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Check this out,

A few months ago I was working in my physical therapy clinic when a patient came in for an initial evaluation.  As she was escorted back to the evaluation area, I thought she seemed pleasant looking and kind. She was about 5’6″ and thin. She had shoulder length silver hair and was using her walker to partially limit her weight bearing. I surveyed her chart and found that she was a 67 year old woman who had recently undergone a total hip replacement. She had no other significant previous medical history, so it seemed like a pretty easy case.

I walked up to her chair for my introduction, extended my hand and said, “Hi, I’m Randy.”

Almost immediately, this sweet little lady’s eyes popped wide open and despite her efforts to suppress her response, snickers turned into a chuckle and finally crescendoed into a full-on hysterical laugh complete with cackle and howl.

At first I was confused but then it hit me.

“You’re British, aren’t you?” I said.

At this point her eyes were watering, and she had reached into her sleeve to pull out a tissue to dab her runny nose.

She finally caught her breath for a moment and through her gigglesnorts said, “Yes.” And then she broke into another unadulterated fit.

“I’m sorry,” I responded.  

I had seen this reaction before. 

Apparently in England the word “randy” has a different meaning. 

I looked it up on line and found this British definition.

“Overly excited in a sexual manner. See horny.”  

You can now imagine why my patient had the reaction she did.

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Here’s the root of the problem. 

Words mean different things to different people.

Even words or phrases with seemingly self-evident meanings can be interpreted differently by different people.

Here’s an example. 

In pitching we talk frequently about the importance of “deceleration” for arm health and performance. What happens after you let go of the ball is extremely important. But a few months ago I began to notice our pitchers actually throttling down and stopping their momentum soon after ball release, and some were even slowing down slightly before ball release. Finally it hit me. 

It’s the words stupid! 

So I had to explain to our players that “deceleration” in pitching doesn’t mean slowing down, it means “accelerating through an efficient finishing pattern.”  

I recently read a pitching blog that that discussed the scourge of “collapsing the back leg.”  Can anyone tell me exactly what that means? At first blush one might think the writer’s intent was to teach that the back knee should never bend — the old “tall and fall” idea. 

I find it hard to believe that anyone is still genuinely committed to that proposal. If you’re going to pitch with power and protect your arm, the back knee and hip must bend. Guys like, Trevor Rosenthol, Aroldis Chapman, and Tim Collins all bend their back knee significantly.

 

But there is a difference between pistoning up and down vertically and the concept we teach: “load while moving forward.”

Even this term can mean different things to different people.

As an instructor, I must remain constantly in tune with my students to ensure they are getting the messages I am trying to convey. There was a time in my coaching history that my style of teaching was heavily laden with disruptive and inefficient verbal commands. What I learned over the years is that, in general, the less I “say” the better. The more I help the athlete experiment to get a kinesthetic feel for the movement, the better and faster he learns.

My point is… the old traditional model of coaching and/or teaching in which the coach or instructor sits on a bucket or stands behind the mound shouting verbal commands like “get your elbow up” and “use your legs”, is a highly ineffective and inefficient way to develop ability.

Guided discovery conducted with the undergirding of the most proven motor learning techniques of neuromuscular blending and objective feedback using emotion as the throttle to enhance myelination are the hallmarks of The ARMory Power Pitching Academy. 

Do those terms seem a little foreign or mystifying to you? 

If so, you need to sign up and attend one of our Amazing Rocket Launchers Training Camps. It’s 2 days of absolutely awesome information and training, featuring the ultimate blend of medical science, physical conditioning, motor learning, and mindset training that will change your life. 

Below you will see a list of the remaining camp dates for the winter. Click on the image, decide which camp fits your schedule, and lets get started on eliminating your arm pain and/or helping you gain that 5-7 mph you’ve been looking for. It will change your life. I guarantee it.

If you need more info on these incredible events, give me a call at 1-866-STRIKE3

See you there,

 

P.S. Can’t get to The ARMory in person? 

No problem. 

I’ve written and produced a 3 volume book and video series called “Engineering the Superhuman Pitching Machine” . This trilogy reveals our entire program with step-by-step instructions that empower you to assess and design your own individualized training program. Here is our process: 1) Build a pitcher specific power motor, 2) Assess, identify, and prioritize constraints, 3) Target your training to eliminate your constraints and reveal the Rocket Launcher Within. The Superhuman Series is 500 pages and 3 ½ hours of video outlining our entire process. 105 guys throwing 90 mph, 95 guys in college baseball, 10 pros… we must be doing something right. Get Superhuman by clicking here!