How good posture equals good baseball performance

From our friends at Crossover Symmetry, here’s a very quick primer on posture and the role it plays in athletic performance.

The things we do in our modern-day lifestyles — whether it’s hunching over our desks at school or slouching on the sofa in front of the TV — can lead to poor shoulder posture. We roll our shoulders forward, and that can lead to problems down the road in sports.

That’s especially true in baseball, where the shoulder and rotator cuff are so important.

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Proper shoulder positioning allows your shoulder girdle to perform to its potential. With shoulder muscles able to properly elongate and contract, you’ll get the most velocity on your throws, and you’ll have the most control.

But poor posture equals poor performance. Bad posture is linked with shoulder tightness in baseball players, and tight muscles are inefficient muscles. That means your throws won’t have that “oomph” behind them, and at worst, you can injure your shoulders.

So how do you avoid it?

First, stop slouching. Second, regularly stretch and perform mobility exercises on your shoulders and upper back. The primer includes a few examples to get you started.

It doesn’t take much. If you’re feeling tight, just add in 5 minutes of shoulder stretching a day, and you should see some improvement in your shoulder mobility.

Stretching is most effective when your shoulders and upper back are already warm (so, after practice is a good time for position players. Pitchers could do it after some light throwing.)

Taking those simple steps will help keep your posture good and your performance high.

Related: Keep your shoulders in top condition with a pair of Crossover Symmetry Cross Cords.

Baseball tips: Improve your posture, Improve your level of play

From our friends at Crossover Symmetry, here’s a very quick primer on posture and the role it plays in athletic performance.

The things we do in our modern-day lifestyles — whether it’s hunching over our desks at work or slouching on the sofa in front of the TV — can lead to poor shoulder posture. We roll our shoulders forward, and that can lead to problems down the road in sports.

That’s especially true in baseball, where the shoulder and rotator cuff are so important.

Click for big (.pdf)

Poor posture equals poor mechanics. You won’t be able to get the most out of your throwing motion, and, at worst, you can injure your shoulders.

So how do you avoid it?

Perform regular stretches and exercises to counterbalance your forward posture.

The primer includes a few examples to help. Those stretches and exercises keep the muscles in your shoulder girdle strong and tension-free, which will have you in prime condition when baseball season rolls around.

Related: Keep your shoulders in top condition with a pair of Crossover Symmetry Cross Cords.

Baseball tips: How Orioles catcher Matt Weiters keeps his hips loose

Day after day of catching can make things hard on your hips.

It can be difficult to shake out the soreness and stiffness. That’s why it’s important to frequently stretch, and as Matt Weiters explains in this video, do exercises to keep your hips loose.

The exercise he describes is a lateral box step. It involves standing next to a box, step or a weight bench, and then stepping out laterally on top of it.

Here’s a good demonstration:

You can alter the exercise to suit your goals. To build strength, carry heavier weights. The “overload” from stepping with the extra weight will strengthen your hips.

To improve flexibility and lessen soreness, raise the height of the box. Your hips will stretch further than normal, and it will help relieve stiffness.

Related: Prepare for next season with our selection of baseball training aids.

Baseball tips: Justin Verlander demonstrates the overhead medicine ball throw

From StackTV, here’s a way to build core strength and explosiveness for baseball.

Just make sure you do it outside.

The overhead medicine ball throw uses the same movements as an Olympic-style power clean. The movements help develop explosiveness in the hips, legs and core — which is ideal for baseball.

As they explained in the video, the key isn’t in using a heavy ball. It’s more about using a smooth, efficient movement to lift the ball.

And as always, there’s a risk of injury with any training exercise. Pace yourself and use good form.

Related: Add a new dimension to your training with our selection of baseball training aids.