Copyright © 2022 by Driveline

Baseball All rights reserved.

No part of this book may
be reproduced or trans-
mitted in any form or by
any means without writ-
ten permission from the
author. Consult a physician
before starting any new workout
regimen. This information is presented as a
template only and not a specific recommendation
for any individual athlete. The book should be un-
dertaken only by physically mature athletes who
are medically cleared to throw. Driveline Baseball
will not be held responsible for injuries that hap-
pen as a result of following this or any other work-
out program. By voluntarily following this pro-
gram, you agree to hold both Driveline Baseball,
its owners, and employees harmless. All athletes
should seek medical advice before beginning this
workout program. If you are under the age of 18,
seek parental or guardian consent before starting
this program.

II
 Who Should Do This Program?
Who Should Note? 01
How To Get The Most From
This Program 02
Common Mistakes
03
CONTENTS
04
07
Introduction to Stress
Drill Overview
Equipment List
06 & Videos

20 21 26 27
Program Different Types of Post Throwing Introduction to
Overview Throwing Days Recovery Strength Training

29
Introduction
to Strength
Training 41
Appendix Velocity
Throwing & PULSE

Programs
Guidelines 44
 THIS PROGRAM
should be undertaken only by skeletally mature athletes
who are medically cleared to throw.

As a general rule of thumb, we recommend the program in this book for high school aged athletes, those whose
growth plates have closed, which typically occurs around 16-17 years of age, and who have a solid base of throwing.

ARM INJURIES DO NOT DO THIS PROGRAM IF:

Any athlete that has recently undergone a throwing arm You are younger than 16, we would recommend our free
injury that has required them to miss 2+ months of throw- youth training program instead.
ing needs to first finish any prescribed physical therapy and
complete a physical therapist’s or doctor’s throwing pro- You are not medically cleared to pitch (use your PT program
gram before starting this program. or give them our Return to Throwing Program).

You must be medically cleared to pitch. You have yet to complete a return to throw program created
by your doctor or physical therapist in favor of starting either
We have a free Return to Throwing Program that is a more our Return to Throwing Program or this On-Ramping Pro-
gradual on-ramp to address any underlying arm fitness is- gram.
sues post-PT which you can bring to your PT or consulting
physician for guidance and clearance.

1
HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT
OF THIS PROGRAM

1. DO THE PROGRAM AS LAID OUT

Velocity creation and improved performance are deliberate processes, there
are no shortcuts for time and hard work. Follow the prescribed throwing
volume and intensity for each day, and resist the urge to do more simply
because you may feel good on a certain day. We’ve created velocity and
PULSE arm speed execution guidelines to help you stay within the right
intensity each day.

2. DO THIS PROGRAM EXCLUSIVELY

Do not mix and match this program with others. Any quality program is
built upon itself and will be less effective if it's combined with a differ-
ent program. Following one program perfectly is far better than following
multiple programs partially.

3. DO THIS PROGRAM IN THE OFF-SEASON

This program is meant to be performed in the off-season while not playing
in any games. Even if you are not pitching, throws made from the infield/
outfield still count and will interfere with the effectiveness of this program.

2
 Doing too much too fast. It is common for athletes to perform too much
1 throwing or at too high of an intensity based on what their program says. For
example, if you have a recovery day, try and ensure your arm speed is much
lower than that of a velocity day. Furthermore, it would not be recommended
to perform more than the prescribed amount of high-intensity throws. When
it comes to high-intensity throwing, more is not better. Throwing program
compliance is extremely important and should be taken very seriously.

Skipping the on-ramp or doing the on-ramp along with other velocity
2 programs. This is too much work. We wrote our program to be done by itself.
The on-ramp phase is extremely important to prepare your body to accept
the stress of throwing at high intent. Mixing them doesn’t give you the best
of both worlds. It gives you both of the stressors. You will be overworked and
under-recovered, increasing your injury risk and potentially hurting your ve-
locity.

Doing offseason throwing programming when in season. If you are play-

3 ing games, do the in-season program. Gains can be made in-season, but
during the season it is time to compete first and foremost. If you are trying to
do velocity work on top of playing games, you are not only risking that your

COMMON in-game performance will suffer, but also putting yourself at a higher risk of
injury.

MISTAKES Throwing to warm-up rather than warming up to throw. Warm Up. Train.

This program works as written.

4 Recover. There is a specific reason warm-up and recovery drills are over 50%
of the program time. They matter.
Results do not come by mix-
ing and matching programs or
picking what days you want to
do and only performing them
3
INTRO TO Figure 1:
General Workout/Recovery Cycle
STRESS
The Role of Stress
Involution
For the properly prepared athlete, the Supercompensation
right amount of stress is a positive. Training
It creates positive tissue adaptations Stimulus
through the mechanism of supercom-
pensation - stressed tissue (given suffi-
cient time to recover) will add capacity,
increasing its overall fitness.

For an untrained, over-tired or unrecov-

ered athlete, stress is a negative, lead-
Recovery
ing the athlete on a downward spiral to
poor performance and risk of injury.

A pitcher’s body will adapt to the specific de-

mand that is being applied to it. If a stressor
stays the same, week after week, month af-
ter month, adaptation stops.
Fatigue
Throwing programming should be closer to
how lifting programming is done. Specific
days have goals and set intensities and vol-
umes. Each day that we program has a pur-
pose and each week has a specific order of
days. Some days have lower throws and in-
tensities, while others have higher volumes
and intensities.
4
 IMPORTANCE OF
RECOVERY
Adding more work doesn’t make a good program better. It is common for ath-
letes and coaches to start out thinking, “if high intent throwing once a week is
good, then doing it every day is 7x better” This is a flawed approach and neglects
how important recovery is. You might make yourself over-trained or put yourself
at increased risk of an injury.

