Updated Mozingo Velocity Program Results

RESULTS

INITIAL MOZINGO VELOCITY PROGRAM RESULTS 

*These are the results from the first 8 players to participate in this program during the off season.  They have all been on the program for at least 6 weeks.  The testing is done from a running step behind throw.  There are several others who are getting close to the 6 week mark and I will try to post their results as well.*

Age            Initial Max Velocity        New Max Velocity         Difference

17                      87                                          93                            +6

17                      76                                          82                            +6

    16                      78                                          85                            +7    

15                      77                                          85                            +8

                14                      72                                          78                            +6                

14                      69                                          75                            +6

          13                      71                                          72                            +1          

13                      76                                          80                            +4

Average Gain +5.5 MPH

Want to pitch at the Division 1 level?

        A topic that always seems to come up repeatedly when dealing with young baseball players is how to get a Division 1 scholarship.  Unfortunately, most of the things that are taught from a young age are counterproductive to this.  How many times have you heard the phrase "Just throw strikes and speed will come"? We have to do a better job teaching these kids to throw with "intent" to throw as explosively as they can.  I fully understand that if you have no control you cannot pitch "now", but on the flip side, if you have no velocity you cannot pitch beyond the high school level. There are some exceptions, such as situational lefties and pitchers with unorthodox arm slots.  I am focusing on just pitchers in this post but I will tell you what I tell everyone who wants to know.  In order to get a division 1 scholarship, you have to have one of three things and they all revolve around 1 word........SPEED.  That is ARM SPEED, BAT SPEED, FOOT SPEED.   I am in constant contact with some of the Division 1 coaches here in Virginia and most talk about the same things: Arm speed and feel for a breaking ball when it comes to pitchers.

      I don't want you to just take my word for it, so here is an email from Lantz Wheeler, a former Division 1 coach, about what it takes to be recruited at the Division 1 level.  

1. At what point does it make sense to contact a college? Velocity? Grade? Size? etc.

I wouldn't waste your time early in the process unless you have a burning desire to attend a specific school, UNLESS you have desirable velocity in the range of 85 +.

Obviously, lefties have an advantage but unless you're going to place them in a position to pull the trigger to keep other schools from scooping you up.

99% velocity will be the deciding factor early in the process as well as the scholarship offer.

If you're thinking early, you better have a separator, velocity!


2. Do college coaches care about what travel team or HS or National team you're playing on or your stats? Or is it mostly about velocity?

Stats DO NOT MATTER! Here's why:

• If they are outrageously good: "I wonder who kept these stats, DAD?"
• If they are average, "He must suck, wonder what his stats really were?"

Velocity, although lefties or match up guys with one pitch that can serve as a match up, most time left on left. Side arm guys are 99% walk ons because they feel like they can take a current guy that can't get outs from a traditional slot and drop him down.

3. Is it better for a coach to contact the college on your behalf, your parent or you?

How to contact a college baseball coach

4. What velocity are college coaches looking for? What other factors? How much does height and size matter? Do coaches care about projectability or is it mostly about current performance? Do I list my height with or without cleats?!

Bigger is better. Depends on level of game but all levels are looking for 85+. SEC, upper mid-major 90's unless your just a local kid that they've acquired a taste for. Again, lefties break the curve.


5. Is there a point where good grades/test scores helps make you more attractive even with lower athletic measurables (height, velocity)? Do coaches look for players who will also bring up the academic averages of their program?

Absolutely, so many players are grouped so tightly that they will take the "grades guy" to save money. Lower measurables, No. They will take a chance if YOU can help THEM WIN!

End of the day, they have a job their trying to save. Best quote I've heard comes from my buddy Chris Finwood, HC at Old Dominion......

"It's not the players you miss in the recruiting process, it's the ones you get that will hurt you!"

6. How much do secondary pitches matter?

Velocity first. Most coaches want to see a "Feel" for a breaking ball b/c most don't believe it can be taught believe it or not.

7. How do you know if you're good enough to play college baseball? Are there any basic standards?

See where you stand velocity wise against the others on your team. If you're not one of the better ones on your summer team, you're probably not good enough to go D1. Unless you're on one of the top elite teams.

