Increase Pitching Velocity With One Exercise
Summary
Jeff from Athlean-X demonstrates a resistance band exercise designed to strengthen the shoulder’s deceleration muscles, which are critical for pitchers. The core principle is that a stronger braking system allows you to throw harder — the better you can slow the arm down, the faster you can accelerate it through the throw.
Key Points
- The braking system analogy: Just like a faster car needs better brakes, a pitcher who can better decelerate their arm can throw with greater velocity safely
- Deceleration muscles matter: The muscles at the back of the shoulder responsible for slowing the arm down are often undertrained compared to the throwing muscles
- Equipment setup: Anchor a resistance band low to the ground, approximately one to one and a half feet off the floor
- Band resistance is critical: The tubing must be thick/strong enough to actually pull your arm back toward the target — if it’s too thin or weak, the exercise won’t be effective
- Controlled resistance is the goal: The exercise is not about letting the band snap your arm down, but actively resisting and controlling the movement on the way back
- Mimics the throwing motion: The exercise starts in the cocking position, replicating the actual mechanics of a pitch to ensure sport-specific training
Exercise Details
Exercise: Resistance Band Shoulder Deceleration Drill
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Target muscles: Posterior shoulder muscles — the decelerators and braking muscles at the back of the shoulder
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Setup:
- Anchor resistance band low, about 1–1.5 feet off the ground
- Use thick tubing with enough resistance to pull the arm back toward the target
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Proper form cues:
- Start with arm raised in the throwing/cocking position
- Jump or step your body back away from the anchor point, loading the band
- Resist and control the band as it pulls your arm back down — do not let it snap
- Focus on the eccentric, braking action of the posterior shoulder
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Common mistakes to avoid:
- Using tubing that is too thin or weak (eliminates the training stimulus)
- Letting the band snap the arm down instead of actively controlling the descent
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Sets/Reps: Not explicitly stated, though 3 repetitions are demonstrated in the video