Below is a basic breakdown of training activities by time spent per week during
the off-season for an on-boarded athlete training in-gym at Driveline Baseball:

1. WARM UP 2. THROWING PROGRAM

25-35% 15-25%

3. HIGH INTESITY THROWS 4. RECOVERY

2.5-7.5% 30-50%

55-70% of the time is spent on warm-up and recovery. If you want to see benefits
OFF DAYS ARE from high-output training of any kind (lifting, throwing, etc.) you have to be willing
to put in time doing the boring prep work.

OFF DAYS.
DON’T THROW. 5
EQUIPMENT
USED IN THIS PROGRAM
PlyoCare Balls Leather Weighted Baseballs
1500g 11oz
1000g 9oz
450g 7oz
225g 6oz
150g 4oz
100g 3oz
PlyoCare Balls are meant for sub-max- Weighted baseballs are meant for
imal and constraint training. They’re warming up in catch play and high in-
meant to be paired with specific drills tent throwing when scheduled.
to change a player’s mechanics. Our Wrist Weights
day-to-day drills are done using Plyo- 2.5kg or 5kg
Care Balls of a variety of weights. Each Stronger, more physically mature ath-
day has a specific purpose with the letes should use the 5kg
number of drill throws along with spe- Resistance Bands
cific intensities and volumes. J-Bands
*optional: new plyos

Optional: Shoulder Tube

Optional: Radar Gun
Having access to a radar gun is not only crucial for measuring progress over
time, but also for ensuring you are executing the program as written.
Optional: PULSE Throw Workload Monitor
While it is optional, utilizing PULSE is a strong and highly recommended ad-
dition to this program. A program, no matter how well constructed, is only
as effective as the athlete’s ability to complete it as intended. We use PULSE
to ensure our athletes have an accurate count of the total number of throws
they are making and the intensity of those throws.
Increase progress, decrease injury risk
6
 J-Band Series

JAEGER BAND
ROUTINE
Forward Fly Reverse Fly
Start with your back to the Start facing the bands with
bands with arms out in a T arms straight out in front of
position. Bring your arms you. Move your arms to your
together in front of you and side into a T pose. Without
then lift them straight up shrugging your shoulders,
overhead. Then retrace your move your arms straight up
steps bringing your arms overhead. Then retrace your
down directly in front of you steps bringing your arms Internal Rotation
and then back to the T posi- back down to a T position Start with your throwing shoulder facing the bands with
tion to complete the rep. and then back in front of you both arms held at shoulder height in front of you and el-
to complete the rep. bows bent inward at 90 degrees so the throwing forearm
rests on top of the non-throwing forearm. From here, ro-
Tricep Extension Bicep Curls tate the throwing forearm and hand from the starting
Start with your back to the Start facing the bands with position parallel to the ground 90 degrees so that they’re
bands and elbows up at arms straight out in front pointing directly upwards. Then return the forearm and
shoulder height in front of of you at shoulder height hand 90 degrees downward back to the position parallel
you and elbows bent so that and hands rotated so that to the ground to complete the rep.
your hands are next to your thumbs are pointed down.
ears with palms facing down While keeping your upper External Rotation
towards your shoulders. arms parallel to the ground, Start with your non-throwing shoulder facing the bands
While keeping your upper perform a traditional bicep with both arms held at shoulder height in front of you and
arms parallel to the ground, curl motion finishing with elbows bent inward at 90 degrees so the throwing fore-
straighten your arms finish- your palms facing towards arm rests on top of the non-throwing forearm. From here,
ing with your hands rotated you. Then return the arm rotate the throwing forearm and hand from the starting
so that thumbs are pointed to a straight position with position parallel to the ground 90 degrees so that they’re
down. Then return to the thumbs pointing down to pointing directly upwards. Then return the forearm and
curled position with palms complete the rep. hand 90 degrees downward back to the position parallel
facing towards you to com- to the ground to complete the rep.
plete the rep. 7
 Wrist Weight Series

WRIST WEIGHT
ROUTINE
Pronation Swings
Start with your arms hanging to your side. Swing them up with your palms facing
up and away from you. As your arms reach shoulder height, smoothly turn your
hands over and allow your arms to swing down with your palms facing down-
ward.

Two-Arm Throws
Start with your elbows up at shoulder height in front of you and elbows bent so
that your hands are next to your ears with palms facing down towards your shoul-
ders. From here extend your hands out much like making an overhead soccer
throw and turn your thumbs down as your arms get near straight. From here, let
your arms continue their motion and fall down to your sides to complete the rep.

Cuban Press
Start with hands hanging at your sides. Raise your elbows to shoulder height with
your hands still hanging below. From here, flip your hands up so that they’re di-
rectly above your elbows before raising your arms straight up in the air. Then re-
trace your steps back down to complete the rep.

Pivot Pickoffs
Start with hands in front of your chest and throwing side foot staggered slightly
ahead of the other. From here make a motion as if delivering an easy throw to a
target directly ahead of you.

