Montana Baseball Coaches Convention: Building Healthier, More Durable Pitchers Through Evaluation

Last week I had the opportunity to travel to Bozeman, Montana to speak at the Montana Baseball Coaches Convention and work directly with local athletes during a two-day on-field clinic. It was an outstanding weekend spent with coaches, parents, and players who care about long-term development—not just short-term results.

Across both the coaches’ sessions and the athlete clinic, the message stayed consistent:

You can’t protect what you don’t measure.
And you can’t develop what you don’t understand.

At URAT Baseball, everything we do starts with evaluation so we can build intentional, athlete-specific plans that prioritize arm health, performance, and long-term durability.

Arm Health Starts With Strength Evaluation, Not Guesswork

One of the biggest issues in youth and high school baseball today is how often arm health decisions are made without objective data.

Pitchers are told to:

• “Just rest”

• “Throw through it”

• “Fix your mechanics”

But rarely does anyone measure the arm to understand why pain or inconsistency exists.

At URAT Baseball, arm health begins with strength profiling, not assumptions.

How We Use the ArmCare System to Evaluate Pitchers

During the convention, I walked coaches through how we use the ArmCare system to objectively evaluate arm strength and identify weak links that contribute to pain, inefficiency, or stalled development.

The ArmCare system allows us to measure:

• Internal rotation strength

• External rotation strength

• Scaption strength

• Grip strength

From this data, we can immediately identify:

• Side-to-side asymmetries

• Strength deficits relative to age and competition level

• Patterns that increase injury risk

This turns arm health from a guessing game into a clear decision-making process.

Custom Training Based on Identified Weak Links

Evaluation is only step one.

Once weak links or imbalances are identified, the ArmCare system helps guide customized training prescriptions designed to address the athlete’s specific needs.

Instead of generic band routines, pitchers receive:

• Targeted exercises

• Appropriate loading parameters

• Progressions based on re-testing

This approach allows arm strength to improve without unnecessary throwing volume, which is often why pain resolves when the true limiting factor is addressed.

For coaches and parents interested in using the same system, you can receive 15% off anything on armcare.com with the code:

THROWFUZZ15

Mechanical Efficiency: Timing, Sequence, and Balance

In addition to arm health, I also spoke about mechanical efficiency, focusing on timing, sequencing, and posture—three areas that heavily influence both performance and arm stress.

Mechanical issues are rarely about copying a specific delivery. They’re about whether an athlete can move fast, on time, and under control.

Timing: Move Fast While Staying in Control

One of the most misunderstood ideas in pitching is that smooth equals safe.

In reality, pitchers need to move as fast as they can while maintaining control. Proper timing allows energy to move efficiently through the body so the arm isn’t forced to compensate.

When timing breaks down, arm stress increases and consistency disappears.

Sequence: Hips First, Then Shoulders

Efficient throwing follows a simple sequence:

1. Hips rotate first

2. Shoulders follow

3. The arm delivers the ball

This hip-to-shoulder separation allows pitchers to generate velocity with less arm effort and improves repeatability. When sequencing breaks down—often when shoulders open too early—velocity stalls and arm stress increases.

Balance and Posture: Control the Head and Chest

Rather than teaching pitchers to “stay balanced,” we focus on postural control under speed.

Key cues include:

• Keeping the head stacked over the belly button

• Maintaining posture as intensity increases

• Keeping the chest and glove directed toward the target as long as possible

Good posture doesn’t slow pitchers down—it allows them to move faster without losing control.

Two-Day Youth & High School Clinic: Teaching the Complete Process

Alongside the coaches’ presentations, I also ran a two-day on-field clinic in Bozeman with athletes ranging from 10 to 18 years old. The goal wasn’t to overload players with drills, but to teach them how the full development process works.

Rather than separating mechanics, pitch development, and recovery, we showed how all three connect.

Teaching Mechanics by Age and Readiness

For younger athletes, the focus was on:

• Efficient movement patterns

• Basic sequencing

• Throwing athletically rather than mechanically

As athletes got older, we layered in:

• Timing at higher speeds

• Direction and posture under intent

• Understanding how mechanics evolve with strength and velocity

The takeaway was simple: mechanics change as the athlete develops.

Introduction to Pitch Development

For older athletes, we introduced pitch development concepts, focusing on understanding why pitches move the way they do.

We covered:

• How grip, spin, and intent influence pitch shape

• Why pitch design comes after mechanical consistency

• How strength and movement quality affect pitch effectiveness

Instead of chasing new pitches, the emphasis was on improving fastball quality and building better margins for error.

Recovery and Daily Planning

One of the most important clinic topics was recovery and daily planning.

We spent time teaching athletes:

• How to structure daily arm care routines

• How to manage recovery between throwing days

• How to plan training weeks during season and offseason

Most young athletes work hard—but lack a plan. Teaching these skills early helps prevent burnout and keeps development moving forward.

Why This Matters

Across every setting—youth clinics, high school development, college consulting—the process remains the same:

Evaluate first.
Build a plan.
Adjust using evidence.

When arm strength, mechanics, workload, and recovery are aligned, pitchers stay healthier and performance becomes more predictable.

Bringing It Back to URAT Baseball

Traveling, speaking, and working directly with coaches and athletes across the country allows us to continually refine our system and bring the best information back to our players.

At URAT Baseball:

• We don’t guess

• We evaluate

• We build development roadmaps that last

If you’re a parent, player, or coach looking for a clearer path forward, everything starts with evaluation.