Pulldowns to Increase Velocity: Why It Works

High-intent throws are a popular topic in velocity training. These throws, often called "pulldowns" or "run and guns," are meant to improve movement patterns while teaching the body to move quickly and aggressively. Plenty of training facilities use them. Others are critical of them, mostly because of the stress a max-effort throw puts on the arm.

For the body to adapt, training has to push to (or slightly past) its current limits. Ron Wolforth of the Texas Baseball Ranch cites Paul Nyman's take on the Bernstein principle: "The body will organize itself based upon the ultimate objective of the action."

In other words, when the goal is "throw as hard as you can," the body tends to organize itself to do it. That idea goes beyond pulldowns. It's also behind med ball work, lifting and other intent-based drills.

Long toss has become a widely used tool over the last 20-plus years. High-arc distance throws and pulldowns are both part of many long toss programs. Pulldowns are a small piece of the puzzle, but they can help build arm capacity for both health and velocity when they're programmed well.

What is a pulldown?

A pulldown is a full-intent throw made after building momentum with some kind of running start. Athletes use different footwork to get there, from shuffle steps to full crow hops. Either way, the goal is to throw the ball as hard as you can on a line.

Why do pulldowns?

When athletes throw with full intent, they tend to move more naturally than they do while thinking about a list of coaching cues. Most athletes overthink when they try to throw hard on command.

Pulldowns let an athlete move loosely and freely. "Just throw it as hard as you can," in a low-volume setting, takes away the mechanical cues coaches pile on.

Not every kid moves well in a pulldown, though. Film them, look at the movement pattern and talk through it. That's one of the best ways to help an athlete move more freely.

How to do a run-and-gun pulldown safely

1. Ramp up first. Asking players to throw as hard as they can without a build-up is asking for trouble. You wouldn't let a player squat 315 pounds without working up to it. Use a proper ramp-up program, then a full warm-up every session.
2. Throw with intention. This isn't a lazy, feel-good throw. Make sure players know it takes full effort, and keep the number of throws low.
3. Track progress. Show players how they're progressing. A radar gun gives you a baseline and a trend. Measure the same way every time.

Pulldowns are also a hard throw, so count them. Use our pitch count and rest guide and the arm care basics to keep workloads sensible.

Velocity isn't the only thing that matters, but it's one of the most important. Film your athlete's pulldowns, and if you can, record each throw's velocity so you know where they started and where they're headed.

Track your pulldowns with a radar gun. See our guide to the best baseball radar guns →