Baseball pitching motion analysis, troubleshooting, and performance based on science, featuring pitching motion troubleshooter Angel Borrelli and hosted by Joe Janish. Joe interviews Angel -- a kinesiologist with a Master's Degree in Exercise Science -- on a regular basis, discussing the prevention…
Velocity and Injury Vulnerability: Put this Item on your Pitching-motion Efficiency Checklist Angel and Jacob do a live demo on how stride-foot placement can affect (increase or decrease) velocity and your injury vulnerability profile. Watch it on You Tube at Angel Borrelli Pitching Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Three Delivery Styles that Create Elbow Problems and Limit Velocity The most recent recommendation to increase the size of the baseball and its weight to eliminate elbow injuries is the topic of discussion. Jacob and I talk about a much simpler and more practical way to attack the epidemic and also fill the need to increase velocity…the safe way. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Pitching Injuries: Velocity is Not the Enemy In today's episode, two power pitchers, Rallin Covey and Joe DeMers, join me to discuss the MLB Pitching Injury Report. You don't want to miss this episode to get a fresh and different perspective that brings hope to the pitching injury situation. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
From Pitching Styles to Warm-ups and Everything In-Between: Tips to Take Advantage of Every Moment For Improvement This episode is filled with small things you can do and think about today that add-up to improvements tomorrow. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Fastball, Change-Up, Slider: Using Kinesiology to Improve your Ball Release Knowledge is power and in this episode, Jacob and I discuss some of my troubleshooting tips for ball release issues that can help some of the most common ball flight errors for the fastball, change-up and slider. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Finishing Your Pitch: The Most Overlooked Part of Your Motion Seven muscles of your shoulder, elbow, forearm, and fingers work harder in the deceleration phase of the motion than the acceleration phase. You will learn what you can do right now to improve this part of your pitching motion and how it translates into better velocity, better location, and most importantly, injury prevention. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Troubleshooting The Glove Arm When is the last time you thought of the glove arm as a major player in location, velocity, and timing of the pitching motion? It's possible you never thought of it because it is the most overlooked body part in the entire delivery. In this podcast, I will teach you how to see what you're looking at as well as the three most common flaws, and how to troubleshoot the possible causes. I've got two throwing drills that you will love! Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
In today's episode you will see four exercises that will give you feel for the muscles responsible for accelerating the ball. Starting with an easy floor movement to an advanced movement in the gym, do these exercises to find your velocity muscles. Be sure and go to Angel Borrelli Pitching on YouTube to listen and see today's “videocast”. https://youtu.be/zctmBPW3vyw Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
The Most Important Arm Angle/Timing During the Pitching Motion With photos and videos, this episode discusses the importance of the arm angle at stride-foot-contact and its effect on acceleration and ball release. Injuries, late-arm depictions, and ideas for identifying and correcting a flaw in this phase of the motion are included in this very comprehensive teaching moment. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Location Accuracy and UCL Protection: four must-haves for your training arsenal This episode provides unique information about the finger and forearm muscles for location accuracy and explains, through exercises, how to improve your control and at the same time strengthen the important muscles surrounding the UCL. See the drills on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/x9AQ8iJCJbw Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Pitching Mechanics and Training Methods: the connection to the current elbow injury epidemic Looking at mechanics and training methods as possible contributing factors to the pitching injury crisis is not only necessary to understand the entire scope of the situation but also to eliminate blind spots that keep us from finding solutions. Don't miss this podcast with video demonstrations that, I guarantee, will give you food for thought. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Looking for Velocity in All the Right Places Need I say more. Continuing the discussion from my last podcast, you will see photos, examples and drills that demonstrate the importance of releasing the ball as close to the plate as possible. Jacob and I also discuss the continued injury epidemic in the baseball world and I talk about my take and experience as a troubleshooter of the pitching motion, inserting some light into this very dark topic. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Pitching Injuries: Avoid These Two Lower Body Mistakes I found my inspiration for this first episode from an excellent article about the dangerous state of pitching injuries. While there were many differing opinions on why injuries are on the increase, I thought it was time for me to talk about how I solve injury issues and arm problems on a day-to-day basis in my work as a pitching motion troubleshooter. You will be learning about specific errors in the pitching motion that render a pitcher more vulnerable to injury and hopefully, new ways to look at your pitchers. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Creative Ideas for On-the-Field Pitcher Development If you're on the field during these Fall months, it's a perfect time for pitching coaches to get creative and focus on some of the individual skills and details that can easily be overlooked during the season when velocity and throwing strikes take-up all the attention. Along with my co-host Joe DeMers, I share some thoughts and offer some ideas on how to make the next few months extra-productive for you and your pitchers. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Pitching Velocity and Injuries: one does not have to lead to the other In today's podcast, I wanted to offer a perspective on ways to offset the current trend in elbow injuries as a result of increased velocity. There are things to think about, approaches, training, and hope that I offer to pitchers and coaches to inspire a full-scale effort to keep our pitchers safe as they continue to pursue the one thing that is not going away: a faster fastball. Links from today's episode: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/velocity-at-what-cost-mlb-s-hardest-throwers-keep-succumbing-to-tommy-john-surgery/ar-AA1g23GN https://www.instagram.com/p/CxIZ7ZJLfmk/ Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Off-Season Training…Do Not Miss This Phase of Your Development In this month's podcast, I talk about the benefits of off-season training and present some guidelines for things to consider when making decisions and creating a schedule. You do not want to misuse the valuable time you have at this important time of the year. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Making sure your muscles are ready for the job that you are asking them to do is the most basic responsibility you have, and it is solely up to you, the pitcher. Most injuries are caused by a muscle or muscle-group not being recovered, fatigued, too weak, or being used improperly. In this podcast, I highlight the most dangerous and common errors I see pre-pitching on the field as well as faulty or missing training methods in the gym. My intent is to provide food-for-thought to help you make informed decisions on a day-to-day basis as to how to take the best care of your pitching health and your pitching future. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
With nothing but the best to Jacob deGrom's future and his return to pitching, this podcast is dedicated to the importance of efficient and correct joint mechanics to protect all of our pitchers from the pain of what we just witnessed from one of MLB's best pitchers. The Late-Arm Syndrome at SFC and MER is discussed at length with a checklist of symptoms and causes. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Velocity and Forearm Injuries & Everything You Need to Know about the Sinker With photos of the forearm/wrist/fingers, Angel discusses the vulnerability of the forearm and direct and indirect ways you may be making it more prone to injury. Joe discusses everything about his best pitch, the sinker, and has photos demonstrating all the possible grips along with thoughts and information on how and when to throw it. Click Here for YouTube Video Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
In this episode, Angel teaches you how to connect the dots between the location of some the most common areas of soreness and the most likely part of the motion causing the problem. With early detection and reinjury-prevention being the goal, you will be given a roadmap as to where to look before your soreness becomes an injury. Co-host Joe DeMers explains the new NCAA recruiting rules and we discuss why we love them so much. Joe shares some of his most personal experiences with the original rules. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Pitchers skipping bullpens or not going deep enough in their bullpens are often times errors of the way a pitcher is thought of, or should I say, not thought of, in terms of his development. This is a thought-provoking episode that coaches and pitchers do not want to miss. Co-host Joe Demers talks about the effects of the MLB rule changes and talks with us about the latest hot pitch…the Sweeper. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Timing/speed of the stride and the sequencing of the arms with the stride are discussed as pitching motion priorities and the first-line of evaluation when the pitcher is having location and/or velocity issues. Angel welcomes new co-host Joe DeMers, former Minor League pitcher, to The Fix. Joe makes his debut in The Inside Pitch segment by talking about the new rule changes for pitchers and hitters from a perspective that only a pitcher can give. In Angel's Out-Pitch segment, you will learn about a muscle that is seldom discussed (but now in the news) as a major player in elbow health. She talks about the one exercise pitcher's need to do all year round for injury prevention. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Unlocking the Pitcher's Potential: a few mistakes you don't want to make I have unfortunately witnessed things throughout the year that in terms of performance and science, can be counter-productive to a pitcher's development. And while I know that there is never any intent to interfere with a pitcher's potential, it is really easy to miss some important details. In this last episode of the 2022 season, I give some food-for-thought on a few issues that warrant awareness on the part of pitchers, coaches, and parents. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
In this arm-saving episode, we will discuss the side of the story that no one talks about or, better yet, warns you about. Signed as a Sophomore and forced to retire as a Senior due to injuries, Ian shares his mistakes, choices he regrets, and gives advice to the all-too-common situations that pitchers often find themselves in during their pitching career. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
S9E06 - Baseball Pitching Velocity: Your Seven-Step Checklist The title says it all. If you can't answer "yes" to these seven questions, the good news is... you haven't seen your max velocity potential. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Bullpens are Sacred: Seven Ways to not waste Precious Time In this second episode of my Summer Series of short podcasts designed to give you right now ideas for right now improvements, I talk about how to reinvent your bullpens with targeted ideas for practice. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Locating your Pitches: a right-now suggestion for a right-now improvement Velocity doesn't matter if you can't locate your pitches. This episode will walk you through a solution that I use in my sessions that gives immediate and noticeable improvement. Velocity doesn't matter if you can't locate your pitches. This episode will walk you through a solution that I use in my sessions that gives immediate and noticeable improvement. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
