Four Factors to Consider When Increasing Velocity

Velocity and how it manifests in the body can be misunderstood and debated, but it's pretty simple how it works. But it's when individuals or businesses begin to sell and compete against one another about the "best" way or a "new" product to increase or train velocity that the average baseball pitcher can be confused.

The truth is there are aspects of our genetics that predispose us to have the ability to throw the baseball harder than our peers. Recognizing the genetic factors/components that affect velocity is essential to having a logical and realistic understanding about your velocity potential. Can you train to improve your ability to throw harder? Of course, I wrote this article to outline four factors to consider when looking to increase velocity and how to better navigate your journey in search of more velocity.

Since the beginning of DVS Baseball, we have viewed the conversation and training of velocity around four main factors that directly influence velocity. In 2017, Will Fox, former business partner and co-founder of the Delivery Value System, and I did a presentation for all pitchers in the United Shore Professional Baseball League. Our goal was simple, clearly outline the factors out of our control and in our control that relate to velocity. Our job in the USPBL was to help pitchers in the USPBL become major-league prospects. We didn't waste time on aspects of their development we couldn't control. Therefore, we pinpointed the areas we could have the most direct influence. 

In the video below, Will Fox breaks down four factors related to velocity in our presentation to the USPBL pitchers. 

Four Factors to Consider When Increasing Throwing Velocity 

1. Muscle Fiber Twitch (Genetics)

   1. "Twitch" refers to the contraction of how quickly and often the muscle moves. Slow-twitch muscle fibers are suited for endurance and long-lasting energy whereas, fast-twitch muscle fibers give you short bursts of energy but can tire quickly.

2. Leverage

   1. Leverage is the exertion of force utilizing a lever or an object used in the manner of a lever.

   2. It consists of the following.

      1. Bone structure (Genetics)

      2. Joint structure (Genetics)

      3. Sequencing / biomechanics (Controllable)

      4. Bodyweight (Controllable)

3. Timing

   1. When you begin to utilize the aspects of "twitch" and leverage, are you using it as efficiently as possible to properly synchronize the bones and joints to transfer energy into the throwing arm to produce higher velocity?

4. Health

   1. Your body’s top priority. Our brain and central nervous system are much more geared towards our internal well-being and tissue health than throwing a baseball.

   2. The better you facilitate health, the better you will create an environment for your body to allow the maximum amount of velocity you can produce.

   3. Strength of Tissue = Stress on Tissue

      1. When the stress on tissue is greater than the strength of the tissue, decreases can occur in velocity.

We have never been a business that overly promotes velocity as our main ingredient. Instead, our velocity improvement results come as a byproduct of the four components mentioned above, focusing on how to better sequence through the delivery to utilize better leverage every throw.

2017 Study on USPBL Pitchers

It's important to note in 2017, right after the presentation seen above, our main focus was to improve as many pitcher's DVS Scores (sequencing), health, and leverage as possible to facilitate a study on increasing velocity. The results of that study are currently in the process of being submitted for publication. So, how well did we do? The link below highlights every pitcher to pitch in the USPBL during the 2017 season. We broke all pitchers down into three different velocity improvement tiers.

2017 Study on USPBL Pitchers Velocity

View fullsize

Chart illustrating the correlating effect DVS Score Percent Increase has on velocity.

2017 USPBL Pitchers Velocity Results

1. All velocity improvement results occurred during the season.

2. Over 50% off all pitchers improved at least 1 mph on their AVG FB.

3. 26% of pitchers had an AVG FB Increase of 3.1 mph, a MAX FB increase of 4.05 mph and a AVG DVS Score change of 2.7.

4. 34% of pitchers had zero to any increase in their AVG FB mph.

The biggest changes in increased velocities correlated to the biggest changes in DVS Scores. That was our hypothesis and intent going into the season and we were very pleased with the results.

Conclusion

I didn't worry about velocity or feel pressure to increase velocity throughout my playing career, but the constant pressure to increase your velocity wasn’t prevalent when I played. If someone told me I had to throw 93 in high school instead of 90, I could have probably trained to do it, but at what expense? Growing up, the top priority and focus was to get outs and not turn the ball over to another pitcher.

I knew I threw hard compared to my peers and was always able to throw hard from Little League to High School to College to Professional. And, even now, as a retired, old former pitcher, I can still throw hard. For most of my career, I dealt with poor function and health, and as I figured out much later, poor sequencing. But I always had good "twitch," At 6 foot 4, 215 lbs, long arms, and legs, I had good leverage. But, I was built to throw a baseball and recognized that I had the genetic advantages early in my life. Not everyone falls in this category, and identifying where you fall can help allocate the necessary time, training, and realistic goals. So, how do you stack up?

• How would you gauge your twitch? How has your velocity compared to your teammates over the last few years?

• Do you have leverage on your side? Will you (family genetics)?

• How do you evaluate the efficiency of your mechanics?

• Are you often injured? Sore? Prior surgery? Healthy?

If you have twitch and have leverage, you don't have to kill your body and arm in pursuit of mass and strength, creating excess stress on the muscle tissue and possibly manipulating joint structure because the culture is telling you to throw harder. Instead, building a foundation of strength and mobility as you physically mature combined with your muscle twitch and leverage will be sufficient as you achieve success on the mound. On the flip side, if you don't have the luxury of twitch and leverage on your side, the increased velocity will undoubtedly be harder to achieve, especially what will be required at the higher levels. 

Lastly, asking a pitcher to change his sequencing (DVS Score) to improve his velocity isn't for everyone, nor should it be. But when additional velocity may be desired or needed, and a pitcher already has both twitch and leverage but poor sequencing, it becomes a logical next step. My advice to anyone is to be aware and knowledgeable about your skills, be realistic and honest about your abilities, work hard, enjoy the game and see what happens. Don't constantly strive to be someone you're not. 

Thanks,

Duff