During the summer of 2018, I was the head coach for the Lima Locos, a summer collegiate team in Ohio. Jordan was one of the pitchers on our team. He had just finished his freshman season at USC Upstate and he was determined to go back to school that Fall stronger and throwing harder.
The first step was prioritizing the weight room. We focused on absolute strength the first half of the summer before transitioning to a speed and power work to end the summer. Jordan was religious with sticking to every aspect of the plan.
On the throwing side, Jordan shortened his arm action dramatically and rather quickly. When I saw Jordan throw in our first inter-squad he had a long arm action that was a late and draggy and he was only throwing 86-88mph. Jordan made it known he wanted to work on this and make it more efficient. He made one of the quickest adjustments I’ve seen out of any player. It was similar to a Joe Kelley transformation.
By the end of the summer, Jordan was throwing low 90’s consistently and topping out at 94.
Jordan’s work ethic is what separated him from the pack and allowed him to make the improvements he did. A training program is only as good as the work you are willing to put into it. When you combine a good program with a great work ethic - this is the result.
He was unwavering in his routine and plan, no matter how he performed that night. It didn’t matter if he blew the game the night before; he was going to show up the next day ready to work.
Jordan went on to have a very successful college career and was drafted in the 8th round by the Detroit Tigers in the 2021 MLB Draft.
Players: Do you have this level of commitment? How hard are you willing to work to reach your goals?
Parents: What are you doing to help your kids accomplish their goals?
Coaches: What is your process to help your players reach their individual goals and the team goals?
If you are serious about improving and reaching your goals, click the link below to learn more about how we can help you on your journey.
Enjoy the Process,
Jared Gaynor
Have you ever noticed that you throw almost the same speed at 80-90% effort as you do at…