“Your Arm is the Boss”
— Deskaheh Bomberry, Sacramento City College, Pitching Coach

One of the most constant themes that you will see throughout this Manual is to “Listen To Your Arm” (as well as your body and instincts).

Because everyone is unique and has their own individual preferences, needs, and history, please be sure to let your Arm dictate what it wants and needs each day. Though we do feel strongly about the suggestions and guidelines that are made throughout this Manual, we still want you to have the freedom to listen to your arm, listen to your body, and listen to your instincts from day to day. That’s because your Arm is your ultimate guide and teacher.

And from our experience, if you follow this program religiously, you may be shocked to find out that if you simply “Listen To Your Arm”, that your arm wants to throw more, not less than you are accustomed to…especially if you have been on a throwing “program” that was based on predetermined “parameters” like time, distance, and/or volume. Instead, go out with a blank slate, and be curious what your arm wants to do from day to day.

Also, this may be the first time that your arm has been conditioned in a way in which it feels so good and recovers so well from day to day. So please be open to the possibility and probability that your arm is going to want to throw more than you think…even on days that you think that you may not want to throw much, if at all.

Lastly, don’t worry about being too fixated on “how many throws you make”, “how far out you go”, and especially how much “time” you throw for on a given day. Keep in mind that 10 minutes of throwing is only 5 minutes of throwing per person (a nugget I picked up from Andy McKay), and really, only about 3 ½ minutes per person when you factor in that the ball is in the air for a period of time, and the time it takes to catch the ball and throw it again.

The bottom line is that your arm is, more than likely, going to want to throw a great deal more than you are accustomed to based on our experience, and all of the factors above. So please be sure to go out each day with a blank slate, and be open to allowing your arm to dictate what it wants and needs by listening to it.