Coming off of US Open weekend and two weekends removed from another poor performance on the links for me, I felt the urge to dive back into a discussion stemming from the golf world. In my opinion, the hottest story in sports right now is Bryson DeChambeau winning his first ever major and taking home the US Open championship. For those of you who do not know, DeChambeau is far from the normal golfer in many regards. From the way he plays to the way he trains, DeChambeau breaks the mold and bridges the gap between training, preparation, and sport performance.
The book on golf has been the same for years. Make good decisions, minimize mistakes, and you will have a good chance of playing well. What if I told you that you could hit the ball so far that your mistakes don’t really matter? Well, that’s what Bryson decided to do with his time during our the Covid-19 shutdown. However, something even crazier happened; the harder he trained to become the longest hitter on the PGA Tour, the more accurate he became.
Not everything that happens on a golf course does translate to the baseball field, but the training ideologies used to elicit these gains certainly are connected. Repeatedly training with maximum intensity enabled Bryson to become an elite golf athlete with nothing but positive side effects. Although not his original intention, at least not from my perspective as a viewer and fan, DeChambeau has improved his accuracy numbers in addition to now being recognized as one of the longest players on tour.
Relating this all back to baseball, how does Bryson DeChambeau’s newly remodeled approach to the game of golf reflect what goes on in the baseball world? A perfect comparison is the current fad of velocity programs. Everywhere we turn, somebody is doing a throwing and performance program that is now coined as a velocity program. These training programs have grown with increasing popularity over the past 5 to 10 years as velocity has become the number one determining factor of how long pitchers can play the game of baseball. Often villainized – unfairly in my opinion – for putting an increase focused on what the radar gun says, the programs take on many forms including extreme long toss, weighted ball training, medicine ball throws, and even constraint-based training. Although velocity is the main focus, the carry over to other skills is a major added bonus.
Regardless of the push back so much of velocity based training receives, the various methods reach farther than a new peak speed on a fastball. Much of the push back these programs receive comes from an over emphasis on throwing hard and a decreased focus on accuracy. While the focus on velocity may be paramount in these programs, the training approach to reach the velocity does not leave the other aspects of being a successful pitcher in the dust. In fact, I would contest just the opposite.
As pitchers train to throw harder, multiple factors come into play including physicality, mechanics, and intent. Without diving too deep into any of these factors, I will give a quick synopsis of how they impact performance.
Physicality is much more than just being strong. Physicality is what allows pitchers to stay on the mound. It provides the base through strength, mobility, endurance, and power. This is often the training that is done in the weight room, but it also includes any preparatory work, arm care, or recovery modalities that allow a pitcher to compete each time his name is called.
Mechanics are the lifeblood of every pitcher. This is how they move. While mechanics differ from pitcher to pitcher, operating with repeatable mechanics enables pitchers to compete with fluidity, accuracy, and consistency. As mechanics begin to follow proper kinetic sequencing, pitchers increase their ability to throw harder due to more efficient and explosive movements. Moving with proper patterning provides a base to incorporate the benefits of increased physicality as well as higher intent. With improved movement efficiency better matching the kinetic chain, pitchers can maximize what they can get out of their bodies.
Intent is the mindset. Often the forgotten or untouched piece of competition, a competitor’s focus or intention goes a long way in performance. Part of performing at a high level includes believing you can do so. In velocity programs, oftentimes players learn to throw hard for the first time. This singular focus allows for a suspension of other thoughts and a free flow of present athleticism to takeover.
Based on the video linked here, it is evident that intent and physicality were a huge piece in Bryson’s training. As he trained to move faster and swing harder, he was able to apply these elite level movements to his already mechanically sound swing. Although he is able to use the highest levels of technology to ensure his movements are mechanically sound – as you can see with the force plates under him – we as coaches are still able to analyze the mechanics that go along with high intensity throwing through video analysis and constraint based approaches.
I am by no means suggesting that pitchers should only focus on throwing as hard as possible with no regards for anything else. Conversely, I suggest training at maximum intensities within comfortable ranges or positions that can be executed in addition to exploring new or advanced movements at sub-maximal intensities. Once those more difficult movements become patterned efficiently, add the intent as necessary. With a symbiotic relationship between the three parts discussed above – physicality, mechanics, and intent – pitchers will improve in much more than just their throwing velocity.
Although there are multiple variables to consider at the MLB level, such as the stressed importance of the home run and the “fly ball revolution,” there is evidence to prove the increased performance metrics that come with increased velocity. From what you can see on this 2019 MLB.com article, as fastball velocity went up, hitter success decreased. Also, according to the Baseball Reference pitching performance chart linked here, hits allowed are at their lowest point over the past decade. Additionally, strikeouts per nine innings are above 1 per inning league wide. Based on the information provided above, I believe it is evident that velocity is much more than just a ticket in the door. As velocity increases so do additional performance metrics.
I hope the golf centric articles are not a turn off because I certainly feel like they tell the necessary stories that we can’t always see on the baseball field. Sometimes, it is easier to step back and analyze something from a different domain and apply it to our own daily activities. Bryson DeChambeau’s transformation allows us to do just that. In one off season, Bryson DeChambeau put himself into a class of his own within the golf world. Through his obsession with elite movement patterns, physicality, and intent, he became one of the longest hitters on tour and most dominant golfers of 2020. He is certainly paving the way for the next wave of golf stars.
In the baseball world, Bryson’s impact is most noticeable in the popularization and even demonization of velocity based throwing programs. However, these programs do so much more than just build velocity. By taking into account mechanical fixes, athletic movements, and varying levels of intensity, pitchers are able to meet their goal of throwing harder, while improving command, in-game endurance, and pitch movements. Although they may be unintended consequences, these added benefits certainly push a pitcher in the right direction. Based on the information provided in this article, I certainly believe the baseball community can learn a lot from Bryson DeChambeau’s 2020 campaign.
Thanks again,
Adam Moreau, MBA, CSCS
Director of Player Development and Recruiting Coordinator
Eckerd College
419-250-7243
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