Prime Performance

Data-driven development for pitchers and hitters.
In-person and remote training programs.
Strength | Pitching | Hitting
📍 FL & NY

[Prime Performance @ThrowPrime]

Your Prime Starts Here.

[Prime Performance @ThrowPrime]

Our trunk should dictate our arm slot.

As we rotate into front foot strike, all pitchers have different trunk positions. As the arm unravels we like to see the hand in line with the shoulders at ball release.

For "higher slot guys" they have more lateral flexion to the glove side which visually shows as an over the top thrower. For submarine/sidearm throwers, they will have more lateral flexion towards their arm side.

When looking at a pitcher that climbs the arm above the shoulder line or drops below it, depending on the assessment of the athlete, we can begin to breakdown why they have trouble getting the arm to work on plane.

If the arm is not unraveling on plane, there is a higher risk of injury due to parts of the body that are supposed to be relaxed, doing more work than they need to.

Too far above the the shoulder line can lead to an increased demand on the shoulder joint and lead to impingements and rotator cuff injures. Too far below the shoulder line can lead to increased stress on the UCL and forearm muscles that protect it.

It could be a tissue quality issue, a mobility issue, strength deficiency, all of which we assess in our movement screen.

[Prime Performance @ThrowPrime]

How a catcher sets up behind the plate and loads their glove can have a significant influence on their ability to adjust to pitches that miss their intended location.

Coach CJ works with @zaymirabal on keeping the pocket open during the load, allowing the glove to work out toward the baseball before turning the thumb up through the catch.

From there, getting the chest over the toes creates better leverage and gives the catcher more room to adjust, helping make the receiving process smoother and more efficient.

[Prime Performance @ThrowPrime]

Dillon Thomas, uncomitted '27, carving in his first time off the pump in 5 months! Dillon also hit a huge PR this appearance of 89. He then followed it up the following week with a 91 at the Jupiter WWBA Tournament. 

When Dillon started with Prime Performance, he was dealing with some forearm tenderness and his velocity was 79-82. Fast forward 5 months and he’s up 7mph from his previous PR! 

Stay tuned to learn how Dillon made these tremendous strides!

[Prime Performance @ThrowPrime]

Consistency in where the glove finishes can play an important role in how pitches are presented to the umpire.

Coach CJ works through the concept of bringing pitches on either side of the plate back toward a consistent finishing point, rather than exaggerating glove movement in an attempt to steal strikes.

By establishing that consistency early in the game, the catcher can build trust with the umpire and gradually create more opportunities to bring borderline pitches back toward the strike zone as the game progresses.

[Prime Performance @ThrowPrime]

What’s everyone drinking before a velo day?

[Prime Performance @ThrowPrime]

If you can’t explain why plyos or a drill is in your program, it probably shouldn’t be there yet. Every drill you do or ball you use should be tied to something specific in your throw, not just copied from someone else’s routine because it looked cool.

[Prime Performance @ThrowPrime]

Hip–shoulder separation is one of the most commonly discussed concepts in pitching mechanics, but I think there's a significant misunderstanding surrounding how it actually occurs.

Separation is often taught as an active movement where the pitcher aggressively rotates the pelvis forward while intentionally keeping or pulling the shoulders backward. While this can create a larger rotational difference between the pelvis and trunk, it doesn't necessarily reflect how separation develops during an actual pitching delivery.

As the pitcher moves down the mound, the pelvis begins rotating toward home plate while the trunk maintains a relatively closed orientation. As the lead leg accepts load and the pelvis continues rotating, the trunk has yet to accelerate at the same rate, creating a difference in rotational orientation between the two segments.

The trunk doesn't need to actively rotate backward for separation to increase. Both segments can be rotating toward home plate, just at different velocities.

While research has shown relationships between hip–shoulder separation and throwing velocity, that doesn't necessarily mean more separation is always better. There's a significant difference between separation that develops naturally through the sequencing of the delivery and separation that an athlete is consciously trying to manufacture.

I think this is where we can get ourselves into trouble from a coaching standpoint. When we start chasing specific positions or trying to force greater degrees of separation, we can lose sight of the movements that actually create it in the first place.

[Andrew DiTullio @AndrewDiTullio]

Episode 2: Now that I know how to read a movement plot, how do I implement it into an actionable game plan?

This pitcher is a North/South two-pitch reliever. Which means the fastball rides/carries and the breaking ball is depthy. And he has no changeup for the purpose of starting simple.