8
 Shoulder Tube Routine

SHOULDER TUBE
ROUTINE
Overhead flexion ER/IR
Start with your arm hanging Start with your arm at your side with your elbow bent at 90
in front of your hip with your degrees in front of you with your hand facing inwards. Move
palm facing back towards your hand inwards until it gets to your stomach and then
you. While keeping your arm outwards until it's at 180 degrees from your body before re-
straight, raise it in front of you turning to the original position to complete the rep.
all the way until it's straight
above you. Try to do so with-
out shrugging your shoul-
Shoulder Isolations or Pronation
ders. Then retrace your steps /Supination
to complete the rep. Start with your arm straight out directly in front of you. While
using your wrist to slowly rotate the shoulder tube from max
pronation to max supination, shake the shoulder tube for-
Lateral flexion ward and backward using the movement of your shoulder
Start with your arm hanging
to shake the tube instead of movement of your elbow. Once
at your side with your palm
you’ve moved your wrist from neutral to maximally pronated
facing toward you. While
to maximally supinated and then back to neutral you have
keeping your arm straight,
completed one rep.
raise it to your side as far as
you can go without shrug-
ging your shoulders. Then re- Throwing Motion
trace your steps to complete Go through the entire throwing motion from a stretch deliv-
the rep. ery both forward and backward to complete one rep.

9
 PlyoCare Drills

REVERSE THROWS
Start by kneeling on your throwing side
knee and begin with the ball in your throw-
ing hand next to your front foot. From
there, drive your elbow back and drive the
ball backward toward a target behind your
throwing side ear, all while keeping your
front knee stationary.

WHY:
This is a simple warmup to get the posterior
shoulder and thoracic spine warm and also
allows the athlete to feel the pelvis rotating
around a fixed front leg.

PLAY VIDEO
10
 PlyoCare Drills

PIVOT PICKS
Start with your throwing side foot staggered
slightly ahead of the other and your arms
hanging comfortably. From here, deliver a
fluid throw to a target that is eye height on
your throwing arm side.

WHY:
This drill removes some of the extra vari-
ables in the delivery and naturally allows
the athlete to focus on both arm action and
the transfer of energy from pelvis to torso
to arm.

PLAY VIDEO
11
 PlyoCare Drills

ROLL-INS
Start with your entire body facing the target.
While keeping your toes pointed towards
the target, make a small step towards the
target with the throwing side foot followed
by a larger step with the opposite foot. As
you’re making the larger step, counter-ro-
tate the torso away from the target and
then deliver the throw to a target eye height
on your throwing arm side.

WHY:
Roll-Ins are a great drill for allowing the ath-
lete to feel disconnection between the pel-
vis and torso and can provide the exagger-
ated feeling of the pelvis landing open in a
position to block efficiently.

PLAY VIDEO
12
 PlyoCare Drills

STEP BACKS
Start with shoulders pointing towards the
target similar to a set position. Step back to-
wards second base with the back foot into
a strong stable position and then ride that
back leg down the slope towards the target
to deliver a throw to a target eye height on
your throwing arm side.

WHY:
This drill provides the feeling of riding the
back leg down the slope and is excellent for
athletes who instead have trouble jumping
or extending off their back leg towards the
plate.

PLAY VIDEO
13
 PlyoCare Drills

DROP STEPS
Start with your back to the target. Using a
small step with the throwing side foot and
an aggressive stride with the other foot,
turn towards and gain ground towards the
target and deliver a throw to a target eye
height on the throwing arm side.

WHY:
Drop steps prompt the athlete to be athlet-
ic and move down the mound quickly and
also put them in a position that naturally
encourages proper sequencing between
pelvis and torso.

PLAY VIDEO
14
 PlyoCare Drills

JANITORS
Start in a set position with the foot against
the rubber. While keeping your back leg
fixed, inch your front foot around your back
leg towards second base. Once you’ve coun-
terrotated your front leg and pelvis against
a fixed back leg, pick up your front leg and
deliver a throw to a target at eye height on
the throwing arm side.

WHY:
Similar to drop steps, janitors organically
encourage more separation between pelvis
and torso and preset a position where the
back leg is driving pelvic rotation.

PLAY VIDEO
15
 PlyoCare Drills

STEP BEHINDS
Start with your shoulders pointed towards
the target in an athletic position. Bring the
back foot behind the front and then stride
with the front foot like making a normal
throw in order to deliver a throw to a target
at eye height on the throwing arm side.

WHY:
This is another excellent drill for moving
quickly and athletically down the mound
and also presets the pelvis in a position
where the back leg can organically drive
pelvic rotation.

PLAY VIDEO
16
 PlyoCare Drills

ROCKERS
Start with your shoulders pointed towards
the target and your legs in a wide but com-
fortable stance. While keeping your torso
upright, rock both your hips and torso for-
wards towards the target and back towards
second base. As your weight works back
towards second base, lift your front leg and
deliver a throw to a target at eye height on
the throwing arm side.

WHY:
This drill can be used to allow an athlete to
gain a feeling of athletically transitioning
their center of gravity down the slope.

PLAY VIDEO
17
 PlyoCare Drills

WALKING WINDUPS
Start standing behind the mound. You’ll
take a step with your back foot placing it
against the rubber and continue the wind-
up motion utilizing that extra momentum
to deliver a throw to a target eye height on
the throwing arm side.

WHY:
This drill brings the whole throw together
by mimicking a complete windup delivery
with the addition of a little forward momen-
tum to help transition the athlete’s center of
mass down the slope faster.

PLAY VIDEO
18
 WHICH PLYOCARE BALLS YOU USE
1 We use different balls with varying drills for a number of reasons. Different ath-
letes respond better to certain ball weights due to contrasts in strength and
skill among other reasons. Some athletes simply prefer certain ball weights
for specific drills, which we encourage. We will also frequently adjust which
plyos an athlete uses depending on the intensity of their throwing day.

