Long toss is a throwing drill where two baseball players stand far apart and throw the ball back and forth at distances well beyond the standard 60-foot, 6-inch pitching distance, often reaching 200 feet or more. It’s one of the most widely used arm-strengthening exercises in baseball, from youth leagues to the major leagues, and also one of the most debated.
How a Long Toss Session Works
A typical long toss session starts with two players standing close together, maybe 60 to 90 feet apart, throwing easy and loose. Over the course of several minutes, they gradually back up, increasing the distance with each round of throws. The player puts arc on the ball to cover the growing distance, keeping the arm action relaxed rather than forcing hard throws. The idea is to let the arm warm up naturally and stretch out as the distance increases.
Once a player reaches the farthest distance their arm comfortably allows that day, they hold there for several throws before working back in. The return phase, sometimes called “pull-down” throws, involves stepping closer while maintaining the same arm speed, which often results in throws that feel explosive on a shorter, flatter trajectory. Many pitchers consider this pull-down phase the most valuable part of the session because it trains the arm to generate high effort while the body stays loose.
There’s no single universal routine. Some programs prescribe specific throw counts and distances for each day. Others follow a philosophy built around listening to the arm. Throwing coach Alan Jaeger, one of the most influential voices in long toss training, encourages players to let the arm “dictate the pace, amount, and distance of throws for that day” rather than following rigid numbers. His off-season programs typically involve three to four throwing days per week, with distance increasing gradually over several weeks.
Why Players Use It
The primary goal of long toss is arm strength and conditioning. Throwing at longer distances forces the body to recruit more of the kinetic chain: the legs, hips, core, and shoulder all have to contribute to move the ball that far. Over time, this builds the kind of total-body throwing fitness that translates to velocity and endurance on the mound.
Biomechanical research supports part of this idea. A study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy found that as throwing distance increased, so did the shoulder’s maximum external rotation during the arm-cocking phase. At maximum distance, shoulder external rotation averaged 180 degrees compared to 174 degrees at shorter distances. That increased range of motion suggests long toss effectively trains the shoulder through a fuller arc, which is beneficial for building arm capacity. The study also found no differences in shoulder abduction across different throw types, meaning the overhead angle of the arm stays consistent whether you’re throwing 120 feet or at max distance.
Beyond raw arm strength, long toss also serves as a barometer. Players and coaches use it to gauge how the arm feels on a given day. A player who can’t comfortably reach their usual distance may be fatigued or developing soreness, which is useful information before a bullpen session or start.
Arc Throws vs. Line Drives
One of the biggest philosophical splits in long toss is whether to throw with a high arc or keep the ball on a flat line. The arc approach, which Jaeger and many throwing programs favor, involves lofting the ball to cover maximum distance. The thinking is that this keeps the arm loose, reduces the impulse to overthrow, and lets players reach distances that build arm strength progressively.
The opposing view holds that high-arc throws change mechanics too much. Throwing on a line, even at shorter distances, keeps the body position and release point closer to what actually happens on a mound. Pitchers who follow this philosophy may cap their long toss distance at 120 to 150 feet and focus on intent and arm speed rather than pure distance.
Research from a 2025 study on high school pitchers adds an important data point to this debate. Pitchers who threw with a “not on a line” trajectory (meaning with an arc) showed a higher prevalence of elbow stress and ligament abnormalities on ultrasound. That finding doesn’t settle the argument, but it does suggest the arc method carries trade-offs worth understanding.
Stress on the Elbow and Shoulder
Long toss isn’t without risk, particularly at extreme distances. The same biomechanical data that shows increased shoulder range of motion at longer distances also shows increased stress on the elbow. Maximum-distance throws produced the highest internal rotation torque at the shoulder (101 Nm) and the highest valgus torque at the elbow (100 Nm). Valgus torque is the force that pulls the inner elbow apart, stressing the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), the ligament repaired in Tommy John surgery.
The study on high school pitchers found that longer throwing distances were associated with positive valgus stress tests, with a cutoff around 270 feet (82.8 meters). Beyond that distance, the odds of a positive stress test were 3.4 times higher. UCL abnormalities on ultrasound became more likely at an even shorter threshold, around 213 feet (65 meters), with 4.6 times the odds of abnormalities compared to pitchers who kept distances shorter. The use of a crow hop, a running start common in max-distance throws, was also associated with greater elbow stress.
This doesn’t mean long toss causes injuries. It means that max-effort, max-distance throwing loads the arm in ways that accumulate over time, especially for younger arms still developing. The dose matters.
Long Toss for Youth Players
Youth players can benefit from long toss, but the distances and intensity should be scaled down significantly. A 10-year-old pitching from 46 feet doesn’t need to be throwing 200-foot rainbows. MLB’s Pitch Smart guidelines recognize that youth arms are structurally different from adult arms: growth plates haven’t closed, ligaments are still maturing, and the repetitive stress tolerance is much lower.
For players ages 9 to 12, long toss works best as a light conditioning tool. Distances of 60 to 90 feet with easy, relaxed throws are plenty. The focus should be on developing a smooth, repeatable arm action rather than pushing for maximum distance. As players move into their teens, distances can gradually increase, but the same principle applies: the arm should dictate how far you go on any given day, not a number on a chart.
Where Long Toss Fits in a Throwing Program
Most structured programs use long toss as one piece of a larger arm care routine. During the off-season, it’s often the centerpiece, performed three to four days per week with increasing distances over a multi-week progression. Jaeger’s off-season template starts with three throwing days in week one and builds to four days per week over six weeks, with built-in flexibility to adjust based on how the arm responds.
During the season, long toss is typically shorter and less intense. A starter might long toss on the day after a start as part of recovery, keeping the arm moving without adding heavy stress. Relievers may use a brief long toss session as their daily warm-up before transitioning to flat-ground or bullpen work.
The biomechanical research found that longer throws produced less forward trunk tilt compared to pitching from a mound. That difference means long toss doesn’t perfectly replicate pitching mechanics, which is why most coaches treat it as a complement to mound work rather than a substitute. You build the arm with long toss, then refine the delivery on the mound.