How to Stretch Arms Before Pitching Baseball

Throwing a baseball is not the most natural motion for your arm, therefore, special attention should be paid to stretching before pitching. It should also be remembered that when you pitch a baseball, you do so with your entire body. You will need to stretch more than just your arms before pitching baseball. A good warm-up and stretching routine is necessary to keep you strong and healthy. Read on to learn how to stretch arms before pitching baseball.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Stretching and throwing partner

1. Do some light jogging. You need to get the juices flowing throughout your body and get your legs warmed up before stretching. Jog a lap or two around the field to get things started.

2. Begin your stretching. Start stretching your legs first and then move to your upper body and finally your arms. At the end of the article you will a link to the best stretches for those preparing to throw a baseball.

3. Do some short tossing. Grab a buddy and begin lightly tossing over a short distance. As you feel your arm loosening up, you can increase your velocity.

4. Move to longer tossing. Once your arm feels comfortable, you can move on to some longer tossing with your buddy. Double your distance apart and increase the velocity of your throwing.

5. Go through your stretches again. Once your arm is feeling really loose, it is a good idea to go through your stretches once more. You will notice how you can actually stretch out your arms and legs further than in the first stretches, so you can push yourself a little harder on this set of stretches.

6. Throw warm-up pitches. Now is the time to take the mound and begin your warm-up pitches.

Tips & Warnings

• With all your warm-ups and stretches, do what feels comfortable. If you think you need to stretch a little longer or throw more soft warm-up pitches, then do so.
• Perform the stretches slowly, without jarring or sudden motions.
• For most of your stretches you will want to hold the stretch for 30 seconds.
• When you begin your throwing, begin with soft tosses to warm up the arm for pitching.
• Take your time with the second set of stretches. It is easy to want to breeze through them because you may feel you are stretching more than necessary. The second set of stretches are just as important as the first set.
• When you begin your warm-up pitches, take it slow for the first few pitches before picking up the velocity.
• Be careful not to push too far on your first set of stretches as your is not fully warmed-up at this time.
• Take your stretch to the limit, but don't push beyond the limit as it can cause injury.
• Do not try to throw curve balls or other breaking pitches without a having your arm fully warmed-up.
• If your arm is hurting when you throw, then stop throwing and get checked by a trainer or doctor.

Resources

• Comprehensive list of stretches before throwing a baseball
• Pitching tips and guidelines for those playing little league
• Tips for stronger, better conditioned arms for all ages

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