By Jonathan Massey –
By the time you read this, baseball will be back in full swing. Well, at least here in Texas it will be. As strange as it sounds, though, this is where I see most players and parents struggle. I understand the challenge — they’re trying to manage development while also focusing on performance, and that can be very complicated. That’s why, for this week’s blog, I would like to help you create an in-season cycle.
The first thing we must understand is that during the season, your cycle is geared toward having your best stuff every time you take the ball. However, that doesn’t mean development can’t happen or shouldn’t happen.
The first thing you should do is write out the number of days in your cycle like this:
Day 1: The day after I pitch
Day 2: Two days after I pitch
Day 3: Three days after I pitch
Day 4: Three days before I pitch
Day 5: Two days before I pitch
Day 6: One day before I pitch
Day 7: The day I pitch
I wrote it as a seven-day cycle because that is what most amateur players are on. (If your cycle is different, like a five-day cycle, adjust accordingly.)
The next step is to lay out all the different things you might need to do in between each start: drills, long toss, bullpens, or anything else that you feel belongs in your throwing program.
Once you have all the possibilities written out, you can begin deciding what each day will look like. When I was playing, that process went something like this: I knew the day after I pitched, I needed it to be super light, so I would focus on doing a lot of arm care and play catch for 20 minutes. Day 4 was my bullpen day, so I’d get a good long toss session in that day. All in all, my cycle looked like this:
Day 1: Super light day — the day after I threw — arm care plus catch play for 20 minutes
Day 2: Light Day — two days after — light long toss and drill work into the Sock
Day 3: Medium Day — three days after — medium toss plus weighted ball drill work
Day 4: Heavy Day — three days before — long toss until fully warmed up, plus three favorite drills, and finish with 24–30 pitch bullpen
Day 5: Light/Medium Day — two days before — light long toss plus weighted ball drill work
Day 6: Light Day — one day before — easy toss plus touch and feel with off-speed
Day 7: Go time
There’s also an option to move the bullpen from Day 4 to Day 3 to allow three full days to recover before your next start.
Now, please don’t misunderstand… I’m not saying this is the cycle we recommend. This was simply what I developed during my playing days that I felt helped me perform at my best. It was built over many years of trial and error. This is why it is so difficult for us to simply write out a “plan” for players. This plan worked for me, but if you don’t like long toss, you’re going to hate it.
Creating your in-season cycle is highly personal and should include what makes your arm feel its best. We can certainly help (and if you need help, please reach out), but as Coach Wolforth has told many players, myself included, “Think of this as going to a buffet. I like this and this, but not that.”
Once you lay out all the possibilities, creating the plan becomes much easier.
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Important TBR Updates
- Make your plans now to join us this summer for an Elite Pitchers Bootcamp!
May 23-25 (Sat-Mon)
June 19-21 (Fri-Sun)
July 3-5 (Fri-Sun)
July 31-August 2 (Fri-Sun)
September 5-7 (Sat-Mon)
To register or learn more CLICK HERE
- Interested in our “Summer Intensive Development Program”? Join us for 2-11 weeks this summer. For more information on this one of a kind Summer Training experience and for a registration form visit Early Bird Savings through March 31st.
- Would you like to participate in the Ranch Summer Program but can’t find 2+ weeks in your schedule? We have an option for you! Attend one of our 3-Day EPBC’s and add the summer program week after. It’s seven days of training and is a great option for those players with an extremely busy summer schedule. Give us a call and we can provide you with more details – (936) 588-6762.
- Coach Wolforth is hosting a special 90 minute webinar – “The Velocity Code: 3 Secrets to Improving Velocity and Staying Healthy” on Thursdays at 7pm CST. If you’d like to attend the next webinar, CLICK HERE to register. If you can’t attend, don’t worry – the replay will be sent to you.
- Coach Wolforth is also hosting another webinar – “The 4 Pitching Pitfalls that Sabotage Velocity, Arm Health & Long-Term Success” Mondays at 7 pm. CST. CLICK HERE to register. If you can’t attend, don’t worry – the replay will be sent to you.
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