WHICH DRILLS YOU DO

2 This depends on the athlete and what we are trying to accomplish. Every ath-
lete will begin every throwing day with reverse throws and pivot pickoffs, as
those are excellent warmups and don’t require high intensity. On throwing
days with higher volume and intensity, we will add three or four additional
PlyoCare drills of which walking windups are always the last. Different drills
will address different deficiencies and can help to cue desired movement pat-
terns without the athlete having to consciously think about it.

PLYOCARE
ROUTINE 3
WHAT CUES YOU USE WITH THOSE DRILLS
At times when the drill alone doesn’t create the movements we want, we’ll

GUIDELINES
use additional cues for the athlete to use while doing their PlyoCare drills. As
often as possible, we’ll try to keep the cue external. A simple example of an
external cue we use frequently is throwing the PlyoCare ball to a target eye
height and arm side. This will naturally prompt the athlete to stay behind the
So what makes a Driveline PlyoCare
ball rather than cutting it and can also cue the athlete’s arm action in subtle
routine? The three primary compo-
ways.
nents are the following

19
SAMPLE Day of Week Throwing Workout
Perceived Throwing
Effort Level
Number of Throws

THROWING Monday Recovery Low - 50-60% 50

WEEK
Tuesday Hybrid B Med - 70-80% 100

Wednesday Recovery Low - 50-60% 50

Thursday Hybrid B Med - 70-80% 100

The table to the right pro-
vides an example of a typical Friday Recovery Low - 50-60% 50
throwing week and how we
Saturday Velocity High - 100% 80
vary intensity and volume
throughout. Sunday Off - 0

WORKLOAD & ACR

Do not perform every
1-Day Workload AC Ratio single throw at high
intensity.
20 1.50

15 Both volume (the number

of throws) and intensity (the
1.00
WORKLOAD

effort of those throws) are

AC RATIO
important when considering
10 throwing workload. To pre-
scribe intensity, we use Rate
0.50 of Perceived Effort (RPE),
5 which is the percentage of ef-
fort listed above.

Lastly, just because a certain

0 0 day has a high RPE does not
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY mean every throw that day
should be done at that inten-
sity. For the days where inten-
sity is higher, athletes should
slowly work up that effort lev-
READ MORE ABOUT WORKLOAD AND AC RATIO HERE el.
20
 Different Types of Throwing Days

RECOVERY DAY
VARIATIONS
50% RPE, 500-600 PEAK ARM SPEED

RECOVERY
This is the lightest type of throwing day. The goal is to get
the arm moving without high volume or intensity in order
to prepare us for future high intensity throwing days. Plyo
throws consist of reverse throws and pivot picks only. After
plyos, light catch play will be plenty. No long toss. Athletes
should also try to avoid lifting on these days in order to limit
total stress on the body.

RECOVERY + LONG TOSS

The same idea as normal recovery days except with light
long toss at the end. We are sticking to the 500-600 arm
speed maximum but we are lengthening out a bit. This is a
nice middle ground between a pure recovery day and a B
day.

RECOVERY + SHORT BOX

Still a recovery day except after light catch play, the athlete
can hop on the mound for a light bullpen with the catcher
set up in front of the plate. These are frequently used in-sea-
son either for starters trying to touch the mound a second
time between starts or for relievers on days they might pitch
but still want to get a little work in the pen pregame.

21
 Different Types of Throwing Days

B DAY VARIATIONS
60-70% RPE, 700-850 PEAK ARM SPEED

HYBRID B
These are medium intensity throwing days where athletes
can work on making mechanical tweaks without going at
high intensity. After completing warmups, reverse throws,
and pivot picks, the athlete will do two or three other pre-
scribed drills and then end with walking wind ups. After ply-
os, go into long toss. Long toss on Hybrid B days will consist
of only extension throws. Work out to a good distance and
get air under the ball. No throws should be pulled down or
thrown on a line.

MOUND BLEND B
The premise is the same as a Hybrid B except with a light
15-20 pitch bullpen at the end. This is a good opportunity to
throw a mix of pitches and work on pitch execution without
using a high intensity day. If possible, it is recommended to
use a pitch tracking technology like Trackman or PitchLogic.

22
 Different Types of Throwing Days

A DAY VARIATIONS
80-90% RPE, 850-1000 PEAK ARM SPEED

HYBRID A
Hybrid A days are mostly the same as hybrid B days except
the intent is bumped up to 80-90%. For long toss you will
perform extension throws again, but you will work in 5-8
compression throws at the end. Athletes should view these
days as high intent days just short of max effort.

MOUND BLEND A
This is the same as a Hybrid A except with a 20-25 pitch bull-
pen at the end. If possible, it is recommended to use a pitch
tracking technology like Trackman or PitchLogic and to also
track command and execution via tools like the Intended
Zones Tracker.

23
 Different Types of Throwing Days

VELOCITY DAY
VARIATIONS
100% RPE, NO PEAK ARM SPEED

PLYO VELO PULLDOWNS RUN’N’ GUNS/

This velocity-focused training day consists of three or four
drills; the two or three you're prescribed plus walking wind
COMPRESSION THROWS
Pulldowns are max effort throws which begin with some sort
ups. Set a target on the wall at eye height on your throwing
of running start much like an outfielder charging towards a
arm side and try to hit that target. The athlete will make 2
ground ball and firing to a base to nab a runner. They can be
throws with each ball (blue, red, yellow, gray) in each drill.
done with either a baseball or with the short or long spread
Make sure to allow adequate rest time throughout the ses-
of weighted baseballs similar to weighted ball mound velos.
sion. Plyo velo days allow us to use overload/underload train-
This drill asks the athlete to be athletic, and as a result, is
ing off a mound with implements that have a different tac-
great for less advanced throwers that need to get used to
tile feel than a baseball.
moving quickly and athletically.

