This time of year is when the pitching questions really start rolling in. One big one I keep seeing is:
How much time should my kid take off from throwing?
Assuming that games start sometime in late March/early April, here’s a rough outline of what I’d recommend.
Step 1: Return to throwing
If you took extended time off from throwing (more on that later) you need a return to throw program. Typically this entails prescribed catch play, plyo work, and recovery. Throwing intensity is usually fairly light, but does increase over time.
When: Now, and allow it to take up to a month.
Step 2: Movement Patterning & Skill Improvement
Once you’re back into a routine of throwing consistently, the intensity is going to increase, as are the number of reps. This is when you’ll start to see extended long toss, pull-downs, and increased plyo work. Recovery is still a must, as is a varied workload. Nobody gets better by training with the same intensity every single day. Your body needs time to recover, especially from max effort.
When: January through mid-February
Step 3: Pitching
This is where you’re going to start throwing pens and will make adjustments to your pitches (or add new ones). You’ll still be throwing your full arsenal in some capacity during the first two steps, but here is where you’ll add new pitches or hone the ones you already have. You’ll be able to see how your pitches behave off the mound at full distance. Pitch counts begin to increase from here, and you’re prepping for the start of your season. Intensity probably won’t increase much, but volume will.
When: mid-February until season begins
Step 4: What Next?
After Step 3, you get into your regular season routine. Here are some other takeaways to consider:
Taking extended periods off from throwing (roughly a month or more) is not helping as much as you think it is.
If you’re not using the movement patterns you’ve developed within your nervous system, you are losing them. If you’re not using the ROM you’ve developed in your muscular system, you are losing it.
Taking months off to “rest” your arm doesn’t make any sense. Recovery is both active and passive. Passive recovery doesn’t need to be months long. You’re not recovering from a broken leg. If you want to ease up on the amount of pronation the arm experiences (especially the timing) throw a football instead of a baseball for a few weeks, but don’t just stop throwing for long periods. A few weeks is fine. After extended periods (months) of inactivity, you’re going to start seeing losses.
Furthermore, many of the coaches telling you to take 2-3 months off from throwing probably won’t put you in a return to throwing program. Instead, they just put you back on the mound. That’s incredibly dangerous. If you’re a lifter, remember how sore you were after going hard during your first day back at the gym after a rest period? Imagine how your arm is going to feel if you just start chucking the ball as hard as you can without a plan just because you “rested” all off-season.
You don’t train any other part of the body with 2-3 months of inactivity. Don’t do it with the arm.
Disclaimer: The above is for educational purposes only, and does not act as a substitute for medical advice.
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