Here is my question.
My 12 year old son is a pitcher. He is taking a 6 month break from baseball to play soccer and basketball. When he starts Little League again in the Spring, what sort of throwing “build-up” or “easing back into it” should he do before he starts throwing full velocity? Before he starts pitching? Is there a pre-season throwing schedule you can recommend for him to “get back into it”?
Thanks!
Fletcher
I don’t believe there’s any set workout to get back into throwing/pitching, and I’m sure there’s many different opinions. The following is what I’d do if my son took that long off.
Start by playing catch for 20-30 minutes 2-3x a week for at least 2-3 weeks before starting bullpens. Spread it out…M, Th, Sa vs. Fr, Sa, Su. Start at a short distance of say 40 ft. and gradually increase the distance over the 2-3 weeks. Once he’s comfortable throwing longer distances on a line, then begin your bullpens and drill work.
Once you start having him throw, it’s important to stay consistent. Don’t throw 3x one week then only once the following. Create some sort of schedule and try to stick to it the best you can.
[quote=“Brian179”]I don’t believe there’s any set workout to get back into throwing/pitching, and I’m sure there’s many different opinions. The following is what I’d do if my son took that long off.
Start by playing catch for 20-30 minutes 2-3x a week for at least 2-3 weeks before starting bullpens. Spread it out…M, Th, Sa vs. Fr, Sa, Su. Start at a short distance of say 40 ft. and gradually increase the distance over the 2-3 weeks. Once he’s comfortable throwing longer distances on a line, then begin your bullpens and drill work.
Once you start having him throw, it’s important to stay consistent. Don’t throw 3x one week then only once the following. Create some sort of schedule and try to stick to it the best you can.[/quote]
Thanks, Brian. That sounds like a sensible approach.
Not to worry, Fletcher. My computer does this all the time, and all it goes to show is that it’s stupid. And I agree that even during the offseason one should never stop throwing (unless one has come down with the flu)—even just 20 to 30 minutes of playing catch will be sufficient to maintain the arm strength, and that’s what it’s all about. I remember a story about David Cone who, during one offseason, took family and friends on a cruise; one morning they were looking for him and found him on the upper deck of the ship, playing a rousing game of catch with a few of his teammates. He had been doing this every day—the season had just ended, and here he was getting ready for the next season. Every day, playing catch—and by the next spring training he was ready to get out there and pitch another shutout! 