Show notes
Jim Wladyka, co-owner of the nationally recognized Wladyka Baseball program and TEAM USA pitching instructor, introduces us to The Pitching Lab and shares the benefits of “closed-loop” training programs. In addition, Jim shares some of his experiences and thoughts on players making their transitions to the “big” field, and we talk velocity, arm care, and mechanics as well.
Jim’s Episode Quotables
On Coaching
- “Putting our players in the right position. And the right position is not the same position for everyone. Each pitcher is an individual.”
- “We need to realize each player’s strengths and weaknesses, and each player’s attitude, and that will give us the ability to maximize.”
- “Small group training to me is ideal for coaches and players. From the players end, they get to hear from multiple coaches. They also get to watch other players either execute or not execute, and see what they are doing wrong. It builds in a little bit of competition, which is extremely important to me.”
- “As much as we tell people to stay even keel, and stay even keel that is very tough to do, so what I tell my players is, enjoy your success as much as you suffer your failure.”
On Pitching and Training
- “Strength is a major part of pitching, and obviously mobility and flexibility are two other majors parts of pitching.”
- “If you don’t put a ball away, your body never truly recovers, and your mind never truly recovers.”
- “In life, the ultimate force or the ultimate weight in life is the ground, and we need to try to use that ground to get yourself going down that mound.”
- “We are focused on our lower half, and its cleaning up some lead side pull off, some head yanks, some rounded shoulders or vertical shoulders….Our lower half moving correctly down that mound, is going to put your upper body in a successful position to repeat that delivery.”
On Arm Injuries
- “Guys are not strong enough to d, what they think they could do.”
- “Over throwing is one, under throwing is another.”
On Velocity (MPH!)
- “I am not a big selling velocity person. Honestly I get very skeptical when someone tells me their going to get 5 mph or 6 mph on a pitcher before they even see them.”
- “You can gain velocity by figuring out, what is stopping me.”
On Coaching Younger Pitchers
- “Look at age, and then look at body type. And then start to talk about expectations.”
- “Some bodies work quicker, faster, and more explosive than other bodies.”
- “Try to find that delivery, that clean repeated delivery, with an effective lower half, that you are going to eventually keep, when you get stronger when you get taller, when you get bigger, all you are going to do is add to that delivery.”
On Players
- “Have a coachable, willing to make an adjustments attitude.”
- “Be a winner on and off the diamond.”
Show Links
- The Baseball Drive on Facebook
- Follow us on twitter: The Show- @DRIVEBALLMEDIA The Host- @tbanos15
- Follow the guest on twitter: @wladykabaseball
- Follow the guest on instagram: @wladykabaseball
- Wladyka Baseball On the Web
- The Pitching Lab on the Web
- Rockland Peak Performance the Web
Jim’s Recommended Resources: