1. Introductory Phase: Begin learning process of development with a biomechanics understanding of the pitching motion and the subsequent data that will be tracked throughout the duration of the program.

2. Circuit Phase: Increase physicality and proprioceptive capabilities through highly stimulating circuit training.

3. Internal Phase: Assess information learned from the circuit phase and advance the learning process through pitch pattern development and data reassessment.

4. External Phase: Switch focus from internal thought processing to external execution through variability training and competition in preparation for live game performance

5. Live Phase: Prepare for the season with a full commitment to external training through live at bat competition

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Before we begin, we will be meeting with you in order to best understand your offseason goals and for this offseason program. If you are coming in without solidified goals in mind, no worries! Our main focus will be to build on the athlete’s current base as a hitter. We want each athlete to continue to build on their rotational power as well as emphasize the importance of swing movement patterns. Although data is great, we believe sustainability comes from teaching each player to find the right position to put themselves in to allow their bio-metric sequencing to be completed at the highest level of efficiency. Here is a brief description of how our program will work:

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• Testing: First and foremost, we will begin our program with individual assessments and baseline training. We will be capping our sessions for this program and want to make sure we have the right fit in each of our sessions. Each session will have a maximum of a 4:1, player to coach ratio. We will continuously train, assess, and reassess our athletes in order to set goals, make adjustments, etc.

• Education: As mentioned above, data is always great and an incredibly vital part of teaching. We find it very important to make sure our athletes know what we are measuring and why. Big words can be thrown around by anyone, we make sure we explain, educate, and teach our players the meaning of what we are assessing in the simplest of terms in order to best create an understanding of adjustments that need to be made. Some of you may already know these metrics and things we will be touching on, that is great! We do not expect to be blindly followed by our athletes and will be open and honest if there is something that we do not know. Pitching is complex, difficult, frustrating, and ever-evolving. Our trainers are informed by research and commit to backing our programs through data. Our trainers will embrace the unknown factors and constant growth of the sport alongside our athletes.

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• Data Collection: We will be collecting the following data metrics throughout our HP Pitching Program:

  • Average and Maximum Velocity: Measured in mph

  • Spin Rate: Spin rate measures the overall revolutions per minute (rpm) of a pitched ball by adding together the amount of backspin, topspin, sidespin, and gyroscopic spin put on the ball

  • Spin Efficiency: Spin efficiency is the ratio of true spin to total spin. It is directly related to a pitch's gyro degree

  • Spin Direction: Spin direction is measured in degrees and is created by the Magnus effect, which is influenced by the air pressure surrounding the spinning softball on its path to home plate. The spin axis number on the clock (9 to 3 clockwise) indicates whether the ball has backspin or topspin

  • Horizontal and Vertical Break: Rapsodo measures the vertical and horizontal break of a pitch. Vertical break comes from backspin and topspin. Horizontal break is created via sidespin.

 

• Athlete Autonomy: We believe a big part of our program, and any type of program for athletes, is incorporating athlete autonomy. Throughout our programming, we will have occasional days where the athlete will be making choices between options of what type of training they would like to have for that specific date.

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• Strength & Development: We know the importance of strength and performance training to your offseason programming. We have partnered with Strength & Development trainers that will be working closely with you to ensure you are doing what is necessary to improve, gain power, and continue to be explosive. Our HP Strength & Development focuses on the specific strength qualities displayed on the field of play and in training such as sprinting, jumping, or change of direction. By observing these movements, we can isolate those specific strength qualities that will elevate your game.

 

The Strength Qualities we analyze are:

• Rate of Force Development (RFD) - How fast and with how much force can your muscles create movement without a stretch reflex

• Eccentric Ability - How well does your body work like a rubber band

• Yielding Strength - Stability strength, your ability to resist/absorb force

• Reactive Strength - A muscle’s ability to go from a stretching action to a shortening action (absorb and transfer force)

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All softball training will be taking place in hour time slots. Strength + Development training taking place with solidified time slots Monday - Saturday on the hour and is separate from HP Pricing / not required to purchase.