help to meliorate a pitcher's ability to throw harder.

Nonetheless, it'southward of import to recollect that adding mass is a tedious procedure.

According to the Mayo Clinic and the McKinley Health Center at the University of Illinois, a good for you weight gain is i/two to one pounds per week.

Calculation 10-fifteen pounds of lean mass can take 6-viii months or more.

Beloved this quote from Eric Cressey of Cressey Sports Performance:

Source: Werner 2008; Zeratsky 2014; University of Illinois 2010

2. Speed upwards the time from stride foot contact to maximum external rotation of the throwing shoulder

Source: Werner 2008

3. Get the glove arm involved

Good glove arm activity helps proper shoulder alignment, trunk arching and flexion, and good trunk rotation—all of which generate arm speed and brawl velocity.

There are 2 basic methods of developing effective glove arm action:

1. Fire the glove and pb arm toward the plate
2. Lead the elbow direct at the plate

For both methods, once the stride pes makes contact with the ground, actively whip the glove and elbow down and dorsum exterior the atomic number 82 hip. Do not allow the glove to get likewise far behind the lead hip.

four. Eliminate the "balance point"

Take you ever watched Justin Verlander pitch? If you have, you'll detect that he doesn't stop or pause at any point during the meridian of his leg lift.

The path of his articulatio genus is a fluid continuous motion upwardly, down and out.

A 2004 written report compared pitchers who used a remainder point and those who did non. Researchers establish that pitchers using a balance betoken had more head movement which resulted in lower velocity and decreased accuracy.

This led the researchers to conclude, "we cannot recommend the indiscriminate practice of the balance-point position..."

Having a balance point during the leg kick does the following:

1. Creates an un-athletic posture
2. Decreases quickness to the plate, reduces momentum and causes slower velocity
3. Slows delivery tempo, leading to poor timing and decreased accuracy

Source: Marsh 2004

five. Raise lead knee to a minimum of 60% (merely not more than 70%) of pitcher'southward overall acme during leg kick

Research indicates that the hardest throwing pitchers have a maximum lead knee height between 60 and seventy percent of their standing height.

If the pb knee isn't raised high enough (< threescore degrees), information technology prevents the pitcher from getting good momentum with the pace leg toward habitation plate. If the lead genu is raised too high (> 70 degrees), the momentum down and toward the plate tin be arrested or started too late.

Source: Boddy 2011

6. Increase knee joint flexion at foot strike

Research indicates the more than the forepart knee is bent at step foot contact (SFC), the higher a pitcher'south velocity. This requires the bullpen to be quick with the hips to get more weight onto the front leg at SFC.

The boilerplate bend in the front knee at SFC is 48 degrees for the hardest throwers.

Source: Werner 2008

7. Increase elbow flexion at step foot contact

The more the throwing elbow is aptitude at foot strike, the higher the velocity. The average bend in the throwing elbow at stride foot contact is nigh 90 degrees for the hardest throwers.

Source: Werner 2008

8. Continue the head behind the atomic number 82 hip longer

Keeping the head backside the lead hip longer (which is why nosotros lead with the front hip with no remainder point during the leg kick) likewise produces less stress on the shoulder.

Source: Werner 2002

ix. Don't rush

When a pitcher rushes his commitment, it means the body has moved frontward towards the plate too early on, causing the arm position to be too low at the time of stride foot contact with the ground and arm dispatch.

This depression arm position reduces pitch velocity.

What I accept observed in most power pitchers is that the weight is held back over a house posting leg until the atomic number 82 leg starts downward. The lead human foot comes downward a trivial more than shoulder width autonomously and side along the ground to the contact expanse. The upper body and the caput stays at the top center of the widening triangle of the body. The body has only drifted, or fallen forward. At that place is no major push button or drive during this phase.

10. Increase maximum shoulder external rotation

Maximum external rotation (MER) describes the angle at which the forearm "lays dorsum" during the pitching delivery. This is due to a rapid plow of the shoulders every bit the inertial mass of the baseball pushes the mitt and forearm back.

Stressing flexibility, the further the throwing arm rotated back, the higher the velocity because of the increased stored energy (recollect of a slingshot).

The pitchers who throw the hardest accept a maximum external rotation of 160-180 degrees.

Sources: Werner 2008; Boddy 2011

xi. Increase elbow flexion velocity

In one case the throwing arm is artsy, relaxed and set up, the arm must also accept skillful elbow flexion.

This elbow flexion ways the ball is inside the elbow, which will let the arm to motion into MER faster considering of the shorter arm path due to the increased elbow flexion.

