I'm a high school senior who is a middle infielder. A friend and I are itching to do something baseball related. I looked up a long toss program to think about doing. After googling whether long toss is good or bad I found a lot of people are split on what the correct answer is. Just wanted to know if anyone had an opinion on long toss programs.
Long Toss
- Thread starter lttrevor
- Start date
Very good as it strengthens your throwing arm, but you need to limit how much you're doing it. I really would limit it to as low as 10-15 throws the first time out and then build up as you go.
Set a number, if you don't feel anything, still stop because you don't want to risk over doing it. If you feel something before you reach that number, stop. That's when it becomes a bad drill, when you're overusing your arm and really forcing everything. You start using bad throwing mechanics for both your arm and your body which can lead to injury and bad mechanics in general for the game.
As long as you're throwing correctly and limiting how much you're throwing, it's a good thing, 0 doubt in my mind.
(Even MLB players do this. I know most starting pitchers do it on their middle day of rest)
Set a number, if you don't feel anything, still stop because you don't want to risk over doing it. If you feel something before you reach that number, stop. That's when it becomes a bad drill, when you're overusing your arm and really forcing everything. You start using bad throwing mechanics for both your arm and your body which can lead to injury and bad mechanics in general for the game.
As long as you're throwing correctly and limiting how much you're throwing, it's a good thing, 0 doubt in my mind.
(Even MLB players do this. I know most starting pitchers do it on their middle day of rest)
Just make sure your release angle is the same, or similar to, the angle you'll release it in a game. No reason to release at a 30 degree angle in long toss just to throw it farther, if you're going to release it at a 0-5 degree angle in a game. Use maximum effort, it just won't allow you to throw it 300 feet like some places like to have you do when you long toss. This will strengthen what you want to strengthen.
coached a bunch of aau and your age kids, its a good drill, just have to maintain good mechanics through the entire program, make sure you are warm and stretched before you start and shut it down after fifteen and then stretch again. Does work though.
Long toss teaches you to throw long and harder by using more than just your arm. chest and abs back leg.
the only way it can be negative is if you just use your arm, not warm up or stretch.
the only way it can be negative is if you just use your arm, not warm up or stretch.