8. When do you get an offer? How negotiable is it? What details do I need to know about the terms?

Scholarships are one year only. They can cut you at anytime, only guarantee is the school is protected, not you.

They will give you a deadline, if you're being contacted by several schools let them know. It's a poker game, just like anything else, They want what they can't have.

9. Should I share interest from other programs with a college coach (ie, I have offers from UCLA, USC, UNC)?

Helll YES, if they are legit. Not if you're just getting letters, letter only signify your on the mailing list and could make a fool out of you if they aren't legit. Legit is phone calls, texts and unofficial/official visit invites.

10. What should I send a coach? Should I include videos (game? practice?), and most recent radar gun readings?

Read how to contact a college baseball coach.

College Baseball Recruiting Cheat Sheet (Do’s and Don’ts)

How not to make a recruiting video

11. At what age and level of development should I go to a showcase? Throwing over 80? 85? Over 6'? Freshman?

At least over 80 if you're young. Total waste of time and money if you're not. Will actually cost you more confusion and money. Because you will be on every school attending "camp email invites"

12. What other questions should I ask the coach about the program? [Graduation rate, how many pro players, where do I fit in terms of playing time, etc.]

Up to you....

**Bonus:  I would highly recommend that you filter your (parents') questions through your son- encourage him to ask them.  It promotes ownership-accountability and maturity.  College coaches would much rather the questions come from the kid, versus Mom or Dad!  Trust me!

13. Should I attend a camp at a school I'm interested in?

Those are the best.

14. When do I know a coach is serious?

Personal invite to college (Not through emails!) and phone calls. Not emails!!

15. How do I stand out?

Throw harder than the rest!  It's sad but true- velocity is the most important, especially with RHP.

Here's one thing I watch as much as pitching mechanics and arm action combined! 

Unfortunately, if you didn't have it... I wasn't interested!  

Do you know what it is?

I can tell you what its not...

• Velocity
• Command
• Arm Health

Because even if you had all 3 but you had this, I didn't care!

It's called Body Language...And it says everything about you, without you ever saying a word!

It's true...

Especially on the baseball field.

As a college coach, you're watching every move they make.

• How they walk on the field
• How they respond after success...

And most importantly, how they respond to failure!

I always said I had to see a kid fail before I could ever commit to spending 4 years with him.

It's so easy to do the right thing when things are good...But how do you respond when things don't go your way? 

That's when true character is revealed! 

• Do you point the fingers at others?
• Blame the coaches?
• Umpires? 

But, you want to know something that I've found true?

Many times (not always) after spending just 20-25 minutes on a recruiting visit, I would have a pretty good idea of how his parents would act, and respond to the same line of questions! 

I know, I'm guilty of parent profiling...don't call your lawyer just yet!

But...it's true! 

Your kids behavior on the field and how he responds to failure is a learned behavior-just like anything on the physical side...because kids are usually a direct reflection of their parents!

• If the kid made excuses, there's a good chance the parents made excuses for the kids.
• If the kid blamd others for his failures, there's a good chance the parents blamed others for the kids failure. 

And you want to know what really set off the alarms?

If the parent carried the kid's back pack into the visit, we alerted security, sounded the fire alarm and pretended the campus was on lockdown!!!

Just kidding (not really), but you need to realize there's always someone watching you..and many times you say everything without ever saying a word!

At the end of the day, college coaches are watching, pro scouts are watching and high school coaches are watching...

So, I want to leave you with this final thought....

The name on the jersey represents your coaches, school and teammates...but the name on the back represents your mom, dad, grandma, grandpa and so many more before you and what's to come!  

It represents how you were raised! 

Both are important, but the name on the the back of the jersey is here to stay, there is no transferring from this school!  

Fundamentals Clinic

Fundamentals Clinic

For baseball players who want to learn the basic fundamentals of the game.

