Let’s face it, throwing the ball at your top velocity is risky but so is returning punts in the NFL. If we are going to enhance our ability while promoting a long and healthy career, we must understand how our bodies work and how to prevent injury. The American Sports Medicine Institute has already informed the public that pitching injuries spawn from three main factors; Overuse, Poor Physical Fitness and Poor Mechanics. To take this information further, I will list here the top 10 pitching secrets to prevent injury in order from the most significant to the least but still significant.

Pitching injury prevention secrets

1. More Hip to Shoulder Separation – This is not only a major pitching velocity secret but it is also a major injury prevention secret. You know it is a good tip when it will increase both velocity and prevent injury. It will prevent injury because it allows the arm to stay relaxed while the body builds the power instead of the arm working to build the power. Optimal hip to shoulder separation will put the throwing arm behind the ball through release. If the pitcher has poor hip to shoulder separation then his arm will get out front early, preventing proper pronation. This is also critical for good deceleration which promotes arm health.
2. Increase Your Stride Distance and Power – I would bet that pitchers who have longer strides, have less arm issues than pitchers with shorter strides, but I have no research to back this up. I am making this claim strictly from my experience playing, coaching and analyzing this game through my career. The theory is that a short stride will prevent the pitcher from building more stride power which will force the arm to generate most of the velocity. This will then lead to more wear and tear on the arm and then eventually an injury. Increasing your stride distance is the first step towards injury prevention. The next step is increasing your stride power.
3. Do Not Swing Your Arm - The arm should never swing out of the glove, especially behind the back or way above the shoulder before the shoulders fire towards the target. This is what leads to the infamous inverted W or in laymen’s terms the M. It puts the arm in what is called the “Red Zone,” this is the zone where the shoulder and elbow are most vulnerable because there is more torque being applied to the joints based on the positioning. To prevent over abusing the arm, we must train it to follow the body and not lead the way. The revolutionary approach to pitching velocity called 3X Pitching has proven that when the arm starts the delivery, the body takes a back seat which reduces velocity and leads to injury. This swinging of the arm is a sign that the arm is taking control and in return, most of the stress.
4. Do Not Pull Down to Release – It feels strong when your arm is firing towards release and you start pulling down on your forearm to force your arm through its final path to the target. This pulling down of the forearm makes it feel like the ball is screaming out of your fingers tips. This may increase velocity but it comes with a big price. The price is the effects of overworking the forearm muscles. These are small muscles that when they fatigue, the body losses the fine motor skills of the hand which will effect your pitch grips. Most important, it will put more wear and tear in your elbow. This pulling down of the arm is not a component of hard throwers. It is what pitchers do when they are struggling with transferring stride power into core torque and then the velocity of the ball. Instead of pulling down to release, work on more hip to shoulder separation and good forearm pronation.
5. Build Joint Integrity Weekly – Just like eating, taking a shower or brushing your teeth, if you want to pitch at your top velocity through a long career then you must perform rotator cuff exercises to strengthen your cuff two times per week. You would be surprised the amount of pitchers who never do this. Post rotator cuff surgery, if I miss a few weeks of joint integrity training while in-season, my shoulder stability begins to fail. It is amazing how quickly I can loss this stability and strength. This loss of stability overtime will definitely lead to injury. For a complete rotator cuff program check out the 3X Pitching Velocity program.
6. Develop More Core and Leg Strength -  If you have weak legs and core then where will your body get its power? The shoulders and arms. I have worked with pitchers who are so weak in their core and legs that when they try to increase their stride distance, their arms start flapping like a bird trying to take flight. If you look at some of the biggest legs of pitchers in Major League Baseball you will find a ton of healthy, hard throwing pitchers. Nolan Ryan is probably the best example of this in my lifetime. He stayed in the upper 90′s even into his 40′s. He has tree trunks for legs and he never had a serious pitching injury.
7. Quality Throws over Quantity – If you want to “strengthen your arm” do it with your strength and conditioning program, like in the 3X pitching Velocity program. Do not do it with your throwing program. Your throwing program should be used to improve your mechanics with drills and a low volume of throws, like in the 3X Pitching Velocity Program. Do not use your throwing program as your strength and conditioning program, this will only lead to overuse and abuse of your shoulder and elbow. This is why I do not support extreme long tossing.
8. Avoid Machine Lifting – Machine weight training is terrible for athletes. It promotes pattern overload and will make a pitcher more vulnerable to injury. This is the case because when using machines for lifting weights, like with a press movement, the machines forces the pitcher to take the same path of movement every single rep. When using free weights, the pattern of movement is always different. There is a mechanism in the body to prevent the overload of one muscle or muscle group which will prevent over fatigue of a single muscle or muscle group. By changing the path of movement, the body uses different muscles or muscle groups to share in the work load. When a muscle is fatigued and the reps continue, other muscles take over to over compensate for the malfunction. In the shoulder, this will change the efficiency of the movement and force the shoulder to rotate off axis. This has been proven to lead to serious joint injury.
9. Eat like a Pro – If you do not give your body the building blocks to a healthy pitcher, in its diet, then how is it going to maintain itself as a healthy pitcher? This is the most neglected secret of injury prevention. Most athletes and especially pitchers believe they can eat whatever they want whenever they want. This is complete ignorance. If you can take the time to learn the basics of a healthy diet and how to feed your body what it needs then you are at least giving your body the chance to stay healthy.
10. 10 Hours of Quality Sleep Daily – If you are not sleeping at least 10 hours when training or pitching then you are not giving your body what it needs to repair itself. If you can follow secrets 1-9 then this last pitching injury prevention secret will work wonders for your career. A quality nights sleep can mean the difference between a great days performance and a good days performance. Losing sleep overtime prevents the body from fully recovering and rebuilding which eventually leads to injury.