WEIGHTED BALL MOUND VELO MOUND VELO

This velocity training day is performed off the mound at max
Mound velo days are simply max effort throws off the mound
intent and uses the weighted ball series (3oz, 4oz, 6oz, 7oz).
with a 5oz regular baseball. Set a target middle-middle and
The athlete will perform 3-4 throws with each ball in a row
throw it as hard as you can. Ideally, go for 3 sets with 5 throws
(for example; 5oz, 5oz, 5oz, 6oz, 6oz, 6oz). The order of the
each and take a minute or so after every 5 throws. Mound
baseball throws goes 5oz (regular baseball), 6oz, 7oz, back to
velos are the most closely related pure velo day to a bullpen
5oz, 4oz, 3oz. There are 2 different sets; Short form and long
in that it is done with a 5oz baseball off the mound.
form. Short form only uses 5oz, 6oz, and 4oz. Long form uses
all of them; 5oz, 6oz, 7oz, 4oz, 3oz. If the athlete is relatively
new to WB mound velo days, use short form until they are
built up enough to handle the extra load of the 7oz and 3oz.
Weighted ball mound velos allow athletes to use overload/
underload training off a mound throwing to a target with a
baseball.

24
 Different Types of Throwing Days

PERFORMANCE
DAY VARIATIONS
100% RPE, NO PEAK ARM SPEED

BULLPEN PITCH DESIGN

This is a bullpen thrown using the ath- Pitch designs are bullpens performed
lete’s full arsenal while working on pitch on pitch tracking technology with the
execution. Again, if possible, it is recom- specific purpose of evaluating and ad-
mended to use a pitch tracking tech- justing the athlete’s arsenal. Using tech
nology like Trackman or PitchLogic and such as Trackman and Edgertronic
to also track command and execution cameras, the athlete is able to look at
via tools like the Intended Zones Track- their current arsenal, examine how they
er. can improve it, and work to find the
best grips, cues, and pitch shapes to
help them be successful.

LIVE ABS
Live ABs are when the athlete puts their work to the test and faces live hitters.

Note about velocity training days: There is no one kind of velocity

workout that is best. The type of velocity workout that an athlete per-
forms depends on several factors such as athlete deficiencies, prepa-
ration level, athlete preference, and time of year. Based on these same
factors, it may also be optimal to not use any type of velocity days at all
for a period of time. As the athlete tries to decide which type of high
intensity day they want to use in their program, consider what they’re
adequately prepared to do and what they’re trying to accomplish.
25
POST-THROWING
RECOVERY
Our post-throw arm care routine will ■ Scap Each box is checked once in a standard
vary depending on the type of throwing These exercises incorporate long-le- arm care circuit. There’s no need to hit
day. For a recovery day, the post-throw ver movements targeting the poste- four different types of forearm exercises
routine will consist of a quick circuit of rior structures such as low/mid traps each day for example.
four exercises: and anterior structures such as ser-
■ Rebounders ratus and pecs. A high quality lifting program for base-
ball players will likely include all of these
■ Band Pull-Apart Series
■ Waiter Walks ■ Rotator Cuff types of exercises anyways, but in the
These exercises often work short le- event that one of these boxes is left un-
■ Upward Tosses vered internal and external rotation checked in a lift, it may be worth sup-
or long-levered scaption. plementing at the end. For example, if
This circuit should be completed three there was nothing that isolated the ro-
times and should not be overly strenu- tator cuff in your lift, consider adding a
ous. ■ Mid Arm
banded IR/ER exercise at around 2 sets
Something that includes bicep or
of 6-10 reps at 80% RPE.
For high intensity throwing days, our tricep work and should be done
arm care routines are far more stren- from a variety of handles and grips. Example:
uous and resemble accessory lifting.
Throwing hard is a stressful exercise ■ Forearm Banded Internal Rotation
and requires that our physical struc- We usually use something to work Prone Y Raise
tures have the strength necessary to either flexion/extension, pronation/
Cable Tricep Overhead Extension
withstand that stress. There are four supination, radial deviation/ulnar de-
different boxes that we try to check viation, or fingertip strength. Forearm Pronation/Supination
when it comes to our arm care on high Farmers Carry
intensity days:

26
 velopment rather than immediate results in competition. In-

INTRODUCTION
gym at Driveline, our average college baseball player is 17 lbs
heavier and 24% stronger than our average high school play-
er (measured by the Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull ). Prioritiz-

TO STRENGTH
ing increasing lean-body mass and strength is an important
starting point for preparing for the next level.

