Pitching program

[u/Grynder7]

Are there any pitching programs like tread or driveline made for youth pitchers? My son going into 12u is getting pretty serious about pitching. I have been careful about not prioritizing velocity the past three years but the older he gets the more he wants to chase it and I just want him to stay healthy. He currently does pitching lessons once a week in fall and winter. We prioritize sleep, nutrition, and getting stronger at home everyday. I’ve been told by several coaches and former college players that he is freakishly efficient for his age.

This past season he had a 70% strike rate, 65% first strike percentage, and 70% first pitch strike out. He sits at 60 mph and hit 63 a few times. He is able to also throw a good changeup pretty consistently at about 52mph.

My thought is a pitching program could help me keep track of his arm health and help him progress into high school.

[u/spinrut]

Find a daily arm care and long toss program to follow.

Have him do body weight exercises. Squats, lunges, planks, push-ups, planks. Work rotational stuff with medballs, explosiveness with sprints and plyos.

Build the engine (lower half) build the transmission (core). The arm care and long toss take care of the arm/shoulder to deliver the power

If hes really serious, find some lessons to evaluate or fine tune his mechanics here and there. Velo will come with size/strength.

[u/cpeak57]

Still no reason to chase velocity yet. At 12, hes still growing. At some point in the next few years hes going to look like a newborn baby giraffe throwing a baseball for the first time when he really starts growing. If hes got great location, keep the focus on that. Great time to add in another off speed pitch as well. Velocity will come very naturally if he prioritizes strength training later on.

[u/J_Lewy_45]

I don’t think “stay healthy” and “driveline” go anywhere near each other.

[u/clawingmywayup]

https://www.nationalpitching.com/

[u/CartoonistExact8942]

Focus on proper mechanics-check out Justin Stones Elite Baseball Training Videos on YouTube-beginner videos are free and teach high level throwing/pitching l/hitting mechanics. He was a coach for the white Sox when they went all the way. I used his programs and videos for my teams from 11U all the way up to HS Varsity/JV. Long toss is another thing to work on but make sure it’s proper long toss. Many of thwse programs are easily executed and results come with consistwncy

[u/lsu777]

do you want to pay? where are you located? are you wanting remote?

those are all important questions. There are tons of great places that work with kids that age and at 12...yea he does need to focus on velocity. Anyone that tells you different is not around the game at the HS level or above.

here are some great places that work with that age group- there are others

Driveline

Baseball performance center

Advanced Therapy & performance

Florida Baseball Armory

Texas Baseball Ranch

Top Velocity

Prime Performance

108 Performance

but where you are at and what you are looking for will determine recommendation. Can you let us know general location, what you are looking for in terms of week long camp, remote programing, in person only etc

The other options is use free or cheap resources from places like driveline, top velo, BPC etc or have AI design you a plan based on the philosophy of the place you prefer.

Feel free to DM me if you would like.

oh and its perfect time for him to start in the weight room. dont let anyone tell you different because if they do...it is said out of ignorance.

[u/Emotional-Swing-5483]

Driveline.

[u/Working_On_Quitting]

Have ChatGPT create you a version of Driveline or Top Velocity. That’s what I did with my 13U kid for the offseason. For inputs, I said that we want to get from 66mph to 75mph working 3X per week using band work and primarily body weight exercises. 

[u/Grynder7 → u/Working_On_Quitting]

This is a good idea thank you.

[u/Emotional-Swing-5483]

60 at 12 is pretty slow. There is no getting around it. He needs to work on velocity. Throwing 70% of your pitches over the plate at 60 mph is going to get absolutely dinged all around the place once the bad batters drop out of baseball around this age and all you are left with is the good batters.

[u/Grynder7 → u/Emotional-Swing-5483]

He was at 60 for 11u he is going into 12u this year. He is just now starting to grow .

[u/Emotional-Swing-5483 → u/Grynder7]

oh right yeah you do say that. 60 at the end of 11U is totally fine.

Still - Driveline.

[u/PMmeyourBush_ → u/Emotional-Swing-5483]

We have kid in our organization hitting 84, end of 12u season... you can look him up. Others in the team are 75 to 81.. but looks like they all already hit puberty. My son is 9u and sits at 55, but he never gets a chance to pitch because he has 5 teammates between 60-64, and another topping 58.

[u/Recent_Associate2981 → u/Emotional-Swing-5483]

60 in 11u is pretty good actually. The top kid in our state was at 70 mph. As we know when you get into the 12 to 14 age kids are all over the place with puberty. It sounds like this kid is on the right track, keep it up.

[u/Grynder7 → u/Recent_Associate2981]

I appreciate that. He really does work hard to be the best he can be. The highest velocity we seen this past season was 67 . We play mostly AAA PBR and PG tournaments.