Today’s guest is Jack Barry. Jack is the founder of JB Performance and a former ABCA DIII All-American (York College, 2021) who played at Salisbury University. After college, he worked at Tread Athletics, then built a remote+in-person coaching model. Jack has coached athletes from high school to pro levels, appeared on Baseball America’s 90th Percentile, and hosts the “Just Rippin’” podcast.
On today’s episode, Jack speaks on athletic potential as a function of work capacity with quality, deliberate practice. We unpack the mental side of training, how visualization, targeted self-talk, and timely pattern breaks calm performance anxiety and restore confidence. He also touches on how athletes thrive when they develop a unique identity, balance effort with recovery, and treat mindset and mechanics as equal partners. This is a dynamic episode, at the intersection of pitching skill and global human performance concepts.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and LILA Exogen wearable resistance.
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to Lilateam.com
Use code “justfly10” for 10% off the Vert Trainer
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:09:23 — 63.5MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | Pandora | iHeartRadio | JioSaavn | Podchaser | Email | Deezer | Anghami | Youtube Music | RSS
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. (https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/)
Timestamps
0:20 – From college ball to new competitive outlets
4:10 – Work capacity, family influences, and cross-training
7:10 – Adapting training: speed, volume, and specificity
10:01 – Aerobic contributions in racket and throwing sports
15:46 – Provoking reactivity: stumble drills and innate responses
23:16 – Pattern breaks, the yips, and the “be sexy” mentality
27:44 – Reactive throwing drills to clean the arm action
31:15 – Pre-movement cues and subtle distractions to speed action
43:21 – Visualization with highlight reels to build confidence
52:25 – Essentialism in training: less and better
59:50 – Start with less, progress intelligently
1:00:25 – Barefoot training and simplifying the lower half
Actionable takeaways
0:20 – From college ball to new competitive outlets
Jack traces his path from Division III Salisbury baseball into jiu-jitsu, tennis, and a renewed love for training after leaving team sport.
- Treat post-playing transitions as a chance to experiment with new sports that satisfy the competitive impulse.
- Use cross-training to keep motivation high while developing complementary athletic qualities.
- When exploring a new sport, accept the beginner phase and enjoy the novelty rather than forcing immediate mastery.
4:10 – Work capacity, family influences, and cross-training
Jack reflects on family genetics and finding his own work-capacity strengths through varied activities.
- If you enjoy sustained effort, program both volume and varied intensity (easy long efforts plus specific speed sessions).
- Use cross-training (racket sports, running, court games) to get game-like cardiovascular stimulus without burnout.
- Be deliberate: split session types by purpose (speed sessions, volume sessions, tempo work) instead of lumping everything together.
7:10 – Adapting training: speed, volume, and specificity
Jack describes learning to periodize his running and mix speed with volume to actually get faster.
- Structure sessions by purpose: separate longer aerobic efforts from targeted speed work.
- Progress volume conservatively (small weekly increases) and add specific speed work for real improvements in pace.
- Treat running like any other modality: apply progressive overload principles and discipline.
10:01 – Aerobic contributions in racket and throwing sports
Jack compares racket sports and throwing, noting the reactive and aerobic demands of court play.
- Use court-based conditioning to develop reactive stamina and contextual decision-making.
- Choose cross-training that mirrors sport constraints when possible (racket sports for reactive throws).
- When prescribing conditioning, prefer enjoyable, sport-like formats to sustain athlete buy-in.
15:46 – Provoking reactivity: stumble drills and innate responses
Jack and Joel discuss deliberately provoking reactive behavior to shut off overthinking and unlock natural responses.
- Include occasional stumble or get-up starts to force reactive systems and reduce conscious rumination.
- Use surprise or unpredictable triggers in practice to train the body’s innate quickness under pressure.
- Reserve these drills for appropriate contexts; they are tools to access reactive output, not constant training staples.
23:16 – Pattern breaks, the yips, and the “be sexy” mentality
Jack shares the value of non-technical pattern breaks and the “be sexy” cue to reframe performance under pressure.
- Use lighthearted, unrelated activities (driving range, pickup basketball, different meal) to break ruts and reset focus.
- Create simple, individualized cues that reduce overthinking and let the subconscious drive skill execution.
- For athletes with choked performance, pair deliberate practice with small pattern breaks to restore confidence.
27:44 – Reactive throwing drills to clean the arm action
Jack outlines a drill where a player catches a quick toss and must immediately throw, forcing quick arm tempo and simplicity.
- Practice the reactive catch-and-throw drill: catch with the throwing hand and release immediately to train arm quickness.
- Manipulate the toss location to shape desired arm path and timing (behind, side, front).
