Thread: pitching warmup

Does anyone have a good set of stretching, drills and warm up exercises to do before a pitching practice or game that you are pitching?
re: 14U pitcher
Thanks, Mike

A pre-game warm up for a 14U pitcher is a little different than for a college level pitcher. The problem with your DD is that she isn't going to know "when she feels ready". She has to feel her way through warm ups to understand what *she* needs to do be ready to pitch.

Generally, she needs a list of activities that she is going to do. Because something might happen so that the entire warm-up can't be finished, the list should be prioritized, with the most important first.

For my DD, the warm up was:

(1) Toss a little overhanded.
(2) Play pitch and catch with the catcher standing up. This is a relaxed toss, without the pitcher worrying about the rubber, presenting the ball, etc. (This little skill of playing pitch and catch underhanded is a really good skill to develop. This allows her to warm up with anyone at anytime.)
(3) When she felt sufficiently warm, she would increase her speed in the "pitch and catch" up to about 90% of her game speed.

BE CAREFUL WITH THIS STRETCH: At any time, she might decide that her shoulder was too tight, and go over to the fence, grab it with her right hand, and then move her body to stretch the arm. Her right hand holds the fence, her right arm is extended, and she is facing the fence. She then rotates her upper body so that she is facing parallel to the fence.

After that:

(4) Fastballs at 100% until she demonstrates good control
(5) Breaking pitches until she had it working as to movement and location.
(6) Alternate breaking pitch/fastball.
(7) Location work.

My suggested warmup is very similar to Slugger's.

Jog the fence first (around entire field), if no fence guesstimate a decent distance, to get blood circulating through the muscles and loosen up from sitting around.

Static stretches before or after is a personal preference and there are differing opinions on the effectiveness. I generally tell my girls if you feel tight then stretch. I would prefer they do some light stretching myself, especially leap and drag pitchers stretching the groin muscles to help prevent pulled muscles.

Then:
10 short easy tosses overhand
10 short easy tosses underhand
10 short easy tosses with windmill motion
to the mound, start off 50% power fastballs working up to full speed then move into your practice based on what your working on at that time.

After your workput or game reverse the 10 pitch warmup to cool down
10 short easy tosses windmill motion
10 short easy tosses underhand
10 short easy tosses overhand

The 10 tosses can range from 10 - 25 based on how your daughter feels. If she is feeling tighter toss more if she is feeling loose 10 is usually sufficient.

Originally Posted by MCataudella

Does anyone have a good set of stretching, drills and warm up exercises to do before a pitching practice or game that you are pitching?
re: 14U pitcher
Thanks, Mike

I guess nobody else is going to mention this.

As you start warming up your throwing arm, wear a jacket. Even if it a warm but WINDY day, WEAR THE JACKET over your throwing arm as you warm up and afterwards.

When you come into the dugout, at least wear the jacket over your throwing arm.

Whatever your warm up routine is, do it until your throwing arm is sweating, if it's sweats - it's warm. THEN KEEP IT WARM, SHOULDER TOO, even if it sweats a little to do so inside the jacket.

If you are the go to pitcher in the game, keep your jacket on your arm and shoulder. Work out between innings. You never know when you might get called on at the drop of a hat. STAY LOOSE AND KEEP THAT ARM AND SHOULDER COVERED UP.

I always started out slow, nothing fancy, just throwing. As soon as I felt my arm was starting to perspire a little, THEN I picked up the pace and the speed. I never warmed up at 100% full speed, they didnt get to see that until I had a batter in the box and my 5 warm up pitches were done.

In between innings, the jacket was on my arm and shoulder. Except for a few bent back fingers and thumbs from deflecting line drives or one hoppers, I never had an injury to my throwing arm or shoulder in all my years pitching.

Dont be a stupid goose, keep it warm and keep it loose! OH NO, sounds like a cheer coming on!

(clap, clap)
We're great.
(clap,clap)
You're not!
(clap, clap)


Thats it.