How to Increase Throwing Velocity in Baseball (7 Ways + A Weekly Plan)

To increase throwing velocity in baseball, train the whole body, not just the arm.

Build leg and hip power, add rotational medicine ball throws, improve mobility, throw with real intent, and strengthen the forearm and wrist so your elbow and hand can handle the speed. Then recover properly.

That's the short version. Here's the full plan, with the research behind it and what most programs leave out.

In this guide:

• What actually makes a baseball fly faster
• What a "good" throwing velocity looks like
• 7 ways to throw harder
• A simple weekly plan
• Mistakes that stall progress
• FAQs

What Actually Controls Throwing Velocity?

Velocity is not an arm strength problem. It's a energy transfer problem.

When you throw, force starts in the ground. It travels through your legs, hips, trunk, shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers, then leaves through the ball. Sports scientists call this the kinetic chain.

Two things decide how hard you throw:

1. How much force you create (legs, hips, core)
2. How well you pass it along (mobility, timing, a stable arm)

If one link is weak, the arm makes up the difference. That costs velocity and puts stress on the elbow.

What Is a Good Throwing Velocity?

Before you train, know where you stand. These are typical fastball ranges from published benchmark guides.

They are guidelines, not roster requirements.

Level	Typical fastball range
High school freshman to senior	About 65 to 81 mph on average
College prospect (HS junior/senior)	85 to 87 mph is a commonly cited mark
NCAA D3 recruits	80 to 86 mph
NAIA / JUCO recruits	82 to 88 mph
NCAA D2 recruits	84 to 88 mph
NCAA D1 recruits	88 to 95+ mph
MLB four-seam average (2026)	About 94.7 mph

Two players of the same age can sit 8 mph apart. Growth, training history and mechanics explain most of that gap.

Compare yourself to your own numbers from 8 to 12 weeks ago, not to a chart.

7 Ways to Increase Throwing Velocity in Baseball

 

1. Build Lower-Body Power

Your legs start the throw. A weak base means your arm has to do extra work.

Focus on explosive, single-leg strength. Baseball is played off one leg at a time.

• Bulgarian split squats
• Trap bar or box jumps
• Broad jumps
• Lateral bounds
• Romanian deadlifts

How to train it: 2 lower-body sessions a week. Move the weight fast. Stop a rep or two before form breaks down.

Want more options? See our guide to plyometric exercises and the best posterior chain exercises.

2. Train Rotational Power With Medicine Balls

Medicine ball throws copy the speed and rotation of a real throw without stressing the arm like max-effort throwing does.

• Rotational scoop toss into a wall
• Shot-put style throw from a stride position
• Overhead slam for total-body power
• Side-to-side chest pass for hip drive

How to train it: 3 sets of 5 to 6 reps per side, twice a week. Use a ball light enough to throw fast. Rest fully between sets. Quality beats fatigue.

More ideas in our slam ball exercise guide and core exercises for athletes.

3. Improve Mobility Where It Matters

Stiff hips, a locked upper back and tight shoulders all rob you of speed. You can't rotate freely if your body won't let you.

Prioritise:

• Hips (hip flexor and internal rotation work)
• Thoracic spine (upper-back rotation)
• Shoulders (internal and external rotation)
• Wrists and forearms (often forgotten)

Start with these:

• Mobility exercises for athletes
• Baseball arm stretches
• Wrist mobility exercises
• The prayer stretch

4. Throw With Intent (and Progress Your Throwing)

You get better at throwing hard by throwing hard, in a controlled dose.

Coaches call this high-intent throwing: short sessions where every throw is meant to be fast. It works because your nervous system learns to recruit more muscle, faster.

Three rules keep it safe:

• Warm up first. Never go max effort cold.
• Keep volume low. 20 to 30 quality throws beat 100 tired ones.
• Rest after. Take at least a full day off high-intent throwing before the next session.

Long toss helps when it's progressed gradually. It builds arm speed and intent. It is not a magic velocity button on its own.

For more arm-building work, see our baseball arm strength exercises.

