InsidePitching.com will be running a five part series on what coaches are doing with their pitchers the day after a start.  Each coach will dissect their routines for the day after highlighting their workouts for throwing, lifting, running and arm care.

By Matt Myers
Pitching Coach, Western Kentucky

I think it’s extremely important for a pitcher to develop routines. Whether it is a daily, pre-game, pre pitch, post game, or weekly routine, I believe it’s imperative that pitchers have these in place for structure, discipline, and consistency. “The day after” is part of our in season, post- game routine that is crucial for our pitchers recovery. It’s the first day of our six day cycle leading up to their next start, it’s also their toughest day of the week! I want game day to be the reward for our pitchers hard work and preparation throughout the week. In this article, I will describe our routine “the day after” a start.

“The day after” begins early the next morning regardless the start time of the game that day.  In a perfect, world all of our pitchers would have the prototypical great frame, athletic, and has the fast arm with strength. However, that is not the case, so I meet with my pitcher to get a good feeling how his body, arm, and mind are doing. I think pitch count, weather, starts made, and how competitive the game was (did he cruise or was he in jams all night), are all factors in how a pitcher is going to feel “the day after”. We have a flush that our pitchers do the night of their game to help reduce the soreness  “the day after”. After getting an idea of how my pitcher is feeling, we begin to review his game. We watch videotape, go over our game charts and summaries of his game. I do this because this gives us our script and plan for what the first half of his bullpen will be focused on later in the week.

We then proceed into the bullpen with our arm care program. We first begin with our trainer doing our stretches with the pitcher, insuring his range of motion and flexibility. I have observed that our arm care programs serve as somewhat of a dynamic warm up too. I have two arm care programs, the day after and two days after. There is some overlapping in the warm up, but the intensity and the range of motion with the tubing is different. I like the Crossover Symmetry Tubing series, we use the strongest tension that you can get. Our daily pre throw routine has my guys doing the “Standard” circuit of the crossover symmetry. “The day after” we will do the “Advanced “ circuit.  This helps our guys continue to work out soreness, if any, and at the same time help build up the shoulder area. It really works as a good stretch with the range of motion too. We will go through four exercises with a body blade, and finish with 2 ½ pound ball that we will throw off a trampoline at a very short range. The Tramp really helps get that arm starting to turn around, and the guys like the way it feels. The day two arm care program has my guys using another tubing series, and the use of 8lb, 10lb, 12lb, and 15lb med balls for wall drills and throws.  Once we have completed our warm up, we begin to throw. I firmly believe that pitchers should try to throw everyday, not always long toss,  but activate the arm. We spend all fall building our endurance, and getting our arms and bodies adapted to throwing everyday. I have found that once the season hits our guys recover faster, last longer throughout the season, and maintain arm strength throughout games and season. Now, there are days that a guy needs a break and I get that, but most of the time my guys don’t want to take a day, they enjoy throwing. I like throwing on a clock, it gives us parameters to get  work done in a timely fashion. Pending on the pitch count, how the arm is feeling will dictate how long we throw. I want my guys to go to their tolerance level. Some guys will push out over 120 feet, some will only get to 90 feet.  We will throw for at least 10 minutes based again on how the pitcher is feeling.  As we finish throwing, I will review some dry delivery drills. During these drills, I will work on something I might have seen in last nights game, or maybe wanting that pitcher to reinforce something that’s been working.

After we have worked the arm, I send my guys on a 30-40 minute run. I like our guys running the campus, because its not flat so they have to elevate their heart rate and work as if they are doing their endurance run. I hated poles when I ran, so running through campus gives a different view, they can get away from the yard and collect their thoughts. Once they get back, our strength coach Dwayne Hall crushes them with their heavy lift. They get pushed physically and mentally with our strength coach. Our lift usually lasts about 45 minutes.  It’s nice having a strength coach with a background in baseball. I have a shoulder program that we do too, but its done on day two to balance out the weight room workout. The shoulder program is done three times a week, with the heavy is done two days after a start. The light is done day after bullpen, and the flush is done the night of the game. It really helps maintain the health and strength of our shoulder throughout the year. I give the program to our trainer and he runs it from the training room. We also incorporate a rice bucket workout for our elbow twice a week.

“The day after” is a routine that is very important for a pitcher. It’s not just the physical part, but the mental part as well. It’s a day where you try to flush a body and at the same time began the recovery and the work for the next start. The goal of “the day after” is to get your pitcher preparing for his next start as soon as possible! You want him strong, prepared and focused on the 7th day, game day.