Training Overview

At the International Knuckleball Academy, we take the guesswork out of baseball instruction. With an unparalleled understanding of the qualities necessary to throw effective knuckleballs, our staff relies on objective measures and high-resolution video analysis to inform every aspect of the training delivered. By tracking pitch accuracy, RPS readings, ball trajectory and velocity, we are able to provide students with real time, actionable feedback. We seek to eliminate the potential disconnect between coach and player and instead offer our students the ability to visually and statistically comprehend their respective strengths and weaknesses.

The International Knuckleball Academy offers a revolutionary training program designed to develop elite knuckleball pitchers.

Before you begin the program, the IKA staff quantitatively assesses your strengths and weaknesses, so that your training can be specifically tailored to your needs. Then we immerse you in a fusion of tried-and-true old-school methods and empirically tested new ones, which together address in comprehensive detail everything you need both physically and mentally to excel as a professional knuckleball pitcher.

Your body. The IKA’s professionally designed workouts accelerate your development by strengthening your body in six ways, each essential to your mastery of the knuckleball. We focus on increasing your

      • static strength
      • explosive power
      • dynamic balance
      • self-awareness
      • range of motion
      • flexibility

Your mind. The perfect knuckleball begins well before you move a muscle to throw it. It begins in the mind. To consistently deliver that perfect pitch, you must be able to withstand adversity from any source and remain calm under pressure. At the Academy, you will work your mind as hard as you work your body, by learning to:

      • identify key focus points
      • stay in the now
      • visualize
      • self-hypnotize
      • craft an in-game mental program

The mental aspect of the curriculum enables you to stay motivated, hit a productive rhythm on command, and maintain the calm demeanor of a leader. (More here.)

Two-week Development Session. During the two-week Development Session, you receive a comprehensive introduction to knuckleball fundamentals: delivery, arm action, release, footwork, rhythm, proprioceptive development, mental approach, and knuckleballer-specific strength and conditioning training. You will study film, complete drills, and undergo rigorous throwing sessions.

Four-week Advanced Session. Then, building upon this foundation, the Advanced Session ramps up the intensity and specificity of your training. Step by step, the IKA staff guides you through the process of mechanical development, working to keep you motivated as you avoid plateaus. The highly personalized instruction enables you to maximize your strengths and minimize or eliminate your weaknesses.

When it’s all over, you will know just what you must do to throw a professional-caliber knuckleball. And you will be able to do it.

After finishing the four-week on-site part of the Yearlong Program, expect to depart from our campus in the best shape of your life ─ both physically and mentally ─ and with every tool you need to succeed. You will enjoy a full grasp of your strengths as a knuckleball pitcher. And you will know how to approach your training and development away from then on.

Year-long Program. We don’t just cut you loose after you’ve finished the on-site component of your training. Far from it. The IKA staff keeps working with you as you maintain and further enhance your abilities as a knuckleball pitcher. You’ll have access to one-on-one communication with our staff, conference calls, groups chats, video tutorials and video assessments ─ you can even return to our campus for on-site tune-up consultations. Throughout the Year-long Program, then, the IKA continues to play an integral role in your development.

The International Knuckleball Academy provides an integrated, holistic immersion in the art and science of the knuckleball that is designed to turn you into a pro. By the end of the program, your body will be able to cradle the knuckleball softly while delivering the pitch explosively.

Your future. Step into the International Knuckleball Academy an athlete, leave a member of an elite fraternity. The knuckleball fraternity.