5. Use Weighted Balls Carefully (or Not at All)

Weighted-ball programs are popular. The evidence is mixed, so go in with your eyes open.

What the research says:

• In a study of high school pitchers, those using weighted-ball programs averaged 71 mph vs 66 mph for those who didn't. But this was a snapshot, so it can't prove the balls caused the difference. (Bowman et al.)
• A 15-week program using only lighter (3 to 4 oz) and standard (5 oz) balls added an average of 4.8 mph across 44 pitchers aged 10 to 17, with no shoulder or elbow injuries during the program. This was a case series, a lower level of evidence. (Erickson et al.)
• A preliminary study of professional pitchers found weighted-ball users missed almost twice as many days of play. (IJSPT, 2025)

Our take: If you use them, work with a qualified coach, keep the balls light, and skip heavy balls for youth arms unless a professional guides you.

6. Train Your Forearms, Wrists and Grip (The Missing Link)

This is the part most velocity programs skip, so let's be straight about it.

Grip strength does not directly add mph on its own. A controlled study on collegiate players found six weeks of extra forearm and grip work did not change bat velocity. (JSCR, 2004) And a 2024 systematic review found the best method for improving throwing speed is still unclear. (PMC review)

So why train them? Three reasons:

1. Your forearm is the last link in the chain. The fingers and wrist are the final things to touch the ball. The flexor-pronator muscles on the inside of the forearm also help protect the inner elbow, where the UCL sits. When the lower body can't deliver force, those forearm muscles can work harder and fatigue faster.

2. Grip fades as you throw. Researchers have used falling grip strength and rising forearm soreness as simple early signs of pitcher fatigue during a 75-pitch outing. (PMC study) A stronger, more fatigue-resistant forearm helps you hold your speed late in a game.

3. It supports your gym work. Stronger hands mean you can hold heavier deadlifts, rows and pull-ups, which builds the strength behind your throw. Your grip stops being what quits first. Not sure where yours stands?

Test your grip at home and check the average grip strength by age.

What to train:

Grip is more than a squeeze. Learn the 4 types of grip strength (crush, pinch, support and extensor), then train each one.

• Wrist flexion and extension, pronation and supination: the Gripzilla Dynamo loads the flexors and extensors together. See our 18 Dynamo arm workouts.
• Multi-angle forearm and finger work: the Gripzilla Tornado trains the hand and forearm through angles a barbell can't. See our 24 Tornado workouts.
• Crush strength: a progressive gripper set like the Ultimatum 6-piece kit lets you build from light to heavy. Here's how to use a hand gripper properly.
• Budget option: the classic rice bucket workout is popular with baseball players between innings.

Browse everything in our hand gripper collection, Tornado collection and grip building tools.

Simple forearm block for throwers (add to a lift day, not right before max-effort throwing):

Exercise	Sets x Reps	Notes
Wrist flexion and extension (Dynamo)	2 to 3 x 10 to 15	Slow and controlled
Pronation and supination (Dynamo)	2 x 10 each way	Light load first
Crush gripper reps	3 x 5 to 8	Pick a gripper you can fully close
Tornado multi-angle twists	2 x 30 to 45 sec	Smooth, no jerking

Stop each set 1 to 2 reps before failure. If you feel elbow pain, stop and see a clinician.

For related reading, see why forearm strength matters and common forearm injuries.

7. Recover Like It Counts

Velocity gains happen between sessions, not during them.

• Sleep 8+ hours. It's the cheapest performance tool there is.
• Eat enough. Under-fuelling stalls strength and speed.
• Take a full day off throwing every week.
• Do light arm-care work (bands, shoulder and elbow work) after throwing.
• Stop when it hurts. Pain is not something to throw through. Follow MLB Pitch Smart workload guidance for your age.

Nagging inner-elbow pain? Read our guides on golfer's elbow exercises and strengthening your wrist after injury.

A Simple Weekly Plan to Throw Harder

This is a sample offseason template. Adjust it with your coach, especially if you're a youth player.

