Within a given year, how many throws do you make with your plyo balls?
Probably a lot.
But, on how many of those throws are you actively selecting a target that will complement the adjustments you’re trying to make or the movements you’re trying to reinforce?
Probably not as many.
So we beg the question… why not?
Target selection can be a critical component of maximizing the effectiveness of your plyocare routine. In this article, we’ll dive into some special considerations for target selection and the common errors we observe when athletes are selecting their targets on the plyo wall. If you want the summary, watch our YouTube video above (and don’t forget to like and subscribe).
WHY TARGET SELECTION MATTERS WHEN THROWING PLYOS
We throw plyos for a number of reasons. The primary reason being that they’re a great tool for making adjustments to your delivery. Just as your attention to detail can enhance the positive impact of your plyo routine, a lack of attention to detail can hinder your development.
Poor target selection can lead to a number of negative outcomes from your drill routine including:
Undesireable compensations in your delivery
Predispositions to missing the strike zone in certain locations
Velocity decline
Unintentional changes in spin direction
Although these negative outcomes are far from guaranteed as a result of poor target selection, they remain within the realm of possibility and should be avoided at all costs. If the cost of avoiding some of these outcomes is simply educating yourself on how to properly select a target, why wouldn’t you?
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS: ARM SLOT
The primary consideration when selecting your target on the plyo wall (or whatever you’re throwing against) should always be your arm slot/release point.
Every thrower is unique. Some throw from a high arm slot while others have a low arm slot.
The main difference between athletes that throw from a high slot and those that throw from a lower arm slot is the amount of lateral trunk tilt they have while rotating their torso after foot plant.
As you can see in the visual above, arm slot has a significant impact on the release location of the ball. Athletes that throw from a higher slot will release the ball higher above the ground but closer to their center line. Alternatively, athletes that throw from lower slots will release the ball lower to the ground and further away from their center line.
The importance in this is that the release point determines the vertical and horizontal approach angles of the pitch as they travel towards the target.
Given that different arm slots and release points will create different approach angles, the target on the wall should be adjusted accordingly.
Use this simple formula:
Low release point/arm slot: Set the target further to the arm side and lower on the wall
High release point/arm slot: Set the target closer to your center line and higher on the wall
Important: When adjusting your target for arm slot, it’s important that you envision the ball travelling through the plyo wall and as a strike at 60’6”.
Aerial view of plyo ball flight with the plyo wall as an intersection point. Red is a low arm slot (> release side, < release height). Blue is a high arm slot (< release side, > release height).
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS: DISTANCE TO THE PLYO WALL
Now that we’ve established the importance of accounting for arm slot and how it affects the approach angle of the ball towards the plyo wall, it’s worth considering your distance away from the wall.
As the ball travels towards the wall, as long as it’s being thrown as a “strike” through the wall, the ball’s flight should not be perfectly linear and will approach on an angle. Given that the ball approaches the wall at an angle, how far you’re actually releasing the ball from that wall will play into determining where to establish your target.
The further your wall is away from you, the longer the plyo ball has to follow it’s trajectory. As such, the further that wall is away from you, the closer to your center line your target should be.
The further the plyo wall is from your release point, the closer your target should be to your center line.
It’s worth noting that there is no perfect distance for throwing your plyos (that we’re aware of). However, we often like to allow enough distance for the ball to contact the wall without the athlete having to dodge the rebound. There can be benefits and drawbacks to both long and short distances for throwing plyos.
COMMON TARGET SELECTION ERRORS
So, now that we’ve addressed the main considerations for selecting an appropriate target on your plyo wall you should be armed with enough information to go ahead and start applying these principles to your next plyocare routine. But before you do, let’s take a quick look at some of the common errors we notice with athletes’ target selections.
1) Target set too high - It’s rare that athletes will select a target that’s too low on the wall. Although, it still happens and the opposite adjustment applies. When athletes select a target that’s too high up the wall it will obviously promote actions that lead to missing above the strike zone. Additionally (and more importantly) this will also encourage some of the following delivery faults:
Forearm flyout
Compensatory, aggressive/early shoulder internal rotation pattern
Limited trunk flexion and/or rotation
Compensatory, low glove side misses in bullpens
2) Target set too close to your center line - This is probably the most common target selection error. In this case, because the ball is approaching the wall at an angle from the athlete’s release point, an impact in line with the athlete’s midline would result in a pitch that’s pulled to the glove side. This can encourage the following issues:
Unintentional cut on FB (hand gets outside the ball via supination)
Difficulty locating to arm side of the plate
Difficulty throwing sinking/fading pitches (CH, FT, SI)
In conclusion, don’t just grab your plyos and throw. Grab a piece of chalk or crayon and mark the wall up. Consider your release point and how that ball will approach the wall after it leaves your hand. Envision the ball passing through the wall and being located in the strike zone 60’6” away from you. It takes minimal effort but can assist you in maximizing all of the benefits of throwing plyos.
