There's only one answer that might add mph almost immediately and that's 'the flick'. It's a quick fix that not only works for some - it shows up the real problem with so much pitching instruction that's still out there. What is 'the flick'? Understand that if a pitcher holds the ball less tightly in the hand, he'll be able to flick the wrist on release much easier. And if the wrist can flick, at that point physics takes over - the finger tips move faster and the ball goes quicker.

'Celerity' is a nice old-fashioned word for velocity as applied to the motion of animals - of which humans are one - as in acceleration.

'Fluidity' is what most would refer to as a smooth, efficient delivery. Two single words that can take a pitching lifetime to master. Many younger pitchers are slow, because they're stiff. And they're stiff because...

• We've never taught them to be loose (see point #1).
• We've knocked natural celerity and fluidity out of them.
• Tried and true teaching methods can be counter-productive.

We can blame much stiffness on some myths and prior teaching methods that emphasize a process that most coaches have been guilty of in the past - the step-by-step, checkpoint approach to mechanics...

The misuse of checkpoints kills momentum.
When you teach (or are taught) the pivot step, the pause at the balance point, the high cocked position, shoulders level with the ground, specific landing point, to pull in the glove side - momentum is stopped.  Every step emphasized, every stop in motion, undoes the concept of building momentum through the kinetic chain.

Nothing wrong with occasional checkpoints to see if a pitcher is where he wants to be at a certain point in delivery - it's called consistency and that contributes to command. But, please no stops or pauses during actual pitching.

Some instructors refer to this as the principal of teach/non-teach. Place less emphasis on specifics (some of which are only style issues anyway) and more on the intent - leading up to release point.

There is a persistant debate in pitching circles about training routines like long toss, weighted baseballs, and so on. There are those who believe that the only ball to throw is a 5 oz baseball and the only place to pitch it from is the mound. The arguments center on words like specificity (meaning train only for the actual task) and optimization (meaning you only have so much time to train so why waste it).

WebBall believes overoad training is necessary to improve velocity. By that we mean - adding resistance such as weighted balls or pulleys or tubing. Call it overload training or pyramid training. The principal is this - there is no gain without surpassing previous effort; there is no reserve in the tank, unless training has put it there.

Now that's not the same as training to exhaustion or to injury. But it does mean you need to challenge the body to improve it. Also - this is both a caution and a condition - overload training will amplify problems. A heavier baseball may provide feedback when something is not quite right. Those improper mechanics - if not adjusted quickly - could lead to injury.

Bottom line - pyramid training (both over- and under-load) is a component of increasing velocity.

Charting results is an important part of any training program. You've got to be able to know how it's working. A radar gun or Glove Radar or Speed Watch or stop watch - some device needs to be pasrt of the process. However, there are some rules to usage.

• Readings are relative. Don't compare player A to Player B. Focus on comparing each player to his own previous performance.
• Don't read every pitch. It puts the emphasis on trying to throw each pitch harder, rather than the proper emphasis on making an adjustment, practicing the adjustment, then checking the results.
• The pitcher doesn't have to know how he's doing. Calling out the results after measured pitches may also be counter-productive. Sit and compare notes at the end of a workout, providing some in-workout feedback only when significant.
• Measure change-ups as well as heaters. Sometimes the most important velocity is the differential between these two pitches. It's just as important to have a good change up, because - surprise, surprise, velocity isn't everything.

This should be obvious from some of the points above: velocity starts with the legs. The more power you can generate - and the more torque/separation you can develop using legs, hips, torso, shoulders - the easier it will be to transfer momentum to the whip-action segments of the arm and hand. Look to other pages on WebBall for detailed discussions on the mechanics involved.

This point also means that any program that spends more than 1/4th the time on arm mechanics is emphasizing the wrong things. Functional core exercises with plyoballs, leg exercises, and shoulder exercises are far more important than what you do with your biceps, triceps, etc.

This won't be an easy tip for some players and coaches to accept.
But we believe that pitchers should stop trying to be fielders. This notion that it's important to end your delivery in good fielding position can do more harm than good. The major problem is that it encourages an early release and shortened follow through. Instead...

• We want the release out front.
• We want maximum body rotation around the landing leg.
• We want a complete follow through to the opposite hip to protect the arm from bullwhipping injuries. 

The counter argument is that safety requires the pitcher to protect himself from the hit ball. But if the ball's not hit, problem solved. If the hit is a weak grounder to the infielders, problem solved. If the hit is a pop-up or easy flyball, problem solved.

Besides, a really complete follow through will bring the pitcher off the mound for a stab catch on the glove side. Plus, with the body turned away from the pitch, it's in the kind of defensive position we teach batters against inside pitches.