Can you recommend any drill or exercises to increase arm speed please? Thanks
Arm speed
- Thread starter Larrry D
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I'd say the best drills to improve arm speed are those that promote efficient whip and a strong drive. The overall arm circle speed has little to do with the resulting speed of the ball--other than how it is timed in the drive and into the plant. The last quarter (or so) is where most of our speed comes from and anything that can be done to maximize drive and whip are much more important than how fast the arm can windmill. To further maximize the overall motion, exercises to build core strength can add to a more powerful drive and efficient whip. The IR in the Classroom and Drive Mechanics threads are great places to start.
javasource
6-4-3 = 2
Proximal stability creates distal mobility.
Work the core.
- Jul 10, 2011
- 77
- 6
Found the scholarly article: "Kinematics and kinetics of elite windmill softball pitching." The American Journal of Sports Medicine. 34.4 (Apr. 2006): p597.
http://www.esaabb.org/docs/Windmill-Kinematics.pdf
Uh oh - the title of the article "....elite windmill softball pitching" and the figure contained within which seems to illustrate palm down push through to HE finish seem to be contradictory. Surely this means the study is flawed.
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It doesn't say that 4% comes from the last 90 deg of rotation. I think the 4% refers to the angle of the elbow: "These seven measurements: 1) shoulder extension at stride foot contact, 2) shoulder abduction at stride foot contact, 3) knee angle at stride foot contact, 4) stride length, 5) stride angle, 6) elbow angle at release and 7) hip angle at release are important predictors of shoulder stress." This section refers to the injury results, but if you compare the graphs of elbow angle and speed, you can see a bit of correlation. I wish I had the raw data for this.
Here's the implication that IR, the whip, and the last 90 deg are hugely important to velocity: "At the instant of ball release, pitchers with great arm speeds tended to have lower ball velocities. Therefore, it appears that the arm circle needs to slow down prior to ball release for optimal ball speed."
