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Stabilization andBalance Exercises forPitchersby Dan Potts, c.P.T.

What do all great pitchers have in common?Great arm speed? Great mechanics? Do theypossess command of their pitches?

At the highest levels, the answer is "all of theabove." How is this possible? Invariably, theyowe their success at the advanced level ofcompetition in no small measure toabove-average Balance and Skeletal/MuscularStabilization.

In an athletic movement such aspitching-where explosive actions arerepeated with every pitch during the course of agame and where the desired result of thatexplosion is an accurate delivery to a specificlocation-balance and stabilization of all themoving parts are the keys to success. Someplayers possess these strengths naturally, whilethe rest of us need to work to develop thesemajor league attributes. However, everyone,including the top-caliber pitcher, can benefit byincorporating into their workout regimenexercises that enhance stabilization andbalance. And every pitcher I help train goesthrough the rigors of performing the exercises Ipresent in this article.

Everything we do on the baseball field:fielding, hitting, and especially pitching, arebasically controlled kinetic chaos, in which thebody is attempting to perform a skilled activity

About The Author: Dan Potts an Elite Athlete Strength Specialistbased in the Seattle area. A former University of Washingtonbaseball player, A member of the Puget Sound MSBL, Dan hastrained Olympic, collegiate and professional athletes for nearly twodecades, specializing in bio-mechanically correct and functionalprograms for the advanced, skilled athlete. Dan works closely withseveral regionally and nationally recognizedhitting and pitchinq instructors,developing strength programs fortheir promising players. Potts isavailable for team and individualconsultation, seminars and otherpresentations. His new DVD,"Dynamic Baseball Conditioning"is on sale now, and includesover 30 uniquemovements createdespecially for thebaseball athlete.'Combining the videowith the 6-monthtraining cycle makesthis the mostcomprehensive planavailable for the adult baseball athlete," he says. To learn more, call(206) 546-8798 or (206) 365-0420. You can also e-mail him atDanPotts@advancedathlete.com or log on to his website at

www.advancedathlete.com.

while being in a state of imbalance. During theyears of doing our work, we have learned thatthe best way to create balance and stabilizationin a skilled baseball athlete is to put the athletein a position of imbalance. We do this through asystem of controlled movements that cause thebody to fight for balance throughout theexercise, thus working and building thenecessary muscles used in performing theseskilled tasks not only with efficiency ofmovement, but with the addition of explosivepower.

In this issue, we present three of our favoritemovements that we employ on a regular basis.

I. Single Leg Med-Ball Balance DrillStand on your left leg only, with your right

left bent and your right foot off the ground, andcradle a five pound medicine ball overhead inyour left hand at arm's length. This is theposition depicted in Figure l(a). Next, whilestill cradling the ball, extend your left armforward, doing so with your left knee bentslightly. During this move, your right footremains well above the ground, and should actas a counter balance. At the completion of themove, you should be in the position depicted inFigure 1(b). Finally, bend at the waist and lower

Fig,1c)

the ball downward and to the right, until it isbelow the waist at approximately the samelevel as the left knee, as depicted in Figure 1c).

Return immediately to the starting positionwith the arm extended once again above thehead. Concentrate on pushing through at the topwith the heel of your hand. Repeat this sixtimes, then switch to the right side. If you havedifficulty, start with a nerf football orbasketball until you can execute the movement,then work with a two-pound ball until you areready to handle five pounds of weight.

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2.Stand on one leg and, using both hands, hold high overhead a

medicine ball weighing five to ten pounds. This is the position shown inFigure 2(a). From this position, pull down with a full body-choppingmotion, throwing the ball to the floor at a 45-degree angle, as illustratedin Figure 2(b). You can bounce the ball off a solid wall, or you canalternate with a partner standing about 10 feet away.

Make sure to pull the ball down with the whole body, and not to flick itwith the wrists and hands. The knee of your supporting leg should flex asyou pull downward in an explosive movement. We like to usesix-to-eight reps per leg and work our way up through three or fourprogressively heavier balls.

Remember to take your time and increase your sets, weight, and repsgradually over time. This is a ballistic movement and you must conditionyourself to it gradually ..

011 a StalbllifyEvery athlete should own a stability ball. They're inexpensive

($35-40) and invaluable.Using both hands as a tripod, roll into the kneeling position on a 65cm,

fully-inflated stability ball. This is the position shown in Figure 3(a-c).Keep your hands on the ball until you feel you can let go. This may takeseveral attempts over several days. Once you are able to kneel using nohands, attempt to get into an upright position. Once you have masteredthis position, we like to see the athlete build time in this position,anywhere from one to five minutes depending upon ability.

This is one of my personal favorites as it not only works balance andstabilization, but works the adductors of the inner thigh a ton! Once youare able to sustain the upright position, mix it up by playing catch with anerf football with someone. If you can manage 20 throws back and forthwithout falling, you'll have great balance within your pitchingmechanics.

Regarding core strength, stabilization, and balance, balancing on thestability ball gives us more bang for the buck than any other move we do.We also have several movements we will use in conjunction with thestability ball balancing act that take this move to an even more difficultlevel.

Take your time and try to feel all of these movements and the areasthey are designed to work. Be patient, and the time you have spent onthese Balance and Stabilization exercises will pay huge dividends on thepitching mound. 0

Fig.3(a)

HardBall Magazine 11Holiday 2003

Fig.2(a)

Fig.2(b)

Note: This article is the second in a new series focused on resistance conditioning and the criticalconcept of balance. The first part on Upper Body Resistance Training appeared in the Fall 2003 issue.Readers may also be interested in reviewing Dan Potts' 3-part series on Body Core Strength publishedin our Summer 2000, Fall 2000 and Holiday 2000 issues. Back issues are available online atwww.hardball.netorbycalling 1-888-732-MSBL.

Fig.3(b) Fig.3c)