TRAINING FOR PITCHERS Along with size and maximal strength, another big gap be-
tween average high school and college athletes is their ex-
plosive strength. In-gym, our college athletes exhibit about
21% more lower-body power in our jump testing. Some com-
When building physical training and weight lifting programs mon ways to improve this characteristic are performing
for pitchers, various factors such as the time of year, age, compound lifts with a focus on speed, Olympic lift variations,
training experience, and other unique athlete characteristics loaded jumps, and plyometric training along with sprinting.
and needs must be taken into account.
With our high-school-aged athletes, we primarily use com-
On the strength side, we want to focus on those individual pound lifts to build strength and encourage hypertrophy
needs and build programs suited to the athlete within the (muscle growth), and sprinting and plyometric exercises to
sport, not necessarily the sport itself. increase power and speed. Training this way helps develop
the properties that are going to translate to the next level,
This means that very few exercises in this program will look while also getting the body ready to perform on the field
like anything a player does on the field, and instead will fo- now.
cus on building the physical characteristics needed to sup-
port peak performance. When starting any training program, being able to accurate-
ly evaluate your strengths and weaknesses takes any pro-
For this program, we’ll focus on the needs of a high school gram to the next level. This is one big advantage of going
or young college baseball player. Typically, the younger an through our strength assessment and training with us in-
athlete is the more their focus should be on long-term de- gym or online.

27
 AT HOME
MODIFICATIONS
We understand that not every athlete is working with
the same facilities and equipment. This is where it is
important to view the exercises as ways to achieve an
outcome, not as absolutes. For example, the squat in lift
one is to build strength in a range that will achieve some
hypertrophy. If you don’t have access to dumbbells, or
other weights like a barbell or kettlebell, then finding a
way to achieve some kind of load such as a backpack
full of books might be the best option. From there, mak-
ing changes to the squat to make it more challenging
with the lighter load is next. Some easy ways to do this
are: Longer eccentric tempos (going slower on the way
down), pausing at the bottom of the rep, or moving
through the concentric portion of the lift as quickly as
possible. These methods are meant to be an effective
“next best thing”. Even so, you will still be missing key
benefits if the loads aren’t consistently heavy enough,
so prioritize finding gym access as soon as you are able.

28
THROWING PROGRAMS

ON-RAMP PHASE
This phase is to help build you physically, both throwing and in the weight room, in order
to prepare for a velocity phase. We need to properly on ramp by slowly working up to max
effort throwing in order to make sure the body can handle the stress that comes with high
effort throws.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Week 1 Off Recovery Off Recovery Off Off Recovery

Recovery +
Week 2 Off Recovery Off Recovery Off Recovery
Long Toss
Recovery +
Week 3 Off Recovery Off Hybrid B Recovery Recovery
Long Toss

Week 4 Off Recovery Hybrid B Off Recovery Recovery Hybrid B

Week 5 Off Recovery Hybrid B Recovery Hybrid B Recovery Hybrid B

Week 6 Off Recovery Hybrid B Recovery Hybrid A Recovery Hybrid B

Week 7 Off Recovery Hybrid A Recovery Hybrid B Recovery Hybrid A

Week 8 Off Recovery Hybrid B Recovery Plyo Velo Recovery Hybrid B

29
THROWING PROGRAMS

VELOCITY PHASE
During this phase we are obviously training to throw harder. Recovery days are very import-
ant during a velo phase in order to make sure the body is recovering in between each high
intent/velo day.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

VELO (other
Week 1 Off Recovery Hybrid B Recovery Hybrid B* Recovery than pull-
downs)
VELO (other
Week 2 Off Recovery Hybrid B Recovery Hybrid B* Recovery than pull-
downs)

Week 3 Off Recovery Hybrid B Recovery Hybrid B* Recovery VELO

Week 4 Off Recovery Hybrid B Recovery Hybrid B* Recovery VELO

Week 5 Off Recovery Hybrid B Recovery Hybrid B* Recovery VELO

Recovery +
Week 6 Off Recovery Hybrid B Off Recovery Hybrid A
Long Toss

*Err lower than Tuesday’s Hybrid B

30
THROWING PROGRAMS

COMPETITION PHASE
During this phase we prepare the athlete to get back on the field for competition. At this
time you can expect to utilize pitch designs, command work, and live ABs.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Recovery +
Week 1 Off Recovery PD Recovery Recovery Bullpen
Long Toss
Recovery +
Week 2 Off Recovery PD Recovery Recovery Bullpen
Long Toss
Execution Recovery + Bullpen/Live
Week 3 Off Recovery Recovery Recovery
Pen Long Toss ABs
Execution Recovery + Bullpen/Live
Week 4 Off Recovery Recovery Recovery
Pen Long Toss ABs

31
THROWING PROGRAMS

IN-SEASON
STARTER
7-DAY ROTATION
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 1

Mound Blend
Start Day Off Recovery Bullpen Recovery Recovery Start Day
B

6-DAY ROTATION
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 1

Recovery +
Start Day Off Recovery Bullpen Recovery Start Day
Short Box

5-DAY ROTATION
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 1

Start Day Off Recovery Bullpen Recovery Start Day

32
THROWING PROGRAMS

IN-SEASON
RELIEVER
Due to the unpredictability of being Just like starters, relievers should find not “pitching.” Take advantage of your
a relief pitcher, it’s impossible to have ways to give themselves light throwing opportunities to have true light throw-
a set schedule as a reliever. However, days or complete off days. The day after ing days where you’re making minimal
there are still principles that you can fol- an outing or bullpen is an ideal time to throws and keeping them at low inten-
low to give yourself the best chance of target an off day or a recovery throwing sity.
staying healthy and performing at your day. If you’re a two-way player, all the
best when your name gets called. throwing that you do counts even if it's Keep the high days high
and the low days low.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Recovery-
Gameday Recovery Recovery Gameday Off Recovery
+Shortbox