The Rotation Phase of the pitching motion transfers the energy into the pitching shoulder, elbow, and wrist. Efficient rotation includes the segments, their sequencing, and their separation. Squaring-up-to the plate with power and efficiency affects the velocity and the location of the ball. I go into depth to help you understand it and feel it. Included are drills and exercises to teach the motion to yourself or your pitchers. Click Here for YouTube Video Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Understanding the role of the shoulder girdle muscles and its relationship to the shoulder can be complicated. By using photos and drills, I explain how adding “feel” for this concept can improve velocity, the way you use your acceleration muscles, and help you create an easily repeatable arm action and release point. Click Here for YouTube Video Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
How do you get from your back leg to your front leg as you move downhill? If you don't know the answer, then you may be leaving MPH on the mound instead of getting it to the ball. The skill of weight shift, which is how the stride is initiated, is one of the most widely unknown and mysterious skills of the pitching motion. “Use your legs” should be “use your hips”. Find out how to create an efficient stride in this episode with the most unbelievable photos. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com Click Here for YouTube Video
On your road to improved performance during this pre-season, don't forget to improve the specific angles and positions of each phase. The more efficient your body positions...the greater you can enhance your ability to improve your velocity. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Getting your arm and pitching motion ready for the upcoming 2022 season should be your number one priority during this month of the off-season, and your throwing program should be more than just distances and volumes. In this episode I talk about how to create your calendar as well as develop your pitching skills every time you throw a ball. Plan now to be the best pitching-version of yourself so you can get to where you want to be in 2022; get after it now. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com http://GymScience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
Exotic pitches, side-arm vs over-arm throwing, and determining stride length, are just some of the teaching moments taken from viewing the MLB playoff pitchers. Don't miss this extended podcast which includes photos and exercise-ideas to get you started with training all your pitches in the gym. See the pictures and videos on YouTube Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com http://GymScience.com https://AngelBorrelliPitching.com
In this episode, I talk about the importance of looking at how well a pitcher hits his "spots" in his delivery before you decide to adjust something that doesn't look right to you. You will get tips on how to make this determination. Coach Larry Owens and I also talk about the complicated issue of the pitcher's position on the rubber (arm-side or glove-arm side) and the latest new trend where catchers are setting-up with one knee on the ground. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com http://GymScience.com
In this episode, I answer questions from coaches regarding pitchers throwing BP and the ongoing issues around running. Coach Larry Owens hosts a discussion on some of the new policies and procedures with which the MLB is experimenting in the Minor League System: wider bases, pick-off moves, and much more. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com http://GymScience.com
In this episode, Coach Larry Owens and I discuss the lost art of pitching inside and the moving of the mound back to 61'6”. My line-up of topics included: Why asking youth pitchers to throw as hard as they can is dangerous My personal request to coaches to rethink the traditional running program that is used for pitchers and position players Middle-finger strength: it's relationship to location Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://GymScience.com
Don't miss this episode: live videos, drills, exercises… everything you need to wrap your brain around the importance of the stability of the front leg. TM link: See the pictures and videos on YouTube Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://GymScience.com
In this episode, Coach Larry Owens and I dive into the topic of the day: the use of sticky substances by MLB pitchers. I interviewed three younger pitchers and you will hear their take-home messages about the subject. You will also hear Part One of “Sticking your Landing”; the importance of stability of the front leg for power through the acceleration and follow-through parts of the delivery especially as it relates to maintaining a good grip on the ball. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://GymScience.com
Using a comparison to a quarterback's arm position, I discuss one of the most common flaws in shoulder mechanics that can cause inefficient spin, loss of velocity, and diminished command of the baseball. Leading with the elbow is especially common in youth pitchers. With an anatomy lesson in the forearm, and excellent questions from Coach Larry Owens of Bellarmine University, I teach how to see what it looks like and offer some tips on the why and how of understanding the issue. See the pictures on YouTube Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com https://GymScience.com
