Long Toss
By: Seth Simmons
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In my opinion one of the best ways to maintain and improve velocity, while taking care of your arm is long toss. To me long toss is just as important as your midweek bullpen. Throwing the ball further trains the arm to move faster. It also incorporates the lower half of the body very similar as to how it needs to engage on the mound. Pitchers should also explore different ways of throwing. Whether it be side arm, submarine, running throws, jump throws, throwing off the wrong foot. Building arm strength through different ways of throwing will help your entire game.

During the season all players, not just pitchers, should add some length to their throwing routine. For pitchers the best times to try and throw long toss are usually the day after your bullpen, or about 3 days before your next game action. Some people like to add length on bull pen days and start days. As long as you have trained for that, then that is perfectly fine as well.

When throwing long you want to get out to a distance that you are basically dropping the ball at your partners feet. This is a distance you can not throw on a complete line. There will be some arc to your throws, but you are also not throwing the ball to the moon either. Once you get out to a distance where the ball is one hopping your partner you should start to try and put the ball on a line on the way back in.