How to long toss correctly

One of the best ways to maintain arm strength for pitching is to throw. That's why Barry Zito long tosses before games. It enables him to keep his arm loose.

Here's some footage of Barry Zito long tossing before a game. Notice that he takes a crop hop with each throw. This helps get his hips involved as he releases the baseball.

You should take a crow hop, too, when you long toss. A nice easy shuffle will do. The key is closing off your hips and then rotating them as you step and release the baseball.

Do you crow hop like Barry Zito in this video?

Looking for more information about long tossing for pitching? For a complete article on long tossing, click here, or get my latest book, The TUFFCUFF Strength and Conditioning Manual for Baseball Pitchers.

This 188-page guide to pitching workouts contains more than 509 pictures and has specific off-season and in-season long-toss throwing charts for you to follow, so you can safely and easily prepare to pitch any time of year.