Ask ten pitchers what long toss means and you will get ten answers. A survey of 321 professional pitchers, pitching coaches and athletic trainers from five MLB organizations (Stone et al., 2017) found the average distance people considered long toss was 175 feet, and 70% described it as "not on a line." Pitchers and pitching coaches used it more for stretching and conditioning, while trainers used it more inside interval throwing programs.

That lack of a definition matters, because the type of long toss changes how the arm moves and how much load it takes.

What long toss is: extension and compression

Most modern long toss programs have two phases.

  • Extension (stretching out): you start at an easy catch distance and back up gradually, letting the ball arc. Driveline describes extension throws as putting "air on the ball" rather than trying to throw on a line. Driveline notes that Alan Jaeger, creator of the Jaeger long toss program, tells athletes to "listen to [their] arm," and compares that to autoregulated training: the arm decides how far you go that day.
  • Compression (pulling down): after reaching the day's distance, you walk back in a few steps at a time and throw on a flatter, more direct line with more intent. Driveline describes these as higher-intent throws best placed on days programmed at 80% to 100% intensity.

The two phases do different jobs. Extension is a lower-intent way to build volume and range. Compression is intent work, closer to pitching, and it should be counted that way.

What the biomechanics research shows

Arc vs. line. Fleisig and colleagues (Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, 2011) studied 17 healthy college pitchers pitching from a mound and throwing from flat ground at 37 m (about 120 ft), 55 m (about 180 ft), and maximum distance. Hard throws on a horizontal line at 120 and 180 feet looked similar to pitching. Maximum-distance throws were different: they produced the greatest shoulder external rotation (about 180 degrees), elbow flexion, shoulder internal rotation torque, and elbow varus torque of any condition, along with a more tilted shoulder line. The authors called line throws reasonable exercises for pitchers and advised caution with maximum-distance throws for rehab and training.

Distance on a line. Slenker and colleagues (American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2014) tested 29 college pitchers throwing hard on a line from 60 to 180 feet and pitching at 60%, 80% and full effort. Shoulder and elbow loads on flat ground were not significantly different from mound pitching at any distance, even though ball speed was lower (82% of maximum). Loads did not keep rising with distance as pitchers began using a crow hop. Partial-effort pitching was clearly lower: at 60% perceived effort, pitchers produced 76% of maximum force.

Where torque levels off. In 95 high school players wearing an arm sensor, Dowling and colleagues (2018) found that elbow varus torque rose with each distance up to 37 m (about 120 ft) and then stayed the same at 46 m (about 150 ft), while arm slot dropped and shoulder external rotation increased as distance grew. Lizzio and colleagues (2021) found torque plateaued beyond 90 feet and that a crow hop actually raised torque at short distances.

Volume adds up fast. Carr and colleagues (Arthroscopy, 2022) measured high school pitchers and found elbow varus torque per throw at 90 to 180 feet (36.9 to 45.5 N·m) approached game pitches (45.7 N·m). Modeled programs with 25 or more throws per set reached roughly five innings-pitched equivalents in a day.

The big picture. A 2023 systematic review by Dias and colleagues concluded that interval throwing progressively builds elbow varus torque up to the level of full-effort pitching, though the distance at which flat-ground torque matches pitching was not consistent across studies. A 2021 review by Calcei and Freehill noted that the benefits of long toss are hard to quantify because definitions and uses vary so widely.

Effort is easy to misjudge

In a structured long toss study at 120 feet, throws pitchers rated as 75% effort still produced 93% of maximum elbow varus torque, and "50%" throws produced 87% (Melugin et al., 2019). Long toss that feels easy is often a lot closer to real work than it seems.

What the research does not show

There is no strong evidence that one long toss philosophy produces more velocity than another. Driveline's own review states that long toss as year-round or programmed arm care "has not been researched." A small study comparing ultra-long toss with straight-line long toss the day after a bullpen (Luo et al., 2021) found no difference in range-of-motion recovery. And a 2025 study of 180 high school pitchers (Minami et al.) found that longer long toss distances, crow hops and "not on a line" throws were associated with more elbow symptoms and ultrasound findings. That study shows an association, not cause and effect, but it is a reason to build distance gradually in younger pitchers.

Published throwing programs are also inconsistent. A 2025 review of 99 publicly available interval throwing programs (Boos et al.) found the longest long toss distance ranged from 90 to 250 feet, and about 40% gave no criteria for starting the program. A 2025 systematic review of published programs (Langhans et al.) found poor comprehensiveness and little validation.

