On this Episode, we dive into the topic of longtoss. If/when you should do it, how to know if it's right for you, & how it can help you to throw harder as well as improve the health of your throwing arm.
The ProSource Pod
Longtoss
What's going on guys welcome back to another episode of the pro source pod today? We're gonna be talking about long toss what it is how to do it the right way How can help you throw harder and just become a better baseball player overall? so first of all diving into what long toss exactly is pretty much it's just throwing the ball as far as you can but there's a specific way to go about it and Nick is going to take us through What we've been doing the past month and a half building back up to 95 miles per hour and using long toss is a big part of that I mean, it's not really that complicated like on your way out the thing that everyone kind of like messes up And they don't really realize they're doing it is they kind of like almost max effort the entire time out It's supposed to be really easy to throw it for. Yeah, like through the effort that goes into it There shouldn't be a lot of effort in there. So it's almost like if you can get to like the 60-70 yard mark And like you feel like you're barely doing anything. You're doing a good job. Yeah, but like when you throw it especially like Eric He's like I was gonna do it. He's I literally couldn't long toss it first I was firing bullets to your chest because I like do I never learned at a long toss around So it's like if you ever played football It's like a touch pass like everything you're doing like on the distance like as soon as you get to like the 20 yard mark You're trying to throw as high as you can to get it to go 20 yards to your partner So it's like if you leave it in front of them It's not a big deal but like if you're short and Like you're throwing bullets in the ground like that's not what you want to do Like you're supposed to take your time throw it as high as you can get the yard because it's supposed to like be easy on your arm Where it's like if you're gonna throw it like a low guy you have to put some zip on it. Yeah, so it's like You stretching it out and going for the height as easy as you can like you're not throwing it say like You get to 100 yards right You're thrown as high as you can like once it says apex like you might only be throwing at 85 But like it's an easier effort of that 85 instead of going The 100% on that pull down where like you might be throwing it 92. Yeah But it's also a different trajectory and it's like it's easier for you to go far They're throwing it high well if you do it the right way It's gonna like make everything a lot less stressful. Yeah, well like trying to go out to a hundred yards and keeping the ball low and like not even necessarily trying to throw it on a pull down every single throw, but just like Throwing it lower not throwing it up like Nick is saying is really hard and take it from me the first thing the first like three times we long toss this is what I was doing and My arm was absolutely cooked and then I started actually throwing it higher Using less effort to go out and then after that my arm would be you should feel loose from doing it You should feel like you just not hit by like a boss when you're done exactly You shouldn't really feel like you've done Like a whole lot of work with your arm like if your whole body's tired That's understandable because like throwing a ball a hundred yards is not easy And then pulling down after that is gonna be stressful to but it's like if you're just your arm is cooked You know, you're doing something wrong like you have to be doing it the right way Like you should be trying to throw moon balls out there. Yeah, you should be throwing into the Stratosphere like quite literally throwing it straight up It's like it's the way right way to go about it but it's also it's like When you go to do the pull-downs like I feel like at first when you want to do long toss like and you do to pull down It's like I feel good now like I want to throw more and more and more It's like the natural like progression of coming in from your throws like you might do three to four Like it's not gonna be like 45 pull downs or two at every 10 yard mark or 20 yard mark It's like you throw it like you get it you start running you throw it in and like you might get three or four But it's like it's not about like the pull downs. Like you're gonna move faster Like you're obviously gonna do one of your max like both you guys do one of your max And then you start moving it in and taking that momentum with you and just keep going in because it's like You're getting your work and it's not like you're cutting yourself off from only throwing four to five like Move fast. You're gonna do it again. Just keep on going. Well, yeah I mean it also it depends on how you're feeling that day like if you're feeling really fucking good and You're just zipping balls a hundred yards not really even putting that much effort in maybe you'll throw Ten pull downs on the way in but I mean it's not even like you have like a radar gonna be like oh like I did this It's like you're throwing it as hard as you can trying to get a dude. That's another thing to like Pull downs. I'm really curious to see what we're pulling down on our like our long toss But like it's so much different than doing a pull down indoors. Yeah, it is so much different because like When you're throwing when you're just throwing a pull down indoors You don't you don't think about where it's going. No, you don't think about any of that You don't think about form You're just thinking of running up and throwing the baseball as hard as you can and seeing a number pop up on a velo board Whereas if you do that and like I have done that with some of our pull downs. We've