One of the most beneficial and revealing aspects of Long Toss is what happens “beyond 120 feet”. For various reasons, 120 feet is a traditional parameter that has been referenced for decades mainly because of its association with standardized Return To Throwing (Rehab) Programs.

In many of these Rehab Programs, 120 feet is considered to be the threshold that marked the “end” of the throwing progression, and the “beginning” of the mound ramp up phase. Not so ironically, 120 feet also became a popular parameter for the “healthy population” of Pitchers in many MLB Organizations for many years – a model that fortunately seems to be pretty obsolete, other than in Rehab Programs.

As we go through this section, you will see why capping the arm at a predetermined and arbitrary distance like 120 feet compromises the Health, Strength, Endurance, Feel, and Recovery of the arm – not to mention, how it stifles the Athlete. But most of all, you will see all of the innumerable benefits that happen BEYOND 120 feet – where the arm is free to grow, and the higher intelligence of the body can take over – this is where the real magic happens.

The Restrictions of Capping an Arm at 120 Feet

One of the ironies of “only” throwing the ball out to 120 feet is that there isn’t much room to get air underneath it, or Arc. As mentioned earlier, arc is something that happens innately because it promotes a number of major benefits, including, relaxation, range of motion, greater athleticism, feel, and freedom.

On the other hand, when you throw the ball out to 120 feet, it’s actually hard to get any air under the ball – it promotes what’s called “linear” throwing. When you throw the ball on a line, the body is forced into a much more restrictive or rigid movements – the range of motion of the arm is compromised, and so is the athlete. In short, when you throw the ball higher and farther, you can find out what’s in the arm, and what’s in the athlete.

And though some have argued that you can “get the same benefits of throwing the ball on a line at 120 feet with the same intent of a 300 foot throw with arc”, this couldn’t be further from the truth – they are two completely different throws and effects on the body and mind (as you will see below).

Also, when you consider that the distance an average Major League fastball (94mph) will travel (330-350 feet) with a 35-40 degree arc, you can begin to understand just how limiting 120 feet is to the arms’ capacity and capability – and how restricting it is to the athlete – not to mention how much an arm/body will be shocked and deconditioned by going from the stark contrast of training at 300+ feet to being capped at 120 feet.

Now this isn’t to assume that every athlete that throws 94mph is throwing the ball 330-350 feet – it’s just to say that there is a lot of available “Range of Motion” and “Energy” in the arm, and “Athleticism” in the body that has to be contained and constricted in order to “only” throw the ball 120 feet.

The Benefits That Happen Beyond 120 Feet

Going beyond 120 feet and stretching your arm out to its maximum distance provides several vital benefits, including, 1) Optimal Range of Motion – gradually throwing the ball uphill allows the arm, and its corresponding muscle groups, to progressively and incrementally stretch out (“open up”) in the most optimal way, 2) Proprioception/Variability – gradually throwing the ball uphill allows you to make micro adjustments to the release point, which promotes feel, variability and adaptability), 3) Optimal Glute, Hip, Pelvic Load – throwing the ball with greater arc promotes a greater activation of the glute, hip and pelvic load, 4) Ground Forces – throwing the ball uphill promotes staying connected to the ground longer, especially when you crow hop off the back leg as will be discussed in the next section (also, here’s a great explanation using NewtFort Mound Sensor’s from Randy Sullivan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3Ai4bPDWoI&t=3s), 5) Optimal Preparation for Pull-Downs – because the arm has optimal range of motion, and the body has been fully activated, the arm/body are in the most ideal position to Pull-Down, 6) Leverage/Explosiveness – what goes up, must come down. By throwing “uphill”, and then figuring out how to take the intent of a 300 foot throw downhill promotes a great deal of leverage, and a much more dynamic and explosive athlete, and 7) Mechanical Synch – “your best mechanics come out of Long Toss”. Because you are gradually throwing the ball uphill and downhill – and from so many different throwing positions throughout your session – your body is learning, unconsciously, how to best synch up in order to realize its intended goal of accurately hitting your partner on a fly. This is especially the case in the Pull-Down phase. When you take, ie, a 300 foot throw at a 35-40 degree angle, into progressively shorter distances, your body learns to synch up well in order to realize its intended goal.

Mental Freedom (Beyond 120 Feet)

There is also a huge mental component to going beyond 120 feet because it frees up the mind. Just as you are “opening up” the arm by expanding your distance, you are also “opening up” and expanding your mind. And this makes a lot of sense when you consider that 120 feet promotes a more “narrow focus”, which is akin to the logical side of our brain, or left brain. On the other hand, “open focus” has to do with space, and is very akin to the creative side of our brain, or right brain. That’s why by simply freeing up your body by throwing higher and farther, you are similarly freeing up your mind – you are tapping into your right brain, which, not so ironically, activates your instincts, athleticism and creativity. 

Summary

There are countless benefits that are simply not accessed and experienced when an athlete is capped at, e.g., 120 feet…countless benefits that can be accessed as a by-product of going beyond 120 feet.

For more information regarding “The Origin of the 120 Foot Throwing Program”, here is an article I wrote about this topic: https://jaegersports.com/the-origin-of-throwing-programs-mechanical-myth-post-rehab-throwing-advice/

For more information on our collaboration with Randy Sullivan on our new “Return To Throwing Manual”: https://jaegersports.com/program/return-to-throwing/