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Plyo Drills worth trying 27/100
Plyo Drills Worth Trying
Over the years, I tried pretty much anything and everything to get better from a plyo-drill standpoint. There's a drill for every single issue and a cue for every thought within every drill. I however, don't really like to get players all domed up during plyo drills. I believe there is a set of plyo drills that focus on the “bones” of the throwing motion. A lot of drills are there to work on things that are smaller/ less critical to the delivery, rather than the key structures that move the needle.
Much like anything, I believe in the 80/20 rule (The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto principle, states that 80% of outcomes come from 20% of causes. It's a useful tool for prioritizing tasks and making better use of time and resources). There are a few factors that really determine how good of a thrower you are, and all the minutia is there to chase down the last little bit once you've nailed down the main components. If anything, I believe in throwing it more like the 90/10 rule, if not even more slanted against the latter .
On the side of the few things that create 90% of the output, I care about:
The upper half transferring energy efficiently
The lower half being rotated at footplant
Upper half being delayed until after footplant
There are a lot of things that go into these three, but by focusing on the main building blocks of the throw, you can lock in on the things that really matter for you.
Upper Half Constraints
These are drills you should start off with for your throwing day. These allow you to get going but also make it easier as you don't have to sync up the entire throw and can just focus on the upper half.
Kneeling Throws (Two Knee): This throw is a good breakdown of the drill, but there are a few things to ignore. 1- Don't preset a short arm action, being on two knees already constrains the arm enough. Try to be as athletic as you can within the constraint, and do whatever you need to feel comfortable in the throw.
These teach you how to properly use the upper half, and should get you rotating a little bit better as you really only have the spine to initiate rotation from. Some people like long tossing out of this, I don't mind. However, I mostly choose to use heavy plyos from this variation.
Pivot Pick-off: A true icon in the throwing world. Some people have bailed on this for the 10 Toes variation (most people have an easier time accomplishing the 10 toes), but I have always preferred the pivot pick-off. This video talks about some things to think about, and generally favors the 10 toes.
They are nearly interchangeable in my opinion, however If you have a bad spine the pivot pick-off might be more difficult to execute. I also love to long toss out of these variations, and doing so has been a staple of my programming when I've been throwing at high velocities.
Split Stance Throw: I consider this to be the least constrained of the upper body constraints. As we go, the trend will be to go from more constrained to less constrained, meaning more and more “free feeling” as we go through it. While you are in full stride during this drill, it is still one where you focus on the upper half.
Taking the constraint you are in and attempting to create as much leverage and torque during the throw as possible is key. The compression effect of slamming the front leg and initiating rotation of the torso is huge for being efficient and creating velocity.
Full Body Constraints:
These drills are the middle ground, you do them and it is more constrained than the drills above. However, you get to use the lower half in these drills, as most of them are really close to the full delivery.
Roll In: A drill that used to be incredibly underappreciated but is now making a comeback. The roll in is essentially the split stance, but you walk into it. It constrains the lower half by forcing the hips to stay forward, but allows you to be more free by allowing you to build up some momentum into the throw.
Some people don't like the drill because as you try to crank up the intensity of it, you can get pushy with the back leg because it has no ability to rotate because you are already rotated forward.
Janitor Drill : One of my favorites. We are working our way closer to the delivery. This puts us in a counter rotated position, and forces us to get out of it. Doing so helps our lower half feel tension as we try to work our way down the mound.
If you struggle to rotate the lower half before foot-plant, this is probably one for you. It helps you both prioritize rotation with the lower half while also managing the torso so that you aren't purely just dumping forward and not delaying torso rotation before foot-plant.
Hover Drill: A solid drill for those that try and do too much in the delivery. This drill helped me when I was struggling to control my pelvis as I worked into full leg lift and down the mound. Pitchers who try and have a big leg swing to gain momentum can often lose control of their pelvis and just flop down the mound, losing a lot of velocity and consistency in the process.
If you can throw hard from this drill, you possess all of the traits needed to throw hard in the full delivery. However, you might be losing control during your leg lift if you throw harder out of the hover than you do a full delivery. This drill also helps people learn how to throw from the slide-step, as this drill is essentially a paused slide-step.
Completely Unconstrained:
These are the fun ones. Don't think about anything other than letting it eat with these. They are the least constrained and are centered around creating as much output as possible.
Hop Back Drill: The point of this drill is to try and be quick, athletic and don't let mechanical thoughts hinder what you are trying to do. If you find yourself overthinking, try to put a stopwatch on your throws and get the ball out as quickly as possible.
Drop Step: Generally done on the mound, this drill can also be done on flatground. Get the body moving and be athletic. You will notice that I have less to say about these drills. They are centered around moving quickly and being athletic. You want to let the previous drills work on mechanics and let the changes show in these.
Pull-downs/Compression Throws: Be as crazy or tame as you want. The better you are as an athlete the more crazy you’ll want to get. Some people who aren’t good at moving/staying in control should start with a simple shuffle/compression throw and then work their way into a full on run and gun throw.
However, sometimes it's better to challenge people who are generally less athletic. They need the push and often can find improvements to overall coordination.
Conclusion:
Every player needs a plan for their throwing. These are the building blocks for a good throw in my opinion. There is a lot of noise in the baseball training realm, but being able to keep it simple and focus on what actually matters is something that will always be the bread and butter of a good throwing program.
I am now offering a 6 month program build out. Where we take your mechanics and I offer long term guidance for improvement. It is hard to get better, but if you get the right plan and stick to it, improvement becomes way easier. The Signup Link for programs is below. Paid subscribers get it for free, but it is available to all.
John