physical constraints
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Athlete Has Elbow Pain, Calls FBR, Then Makes Team USA - by Randy Sullivan, MPT,CSCS
The 2020 Vandy commit from Boca Raton, FL was a low to mid 80s lefty when I met him on September 23, 2016. He and his father made the 3-hour drive to the Florida Baseball Ranch® for a Precision Strike One Day One-On-One Evaluation and Training session. We conducted a full head-to-toe physical assessment and a video analysis of his movement pattern. We... -
How NOT Long Tossing or Throwing Weighted Balls Could Get You Hurt. -Randy Sullivan, MPT, CSCS
Wait… What? And here we go again. The long toss and weighted ball police are back at it. I was perusing through twitter last week and saw this blast. “Study. Max Distance Throwing Changes Mechanics and Puts More Stress On The Arm.” It was accompanied by this infograph. First of all… that study is not news. It came out in... -
The Side Step Is Satan? by Randy Sullivan, MPT
OK, admittedly that subject line is a little extreme, I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. It seems like every kid that comes in to see me – especially the ones who have had lots of pitching lessons – does one thing in almost EXACTLY the same way. And frankly, it’s driving me crazy!! What is it you ask? It’s this... -
It seems complicated, but it's really quite simple - by Randy Sullivan
There are about 5 things you need to do to change your pitching career: 1) Start With The Pain. Even a small amount of regular pain can keep you from ascending to higher levels -- especially if that pain is in the medial elbow, anterior shoulder, or posterior shoulder. Your body's survival instinct will always trump your desire to... -
Athletes' Performance Pyramid
Having on-the-field success is the ultimate goal for all athletes. But how is that achieved? The vast majority of people focus on (1) sport specific training and/or (2) athletic abilities, such as strength and speed. Yet, there are more factors that contribute to success than just those two. We all know people with tremendous physical abilities that never achieve success on the field. I think the following graphic is a great example of the building block components that make up a successful athletic performance. Continue reading → -
Throwing Weighted Dogs Can Increase Velocity! Wait… What? - by Randy Sullivan
Seems the rage these days is about these new weighted ball things and how they increase velocity. Funny… When we started using weighted balls as part of our process in 2009, in my community you would have thought I was Jack the Ripper! Naysayers unfairly blasted me privately, and publicly to the point that I finally gave in and stopped using them for a few months. I soon came to the realization that critics will be critics and accepting their slings and arrows is simply the price I must pay for the privilege of working with all the fine young men in my care. Continue reading → -
Why Do Plateaus Occur?- Part II by Ron Wolforth
A reminder of key points of Part I: 1) Plateaus are natural parts of EVERYONE's growth. 2) Very frequently I see solid and steady incremental growth being categorized and labeled by athletes and parents as 'disappointing' and 'discouraging' simply because the gains were 'so small'. 3) To truly be exceptional you must first learn to become discouragement proof... or at the very least... discouragement resistant. 4) At the Ranch we say... “To become great, you first must learn to enjoy the plateaus.” Continue reading → -
Shut It Down Or Keep Throwing? Maybe There’s an Alternative- by Randy Sullivan
Yesterday I got a call from a minor leaguer who said he was interested in coming in for training before next season, but he was planning on going into complete shutdown mode for about 2-3 months. After I hung up, I had a penetrating thought that stopped me dead in my tracks. It was the kind of thought that makes you wonder what you’ve been thinking for all these years. Continue reading → -
The Only 4 Things That Matter In Pitching - by Randy Sullivan
A couple of days ago, I got an email from a student named Andrew that really got me thinking. “Hey Randy, I’ve started back throwing and I was looking for some help on the role of the glutes in the delivery. I understand a glute load allows for stabilization of the trunk and can create a bit more ground reaction force, but I’ve also seen the EMG study where they claim that GRF in the drive foot isn’t as crucial. I was wondering if you could point me to some literature or elaborate yourself on the role of the glutes. It’s very difficult for me to take full advantage of mechanical concepts unless I understand the “why” and what goal is attempting to be achieved. Thanks Randy!” Continue reading → -
The One Thing You Probably Shouldn't Do If You're Having Arm Pain - by Randy Sullivan
// I had a pro client a couple of months ago with a familiar story. He’s been through 2 Tommy John surgeries, an ulnar nerve decompression, a bone spur removal, and a labrum repair. In Ranch terms, you could say he had been “Rode hard and put away wet.” That’s not the familiar part. Continue reading →
