Coaches all too often encourage players to move their bodies into positions that their athletes are physically incapable of achieving. Often, the reason why players cannot achieve a certain exit velocity or pitch velocity is because they have limited mobility, poor stability, or even a prior injury that limits their range of motion. Yet, if coaches are unaware or untrained to assess such physical limitations, they will likely proceed with barking some mechanical instruction out in a bullpen or batting cage, and demonstrating that they don’t know what they don’t know. 

Through our connection with Onbase University, Advanced Baseball coaches are educated and knowledgeable in the area of movement screening as it relates to baseball/softball. If the underlying cause of poor technique (bad mechanics) is poor movement quality, then a coach must be able to identify this and explain it to the player. The training recommendation could then include a combination of technical advice and exercises to improve the athlete’s level of fitness or even to develop a swing or throw style that accommodates the athlete’s physical limitations. 

Simply put, if an athlete’s technical issues are caused by a physical limitation in the body, standard technical coaching cues or drills are not going to work to correct it. As we say in the facility, “I can’t talk your hips into more range of motion or your shoulder into more external rotation (layback)”.  The limitation must first be identified, then the correct measures will be taken to fix the body. Once the body is right, it then allows for the correct technical aspects of the swing/throw to be taught/learned.