WHEN: JULY 15^th,16^th & 18^th

WHERE: Northumberland County Little League

AGES: 7&Up

PRICE: $100/kid

TIME: 10 A.M – NOON

WHAT TO BRING: Baseball equipment, something to drink, sunscreen

*You do not need a baseball uniform - shorts and t-shirts are fine*

*Email haroldm34@yahoo.com if you plan to attend (include shirt size by July 2nd)*

*Print out registration form and turn it in the first day of the clinic along with money*

*Pay by check or cash (makes checks payable to Mozingo Baseball)*

Summer Clinics

If you plan to attend the Mozingo Velocity Clinic or any other Mozingo Baseball clinics, be sure to fill out the registration form.

Velocity By Age Group

      To follow up my last post, in which I explained why velocity is so important, I wanted to write about what velocity should mean to each age group.  I hear parents talking about what their kids or some other kid threw at this event or that event and I wanted to share what average speeds look like for each age group.  This is not to say that there aren't exceptions to this list.  Some kids will grow earlier than others and they will probably throw a little harder than most at younger ages.  On the other hand, some kids will grow later and won't throw as hard at younger ages.

     Before I get into the list, I also want to talk about the radar gun itself.  There are many different types and brands of radar guns out there.  Each will pick up the ball velocity at different spots throughout the throw.  Also, angles play a huge role.  In order to get the most accurate reading you should be standing directly in line with the pitcher and the ball.  When you get off from that angle the readings can be very skewed.  The gun I use and the only one that truly matters is a Stalker brand radar gun.  The reason I say it is the only one that truly matters is because that is the brand that is used by Major League Baseball.  The Jugs guns are very good guns too but they differ slightly than the Stalkers.  Sometimes, both guns are right on with each other and other times they can be way off.  Other than those two, I wouldn't trust anything else out there.  

     Without further ado, here is the average velocities by age group:
Age          Average Velocity                             Max Goal Speed
8                      38-41                                               45
9                      43-46                                               50
10                    46-49                                               55
11                    52-55                                               60
12                    55-58                                               65
13                    61-64                                               70
14                    66-69                                               75
15                    69-72                                               80
16                    74-77                                               85
17                    79-82                                               88
18+                  82-85                                               90

     As I stated earlier, there are exceptions to this list.  Most deviations will occur in the 11-13 age groups due to kids growing at different rates.  It is not uncommon to see a 12 year old in the low 70's.  It just doesn't happen all that often.  These are usually the type of kids you see leading there teams to Williamsport because no one can catch up to their fastballs.  Please keep in mind that how hard you throw when you are 12 doesn't determine how hard you will throw at 18.  The focus should be on progressing towards high end speeds when you become a junior and senior in high school.  In the Velocity Program we talk about what it takes to be great.  One of which is throwing 3-5 miles per hour harder than your peer group.  This list is meant to give them a basis as to what their peer group averages are and to give them a velocity goal to shoot for.

   


     

Velocity or Control?

     Is velocity or control more important to a pitcher?  This is a question that is hotly debated in the baseball world.  I want to take a minute to share my thoughts on this issue.  I was told numerous times in my life that pitching was like real estate: It's all about location, location, location. I grew up watching the Atlanta Braves on TBS every night with 2 of the greatest "soft throwers" around in Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine.  At that time, they were 2 of the best pitchers in the game and a lot of people thought those were the guys to look up to if you wanted to learn how to pitch.  I know that most coaches would also completely agree that it doesn't really matter how hard you throw if you can't throw strikes.  This is especially true nowadays with all the pitching rules set in place.

     Luckily for me, I never bought in to that mentality.  While I did enjoy watching Glavine and Maddux pitch, they were not the pitchers I ever wanted to emulate.  I liked the guys like Nolan Ryan, Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens.  I liked the guys that threw hard.  Those were the guys I wanted to be like.  I remember how fast Pedro's movements were and the big leg kick of Nolan Ryan and the competitive nature that Clemens always seemed to have.  I wanted to have a big leg kick, move fast, and attack each hitter with my best fastball.  I tried to throw every pitch as hard as I could.  I wanted the big strikeout numbers.  You see, it is true that if you can't throw strikes, you won't pitch much on any team.  However, if you don't throw hard, you have no chance to play high levels of baseball (unless of course you are throwing a nasty knuckleball or throw from an unorthodox slot).

