route 2 baseball: PITCH+
Pitch+ Overview
Pitch+ is a progressive and player specific pitching development program designed by Coach Jonathan Morse for our Route 2 Blue Sox High School Tournament/ College Prospect teams. The program will begin in December 2022 after a three-month rest period for our entire RT2 pitching staff; as research has shown that 8 months of consecutive pitching (off the mound) increases the chance of injury by 5x!
The program will be broken down by specific phases:
- Foundational Movements
- Timing & Sequencing
- Mound Preparation
- A progressive, individualized throwing program with the goal of building up the volume and intensity of each throwing session to prepare for the stress of throwing off the mound during the next phase of Pitch+
- We will be utilizing ArmCare.com and their strength monitoring technology to monitor the arm health, strength and range of motion prior to each throwing session.
- (Variable) Bullpens & Live At-Bats
- Each bullpen will be captured on our Trackman Baseball system to gain insight into the release, flight and strike-zone data, including: release speed, spin rate, 3D spin axis, release height, extension, and the vertical and horizontal movement of each pitch.
- We will also utilize ProPlayAI, a markerless motion capture software that provides accurate and reliable data with the goal of helping each pitcher get better and stay healthy.
Remember, your pitching mechanics are the foundation from which small, individualized adjustments will be made over the course of the off-season. Our goal is NOT to clone or recreate you. Our job is to help you discover more efficient movement patterns that lead to peak performance and keep you healthy for not only the upcoming season, but for the duration of your career.
- Foundational Movements
- Each session starts off with a Dynamic Warm-up with a thorough Arm Care routine with Jaeger Bands before moving to our Movement Prep or Post-Activation Potentiation -- which help improve in performance (short-term) as a result of using a conditioning exercise (e.g. plyometrics).
- These can include: Lateral Jumps (single leg), Box Jumps (both bilateral and unilateral), Depth Jumps off a Box.
- All of these have been shown to be pivotal for rotational movements (throwing) -- specifically, with the depth jumps, jumping from a higher level helps prepare the athlete to withstand a high level of force.
- For Movement Prep, we start with Hershisers, 'Corkscrew the Hip' using a 1" PVC pipe, 1" band walkouts, a (2) Connection Ball Drill - focusing on maintaining the hinge while keeping a vertical shin angle, Med Ball Shotput Throws, and a Split-Stance Med Ball Scoop Toss.
- These can include: Lateral Jumps (single leg), Box Jumps (both bilateral and unilateral), Depth Jumps off a Box.
- Each session starts off with a Dynamic Warm-up with a thorough Arm Care routine with Jaeger Bands before moving to our Movement Prep or Post-Activation Potentiation -- which help improve in performance (short-term) as a result of using a conditioning exercise (e.g. plyometrics).
- Timing & Sequencing
- In this phase, again, after a Dynamic Warm-up, a thorough Jaeger Band Arm Care routine and Post-Activation Potentiation, our Movement Prep begins to incorporate the sequencing of the internal rotation of the back hip (at FFS), the stretch/ reflex of the core and the unwinding of the throwing shoulder. The exercises we use are the following:
- Split-Stance MB Shotput, Step Back MB Shotput, Split-Stance Overhead MB Throw, Walking Overhead MB Throw, Receive & Release MB Overhead Throw
- In this phase, again, after a Dynamic Warm-up, a thorough Jaeger Band Arm Care routine and Post-Activation Potentiation, our Movement Prep begins to incorporate the sequencing of the internal rotation of the back hip (at FFS), the stretch/ reflex of the core and the unwinding of the throwing shoulder. The exercises we use are the following:
- Mound Preparation
- (Variable) Bullpens & Live At-Bats
- Fastball Command
- Fastball & Secondary Command
- RHH vs. LHH Pitch Sequences
- Competitive Bullpens (Pitcher vs. Pitcher)
- Live At-Bats (Week 5 & 6)
