Baseball Answers: Pitching, Velocity & Arm Health

Real Answers to the Questions Baseball Players and Parents Ask

Baseball development can be complicated.

Why did your son's velocity suddenly drop? Is his arm pain normal? How much should a young pitcher throw? Is velocity training safe? Can a pitcher increase velocity without losing command?

And when you've heard different answers from coaches, trainers, facilities, and the internet, it can be difficult to know what information to trust.

Florida Baseball ARMory's Answer Hub is designed to make those decisions easier.

Here you'll find straightforward answers to the questions parents, pitchers, and coaches ask about pitching velocity, command, arm health, training, recovery, pitching development, and performance.

Our goal isn't to tell every player to do the same thing.

It's to help you understand why a particular approach may—or may not—be appropriate for a specific athlete.

Start With the Problem

Before trying to increase velocity or change a pitcher's mechanics, it's important to understand what is actually happening.

A sudden change in velocity, command, recovery, or arm comfort can have many potential contributors. These questions help parents and athletes better understand what they're seeing and when additional evaluation may be appropriate.

Questions answered:

These questions represent the first step in the development process: recognizing the problem before deciding on the solution.

Is It Safe?

Improvement matters. So does keeping a young throwing athlete healthy.

Parents understandably have questions about weighted balls, velocity training, pitch counts, year-round baseball, throwing after pain, and returning to competition after an injury.

Explore answers to questions like:

  • Is weighted ball training safe for youth pitchers?
  • At what age can a kid start weighted ball training?
  • Do weighted balls cause Tommy John surgery?
  • Is velocity training safe for a 12-year-old?
  • How many pitches should my son throw at his age?
  • Is playing baseball year-round bad for a young pitcher?
  • How do I get my son back to throwing after arm pain?
  • What is a return-to-throwing program?
  • What is Little League elbow?
  • Why do so many pitchers reinjure their arm after rehab?

The goal is to provide parents with information they can use to make better, more informed decisions about training and their child's arm health.

Understanding the ARMory Approach

There are many different philosophies for teaching pitching.

Florida Baseball ARMory takes a different approach to movement and skill development, incorporating concepts such as pitching attractors, constraints-led training, self-organization, and SAVAGE Training.

But what do those terms actually mean—and why do they matter?

Learn more about:

  • What are pitching attractors?
  • What is the constraints-led approach in baseball?
  • What is the difference between a cue-based and a constraints-based pitching coach?
  • What is SAVAGE Training?
  • Why do some pitchers get worse after mechanical instruction?
  • What is the difference between a movement problem and a strength problem?
  • What should a pitching assessment actually include?
  • How long is recovery from Tommy John surgery for a high school pitcher?
  • My son was cleared by his doctor but still can't throw the same. Why?
  • Should a pitcher who has had Tommy John do a velocity program?

These answers explain the thinking behind the ARMory approach and give athletes, parents, and coaches a better understanding of how and why we approach player development differently.

Choosing a Pitching Program

There are more pitching coaches, velocity programs, training facilities, technologies, and online programs available than ever.

How do you know which one is right for your son?

And how do you separate a quality development program from one that simply makes big promises?

Get answers to questions such as:

  • What questions should I ask before signing up for a pitching program?
  • How do I choose a pitching coach for my son?
  • Are pitching training facilities worth the money?
  • What is the best velocity program for high school pitchers?
  • What is the best pitching facility in Florida?
  • How do I know if a velocity program is safe for my son?
  • What is the difference between the Florida Baseball ARMory and Driveline?
  • What is the difference between the Florida Baseball ARMory and Tread Athletics?
  • Can you train with a pitching facility remotely?
  • How does remote pitching training work?

The right program isn't necessarily the one with the biggest promises, the most equipment, or the highest velocity numbers.

It's the program that is appropriate for the individual athlete.

Will It Actually Work?

Eventually, every parent and athlete gets to the same question:

“Will this actually help my son?”

There are no guarantees in athletic development. Players start from different places, develop at different rates, and respond differently to training.

But understanding realistic expectations is an important part of choosing a program.

Explore questions about:

  • How much velocity can a pitcher realistically gain in a year?
  • Is it possible to gain 10 mph in one offseason?
  • Does gaining velocity hurt command?
  • What velocity do college coaches want by grade level?
  • Can a pitcher gain velocity after 18?
  • Is velocity training a scam?
  • Is my kid too young for this?
  • My son is small. Can he still throw hard?
  • What happens if we don't see results?
  • Is this worth it if my son probably isn't going to play college ball?

These questions address the expectations, concerns, and objections that often come right before a family makes a decision about training.

Baseball Development Is Individual

There isn't one perfect throwing program, one magic exercise, or one number that determines whether a pitcher will succeed.

A player's age, physical development, training history, workload, movement, goals, performance, and recovery all matter.

That's why Florida Baseball ARMory focuses on individualized development rather than simply putting every athlete through the same program.

Whether you're trying to understand a change in velocity, determine whether arm pain needs attention, evaluate a training program, or figure out what your son should work on next, start with the question you're asking.

Have a Question About Baseball Training?

Find your answer below and learn more about pitching, velocity, command, arm health, recovery, and player development.

Have More Questions?