Baseball Long-Toss Drills

A baseball player's ability to throw well is an important part of the sport. Arm injuries are common, however, and can often keep a player out of action for a substantial period of time. One of the best ways to build arm strength is by performing various long-toss drills. Pitchers often do long toss sessions to help loosen up their arms and maintain arm stamina. Good throwing technique is essential in order to avoid injury.

  1. Competitive Long-Toss Drill

    • Divide the players into pairs and ensure their arms are warmed up properly before starting the drill. Then have the players stand a certain distance apart and put down cones to mark every 5-yard intervals. The idea is for the players to throw the ball to each other in the air. If both players complete the throw, then each player should move back to the next cone and repeat the process. If the ball hits the ground, however, the players must return to the original cone and start over again. The pair that is the farthest away after a certain time limit is the winner.

    Hat Game

    • To play the hat game, two players should stand approximately 150 to 200 feet apart and put their hats on the ground in front of them. Players should then take turns trying to hit their partner's hat. A player should be awarded three points if they hit the hat on the fly and one point if the ball hits the hat on one bounce. The first player to reach 11 points is the winner.

    20-Minute Program

    • The 20-minute program is divided into two parts. The first part of the drill involves throwing the ball on an arc. Have two players stand 25 yards apart and throw for three minutes before moving back to 50 yards and repeating the process. Then have the players move another 25 yards backwards and throw for three minutes before finally increasing the distance to 100 yards, or as far as possible, and have them throw for two minutes. The purpose of the second part of the drill is to make the players throw the ball on a line. Start 75 yards apart and throw for two minutes before reducing the distance to 50 yards and throwing for a further two minutes. Finally, shorten the distance to 25 yards and throw for five minutes.

    Professional Pitcher's Program

    • Based on a professional pitcher's long-toss program, this 10-minute drill can be performed year round. It starts off by having a player throw to a partner 60 feet away for three minutes before moving to 90 feet and throwing for another three minutes. Increase the distance to 120 feet and throw for three minutes before reducing the distance to 60 feet for one minute, while also working on spins. Players should practice this drill four to seven times a week and may opt to throw farther than 120 feet once or twice a week.