Baseball today seems to be a mix of hitters hitting 500 ft. home runs and pitchers lighting up radar guns with 100 mph fastballs. The game is definitely changing and for the better. The fans love to see hitters hit home runs and pitchers striking out batters with absolute heat. In the recent all-star game played at Nationals Park, there were a record 10 home runs hit among both teams. On top of that, the average fastball from every pitcher that appeared in the game was 98 mph. Let that sink in for a bit. The game is definitely changing and being able to throw hard and hit the ball far are the necessary tools you will need to move up the ladder. Luckily enough for you, we have come up with three drills that will help you to develop arm strength to better improve your game.
External Rotation Burnouts
The first drill to develop arm strength is known as external rotation burnout. You may be familiar with normal external rotation but this modified version should help more. What you are going to need is a band and a fence. You are going to want to clip the band into the fence at about chest height. You want to get to a good distance where there is a decent amount of tension. Next, you are going to keep your throwing arm elbow tucked into your side. If you do not keep it tucked, then the drills become a waste. Also, by keeping the elbow tucked you help to isolate that rotator cuff. You are going to do a full rep, and then into a half rep. Now, once you do the half rep, jump out and then slowly bring your arm back in. This will definitely make your arm burn, but that is what you want.
Elevated External Rotation Burnouts
For this exercise, you are going to want to take the band and clip it into the fence at about shoulder height. This exercise is the same as before but just an elevated version. As before, you will do a full rep followed by a half rep. After the half rep, jump out and slowly bring your arm back. Do this for a set of 10.
Modified Reverse Throws
The last drill to improve arm strength is the reverse throw. What you are going to need to do is clipping your band at about shin height. From here, you are going to start at where you would have ended your throw. Because this is modified, you need to be a little closer to the fence. Now, you will slowly do a reverse throw, once at the top you will jump back. Once you have jumped back, slowly and under control, bring your arm back down to finish your throw. This drill is very good for your shoulder and it would be good to do a set of 10 for this drill.
Prescription Baseball Sunglasses
All of these drills are vital for young athletes when it comes to developing arm strength and taking care of their arms. Many professionals have worked on these drills for years to be at the level that they are at now. Also, a new trend that is occurring more and more in the MLB is pitchers are getting prescription baseball glasses to improve their game. Having these glasses allow for you to see the plate better if you're a pitcher, and to see the spin on the ball better if you're a hitter. SportRx specializes in making these glasses for athletes like yourself. Check out and learn more about Baseball Glasses at SportRx. If you have any questions, we have opticians ready to help 7 days a week.
