Workouts That Improve Pitching Speed

The feat of hurling a baseball over home plate at a high rate of speed with accuracy and control is a skill that pitchers constantly work on, from early in their playing days in Little League through the pinnacle of their careers, for those lucky enough to end up in the pros. This complicated task requires athleticism and continual technique practice to master. Baseball pitchers must have in their routine an exercise regimen that includes workouts aimed specifically at improving pitching speed. There are several ways for pitchers to increase their velocity.

  1. Leg Stability Exercises

    • Pitching velocity relies on coordination throughout many parts of the body, and having strong, stable legs is essential, because this is where the wind-up truly begins. The ability to drive the leg into the ground with force has a significant effect on the speed of the ball, according to the Complete Pitcher website. Thus, pitcher workouts should include exercises that will help improve leg strength. Among the exercises to include are lunges, squats, calf raises, leg presses and leg curls.

    Torso Rotation Exercises

    • According to the Pitching Tips website, 46.9 percent of the velocity in a pitch is caused by the stride and rotation of the body. Torso rotation requires the use of core muscles, and pitchers should include exercises that strengthen this part of the body in their workouts to improve speed. A complete abdominal workout including crunches, leg raises and work with a medicine ball can lead to speed improvements.

    Upper Body Resistance

    • Although some pitchers and pitching coaches shy away from heavy upper-body workouts because they fear injury to the throwing arm, the Complete Pitcher website claims that pitchers who include upper body resistance training in their routine can increase pitching velocity. In fact, stronger scapular, or shoulder, muscles can significantly help prevent injuries to the throwing arm. Exercises to include in this workout are bench presses, rowing machine work, lat pull-downs, push-ups and dumbbell flies. Throwing a shot put and performing shoulder presses will also add to scapular strength.

    Weighted Balls and Tubes

    • In addition to working out all the major muscle groups that will help pitchers throw harder, there are some resistance exercises that will help the pitcher increase velocity by going through the actual pitching motion. Pitch with weighted baseballs. These balls often add an extra 4 to 6 ounces of weight to the ball and will make a regulation ball seem easier to release at higher speeds. Similar exercises using surgical tubing for resistance can help strengthen the throwing arm, as well.