There's a Better Way To Pitch and Throw
I have a dog in this fight. If you coach or if you have a son who loves baseball and loves to pitch, you do too. On your player's or son’s behalf, I hope this will open your eyes as it has mine. This story begins in June 2003 when my middle son, newly graduated from high school, was drafted by the New York Mets. A 6’3 southpaw, he has the prototypical pitchers’ build that gets the attention of college and pro scouts. As a high school senior his low- to mid-80’s fastball was offset by a good breaking ball and decent change-up. As a draft-and-follow prospect, Junior College baseball seemed the perfect stepping stone into pro ball. Under coaching direction in a top-10, nationally ranked junior college program, we all expected to see him pushing the 90 mile an hour barrier quickly. He worked his tail off only to find that coaching help was no help at all. I set out to discover why. In the quest for high velocity fastballs I have learned that the more fascinating story is ultimately about pitching injuries, and I know something of this firsthand because I had shoulder surgery in college. My findings might intrigue you, puzzle you, or even offend you if ego gets in the way, for it's obvious that this business of pitching and pitching mechanics is broken.
I’ve done my homework. In the first twelve months alone, I invested well over 500 hours of blood, sweat, and tears carefully investigating pitching mechanics. In the ensuing four years my pitching studies have encompassed anatomy, kinesiology, physics and biomechanics, and I've invested several thousand hours, both on and off the field. These studies have led me to understand the cause, frequency, and magnitude of pitching injuries, and have led to the genesis of RPM.™ We want to share with you what we have learned, backing assertions and opinions with objectivity, guiding you to literature and sources that will help you make informed decisions about your son, your players and baseball. And then we'll show you how to pitch and throw, differently, using the arm in an anatomically sound way.
If you are willing to take my word for it I can save you a lot of time, and offer you a Reader’s Digest condensed version, although I also encourage you to do your homework. What you really need to understand is that these injuries are unnecessary because there is a better way to throw and pitch. The solutions end up making it possible to throw a wider variety of pitches that spin faster, attacking both sides of the plate in a way we've never conceived of, and also makes it possible to throw with high intensity, high velocity, every single day. Seeing is believing, and we're here to prove it.
While I do not claim to know everything about this business of pitching and throwing, at this point I can objectively say I know more than most. There is still a great deal to learn, and that’s half the fun, and I hope you will choose to join us in this pursuit. Whether you want to teach your son to pitch, or send your son to someone who can, you need to know about RPM™ and Rotational Pitching Mechanics.
--Bill Peterson