done outside Dude, good luck. It's gonna be horrible Yeah, like if you take our best if you take some of our best pull downs indoors And like if we did that if that were an outside pull down like during long toss Dude, it would probably it would probably be a horrible throw It really would be like maybe not but if you're throwing into a net like 10 feet away My 100 yard and 80 yard pull downs are your best one hundred percent. I don't know what it is But I want to get closer to you. I just feel like you kind of throw it into the ground Yeah, I'm just like you know what this is weird like I'm really close like Be perfect. It never comes out. Yeah, it's it's a weird one, but like regardless Pulling down like both of those two things have you know, they're They both have different uses I guess I'll say like throwing inside pulling down inside like training your body to move fast I don't think it's complete waste of time. No can be good But but like also like if you're gonna go out there It's like if you're gonna max effort everything you do on the mound Like you're gonna be a reliever. Yeah, you only have so many bullets and also if you're max-effering it all the time You're gonna get hurt. So it's like the easier it is for you to move fast And like that's the whole point of like long toss and stretching it out and getting used to like very easy like distance and like arm speed and stuff like that. It's like When you actually go to perform the hope is that your basement like your your ground floor is going on Yeah, cuz it's like if you're max-effering everything good luck. Yeah, like you're probably gonna get hurt at some point Where it's like I'm not saying you're not gonna go blow it out every once in a while like if you're a closer Like if you're throwing a hundred listen like you're not throwing that many you're gonna go out there and like that's what you're there for But it's like if you're a starter and like you're max-effering 90 pitches in the game like I mean Jacob the gromm gets hurt. Yeah, I don't know if he actually that's a whole right. Yeah, it's a certain thing, but it's like but it's like would you say that your role as a pitcher like your throwing should reflect that like you're a starter if you're a Starting pitcher and you're expect you're expected to go six plus innings 80 plus pitches every game Like you should be fucking long tossing all the time and it shouldn't affect you Well, the other thing is like if you're long tossing and you're actually doing it the right way There's no need to do weighted balls. There's really none Which is gonna keep you from getting hurt I'm not anti-weighted balls or any of that stuff, but at the same time, it's like there's stuff behind it like Weighted balls are the shortcut The kind of yeah, you know what I mean? I agree with that where it's like long toss isn't that sexy? It kind of sucks sometimes. It's like it almost feels like a chore but it's like It does show up if you actually put the effort into 100% and it's like there's no shortcut to like throwing a horn It's like either. Okay. I'm sorry throwing weight balls as hard as I can. I'm gonna get that one to two pitch PR Or I'm gonna actually go long toss like take my time Put my effort in there and like My arms never gonna feel like poop after 100% dude like there might be days You don't feel as good But like you're never gonna feel like absolute garbage like sometimes sometimes you get out to 100 yards And that's it or 90 and that's it like some days you go to 120 130 So it's like you're gonna pick up on how far you're gonna go that day anyway So it's like if you feel really good like you go farther. You keep pushing a little bit more. Yeah, but like some days It's like okay. Oh, I got a hundred like I'm not going far than this and that's all you do Well, it's like I don't want to get too far off the topic of long toss in general, but it's like dude pitching development now Has just gotten so far away from Like just sticking to the skill of throwing. Yeah, you know what I mean because it's like Like I don't have a problem with plyo balls. I don't have a problem with weighted balls Like all that stuff's cool. I like if that's your thing go for it. It's like dude What the what are you fucking doing? You're throwing a baseball. You're trying to throw a baseball hard You're trying to get really really really good at throwing a baseball, right? Just practice throwing a baseball. Well, yeah, I know just people aren't conditioned to throwing. Yeah, so it's like they're all facility dogs Yeah, there's just like facility dogs is such a real thing because I was one. I was one for a long time And I do it and it's just like I know exactly what it is. Like there's a there's a reason Why I'm able to throw as hard as I am now doing just like throwing and no plyo balls no weighted balls You're throwing harder than you've ever thrown and you didn't throw like previous to us doing this. Yeah Yeah, I wasn't throwing for six months and you haven't been throwing weighted balls Like it's been long-talls and sprints. Yeah, like stuff that people Completely like kind of like said like don't do anymore. Yeah, and it's like If you if you want to throw plyos if you want to throw weighted balls and you have a genuine reason behind it That's fine. Go for it. Don't just throw them to throw them. Don't just throw them to throw them But I think what I'm trying to say is you should have like be long-toss sprint work like a structured throwing program like that should be the base of what you're training is that should be the the meat and potatoes and Weighted ball is plyo ball stuff like that. That's kind of just like icing on the cake or dessert what I'm trying to say It's like you don't need it necessarily But it's like it makes you feel good if it helps you and you have a