Sources: Werner 2008; Pourciau 2013; Kreber 2011; Ellis 2015

12. Increment upper body (torso) and pelvis rotation velocity

Rotation + Extension = Power. This is why it's so important for pitchers to be quick with all movements to the release of the baseball, using trunk rotation to build velocity. The speed and strength of a bullpen'due south trunk is another key chemical element in throwing velocity during the pitching delivery.

I believe it was Coach Nib Thurston from Amherst College back in the early 90's who was 1 of the first pitching instructors to emphasize that pitching velocity was the result of the rotational forces of the entire body working together as efficiently as possible by throwing with practiced mechanics.

He discovered that a pitcher'south ultimate velocity was dependent on how quickly he tin transfer free energy from the lower half of the body (legs) into the rotational forces of the torso that bring the arm through to release the ball.

In other words, how can a pitcher quickly become his navel from facing sideways as he strides forrard, to facing the hitter upon landing into ball release?

In the September 2003 edition of Coaching Direction mag, former White Sox Strength and Conditioning Managing director Vern Gambetta, best-selling that the torso plays a key part in getting the arm in the proper throwing position.

In addition to Gambetta, Arnel Aguinaldo, from Children's Infirmary San Diego, conducted a study, which proposed that larger torso segments create most of the velocity in throwing. Speed of the trunk is non the but aspect of body that needs to be adult. Tardily trunk rotation is a movement that can help increment strength applied to the ball along with keeping the arm healthy and safe.

Jordana Bieze reported in the June 2004 issue of Biomechanics that collegiate, high schoolhouse, and youth pitchers rotate less than xv% of their style through the pitching motion. Rotating also early on tin produce added strain to the arm and shoulder.

Additionally, Stodden and colleagues (2001) studied the furnishings of the pelvis on velocity and concluded that with a higher pelvic velocity a pitcher could throw harder during his delivery.

Sources: Werner 2008; Kreber 2011; Ellis 2015

13. Increase knee joint flexion at brawl release

Pitchers who throw the ball hardest have their front genu bent to threescore degrees or more than at brawl release. Then their forepart knees went from 48 degrees bent at step foot contact to lx degrees or more at ball release.

This is usually called "bracing up" against a firm front leg.

Studies testify that a pitcher's front leg absorbs twice their bodyweight on their front leg as they pitch.  Those with the highest velocity had the best bracing up of their front leg.

The stronger your front leg, the harder you throw.

In 1998, Bruce MacWillams conducted a study that examined ground reaction forces (GRF) during the pitching motion. The study's results indicated that leg drive is a significant cistron in pitcher'south throwing velocity. They found that greater resultant ground reaction forces resulted in a greater wrist velocity at release. Thus, they established a link between leg drive (the leg motions of the pitcher) and arm velocity. All the same, the frontwards motility in the commitment is not the just important activity of the lower body. The lead leg that blocks forward movement is also an essential element in a bullpen'southward throwing velocity. This demonstrated that the ability for the subject to drive the trunk over a stabilized front leg was characteristic of the fast-throwing pitchers.

Elliott et al. (1988) demonstrated that the ability for the subject to bulldoze the body over a stabilized front leg was feature of the fast-throwing pitchers.

What's more, in a 2001 study, Matsuo found that high velocity throwers were able to plant and extend the pb knee to provide stability to the pitching motion.

In addition, the Lexington Clinic was provided an outline evaluating kinetic movements. They included a .89 correlation between throwing velocity and lower torso force.

Source: Werner 2008; Kreber 2011; Ellis 2015

fourteen. Increase frontward body tilt at ball release

Increasing forrard trunk tilt doesn't mean bend the dorsum or follow through.

In fact, at ball release the back is really direct while the hips are bent. All the flexing that occurs happens at the hips, NOT the dorsum; the back stays straight through ball release.

The researchers felt that extending the front genu at ball release (from 48 to 68 degrees) helped increment the forward tilt of the upper body at brawl release.

Source: Werner 2008

15. Thrust your chest at the target during maximum external rotation of shoulder

The kinetic chain from the back leg to the throwing manus in maximum external rotation will demonstrate a opposite "C" position.

The latissimus dorsi, given its origin and insertion anatomic position and wrinkle through the lumbopelvic kinetic chain linkage, generates the greatest force during acceleration and positively increases ball velocity.

Source: Calabrese 2013

16. Increase step length

For a pitcher's footstep striding toward home plate, aim for 90 pct of the pitcher's elevation, with a goal somewhen of reaching 95-100 percent of his height.

The combination provides plenty of momentum to carry him into a long stride length that his 83% of his acme (elite pitchers are 75-90%), and maintain force product upwardly the chain.

But yous still want to land on a flexed front leg.

