By Isaiah Trevino –
If you have ever been to the Texas Baseball Ranch® or have worked with anybody associated with the Ranch, you know one of the first questions always asked is, “How’s your arm health?” This question is one of the most important questions that must be answered before moving in whichever direction is needed. Many people won’t ask, or won’t ask themselves, this question before moving on to a specific program.
No matter what plan you have, if your arm isn’t healthy enough to throw and always gives you pain/discomfort, that is significant. You will never be able to throw enough to make progress without addressing this first. Whether you are looking to gain velocity, improve movement patterns, improve command, or increase movement on your secondary stuff, they all require you to have thousands of repetitions to do so. Without our arms being as healthy and durable as they can be, none of that will be very efficient.
One of the more common things people will come to train at the Texas Baseball Ranch® for is velocity. We are all for that! But as stated above, arm health will always be number one. So, we first ask the question about arm health, and it isn’t just a “yes” or “no” answer we want. We measure arm pain/discomfort on a scale of one to ten. “One” being very minimal, if any, pain/discomfort, and “ten” being something is definitely wrong, and you can’t throw at all without pain.
The goal for all of our athletes is to get that pain down to a one or two, even when throwing at maximum intensity. (The process to get to that number is a different discussion in itself.) Only when we can get the pain down can we then throw enough and with a high enough intensity to gain velocity.
A mutual mistake that is made is someone will hop on a velocity enhancement program with their pain already at a high number (like a five or so). While they may take a step forward, they soon take several steps back. They may gain velocity in a short amount of time, but if we haven’t solved the issue that is causing pain in the arm, it is just a matter of time until something serious happens that can cause us to have to put down the baseball for an extended period.
As most people around the country have either just started their high school baseball season or will be in the upcoming months, it is essential to understand the importance of this. If you still have time to prepare for your season, make sure you take that time for arm prep and care. Adequately ramp up your arm and your body so you can be at peak performance when the season begins. If you are already in season, don’t overlook the importance of keeping your arm healthy for the duration of it. After all, the best “ability” is “availability.” If you must show up early or stay later to get extra arm care in because it doesn’t fit into the regular practice schedule, then you must do that. It’s your responsibility to take care of your arm and body. You know yourself the best and what you need to do to have the best chance at remaining healthy all year.
While working to improve your arm health and durability may not be the most glamorous thing to do, it is the most important. Without arm health, you cannot train. Without training, you won’t be able to perform at your highest level possible. Once we can solve the issue of arm health, only then can we start working on other things that may be holding us back.
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Important TBR Updates
- Limited Spots Remain For Our Final Winter Elite Pitchers Boot Camp February 17-19, 2024 (final camp until May). You can visit our website to learn more and register.
- People have started asking about our 2024 Summer Intensive Development Program and Elite Pitcher Bootcamp dates. The summer Elite Pitchers Bootcamp dates will be: May 25-27, June7-9, June 21-23, July 5-7, July 19-21, Aug. 2-4 & Aug 31-Sept.2. The Summer Program will begin May 28th and run through Aug. 8. Registration will open next week. Watch your email!
- Have you been considering attending one of our 3-Day Elite Pitchers Bootcamp but haven’t yet pulled the trigger? To help, we have a detailed mailing package entitled “What Makes This Boot Camp Different”. If you’d like to receive this package and start making plans for the summer, email Jill@TexasBaseballRanch.com and request a copy.
- We have revamped our YouTube Channel “Texas Baseball Ranch – Ultimate Pitching Training” (@TXBaseballRanch) and would love for you to check it out and subscribe. Go to https://www.youtube.com/@TXBaseballRanch. Let us know what you think.
