Share your pitchers warm up routine? (stretching??)

[gator5]

It generally takes my daughter 10 minutes to go from cold to ready to pitch. I just don't see the need for 20-30 minutes of warming up. If it is game day - all the warm up just takes away from possible innings they can pitch.

3-5 or so minutes of throwing overhand.

3-4 or so minutes of throwing underhand starting with the hand at the 12 oclock position.

1-2 minutes of full circle pitching

We then get the catcher set up and she pitches at 80% for 5 or so pitches - then maybe 90% for so 5 pitches then we are ready to go.

My times above may not add up to 10 minutes - but we she is definitely throwing fast 10 minutes in.

My DD has only been pitching a year. She has been training a lot this winter and has started to get some bicep tendonitis where the short head of the bicep connects to her shoulder (pain felt in front of arm sort of near her armpit, triggered at the top of her circle and felt most when her arm is at like 2 o'clock) She's taking 2 weeks off and its already starting to feel better. I'm looking for a more concrete routine for her once we get back into full swing and I don't really know where to start. Right now we plan on getting to practice a little earlier and having her jog around first. Also looking for some good stretches.

She has always warmed up by doing some catch for about 10 minutes then eases into her pitching warm ups. It's all in all about 15-20 minutes before she starts throwing real pitches. This obviously isn't enough.....

 

[Ken B]

RT1,
Try having her get her legs into the 45 warm up. Doing 45's without the legs might be along the same lines as a hitter warming up swing arms only? You could say the same about kicking a ball, swinging a tennis racquet, golf club or other motions in sports. It feels much better to let the whole body warm up together.

End .02...

Ken

 

[About Them]

Stretching is important and in all my years of coaching I have watched 98.2% of players "half rear" warm ups. You need to stay on them to make sure they do it right and get properly warmed up to prevent injury. Teenagers think they are bullet proof.

I guess I'm lucky. DD (and other pitchers on her 16u travel team) take pitching warm ups quite seriously. They've all been through the nagging pains. Her coach is the opposite....does not dictate how they warm up (as pitchers). All three of them want to go D1 and have parents like me who let them know that they need to do everything in their power to succeed.

 

[KneeHighSocks]

Stretching is important and in all my years of coaching I have watched 98.2% of players "half rear" warm ups. You need to stay on them to make sure they do it right and get properly warmed up to prevent injury. Teenagers think they are bullet proof.

Thanks all.

she has a pitching coach, The pain actually started during a lesson so he was able to help her right then. There is nothing wrong with her form. I think it's mostly overuse for that week. But I'd like to take tis opportunity to get her in a more concrete routine. Mostly with the time she takes to warm up and also more *stretching* (agree with JAD I've yet to see any girl do some serious stretches, and that includes my older DD and her team) . DD2 is a gymnast also so always is tight in her shoulders after doing parallel bars. I think she's going to have to be more diligent from now on.

She learned to pitch from Denny Tincher, so we don't have the exact same pitcher warm ups as other do, but she has a version of them. After regular throwing overhand she does arm circles that start at the 12 position, then will do full arm circles incorporating her legs before she goes into full pitching. It's going to be a little while before we see her pitching coach again so I was looking for new ideas, stretches, from people who have done it not an article I google.

 

[Ken B]

Guess I've never understood "throwing to warm up." Seems like "warming up to throw" would be preferred?

 

[KneeHighSocks]

Guess I've never understood "throwing to warm up." Seems like "warming up to throw" would be preferred?

right?
So she jogs for 5 or so minutes .....then her throws are slow and easy at first then increase in intensity and effort after time, then goes into full pitching.....anything else I'm missing?

 

[Mad4Ball]

My dd probably thinks messing with her hair for 5 minutes is part of the whole process.

So true... Makes me laugh how some girls need perfect hair every time they leave the dug.

 

[Rocketech1]

RT1,
Try having her get her legs into the 45 warm up. Doing 45's without the legs might be along the same lines as a hitter warming up swing arms only? You could say the same about kicking a ball, swinging a tennis racquet, golf club or other motions in sports. It feels much better to let the whole body warm up together.

End .02...

Ken

Thanks. When she does the K drill and walk-thrus she will use her legs. Right or wrong, for the 45's, I like her to focus on good arm whip and getting the correct, tight spin of the pitch without having to worry about the lower body.

 

[grcsftbll]

When we throw we start out probably 8 feet apart, after doing some stretching (always dynamic, to start). It's nice and easy, with gradually increased distance. We don't warm up starting out with hard throws across the field.

 

[Ken B]

Thanks. When she does the K drill and walk-thrus she will use her legs. Right or wrong, for the 45's, I like her to focus on good arm whip and getting the correct, tight spin of the pitch without having to worry about the lower body.

I’d just suggest having her try letting her feet/lower body move and see what she thinks. Better yet, try it yourself and see if you feel like the quality of your throw is better one way or the other.