     The guys like Maddux, Glavine, Jamie Moyer, didn't get to those levels by throwing the speeds they ended up at.  I remember very well seeing Maddux pitch for the Cubs when he first got to the big leagues with a 90-93 MPH fastball.  Not the 85-86 he was throwing in Atlanta.  Once you are there and have established yourself, it is easy to back off the fastball and focus more on command.  In many cases, guys back off of their fastballs to "pitch" a little more.  If Maddux was only throwing 85-86 prior to playing in the big leagues, chances are he would have never received the opportunity to pitch in the MLB.  

     The reason I put the term "soft thrower" in parentheses is because many people believe that throwing a baseball in the 85 MPH range is somewhat slow.  Very few people will ever reach 85 MPH in their lifetime.  Throwing a baseball at 85 MPH is an extremely difficult feat.  Relief pitchers at the Division 1 College level is where you will routinely see guys around the 85-86 MPH range consistently.  Starters will be closer to 90.  Keep in mind that the average fastball at the Major League Level is 91.

      In order to play at high levels, you must throw a baseball at a pretty high velocity.  The only way to do so is to train your body to throw harder and harder.  If you are purposefully trying to not throw hard to work on control, that may help your local team win, but you are not doing yourself any favors if your dream is to play college baseball or beyond.  You have to have an intent on throwing harder and harder.  I've never heard of anyone becoming an Olympic Sprinter by running long distance events.  You have to train your body to be explosive.

        I will always stress the importance of the intent to throw hard.  Usually it is a simple adjustment to throw pitches in the strike zone but it is all to common to hear coaches tell pitchers to slow down or take something off of the ball.  Again, fine for trying to win today but what about the players future?  I don't know of any high level college team or professional team that's looking for a guy that can throw 7 pitches for strikes but only throws 72 MPH. That's a big part of the problem, too.  Everyone wants to throw 7 different pitches.  Develop your fastball and never be afraid to throw it.  Challenge every hitter until someone can prove they can hit it, and then keep throwing it until you find a way to make it faster than the hitter can catch up to.  Quit trying to trick people.  If your fastball isn't good enough today, make it good enough for tomorrow.  I definitely want kids throwing strikes but I don't want them to be so focused on strikes that they lose sight of being explosive and going after the hitter with their best fastballs.

      As a freshman at VCU,  I was told that we were going to throw my fastball until someone proved they could hit it.  I was definitely not expecting to hear that.  I threw almost all fastballs in high school but was definitely expecting to have to use my secondary pitches a little more at this level.   I got to pitch out of the bullpen early in the year and just as planned I threw almost all fastballs.  About a month into the season, I was fortunate enough to become a weekend starter.  My first start was against cross town rival Richmond.  Richmond had a really good program at the time.  They had been to the CWS Regionals 5 out of the last seven years.  Since I was now a starter, I knew for sure it was time to throw more than just my fastball.  But once again, prior to the game, Coach Keyes told me that the game plan had not changed.  Until someone proved they could hit my fastball, that's what we were going to throw.  I pitched 7 innings that day, gave up 4 earned runs and struck out 10.  I threw 136 pitches and i'm pretty certain 130 were fastballs. This trend continued all year.  I continued to win and would go on to win the conference Rookie of the Year Award as well as being named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American throwing primarily just a fastball that year.

    So stop wasting your time trying to throw a million different pitches for strikes and learn how to throw the fastball at your maximum speed.  Be aggressive with it.  Don't be afraid to challenge anyone.  Believe with everything that you have that you are better than the guy standing in the box.  Don't be too concerned with trying to hit corners or trying to keep the ball down.  The middle works just fine if you throw it hard enough and most balls up in the zone end up as pop outs anyways when you throw hard.  The balls up in the zone look good to the hitter but they can't get enough on them usually to actually drive the ball.  When you get the opportunity to get a strikeout, take it.  No matter what anyone tells you, strikeouts are important.

Here are a few links to an article written by the Free Lance Star during my freshman year of college about the fastball
 Free Lance Star Newspaper
Free Lance Star Text