Optimus Athlete's Performance

Optimus Athlete's Performance Performance Physical Therapy Hello
I'm Blake! The Founder and Owner of OPTIMUS Athletes Performance.

Originally, my passion for movement optimization and sports performance came from multiple injuries I had while playing baseball as a teenager. Following two elbow surgeries and recurrent back pain; I received multiple rounds of physical therapy. My therapists were eventually able to help me return to play, although I saw a disconnect between myself as an athlete and the exercises or modalities my therapists were using to help me recover each session. I wanted to get back to what I loved to do but my therapist never seemed to connect with my desire as an athlete for performance. So now, after finishing my undergraduate degree at Clemson University and my Doctorate of Physical Therapy at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), I can make a difference; not only in all my clients recovery journey but also in their performance; whether on a field or in their recreational activities my care is centered around the athlete.

03/19/2026

Now we take the conversation and apply it back into the delivery on the mound, where we want the change to show up. The goal here is fine-tuning what we discussed on flat ground. The mound introduces different timing and mechanical demands, so we want to make sure those changes carry over where it matters most: on the mound in a game.

Regardless of arm slot, maintaining efficient force transfer through the body remains fundamental for every pitcher’s mechanics.

03/18/2026

When some athletes (especially young ones) try to throw harder, the arm will often start extending too early while the front shoulder pulls open. This creates drag, slowing the arm down and increasing stress to the elbow and shoulder.

As Jordan mentions in the video, skipping a rock is a good cue to visualize how the arm and torso should stay together during rotation.

03/17/2026

Every pitcher’s arm tends to work in a slightly different window depending on shoulder mobility, strength, and how the body sequences the throw. From my perspective as a PT, the goal isn’t forcing a slot, it’s helping the athlete better understand where the arm wants to travel and how to keep the arm path free of inefficiencies so the movement stays repeatable and controlled.

A pitcher may have all the arm strength in the world, but if the ball is delivered in a way that places excessive stress on the shoulder or elbow, it’s hard for them to build real confidence in the delivery.

03/16/2026

When looking at throwing mechanics, I’ll often start with a few throws into the net so we can slow things down and look at how velocity is being created.

From a physical therapy standpoint, this gives us a controlled look at the foundation of their throwing mechanics before we eventually progress to the mound.

03/13/2026

Athletes usually describe the sensation after needling as feeling “lighter” or “decompressed.”

The goal isn’t just pain relief though, it’s restoring the body’s movement to the way it’s supposed to work.

03/12/2026

Trigger point needling and electrical stimulation are used for different reasons.

Trigger point → reduces tautness of a tight muscle band a specific point. Can relieve downstream pain.

Stim → influences the muscle more globally by sending a current through it to help it relax.

03/11/2026

One of the most common questions I get:
“Are there muscles you can’t needle?”
The real question isn’t which muscles to avoid… But it’s whether you understand the anatomy, the depth you’re working at, and why you’re choosing that muscle for that person.

03/10/2026

T coaches fighters and trains hard himself.
A common cause (or outcome) of upper trap tightness is scapular dyskinesia which means the shoulder blade is not moving well.
Dry needling can help “reset” the muscle tightness so we can restore better movement afterwards in the shoulder blade.

03/08/2026

Developing force production and “fast-twitch” movement for baseball.

This is where we layer strength and speed into sequencing and intent.

Come see us at OPTIMUS

03/08/2026

Shoulder IR/ER strength ratio testing.

Output and balance, not just mobility are what drive throwing tolerance and help to improve performance.

03/06/2026

Lower-body power/speed profiling.

Velocity based testing is one of the methods we use to gauge lower-body output so we can better understand where an athlete can get the most out of their legs. This also helps point us towards any force transfer or energy leak issues they may have when throwing.

Athletes don’t need just strength in the weight room. They need more stability in force absorption and power in force pr...
11/28/2025

Athletes don’t need just strength in the weight room. They need more stability in force absorption and power in force production to generate more force in sport.

If you are doing 3x10 clamshells (insert any other basic PT exercise) in PT as an athlete without ever building stability in athletic positions your mechanics on the field will continue to be crap and the liklihood of injury returning stays high.

DM ”Screen” and I’ll take a look at your movements and tell you what your missing link is.

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Greenville, SC
29609

Telephone

+18642145303

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