33
THROWING PROGRAMS

RECOVERY DAY

WARM-UP WEIGHTED BALL WORK/LONG TOSS

Leather Weighted Ball 5 throws 11oz, 5 throws 9oz,
Foam Roll/Lacrosse Ball 10 seconds per pass, full body
Catch Play 5 throws 7 oz
Increase body temperature No more than 30 throws
Dynamic Warm-Up Light Catch
& elevate heart rate with a baseball

PRE-THROWING PREP POST THROW WORK

3 sets of 10 reps with
Jaeger Band Series 10 reps per exercise Rebounders
1000g & 1500g balls

Wrist Weight Series 10 reps per exercise Band Pull-Apart Series 3 sets of 10 reps each direction

Shoulder Tube Series 10 seconds per exercise Waiter Walks 3 sets of 20 yards

2 sets of 10 reps with

Upward Tosses
1000g ball
PLYOCARE WORK
10 reps each with 1500g
Reverse Throws
& 1000g balls
10 reps each with 1000g
Pivot Pickoff Throws
& 450g balls

34
THROWING PROGRAMS

RECOVERY
+ LONG TOSS DAY

WARM-UP PLYOCARE WORK

Foam Roll/Lacrosse Ball 10 seconds per pass, full body 10 reps each with 1500g
Reverse Throws
& 1000g balls
Increase body temperature
Dynamic Warm-Up 10 reps each with 1000g
& elevate heart rate Pivot Pickoff Throws
& 450g balls

PRE-THROWING PREP
WEIGHTED BALL WORK/LONG TOSS
Jaeger Band Series 10 reps per exercise
Leather Weighted Ball 5 throws 11oz, 5 throws 9oz,
Catch Play 5 throws 7 oz
Wrist Weight Series 10 reps per exercise
No more than 45 throws
Light catch
Shoulder Tube Series 10 seconds per exercise with a baseball

POST THROW WORK

3 sets of 10 reps with
Rebounders
1000g & 1500g balls

Band Pull-Apart Series 3 sets of 10 reps each direction

Waiter Walks 3 sets of 20 yards

2 sets of 10 reps with

Upward Tosses
1000g ball

35
THROWING PROGRAMS

HYBRID B DAY

WARM-UP PLYOCARE WORK

10 reps each with 1500g
Foam Roll/Lacrosse Ball 10 seconds per pass, full body Reverse Throws
& 1000g balls
Increase body temperature 10 reps each with 1000g
Dynamic Warm-Up Pivot Pickoff Throws
& elevate heart rate & 450g balls
5 reps each with 450g
Roll-In Throws
& 225g balls
PRE-THROWING PREP 2 throws each with 450g,
Drop Step Throws
225g, 150g, & 100g balls
Jaeger Band Series 10 reps per exercise
2 throws each with 450g,
Walking Windup Throws
225g, 150g, & 100g balls
Wrist Weight Series 10 reps per exercise

Shoulder Tube Series 10 seconds per exercise WEIGHTED BALL WORK/LONG TOSS
Leather Weighted Ball 5 throws 11oz, 5 throws 9oz, 5
Catch Play throws 7 oz
Catch play with a baseball
Driveline Extension
to tolerance (NO COMPRESSION
Long Toss
THROWS)

36
THROWING PROGRAMS

HYBRID A DAY

WARM-UP PLYOCARE WORK

10 reps each with 1500g
Foam Roll/Lacrosse Ball 10 seconds per pass, full body Reverse Throws
& 1000g balls
Increase body temperature 10 reps each with 1000g
Dynamic Warm-Up Pivot Pickoff Throws
& elevate heart rate & 450g balls
5 reps each with 450g
Roll-In Throws
& 225g balls
PRE-THROWING PREP 2 throws each with 450g,
Drop Step Throws
225g, 150g, & 100g balls
Jaeger Band Series 10 reps per exercise
2 throws each with 450g,
Walking Windup Throws
225g, 150g, & 100g balls
Wrist Weight Series 10 reps per exercise

Shoulder Tube Series 10 seconds per exercise WEIGHTED BALL WORK/LONG TOSS
Leather Weighted Ball 5 throws 11oz, 5 throws 9oz, 5
Catch Play throws 7 oz
Catch play with a baseball to
Driveline Extension Long Toss
tolerance

Compression Throws 5-8 throws @ 90% RPE

37
THROWING PROGRAMS

PLYO VELO DAY

WARM-UP PLYOCARE WORK

10 reps each with 1500g and
Foam Roll/Lacrosse Ball 10 seconds per pass, full body Reverse Throws
1000g balls
Increase body temperature 10 reps each with 1000g and
Dynamic Warm-Up Pivot Pickoff Throws
& elevate heart rate 450g balls
Plyocare Throws of Choice to
10-15 reps with balls of choice
prepare for max effort work
PRE-THROWING PREP 5 reps each with 450g
Roll-In Throws (max effort)
& 225g balls
Jaeger Band Series 10 reps per exercise
2 throws each with 450g,
Drop Step Throws (max effort)
225g, 150g, & 100g balls
Wrist Weight Series 10 reps per exercise
Walking Windup Throws 2 throws each with 450g,
(max effort) 225g, 150g, & 100g balls
Shoulder Tube Series 10 seconds per exercise

38
THROWING PROGRAMS

PULLDOWNS/MOUND VELO/
WEIGHTED BALL MOUND VELO DAY

WARM-UP WEIGHTED BALL WORK/LONG TOSS

Foam Roll/Lacrosse Ball 10 seconds per pass, full body Leather Weighted Ball 5 throws 11oz, 5 throws 9oz, 5
Catch Play throws 7 oz
Increase body temperature Use extension toss to get warm
Dynamic Warm-Up
& elevate heart rate for Weighted Ball Mound Velo.
Driveline Extension
Should feel ready to throw at
Long Toss
max effort before going into
PRE-THROWING PREP tracked velocity throws.

