No Structure = More Injuries

Outdated training is still costing athletes

Baseball has evolved, but many pitching programs haven’t.

Across youth, high school, and even college baseball, far too many coaches still rely on outdated methods—sit-ups, distance running, generic lifting routines, and mechanical overcorrection. These old-school approaches not only fail to improve performance—they actively increase injury risk.

Former college pitcher and coach Brannon Snead experienced this firsthand. His freshman year at Tallahassee Community College was shaped by a complete lack of structure and modern development systems.

“Back then, it was just ‘go run to the sing store and do some sit-ups.’ That was the extent of it.”

And the result? Injury. Frustration. Lost potential.

What do you think the best training innovation is? Drop you comments in the video comments, we'd love to hear from you.

Pitching development must be grounded in science

Baseball is a high-performance sport. Pitchers generate extreme force through complex movement patterns, and those patterns require careful programming—not guesswork.

The best pitching programs today focus on:

• Strength and power development tailored to the throwing motion

• Mobility and stability work specific to arm health

• Data-driven velocity development

• Recovery protocols that reduce injury risk

• Individualized workload management based on role and phase of season

If you’re not training pitchers with a science-backed system, you’re not preparing them—you’re exposing them.

Throwing more isn’t the answer—throwing smarter is

One of the biggest myths in baseball development is that more throwing equals better results. Without structure, volume becomes a liability. That’s why modern pitching programs incorporate monitoring tools, pain tracking, recovery triads, and movement assessments to protect arms before breakdown happens.

At Sore to Soaring, we teach athletes how to train, recover, and progress in a way that’s sustainable—not just intense.

Development is more than effort—it’s environment

What separated elite coaches like Mike Posey from the rest was not just effort—it was intentional structure. Brannon Snead credits Posey with helping athletes grow by adapting to their needs and building around their strengths, rather than forcing everyone through the same system.

“We never changed a kid’s mechanics. If he was naturally a side-armer, we didn’t try to make him throw over the top. We just helped him become a better side-armer.”

That’s the difference between development and damage.

It's time to modernize the system

Too many pitchers are still being trained with methods designed for another era. If the goal is to build durable, high-performing, confident athletes, coaches must shift from tradition to innovation—and from random effort to repeatable systems.

That’s what we do at Sore to Soaring: structured, science-backed, individualized development for athletes who want to thrive—not just survive.

Watch the full podcast episode

https://youtu.be/MR4_0ZXtL0M

Support our mission

Learn more or donate at:

www.soartosoaring.org

Disclaimer:

The views shared are those of the guest and do not represent an endorsement by Lupos Initiative Inc., DBA Sore to Soaring. This content is for informational purposes only and not medical or training advice. Always consult a qualified professional before starting any exercise or throwing program. No affiliation or compensation exists between Sore to Soaring and any for-profit entity mentioned

If you wish to learn more about Brannon Snead’s work, visit Peter Boulware Toyota at: peterboulwaretoyota.com.

#SoreToSoaring #PitchingDevelopment #BaseballTraining #CollegeBaseball #PlayerDevelopment #StrengthAndConditioning #ThrowingMechanics #ArmCare #YouthBaseball #SportsPerformance #InjuryPrevention #ModernBaseball #LeoYoung #CoachLeoYoung #BrannonSnead #BaseballCoaching #AthleteTraining #BaseballPerformance