What's your pitcher's warmup routine?

[quincy]

I have no, opinion. He asked, I will make a comment in post that it is HE. Thanks.

 

[Classof2020]

Below encourages HE mechanics.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w0N4XrHACwE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

(I am not sure why video not popping up but t drill link above)

This is exactly what you DON'T want to do. This is the basis of H/E.

 

[Ken B]

Like sluggers and riseball said: keep it simple, natural and pertinent to your session or game. T's, K's, etc., might be fine for someone needing to work on something, but I don't think they do much to prepare game or game-like practice. I like this example of Osterman warming up:



I like that her whole body is moving naturally.

 

[Annesdad]

Drills should only be used sparingly to fix a specific issue or to introduce a new concept. The problem with most drills is that they do not replicate what happens in the actual pitching motion. The classic example of this is the wrist flick. A warmup routine is just that, a routine used to prepare yourself to pitch at full speed. Start with the core and work outwards to the extremities. My DD would start with the typical running, stretches, etc. and then move into long toss. By the the time she finished long toss she was more or less warmed up. Her core was warm and her arm was loose and relaxed. At that point she would go to the bull pen, do some walk throughs and then go to full motion to get her pitches working. Only then if she was having an issue with a pitch would she actually get close to the catcher and isolate on the release to fix an issue with the spin of a pitch.

My pitchers own their warmups. They can do whatever they want. The only catch is that whatever they do better have an actual purpose and they need to be able to articulate the why.

When you say "Long toss" do you mean overhand?

 

[quincy]

When you say "Long toss" do you mean overhand?

I am sure he means pitching. No matter how old are pitcher is they should be doing this every practice if possible.

 

[riseball]

When you say "Long toss" do you mean overhand?

No, underhand while focusing on a fast arm. Jake would throw riseballs with a high loft, every practice and every game. Pretty much the norm with SEC programs.

 

[PEPPERS]

DD used a routine very similar to what RB advised his DD used, my DD would add some over hand throws and she would finish throw about 5 pitches of each pitch she throw in a game to get the feel of the pitch and if the movement was not there she sometimes worked on a certain pitch a little extra to get the feel of the pitch.

I was coaching I left it up the pitcher to feel she was warmed up enough and confident enough to pitch.

 

[CoachJD]

It's not. I don't see why anyone would think it is. For example, if one girl needs to warm up her change and it's not working but the other has the change going but is not doing well with the screwball...the two warm ups are going to be completely different. .02

How about for pitchers who have never pitched before? Or those whose only pitch is "try to get it over the plate occasionally"?

 

[Elk Grove Hurricane]

DD's is changing, but for now she starts with what she calls wrist snaps. They aren't anything like the videos I saw, though, and she isn't really snapping anything. Just getting her grip and practicing releasing the ball (and I don't know why she uses that term, her pitching coach doesn't use it.) Then, one knee drills with the full windup. Idea here is just to practice her balance, and warm the shoulder up, nothing else. Then walk-ups. Then long toss trying to hit her catcher in the chest at 50-55 feet (the distance varies based on what a 11-year old thinks is right). Then, actual pitching, working corners, change, etc.

 

[MightyMO]

No, underhand while focusing on a fast arm. Jake would throw riseballs with a high loft, every practice and every game. Pretty much the norm with SEC programs.

Riseball,

DD has incorporated long toss into her warm ups when we are practicing and I think it would be great to simplify her game warm ups and add these but how do you overcome the space limitations during crowded tournaments? There are times that it's hard to find 43' to warm up let alone enough to long toss.