genuine reason to do it and fucking do it doesn't matter Like long-toss and sprint It's all you need. I don't really have any argument with that Yeah, I don't know if you can throw more long-toss more than once a week. I don't just yeah Yeah, for sure and that that's another thing too like a lot of A lot of coaches told me and like travel ball and and my early high school days They're like oh you only need a long toss like once a week You can kind of you can build yourself up long toss every day. Yeah, you really can It's a visit like former like catcher Yeah, and there's a reason like Your arm did your arm ever hurt in college. No. Yeah My arm really never hurt Like the only thing that would hurt is like this is unrelated to like really throwing anything from hitting my wrists I told you about it. Yeah, I couldn't I literally couldn't do that so it had to tape it and I would be thrown like with a but dude, that's like No elbow or shoulder. That's another thing. I wanted to talk about too like bro. It's always pitchers who have arm pain It's a bit and like that that sounds like that sounds so ludicrous to say because like oh no shit Your job is to throw all the time but really think about it like position players like you said and like maybe it's different at other schools You went to Cumberland obviously you guys were long toss all the time. It's like I mean I did it on high school - okay Well pitcher like position players you're throwing every day you're throwing all the time like think about it You're doing your warm-up throws and then whatever drills you're doing it practice ground balls fly balls whatever Like you're throwing a fuck ton But if you're consistent with you just get used to it like your body's gonna adapt like obviously if you've never done it Like your first two weeks you might be like, oh, I'm feeling great. I never get used to it Dude, I never hear like a lot of position players complaining about their arm hurting Yeah, it's not common pitchers are kind of just like Why I'm hurts all the time you'll get like a it's happening more now, which is like way more now I'm curious about what's going on with like some position players. You like end up getting Tommy John Mmm. I don't I don't even want to that's true. What's going on with that? But it's like to me personally it might be a little bit of like honestly, dude If you play baseball in a good plane for long enough something But it's like there's something wrong. It's like um one of these guys where it's like oh Like that's weird. I've never had any arm pain. It feels a little funny. What's going on? Like oh, let's get it checked out. They get checked out. It's like ah like you get a slap tear or something going on It's like well do I get surgery or my own right? That's what happens a lot now more than anything like there's been a like I've been finding out a lot of people get the fake Tommy John, but accounts is Tommy John or it's like what is that so it's it's like They don't have it's like it's partially torn, but they can still repair it But like it wasn't necessary for the surgery, but they get it anyway. What's a PRP? PCP shot PRP injection. Oh Wait, no, no, there are two different things PRP is like they inject ink to see if there's something torn Do you ever hear that? Yeah? PCP is like your own blood a little bit So be a PCP shot is like they extract your blood and like they centrifuge that and then they put it back into the spot And it's supposed to heal and it hurts like hurt. That's what I heard Like it hurts bad. That's like similar to you know blood doping is yeah, no blood. Yeah, it's like it's probably It's blood doper. Yeah anyway, I mean Comes a long toss like just do it more. Yeah, actually put your intention into it like you're not gonna get hurt Long tossing properly. No like you simply you warm up You throw you go as far as you can you try to push it more and more You start going farther. Oh crap. Now I can go to 120. I can only go to 90 a month and a half ago Just keep going throw the balls high as you possibly can with as low effort as far as you can Like if you can get to like 80 yards without trying to do anything You're in a pretty good shot. Yeah, you're in a good start ramping Like you're not going to be like barely doing anything the whole time Like the goal is you throw as high as you can without trying to do anything for as long as you can Yeah, and then once you have to start letting it go and ripping it to like throw it high And far you're gonna reach a point where it's like I can't go any farther, but it's How long can you go before it's I got to actually work to get there And then you go as far as you can working at it And then at that point where it's like you're not getting it close like or it's like I have one that's going there I have one that's going over have one that's short. It's like, okay, like that's like your max like throw it like five or six there and then Move it in start doing your pull downs on the way up. Yeah for sure. Yeah. Yeah, I mean I think we covered all the bases like it's it's very simple like you said just practice it do it the right way and Your arms not really don't get hurt. Your arms not gonna get hurt. It's not stressful It's really just gonna condition you more so at the very worst say like You don't get a bunch of velo gains from it. Like you're definitely gonna have more stamina You have more stamina when your floor is gonna go up because it's like instead of you going out there And it's like I'm max-effering everything. It's like oh well I was able to start working on getting that down without trying to really gear up to do your bulletproofing your arm Exactly. You really are you're saving bullets, but yeah, that's uh, that's long toss guys Appreciate you tune it in and we'll catch you on the next one [BLANK_AUDIO]