The fingers and fingertips are the last body part to have contact with the ball which makes them the most important body part to understand, have feel for, and strengthen. This episode was created to give you a new way, or a reminder, about the importance of what happens as the ball leaves your hand. Head Coach Larry Owens from Bellarmine University is my Co-Host and as always, he sheds his unique perspective on this topic and the current increase in the hit-by-pitch statistic. Watch the Drills on YouTube Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com www.GymScience.com
In this episode, I share an “eye candy” moment from the mechanics of Giolito and Bieber. Using a detail of their mechanics as a sample, you will learn how to see and understand the shoulder position prior to the max external rotation position along with how to teach the feel and the skill involved. Angel Borrelli Pitching You Tube Channel Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com www.GymScience.com
In-season Troubleshooting Incomplete rotation to the plate Timing Stretch vs. Wind-up stride differences… …are the topics discussed in this episode of The Fix. Troubleshooting a pitcher’s issues during the season must be done differently than in the off-season. If pitchers start to show sudden location, velocity, or arm-soreness issues, as coaches you need easy and simple ways to recognize the issues and make simple adjustments. This episode will give you some of the easiest fixes I use to get the job done without doing a complete overhaul to the pitcher’s delivery. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com www.GymScience.com
With my guest, Associate Head Coach Jon Watson, who was a closer in college as well as a former pitching coach with the Angels’ Minor League system, we take this topic on in a 1-2-3 closer-style. To coaches at all levels… don’t miss this episode. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com www.GymScience.com
Listen to Angel being interviewed as a guest on Pete Caliendo’s renowned “Baseball Outside the Box” podcast. I was honored to be a guest on Pete’s podcast. He is an experienced baseball guy, interviewer, and owner of Caliendo Sports International. He asked many questions about youth baseball, injuries, mechanics, the mental game…and more. There is something for everyone and after listening to this, be sure and check out his archive of podcasts. To watch the interview video, go to Angel Borrelli Pitching on YouTube Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com www.GymScience.com
Angel opens-up Season Eight, Episode One, with guest Head Coach Larry Owens from Bellarmine University. Larry had a question about the pitching motion, specifically, the common flaw of lifting the rear leg off the mound early in the motion, so much so, that it looks like the pitcher is pitching on one leg. Angel goes into depth about not only the role of the rear leg, but the effect lifting the leg has on rotation and arm mechanics. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com www.GymScience.com
Join me in troubleshooting an arm-action issue. A coach/listener provided video for a consult with me to help him understand more thoroughly what this pitcher was doing wrong. I provide a visual/photo feedback session to explain what he’s doing, why he is doing, and the details around the flaw. You don’t want to miss this as I guarantee, this is a flaw that you have seen and will continue to see; you can get a handle on this now. To see the meeting and the visual demonstrations, this podcast is also available on YouTube at Angel Borrelli Pitching. https://youtu.be/B_o9KIgY8jA Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com www.GymScience.com
Our friend to the show Coach Larry Owens from Bellarmine University asked if I would be open to doing a face-to-face video call with his pitchers. The great news is that we recorded the video meeting so I could share it with you as today’s podcast. The pitchers asked great questions which led to many interesting topics ranging from training to throwing programs and more. To see the meeting and the visual demonstrations, this podcast is also available on YouTube at Angel Borrelli Pitching. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com www.GymScience.com
Off-season Pitcher-Specific Training Series starts today Three must-do exercises for the upper back of the pitcher In my off-season training series, you will get: - Specialized exercises with still shots/video that can be viewed at Angel Borrelli Pitching on YouTube - The How and Why of all the exercises - How to incorporate the exercises into your training program Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com www.GymScience.com
With the unusual circumstances of the 2020 spring, summer, and fall seasons for baseball pitchers, coaches and pitchers find themselves asking questions about readiness for the fall, shutting pitchers down when if feels like they’ve been shut down, and scenarios that are beyond one’s imagination. Many situations are discussed with my suggestions for how to make decisions that will ensure a sound re-entry into spring baseball, 2021. I also delve into the main question I receive during the World Series: “so-and-so on the MLB does this with his mechanics and he is really good. Should I emulate him?” You want to hear this before you start making your own adjustments. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com www.GymScience.com
In this special episode, Coach Larry Owens from Bellarmine University and myself talk about two topics that are critical to the development and success of our pitchers (and are often overlooked and/or underplayed as being important). There are no words to describe or summarize our discussion so do not miss listening to this episode. If you are a coach, a parent, or a pitcher, and the topics we discuss pertain to you, the information you hear could be a game-changer for you and your improvement. Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com www.GymScience.com
MLB pitching injuries: why are there so many? Creating and planning your cycles of training between now and the beginning of the 2021 season…plus…the special recruitment obstacles facing our graduating high-school seniors. The importance of the height of the front leg: a drill and exercise that teach the skill. Click Here for Teaching Moment Video Email Angel at angel@gymscience.com www.GymScience.com