- Use this drill to reduce “stabby” arm actions and promote a faster, simpler release.
31:15 – Pre-movement cues and subtle distractions to speed action
Jack and Joel explore small pre-movement tricks that distract the conscious brain and improve quickness.
- Introduce tiny physical cues (hand tension, a quick clench) to occupy the conscious mind just before action.
- Teach athletes short rituals that consistently prep their motor system without promoting rumination.
- Practice cues in training until they transfer automatically into competition scenarios.
43:21 – Visualization with highlight reels to build confidence
Jack recommends using real performance highlights as a stronger visualization tool than abstract self-talk alone.
- Create athlete highlight reels from real clips and pair them with music to reinforce proven ability.
- Use these videos to accelerate confidence during rehab or performance slumps.
- Prioritize demonstrated performance over empty affirmation; show athletes the evidence that they can perform.
52:25 – Essentialism in training: less and better
Jack argues for focused, deliberate practice rather than glorified volume that often leads to injury or wasted effort.
- Identify the few high-value actions that drive performance and prioritize them ruthlessly.
- Start with less volume; add only when the athlete’s recovery and adaptation permit.
- Use deliberate practice principles: quality reps beat quantity when the goal is skill and transfer.
59:50 – Start with less, progress intelligently
Jack uses food and recovery analogies to explain why starting with less volume is safer and more effective.
- Begin new phases conservatively; you can always increase load if recovery and performance allow.
- Reserve high-volume spikes only when the schedule and athlete readiness support them.
- Teach athletes to view additional work as strategic, not as a default reaction to anxiety about performance.
1:00:25 – Barefoot training and simplifying the lower half
Jack explains how barefoot throwing can simplify lower-half behavior and reveal excessive lower-limb compensation.
- Use barefoot throws as a diagnostic or early-stage constraint to simplify the lower half and highlight upper-body efficiency.
- Progress foot conditions: barefoot drills for proprioception, barefoot shoes for training, then cleats for skill transfer.
- Apply barefoot work selectively, knowing it’s an advanced, context-sensitive tool rather than a universal prescription.
Quotes
“If you want to get faster, you can’t just pile on more running. You need to separate sessions by focus: speed, volume, or tempo, so the body actually adapts.”
“Sometimes the best way to unlock athleticism is to provoke reactivity. A stumble start or quick catch-and-throw drill forces the body to solve problems without overthinking.”
“The goal of the reactive throw drill is simple: catch the ball with your throwing hand and get it out as quickly as possible. It cleans up arm action without over-coaching.”
“Pattern breaks are underrated. Take an athlete with the yips to a driving range, or give them a playful cue like ‘be sexy.’ It resets their mind and frees up performance.”
“Highlight reels are more powerful than affirmations. When an athlete watches themselves succeed, the brain believes it; it accelerates confidence and recovery.”
“Effort feels good, but too much volume is often just anxiety disguised as training. Start with less, because you can always add more once the athlete shows they’re ready.”
“Essentialism matters. Training isn’t about doing everything; it’s about finding the few things that actually drive transfer and doubling down on those.”
“Barefoot throwing is a constraint that simplifies the lower half. Without the shoe, the body can’t fake drive off the mound, and you see what’s really happening mechanically.”
About Jack Barry
Jack Barry, CSCS, is the founder of JB Performance, where he helps pitchers turn efficient mechanics and smart workloads into game-day velocity and command. His process blends slow-motion video breakdown, individualized drill progressions, and clear week-to-week plans that are simple to follow and easy to measure. Jack’s focus areas include strength & conditioning, throwing mechanics and workload management, pitch design, and mobility. Jack Barry Performance
Before coaching online, Jack played college baseball at Salisbury University, then continued his career at York College (PA), where he earned ABCA Division III All-American honors in 2021. After his playing career, he joined Tread Athletics, sharpening his player-development chops inside a high-feedback, data-aware environment. BachTalk+1
Jack has been featured on Baseball America’s 90th Percentile podcast and hosts “Just Rippin’,” where he talks shop with coaches and athletes. He’s worked with pitchers from high school through the professional ranks, delivering concise feedback after each bullpen—what to keep, what to change, and exactly how to practice it—with objective checkpoints (velo, strike %, spin/axis when available) and long-term arm-health planning.
Free Speed Training eBook - Velocity 101
Improving speed is one of the most popular topics in the athletic performance equation. Where there are many ideas and thoughts out there, as to particular training exercises, or setups, the more core aspects of speed training often go without mention. These include the fundamental aspects of what makes an athlete fast, specific sprint-power concepts, the relevance of "3D" motion, motor learning and more.
Velocity 101 will help you take a leap forward in understanding of what makes athletes fast, and how to train it effectively