These guys are very straightforward when it comes to game planning.

[Prime Performance @ThrowPrime]

When the glove pancakes early, it creates an extra adjustment before the catcher can get the pocket to the baseball. The pinky has to clear, the pocket has to be repositioned, and the glove can lose exposure as it begins moving toward the pitch.

Leading with the thumb allows the pocket to stay presented while the chest follows the mitt through the catch.

For this athlete, bringing the starting position slightly closer to the body helped clean up the path, reducing the tendency to drop the glove early and allowing the pocket to remain exposed as he moves toward the ball.

[Prime Performance @ThrowPrime]

Breaking Down the NewtForce Force Plate Mound in 90 Seconds.

The ability to produce force is important, but understanding how, when, and in what direction that force is applied gives us a much more complete picture of a pitcher's delivery.

With the NewtForce mound, we can quantify those characteristics, connect them to what we're seeing mechanically, and use that information to guide individual player development.

Interested in seeing what your data looks like? Reach out to Prime Performance to schedule an assessment.

[Prime Performance @ThrowPrime]

This video is not to say that Med Ball work is not important or that they do not help athletes get better.

This video simply outlines the fact that baseball player rotate fast in almost every movement they do on the field whether it be hitting, pitching or making a throw as a position player.

We like to use med balls more in down periods of throwing so that we are not stacking so much high speed rotation on top of each other as it places a ton of extra fatigue on the core and obliques.

When we get into those periods where throwing volume and intensities are at a higher level, we may use med balls 2-3 days of the week and it is more so for cueing feels in the lower half so that we do not put extra throws on the arm.

Again, this video is not to say that med balls are bad or that they do not help. We are simply saying that too much high speed rotation can cause extra fatigue and lead to injuries.

[Prime Performance @ThrowPrime]

Cincinnati Reds prospect Javier Rivera in for an assessment bullpen after wrapping up his season

[Prime Performance @ThrowPrime]

Braydon Schlitt, uncommitted ’27, stepping in to get some work in live ABs this week!
Braydon attacking the zone with a redefined arsenal. The biggest change has been the addition of the gyro, helping bridge the gap between his fastball and his bigger breaking ball. 

This gives Braydon a way to attack early leaving for more options for kill later in counts! 

Braydon has a live arm and a frame that projects at the next level!

[Prime Performance @ThrowPrime]

When it comes to the paddle drill, the goal is to develop better pocket awareness by providing immediate feedback on where the ball is being received.

When the pocket is positioned correctly, the result is a cleaner, more crisp catch without the unnecessary rattle or movement that can occur when the ball catches the edge of the glove.

The goal is to create a consistent, convincing presentation that gives the catcher a better opportunity to steal strikes.

[Prime Performance @ThrowPrime]

Stop Over-Framing Pitches

The goal when receiving isn’t to bring every pitch back to the middle of the zone. It’s to bring the baseball to the nearest part of the strike zone.

Over-framing creates unnecessary movement and can turn a strike into a ball.

Keep your moves small, fast, and aggressive. Work the baseball back to the closest edge of the zone, not all the way to the middle.

Less movement. More strikes.

[Prime Performance @ThrowPrime]

Your body doesn't adapt to what you meant to train, it adapts to what you did. Speed, intent, load, environment, intended and actual output/outcome.

If every rep looks like: Dry rep feel, 60% effort with no target, repeat. Then you have gotten good at throwing a ball at 60% with no intention or focus on real feedback. This is the adaptation you are imposing on your body and why you aren't making any strides in development.

Low effort training isn't bad, but it has to be progressed into something more demanding that will translate to the extreme environment that is throwing a baseball as hard as you can.

[Prime Performance @ThrowPrime]

What happens early in the delivery has a significant influence on what happens late.

Establishing an effective postural strategy as the pitcher moves down the mound can help organize direction, timing, and ultimately how efficiently energy is transferred at front foot plant.

[Prime Performance @ThrowPrime]

Movement in the delivery doesn't come from one joint or one segment in isolation. The pelvis and trunk play a major role in creating and organizing rotation, but the way that movement is expressed is influenced by what is happening above and below them.

Coupled motion is really about understanding those interactions and how each segment can affect the options available to the rest of the system.

The goal is to stop looking at movement one joint at a time and start looking at how the entire chain works together.