Day	Focus	What to do
Mon	Lower power + rotation	Split squats, jumps, med ball throws, forearm block
Tue	High-intent throwing	Warm-up, 20 to 30 quality throws, arm care
Wed	Mobility + recovery	Hips, upper back, shoulders, wrists. Easy movement
Thu	Strength	Deadlift variation, rows, core, grip work
Fri	Throwing	Progressive long toss or bullpen, arm care
Sat	Optional	Light throwing or mobility only
Sun	Rest	Full day off

In-season: cut it down to 1 to 2 short strength sessions, keep your mobility, and let game days set your throwing load.

Mistakes That Stall Velocity

• Chasing the radar gun every day. Max effort daily leads to fatigue, not gains.
• Only training the arm. Skipping legs, hips and core leaves speed on the table.
• Ignoring mobility. Tight hips and a stiff upper back cap your rotation.
• Skipping recovery. More work is not better work.
• Copying pro programs. A pro's volume can hurt a growing arm.
• Training grip only by squeezing. Balanced forearm work (flexors and extensors) protects the elbow.
• Throwing through pain. This is the fastest way to lose a season.

One more thing to watch: many throwers are stronger on one side.

Here's why one arm is stronger than the other and how to even things out.

What About Position Players and Softball?

Everything above applies to infielders, outfielders and catchers too. Arm speed, leg drive and rotation matter just as much on a throw across the diamond.

Softball players have a different arm motion, but the same principles apply: strong legs, quick hips, mobile shoulders and a durable forearm.

See our arm workouts for softball players and baseball arm strength exercises.

Rotational athletes in other sports use similar training. Compare with our guide to grip strength for golf.

How Long Does It Take to Add Velocity?

It depends on your age, training history and mechanics.

• The 2024 systematic review found strength-training methods raised throwing velocity by 3.7% to 26% across studies, but only about half showed a significantly bigger gain than the control group. (PMC)
• The lighter-ball study above saw an average 4.8 mph gain over 15 weeks, in youth pitchers who were also growing and learning. (Erickson et al.)

A realistic expectation: give any structured plan 8 to 12 weeks, measure the same way each time, and treat any gain as a bonus on top of a healthier arm. Nobody can promise you a set number of mph.

Increasing Throwing Velocity FAQ

How can I increase my throwing velocity fast?

There is no safe shortcut. The quickest reliable gains come from better leg and hip power, rotational medicine ball work, gradual high-intent throwing and good recovery. Give any program 8 to 12 weeks and avoid daily max-effort throws.

Does grip strength increase throwing velocity?

Not directly, and the research is mixed. Stronger forearms, wrists and grip support the elbow, resist fatigue and help your gym lifts. Treat them as a support system for velocity, not a shortcut to it.

Do weighted balls increase velocity?

They can, but evidence is mixed and injury risk is still being studied. One case series saw about 4.8 mph gains using only 3 to 4 oz and 5 oz balls. Use them under coach supervision and be cautious with heavy balls, especially for youth.

Does long toss increase throwing velocity?

Long toss builds arm speed and intent when progressed gradually. It works best as one piece of a full plan that includes lower-body strength, rotation and recovery.

Can I increase throwing velocity without a coach?

You can build a strong base on your own: leg work, medicine ball throws, mobility and forearm strength. For mechanics, weighted balls or elbow pain, a qualified coach or clinician is worth it.

How often should I train to throw harder?

A common structure is 2 strength sessions, 2 throwing days and 1 mobility day per week, with a full rest day. Cut volume in season and always follow Pitch Smart guidelines for your age.

Are hand grippers good for baseball players?

Yes, as part of a balanced forearm program. Pair crush work with wrist and extensor exercises so you don't train only one side of the forearm.

Build the Whole Chain

Throwing harder comes from a strong base, fast hips, a mobile body, smart throwing and solid recovery.

The forearm and hand are the last link that touches the ball, and they support the elbow that takes the load.

Start this week:

1. Add 2 lower-body power sessions.
2. Add medicine ball rotational throws.
3. Test your grip and add a short forearm block.
4. Keep your throwing volume low and your intent high.
5. Take one full rest day.

Ready to train the forearm and grip side? Explore the Gripzilla Tornado, the Dynamo and the Ultimatum grip kit.