Who long toss is for

  • Most healthy pitchers with a catch-play base. Extension-style long toss is a practical way to build throwing volume and arm tolerance in the offseason and preseason.
  • Mature pitchers who want intent work. Compression throws give a high-intent stimulus without a mound, but they count like intent work.
  • Younger pitchers, with limits. Shorter distances and throws that stay close to a line are a sensible starting point. There is no need to chase maximum distance.
  • Return to throw: follow the interval throwing program from your clinician. Long toss there is a rehab tool with its own criteria.

How to build distance across weeks

  • Earn distance with clean throws. Stop extending when timing, direction or arm action starts to break down, not when you hit a number.
  • Change one variable at a time. Add distance or throws or compression intent in a given week, not all three.
  • Watch throw counts at distance. Long throws carry real load per throw, so a few extra throws at 150 feet or more is not trivial.
  • Check the next day. If the arm is heavy or sore the next morning, repeat the step instead of progressing.

Fitting long toss around bullpens and games

  • Keep max distance and hard compression away from bullpen days. Treat a long toss day with hard compression as a high-intent day in its own right.
  • Use lighter long toss for recovery days. Shorter extension work at low intent the day after a bullpen is a common pattern. Luo's study suggests straight-line and ultra-long recovery throws worked about the same for range of motion.
  • Frequency depends on the week. Driveline suggests some form of long toss roughly 2 to 5 times per week, adjusted for arm feel and start schedule.

Offseason vs. in-season. In the offseason, long toss is a volume and capacity builder. In-season, it is usually about maintaining workload between outings, so distances and compression intent come down as games and bullpens fill the week.

Count long toss in your workload

Every long toss throw belongs in your daily throwing workload. If you log your bullpens but not your long toss, your acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR) will look calmer than your arm actually is. Reinold and colleagues (2024) built a workload-based interval throwing program designed to keep ACWR between 0.7 and 1.3 most of the time, partly because older programs spiked above that range. Use the pitching workload calculator to check where you are before adding distance, and let readiness (sleep, soreness, arm feel) decide whether today is an extension day or a compression day.

Sample 4-week long toss progression (example template, not a prescription)

This example assumes a healthy pitcher who already plays catch regularly and is in the offseason or early preseason. Distances are ceilings, not targets: stop earlier if throws stop being clean. Warm up fully first and count every throw.

WeekLong toss daysExtensionCompressionNotes
12Out to a comfortable distance, up to about 120 ft, easy arcNone, just walk back in playing catchEstablish a baseline distance and throw count
22 to 3Up to about 150 ft if week 1 felt good the next day3 to 5 throws on a line at moderate effortOnly one variable goes up per week
33One longer day to the furthest clean distance; other days shorter5 to 8 throws on the longer day at moderately high effortKeep the longer day away from bullpens
42Hold week 3 distance or slightly lessCut compression throws roughly in halfLighter week to consolidate before the next block

Pain means stop and see a qualified clinician. Fatigue, next-day heaviness or a jump in ACWR are reasons to repeat a week rather than push forward.

Frequently asked questions

How far should a pitcher long toss?

There is no single correct distance. Published programs top out anywhere from 90 to 250 feet. A practical rule is to extend only as far as throws stay clean and on target, and to build that distance gradually across weeks.

Is max-distance long toss bad for your arm?

Not automatically, but maximum-distance arc throws produced the greatest elbow varus torque and shoulder external rotation in Fleisig's 2011 study, while hard throws on a line at 120 to 180 feet looked similar to pitching. Treat max-distance throws as high-stress work and dose them carefully.

How often should pitchers long toss?

Driveline suggests some form of long toss roughly 2 to 5 times per week, adjusted for arm feel and start schedule. Lighter extension days can be frequent, while long days with hard compression should be treated like high-intent days.

Should long toss count toward my throwing workload?

Yes. Long throws carry real elbow torque, close to game pitches at longer distances in some studies, so every long toss throw should be counted in daily workload and your acute:chronic workload ratio.

What is the difference between extension and compression throws?

Extension throws happen while you move back, with arc and lower intent. Compression throws happen while you walk back in, on a flatter line with higher intent, so they function more like intent work.

Long toss that fits the plan

Let Pitch AI build long toss into your throwing week

Pitch AI builds your throwing week from your profile, season phase and schedule. When your block calls for it, throwing days can include long toss with an auto-regulated extension phase out to your furthest clean distance and a compression phase back in. Logged throws feed an acute:chronic workload ratio, and daily readiness check-ins adjust volume and intensity so distance and intent stay matched to what your arm can handle.

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Sources and further reading

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