Archives for October, 2009
I don’t know if it’s due to the World Series or simply writer’s imaginations but the descriptions given to pitches seem to be getting more elaborate. For example, after game two in describing Yankee pitcher Rivera, it was stated that “… he has done this, amazingly, with one basic pitch — a bat-breaking cut fastball.”
I think we can all understand bat-breaking, but since when does the bat break because of a particular pitch? More often than not it breaks because of where the ball contacts the bat, not the type of pitch thrown. Read more… »
Posted on Oct 30, 2009 under Baseball, baseball pitching |
It is hard to tell whether writers are coming up with some new fancy names or if it is coming from the pitchers and ballclubs. In the write-ups of the first World Series game it was stated that “Lee bamboozled the Yankees with a spiked curveball, deceptive changeup and his usual pinpoint fastball …”
First and foremost, what is a spiked curveball? It’s bad enough that I have never seen a full description of the pathway taken by a curveball, let alone a spiked one. How is it different from a “regular” curveball, whatever it might be? Read more… »
Many kinesiology (formally physical education) students are asking for more information regarding the Russian training system. In practice, they being exposed to new concepts especially in the strength and conditioning area, that have not permeated the academic walls.
When one takes a look at the latest and best in the training of athletes (to produce world-class performances) you must look at the Russian system. There are many reasons for this but suffice it to say most of the concepts used in training US athletes are based on what the Russians have developed. Read more… »
After reading about the hiring of Jed Hoyer as general manager I couldn’t help but think that the Padres (just as other MLB ball clubs) are in denial. The reason for this is simple: they continue to do the same thing expecting different results.
For example, Hoyer is expected to follow in the footsteps of what the Boston Red Sox have been doing so we can expect the Padres to be using even more statistics in their game strategy. Owner Moorad “… couldn’t help but be impressed with his attention to detail and thoroughness.” Read more… »
Train smart. At first glance may wonder why this could be a dangerous recommendation. By itself everyone will agree that you should train smart. The problem is related to what is meant by training smart.
You may be an expert in your occupation, but this does not mean that you are an expert when it comes to sports training, more specifically, the science of sports training. If you use science and scientifically proven recommendations for training, then you will be training smart. Read more… »
There have been several articles lately stating that the San Diego Chargers football players are mediocre as well as the ownership, GM, head coach and his assistants. There’s no doubt that there’s some validity to this statement. But it should not be shared equally.
The GM, ownership and coaches can be held accountable for the poor play of the players. But their accountability is not limited to the selection of players in the draft or in a trade. It relates to their lack of knowledge and understanding of what it takes to produce a high-level athlete. Read more… »
We continue to receive many complimentary comments regarding the back stretch strap and the unique exercise for stretching the lower back. Many of the comments relate to the fact that they no longer experience back problems; their pain is gone!
This is understandable because this unique stretch relieves pressure in the spinal discs like no other stretch. Most stretches for lower back usually open up the exterior portion of the discs and at the same time compress the inner portion. For example, the knee to chest stretch while lying on the back. Read more… »
The football season is relatively young but already the injuries are many. There is no questioning the fact that teams have some excellent medical and therapy personnel to work on these injuries. But they appear to be more interested in treating injuries as opposed to preventing them
They may say that strength coaches are responsible for preventing injury but in reality they are very limited. They are only qualified to carry through on the often repeated half truths that greater strength and flexibility will prevent injury. But as should be obvious this is not the answer to prevention. Read more… »
Examination of most running programs shows that runners do more recovery running rather than developmental. This means that their running speed is below the threshold needed to produce gains in muscular, cardiovascular and respiratory system development. In essence, they run too slow.
This is understandable since most runners do not have sufficiently effective technique or development of the physical abilities to run at faster speeds for prolonged periods of time. As a result there is a high correlation between novices and frequent injury. Read more… »
To swing pain free and to hold the normal curvature of the spine during the swing, you should strengthen the muscles involved with the back raise exercise. This is the only exercise that strengthens the lower back muscles through the full range of motion.
By doing the back raise you will also find that you may eliminate back problems or not create any more back problems than you typically experience. As an added bonus this exercise will help give you good posture allowing you to do many daily tasks with less effort and pain-free.
For more information on this topic, see Explosive Golf. For visual demonstrtion of this and other exercises specific to the golf swing see the Explosive Golf DVD
I read an article the other day that made me sad but yet, quite happy. The article touted the benefits of active recovery as opposed to passive recovery. Recent research has shown that active recovery gives you faster recovery and enables you to perform better on the next training day.
The simple fact that there is now some positive acknowledgment of active rest is very heartwarming. Perhaps now we will begin to move away from the recommendations for passive, inactive rest , especially after very hard workouts. Read more… »
Do yoga to prevent injury. There’s no questioning the fact that yoga has many great benefits. But it appears that these benefits are greatly over exaggerated. For example, in a recent article in Runners World a 10 minute yoga sequence is touted as being effective for improving your range of motion and preventing injury.
That it increases your range of motion is undeniable. However, merely becoming more flexible does not mean that it will improve your running. In fact, it can do just the opposite by interfering with your technique. Read more… »
There was still another exercise article in the San Diego Union Tribune that left much to be desired. They describe an exercise in which you begin standing with your hands flat on the ground, legs straight, and then inch your hands away from the body until you are in a full plank position. You then do three push-ups and return by inching your way back home to the original position.
According to the article, this exercise involves the shoulders, triceps, pecs and hamstrings. It definitely involves the first three but it does not involve the hamstrings. It does however, strongly involve the abdominal muscles, which were omitted. Read more… »
It is now that time of year when some professional baseball teams fire their general manager because of their losing or inferior season. However, there is no need for fans to worry since they will just be hiring another general manager who was fired from a different team. They are expert at playing musical chairs.
What no one cares to admit is that the successful general manager is the one who was able to guess more correctly. If they happen to select some players who turn out to be great, they are considered to be a genius. If the athletes don’t pan out, they are quickly fired and the process begins again with a new manager. Read more… »
I have purposely waited until now before writing about the West team and their great accomplishment in the Little League world championship. The team rightly deserves all the accolades given them as this was truly a fantastic accomplishment.
When I watched some of the games I didn’t just cheer them on, hoping for a hit or a home run or double play etc. I looked at how they threw the ball, how they swung the bat and how they ran when running the bases. In essence, I looked at their technique and how well they executed these all-important baseball skills.
Read more… »
Subscribe