Rob Fleeup of Kansas City Area Baseball Notes wrote the article that is pasted below. To see the actual article click here.
As baseball and youth sports evolve, so does the way we try and improve injury prevention and provide off season activities that balance player health and wellness, recovery and physical improvement. Last year I followed some of the top 2015 pitchers to see what they were doing to fill this need. This year I followed the top 2016’s to see where they are going.
Bob Zimmermann and Premier Pitching has made a impact with the area youth baseball scene. With the start of the November off season baseball training season, several local top ranked pitchers are at the high end baseball training facility in Lenexa, Kansas.
Based on, and with support from former Missouri Asst. Coach Brian Delunas’ Pitching Program (P3),Premier Pitching is a 4 month pitching specific program of throwing, strength and conditioning, mobility and flexibility work, all designed to get the players ready for the Spring high school season, and ingrain long term positive habits. Incorporating staff members with state of the art training, education, and with extensive experience and background sets this Pitching Program apart from any other.
After signing their NLI’s to play NCAA D1 baseball and with the MLB’s Amatuer draft looming large next June, this training is imperative for players.
The list of pitchers attending the program is extremely impressive Including:
No.1 RHP Riley Pint St. Thomas Aquinas
No. 2 (MO) RHP Tyler Benninghoff Rockhurst
No. 4 LHP Joey Wentz Shawnee Mission East
No. 5 LHP Lucas Krull Mil Valley
No.8 Two_way LHP/CF Will Brennan Blue Valley
No. 9 RHP Cole Duensing Blue Valley Northwest
No. 11 LHP Blake Lillis St. Thomas Aquinas
No. 13 RHP Tommy Barnhouse Leavenworth.
The first day is the player’s assessment, with flexibility, mobility and strength being assessed and documented. Large muscle groups, smaller stabilizer muscles and how efficient the players body works and moves is analyzed. This program is a more long term relationship and establishes a plan that is player specific to address their individual deficiencies with trained and educated staff members whose pride in their work shows.
The group meets two days a week with a optional third day. The first month’s focus is on improving mobility, scapular strength and overall strength. In the next phase the pitchers continue the work in the first phase with increased intensity and adding light throwing. They then move on to the final phase where the pitchers begin a bullpen progression designed to get each pitcher ready for their season.
Premier Pitching as gathered some of the best staff members to ensure the highest quality training, including Bob Zimmermann, Casey Shaw, Jason Yoder from Children’s Mercy Sports Medicine, and Matt Hinkley.
For most of the Premier Pitching pitchers, the program is a supplement to the other work they are doing in the off-season.
For Zimmermann, Hinkley and Shaw, communication with the pitchers is important to reduce a redundant work load and evaluate the players progress. They also have reached out to local strength coaches to ensure proper communication about the players health and wellness.
For more information on Premier Pitching and their Hitting Program, click here