Take Me Out to the Ballgame! (And Watch My Throwing Mechanics)
If you are in a baseball community, you may have heard terms like Little League Elbow or Shoulder, Tommy John surgery, ‘dead-arm’ sensation, or ‘throwing-out’ the arm.
This is because baseball injuries to the shoulder and elbow are common. Much of this can be explained by the fast and forceful nature of throwing. Studies in minor league baseball note that the shoulder has an angular velocity of >7200 degrees/second (like spinning your arms around 20 times in 1-second), that there is over 1x-body-weight distraction force through the shoulder when the ball is released, and that the force at the elbow is very near the maximum that the UCL can withstand each pitch.
The good news is that studies have identified some characteristics or activities that might put a player at risk. These include the following:
Throwing too many pitches, or too many pitches at maximum velocity
Throwing when fatigued, or without appropriate rest days
Playing both pitcher and catcher (as both require a high volume of throws each game)
Sports specialization without taking a break from throwing for at least 2-3 months/year
Inadequate strength or range of motion
Throwing with poor mechanics
Most leagues utilize pitch-count and rest-day rules, but if yours doesn’t monitor it closely, you can turn to one of these resources:
https://www.mlb.com/pitch-smart/pitching-guidelines
https://www.mshsl.org/sites/default/files/2021-03/ba-pitch-count-policy.pdf
https://www.littleleague.org/playing-rules/pitch-count/
Throwing with proper mechanics requires both strength and proprioception (body position awareness). It is said that more than half of the force needed to throw comes from the legs, so make sure your quads and glutes are strong. You should be able to balance on one leg for a minute and perform a well-controlled single leg squat. As for the arm, rotator cuff strength, scapular muscle strength (serratus anterior and lower trap) and inside forearm muscles are the ones to target. Without adequate strength in these areas, it is difficult to throw with good mechanics.
Regarding range of motion, total rotation (internal + external) should be within 5 degrees side-to-side. There should be greater external rotation on the throwing side. Internal rotation difference will be <17-20 degrees when comparing the throwing side to the non-throwing side. Other motions to look at would be overhead flexion (<5-degree difference) and cross body flexibility (horizontal adduction) which should be similar side to side. If a deficit is seen, stretching can be done daily. If not, stretching just after throwing is usually sufficient.
A throwing mechanics assessment can identify inefficiencies in the throwing motion (like poor timing, dropping the elbow, striding too far toward 1st or 3rd base, etc.). These faults can place extra stress on the structures in the shoulder and elbow, setting the table for an injury. Beyond increasing injury risk, they can also negatively impact a player’s velocity and control. Once inefficiencies are identified, simple drills can go a long way in improving form, arm health and performance.
If you are a baseball player or the parent of one, most of all, have fun! If you feel that you or one of your children would benefit from a throwing-specific evaluation, please reach out to one of our throwing experts.
763-519-7900