Measuring from the forepart border of the prophylactic to the toe of the footstep foot, the length of the stride should exist shut to the pitcher'due south continuing height.

Aim for as long a stride as possible where the pitcher can still get his head and shoulders over the atomic number 82 leg at the time of brawl release. As the pitcher'south human foot lands, look to see that he is on the ball of the stride foot, or flat footed. The toes should bespeak slightly in a close position. If the pitcher lands hard on the heel, the foot will usually wing open up which causes the hips and trunk to rotate open too soon. Information technology may too cause the pitcher to get onto a stiff front end leg too early which causes recoil activity, or puts him out of balance and alignment during the accretion phase—both of which negatively affects control and pitch velocity.

Footstep faults in direction and length tin affect torso rotation velocity and inclination and contribute to the throwing arm lagging backside the scapular airplane and increment stress on the shoulder and elbow.

The belatedly cocking and acceleration phases generate the highest segmental velocities and these phases are implicated in the bulk of pitching injuries.

The footstep is initiated from the point of maximum atomic number 82 articulatio genus summit to the point of human foot contact. Approximately 50% of ball velocity in the pitching movement is the resultant forces accumulated in the step and trunk rotation.

Sources: Calabrese 2013; Kunz 1974; Toyoshima et al. 1976; Toyoshima and Miyashita 1973; van Den Tillaar and Ettema 2004; Marques 2010

17. Finish with a "apartment back" position

Acceleration‐Demonstrating humeral adduction, trunk inclination between 32° and 55° prior to ball release towards home plate and an extending atomic number 82 leg.

Source: Calabrese 2013

eighteen. Use a iv-seam grip

The all-time grip for velocity and control on the fastball is across the 4-seams grip. The ball is counterbalanced and consistent finger force per unit area allows for good control and this grip imparts the fastest ball rotation.

Remeber, generating velocity requires you to apply force to the baseball.

Source: Ellis 2014

19. Use the wrist

The wrist is a very important lever in the pitching motion. In fact, Norihisa Fujii from the Academy of Tsukuba concluded later on a 2002 study that wrist flexion and strength are major contributors for increasing throwing velocity. In addition, many pitching coaches have incorporated a "wrist picture show" during their throwing warm upward progression.

The Lexington Dispensary reported that the wrist deemed for ten% of the force applied to the baseball game during the pitching commitment.

Source: Kreber 2011; Ellis 2015

20. Use the forearm

The forearm is vital to attain loftier velocity in the pitching delivery. In Will Carroll'south 2004 book Saving the Pitcher; he discussed the use of the forearm in the pitching motion.

During the acceleration stage, the pitcher'southward forearm will pronate, giving the ball its last bit of free energy. Dr. Joshua Dubin explained in his Injury Management Update on Pitcher's Elbow, how a flexed wrist volition actuate the forearm flexors during the release of the baseball.

Fifty-fifty the most inexperienced pitcher can tell that the forearm lends to force during the pitch. By keeping a manus on the throwing forearm and moving the throwing fingers, a pitcher can feel the movement inside the forearm.

Past developing the forearm muscle, pitchers will be able to powerfully pronate their artillery during this phase in the commitment.

Source: Kreber 2011; Ellis 2015

21. Build leg strength to improve ground reaction forces

Leg strength is all important to an efficient weight shift. It's the lower half that initiates motility downwards the colina and creates free energy in the system.

And it's the lower half that puts the brakes on to transfer the created energy upwardly the concatenation and convert linear momentum into rotational momentum. The more abruptly the brakes are applied, the greater the free energy that gets transferred (and that tin can translate to improve velocity and less wear and tear on the arm).

The more than efficient this is, the less other parts of the torso need to be recruited.

Leg forcefulness also figures into stamina.

Recall, over the course of a game, a bullpen'south lower half starts so brakes over and over again...

Beginning–brake. Start–brake. Beginning–restriction.

Maintaining tempo to put a consistent amount of energy into the system and consistently putting on the brakes to transfer a consistent corporeality of energy up the chain all help to create a consistent, repeatable delivery. But without stamina, all of this deteriorates as the game goes on. I also agree strong legs provide a stable base to help maintain posture and balance.

Then to me, leg strength doesn't just relate to 1 or 2 things — it figures into a lot of things that all can contribute to better performance and health.

22. Build rotator cuff strength

Underdeveloped musculature in the rotator gage may pb to difficulty controlling throwing-arm deceleration, causing an increase in horizontal adduction across the torso.

The rotator cuff is a fundamental contributor to the overhand throw. Pitchers must maintain a stiff and healthy rotator gage if they want to be successful on the mound. In fact, in an outline of kinetic movements by the Lexington Clinic, they found that the shoulder is responsible for 21% of the force placed on the ball. If a pitcher tin can strengthen this muscle, information technology is easy to see how pitch velocity can be added.

