Eli Manning tried something new this offseason. He worked with private pitching coach Mickey Brueckner after getting a recommendation from former Major League pitcher Al Leiter.
Brueckner trains Leiter’s son, Vanderbilt pitcher Jack Leiter, at a New Jersey sports performance center.
“I feel like it’s paid off,” Manning said, via Art Stapleton of northjersey.com. “I’m throwing the ball well, and arm is staying strong, and I’m not losing anything. In training camp, sometimes you’d have four practices in a row, and you’re not used to that; you can see your arm getting tired. But still feeling strong.”
Former Major League pitching coach Tom House has become a popular private coach for quarterbacks working with several, including Tom Brady.
As Brueckner said, quarterbacks throw overhand like pitchers, so the training is much the same.
Manning, entering his 16th season, worked with Brueckner four days a week until organized team activities started in May. The training program was designed to manage stress on Manning’s arm while building arm strength, Brueckner told Stapleton.
The Giants like what they have seen out from Manning’s fastball thus far.
“I think he’s really throwing the ball well,” Giants coach Pat Shurmur said. “When he came back for OTAs, we saw it. Some of it was physical, some of it was how he trained. You ask the quarterbacks to get better every day and train and do all of the right things, and along the way, they sort of find their way. Eli’s done that every year.”