Comments on: Applying Deliberate Practice to Your Throwing: Feedback

By: Steven Eagerton

Steven Eagerton — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 02:36:26 +0000

We do use a radar gun during games. I did it last year when I was on the shelf with tj.I keep an overall chart we have and give the pitching coach velocity updates. He would often use it as one of the factors to determine when to take a starter out of the game, but we have never used it in the bullpen as a training tool. On another topic had my best bullpen yesterday. No gun but was throwing the hardest I have (I think) so probably 81-84 at 8 1/2 months Full distance, 40 pitches, mixed in a few sliders. Starting to locate consistently now.

By: Ben

Ben — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:48:49 +0000

I think it depends on the player. If a kid has good mechanical “guard rails” – decent arm action (maybe could be a little quicker, but no pauses), decent tempo, hip/shoulder separation, etc and their mechanics really only need minute tweaks in timing or rhythm or tempo then having them just throw the crap out of the ball, and see that instant radar feedback could potentially strengthen the mind/body connection a lot. If you don’t buy this, it STILL has huge benefits in that it’s a way of forcing the player to apply intent. The player is forced to try to throw the ball as hard as he can, otherwise his lack of effort will be apparent from the gun readings. Not to mention radar feedback allows you to judge quantitatively WHEN a player is fatiguing, instead of leaving it up to the player to judge how his arm is feeling or giving him an arbitrary pitch count.

If a kid has a significant mechanical flaw (linear follow through/pushing arm action, significant pauses in arm action, almost no hip/shoulder separation, etc.) then these issues should probably be addressed specifically before you just let them loose and have them throw the crap out of the ball.

In my opinion this is a big reason why in weighted ball studies some kids gain 10 mph in 12 weeks and others gain 4 mph or so. The ones who have decent mechanics but havent learned to apply intent or brush up on tempo, rhythm, etc have a much higher ceiling than the sidearmer or pusher, even though the weighted balls will help them to a certain extent as well

By: Dan Blewett

Dan Blewett — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:52:39 +0000

I agree with Steve, that this is an excellent piece. But do you really think you can isolate variables that cause a difference in velocity on a pitch-by-pitch basis when using the radar gun? It’s absolutely correct that velocity can’t accurately be gauged by the thrower aside from a ballpark estimate (I know the difference between low-mid and upper 80s, but can’t tell upper 80s from low 90s apart), but do you think the mechanics behind such subtle fluctuations can really be isolated and repeated?

Or would it be a good idea to work on one mechanical adjustment per session and make a determination of it’s effect based on the average velocity?

By: Steven Eagerton

Steven Eagerton — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 06:37:55 +0000

This is a good article. I have done almost everything listed here except the throwing with a radar gun being used as a drill. Makes sense though, now to convince my coach to let me use it. He’s all about pounding the strike zone with two seamers not about veloicty.