Baseball players need strong, well-conditioned arms to play the game.Alan Jaeger, founder of Jaeger Baseball Academy, sees throwing as a skill that needs as much attention as hitting, noting that weak, poorly conditioned arms tend toward soreness and injury.A program of stretching, strengthening and throwing practice can build the muscles in your throwing arm and power stronger, longer throws.Build recovery time into your throwing program to prevent overuse injuries in your arm.
Arm Preparation
Step 1
Perform arm circles to warm up the smaller muscles in your shoulders.Standing with feet hip-width apart and arms outstretched in the shape of a T, circle both arms up and around in big circles --- 20 times forward and 20 times backward.Hold the resistance band in front of you and pull it apart, stretching it out as far as it will go; do the same holding it behind you.Do three sets of each of these exercises, 10 repetitions per set.
Step 2
Work on your balance by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, in your throwing stance.Balance by lifting your front leg up so your hip is balanced over your back heel.Hold this for as long as you are able, then release.Do this 10 times.
Step 3
Find a partner and practice throwing.Start standing close together and throw the baseball several times.Move farther back and throw the baseball several times at this new distance.Continue to throw and move farther back until you can no longer reach the person you are trying to throw to, Jaeger suggests.
Step 4
Do another set of arm circles and resistance band exercises to stretch out your shoulder muscles.You should end with five to 10 minutes of light running to rest the arm muscles after throwing practice.
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Tips and Warnings
While these exercises are good for building the muscles necessary to throw a ball, you can also incorporate pushups, pullups, and chinups to build the muscle strength and stamina needed to throw a ball.
Soreness or stiffness in your throwing arm may signal a risk for injury to the rotator cuff, a group of muscles and tendons in the shoulder.If you are feeling this soreness, rest your arm for a day or two before resuming practice.If your arm continues to be sore, consult your doctor.
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