A University of Hawaii review of literature can support this claim. Information technology was reported that Toyoshima conducted a study and concluded that 53.ane% of an overhand throw velocity was due to the action of the arm. In some other 2001 study past Galloway and Koshland, their worked focused on finding a pattern in shoulder or elbow centered activities.

Their findings suggested that shoulder-centered activities were illustrated with directly or curved finger paths. Since the pitching movement requires straight and curved finger action, strengthening the shoulder and corresponding tendons should provide optimal velocity results.

Sources: Calabrese 2013; Keeley 2008

24 reasons why nearly pitchers lose velocity

Since we're on the topic of increasing pitching velocity, I get asked all the fourth dimension about when a pitcher should get his mechanics analyzed.

The answer is as before long equally possible. How long exercise you want a bullpen to build bad habits that are more than difficult to ready the longer you wait?

Here is a short listing of all the mechanical faults that not but reduce velocity, only also increase the chance of pitching arm injuries.

1. Pes position on rubber
2. Weight shift
3. Hand intermission
4. Arm action
5. Back leg position before hand break
6. Atomic number 82 leg action
7. Posture
8. Early on hip rotation
9. Low elbow or loftier elbow
10. Completion of back leg drive
11. Landing position - trunk alignment
12. Landing leg stability
13. Bracing activity of front leg and hip
14. Early torso rotation
15. Ball release position
16. Stop position
17. Stride length
18. Back foot action at ball release
19. Amount of trunk lean at ball release
20. Showing back pocket or number to hitter
21. Poor arm cocked position at landing
22. Brawl in close to head at landing
23. How the ball comes out of the glove
24. Position of dorsum leg earlier weight shift

Those are most of the mechanical faults you volition run across. And there are pitching drills designed to set every i of them.

Don't forget, it's important to remember the arm is not the source of power only the outcome of power developed by the larger muscles of the body. If you help a bullpen improve his mechanics, he will proceeds velocity most instantly.

Just show him how to move off his back leg, or shift his weight properly, or increase his stride length — and the added elastic free energy will do the play a trick on in pulling the arm through at much higher speed.

Or show him how to movement his body more explosively so that his lower body mass speeds up his trunk (and and then his arm).

Many pitchers but need to understand that in lodge to throw harder, you lot take to become the body to exist more explosive while getting into the optimum position to throw at foot plant.

This concept was once described to me as having a "fast bellybutton." I really similar this idea. The faster a bullpen can get his abdomen button from facing sideways to facing the hitter, the faster his arm will go and the higher the radar readings will be.

Pitching velocity nautical chart

How hard does your son throw? Exercise you know how hard he should be throwing?

Utilise this youth pitching velocity chart to notice out how your son's velocity compares to other pitchers his historic period throughout the U.S.

For fun, I've likewise included my own pitching velocities at dissimilar ages—from Little League Baseball and Babe Ruth all the way to the Chicago Cubs, where my top velocity was 96 mph but I sat at 93-94 mph.

Pitching velocity past age in the U.Southward.

On a mobile device? Swipe to view more.

¹ Boilerplate fastball speeds for amateur baseball pitchers in the United states every bit of 2017.

² I utilise the following formula to make up one's mind goal velocity: Pitcher's Historic period 10 5 = Your Goal Pitching Velocity (MPH)

³ This is my recommended pitching velocity program to help pitchers exceed their summit velocity.

Pitching velocity training

Lastly, when it comes to improving baseball pitching velocity I desire you to remember this:

Generally speaking, the biggest crusade of failure is NOT whether you long-toss or only throw from a mound or use weighted baseballs or strength train or ice your arm subsequently you pitch or listen to some guru or use some velocity program or whatever else the cyberspace would take you lot believe is a determining cistron in edifice velocity...

...the biggest crusade of failure — is quitting.

Information technology's a constant process; never terminate improving, never stop learning, and never terminate working difficult.

Get my youth pitching program

If your son is a pitcher, you're going to love this guide...

While there aren't many pitching workouts that are age-appropriate and safe for kids vii-xiv, there is one that provides youth pitchers with a daily routine to meliorate mechanics, increase functional strength and keep their throwing arm salubrious.

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If y'all believe good mechanics, good concrete fitness and a good throwing regimen are crucial to your son's arm wellness, velocity and success, click hither to learn more about my youth pitching plan.

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READ THIS NEXT: 33 Advanced Pitching Drills To Develop High-Velocity Mechanics

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS ARTICLE pitching speed, pitching velocity

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