Jaeger Band Series 10 reps per exercise Compression Throws 3-5 throws @ 90% RPE

Wrist Weight Series 10 reps per exercise

VELOCITY THROWING
Shoulder Tube Series 10 seconds per exercise
Choose one of the following:

PLYOCARE WORK Pulldowns (short spread*)

4 throws with each ball @ 100%
RPE in this order: 5oz, 6oz, 5oz,
10 reps each with 1500g 4oz
Reverse Throws
& 1000g balls
10 reps each with 1000g 4 throws with each ball @ 100%
Pivot Pickoff Throws Weighted Ball Mound Velo
& 450g balls RPE in this order: 5oz, 6oz, 5oz,
(short spread*)
4oz
5 reps each with 450g
Roll-In Throws
& 225g balls
3 sets of 5 reps with 5oz ball @
2 throws each with 450g, Mound Velocity
Drop Step Throws 100% RPE
225g, 150g, & 100g balls
2 throws each with 450g, * For full spread add 3oz and 7oz balls;
Walking Windup Throws
225g, 150g, & 100g balls 5oz, 6oz, 7oz, 5oz, 4oz, 3oz 39
THROWING PROGRAMS

PITCH DESIGN/
EXECUTION PEN/BULLPEN

WARM-UP WEIGHTED BALL WORK/LONG TOSS

Foam Roll/Lacrosse Ball 10 seconds per pass, full body Leather Weighted Ball 5 throws 11oz, 5 throws 9oz, 5
Catch Play throws 7 oz
Increase body temperature Catch play with a baseball to
Dynamic Warm-Up Driveline Extension Long Toss
& elevate heart rate tolerance

Compression Throws 3-5 throws @ 90% RPE

PRE-THROWING PREP
Jaeger Band Series 10 reps per exercise

Wrist Weight Series 10 reps per exercise

MOUND WORK
Pitch Design/Execution Pen/ 20-40 pitches off the mound,
Shoulder Tube Series 10 seconds per exercise Bullpen ~90% RPE

PLYOCARE WORK The athlete should have very specific goals in mind for
these days (improve slider shape, decrease average fastball
10 reps each with 1500g
Reverse Throws miss distance, get comfortable with new pitch sequences,
& 1000g balls
etc.) and ways to track performance.
10 reps each with 1000g
Pivot Pickoff Throws
& 450g balls
5 reps each with 450g
Roll-In Throws
& 225g balls
2 throws each with 450g,
Drop Step Throws
225g, 150g, & 100g balls
2 throws each with 450g,
Walking Windup Throws
225g, 150g, & 100g balls 40
 OFF-SEASON LIFTING

DAY 1
Set Name Sets Reps Rest Load Notes

A1 Goblet Squat* 3 8 2min Weeks 1/2 3x8, weeks 3-5 4x6, week 6 2x6

A2 Abductor Side Plank 2 30sec

B1 Half Kneeling DB Press 3 5/side 1min

B2 Step Ups 3 8 1min

C1 DB RDL 3 8 1min

C2 Half Kneeling 1 arm Cable Row 3 8e 1min

D1 Banded Deadbugs 3 10/side

20 Yards/
D2 Suitcase Carry 3
side

*Regression for A1 - BW Squat, Progressions - Front Squat, Back Squat

41
 OFF-SEASON LIFTING

DAY 2
Set Name Sets Reps Rest Load Notes

A1 DB Incline Bench 3 8 2min Weeks 1/2 3x8, weeks 3-5 4x6, week 6 2x6

A2 DB Split Squat 3 8/side 1min

B1 Chest Supported Row 3 8 1min

B2 Pallof Press 3 30s/side 1min

C1 Incline Bench Y,T,W 3 6each 1min

C2 Copenhagan Side Planks 3 30s/side

D1 Deadhang 3 max

*Regression for A1 - Incline Push Ups, Progression BB Incline

42
 OFF-SEASON LIFTING

DAY 3
Set Name Sets Reps Rest Load Notes

A1 Trapbar Deadlift 3 5 2min 2RIR Weeks 1/2 3x5, weeks 3-5 4x4

B1 Neutral Grip Chin Ups 3 6 2min

B2 Goblet Lateral Lunge 3 8/side

C1 Yoga Push Ups 3 10 1min

C2 Back Extension 3 10 1min

D1 TRX Row 3 8/side

D2
Bear Crawl 3 10yards
(10 Yards - Forward & Backwards

*Regression for A1 - KB Deadlift

43
EXECUTION GUIDELINES
USING RADAR GUN

Peak Velo Recovery B Day A Day Bullpen

70 53 60 67 70

73 55 63 69 73

75 56 65 71 75

77 58 66 73 77

80 60 69 76 80

83 62 71 79 83

85 64 73 81 85

87 65 75 83 87

90 68 77 86 90

93 70 80 88 93

95 71 82 90 95

97 73 83 92 97

100 75 86 95 100

44
EXECUTION GUIDELINES
USING PULSE

Peak Arm Speed Recovery B Day A Day Bullpen

850 553 697 808 850

900 585 738 855 900

950 618 779 903 950

1000 650 820 950 1000

1050 683 861 998 1050

1100 715 902 1045 1100

1150 748 934 1093 1150

1200 780 984 1140 1200

1250 813 1025 1188 1250

1300 845 1066 1235 1300

45