After a Velocity Drop: How to Respond
A velocity dip can be frustrating — and it can trigger “fix everything” mode. A calmer approach is to treat velocity as a signal, then look for the pattern underneath.
Common parent moment:
“He rested. He trained. But now he’s down 2–5 mph. What do we do?”
“He rested. He trained. But now he’s down 2–5 mph. What do we do?”
Three common reasons velo drops
- Readiness mismatch: the body isn’t primed for today’s intensity
- Workload density: too many medium-hard throwing days stacked close
- Efficiency shift: the throw gets stiffer or more “all arm,” especially late
Not every velo dip is injury. But repeated dips with rising soreness deserve attention.
The “don’t chase it” rule
Chasing velocity with more intensity often makes the pattern worse. A better question is:
- Did warm-up feel smooth?
- Did command change first?
- Did the arm feel heavy late?
- Did recovery take longer than usual?