The Position Statement also mentions that the use of the curveball at the youth level may be an issue but no research exactly shows why. ASMI states that the problems could be that throwing a curveball enhances the effects of the three major factors of primary injury for youth pitchers. Here is a list of their recommendations for preventing injury.

ASMI Injury Prevention in Youth Pitchers

1. Watch and respond to signs of fatigue. If a youth pitcher complains of fatigue or looks fatigued, let him rest from pitching and other throwing.
2. No overhead throwing of any kind for at least 2-3 months per year (4 months is preferred). No competitive baseball pitching for at least 4 months per year.
3. Do not pitch more than 100 innings in games in any calendar year.
4. Follow limits for pitch counts and days rest.  (Example limits are shown in the table below.)
5. Avoid pitching on multiple teams with overlapping seasons.
6. Learn good throwing mechanics as soon as possible. The first steps should be to learn, in order: 1) basic throwing, 2) fastball pitching, 3) change-up pitching.
7. Avoid using radar guns.
8. A pitcher should not also be a catcher for his team. The pitcher-catcher combination results in many throws and may increase the risk of injury.
9. If a pitcher complains of pain in his elbow or shoulder, get an evaluation from a sports medicine physician.
10. Inspire youth pitchers to have fun playing baseball and other sports. Participation and enjoyment of various physical activities will increase the youth’s athleticism and interest in sports.

It is interesting that ASMI advises to learn good throwing mechanics to prevent arm injury but they never mention to use a strength and conditioning program to improve the poor physical fitness issues. The answer always seems to be just rest more or do not throw to much. I believe in pitch counts for all levels but we must stress the importance of a good strength and conditioning program for all levels, even the youth level as a key component to preventing injury.

The 3X Pitching Velocity program was developed for the mature pitcher but can easily be modified for the youth pitcher. Checkout the Beginners Guide to 3X Pitching to learn more (Coming soon..)

If you have been following this site then you know that I am totally against this approach to pitching. Here is a quick summary of why I am against this type of training. The American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI) proves in their latest case study here that this type of long toss creates elbow varus torque in the arm and uses different mechanics than those used on the mound. In defence, Alan Jaeger says that the athletics of the 300 foot throw when restricted to 60 feet, through his “Pull Down” phase, forces the pitcher to be more open and explosive. The reason that the revolutionary approach to pitching velocity, 3X Pitching, is far superior to this extreme long toss approach is because the 3X approach defines each component of its 3X Pitching Mechanics and uses drills and a complete training program to train the pitcher to implement these mechanics into their delivery, without abusing the arm. Alan Jaeger’s program never seems to mention anything about good mechanics. This is a major reason why I am against his extreme long toss and speak out against it, because if you do not have good mechanics when building your throws to 300 feet, you are extremely vulnerable to injury as proven in the ASMI case study and the reason why ASMI advises against this type of training. Another big reason is the fact that what he is trying to teach athletically, through his extreme long toss program, can be done without putting the pitcher through this type of rotator cuff and elbow abuse.

If Alan Jaeger understood the mechanics of this own training then he would learn that throwing long toss at extreme distances trains the pitcher to build elastic energy early in the delivery. This means it forces the pitcher to get good external rotation in the arm, along with building elastic energy through the chest cavity and hip flexors early. This occurs because the trajectory of release is a lot higher than throwing off of the mound, which forces the pitcher to throw the ball behind the front leg. Alan Jaeger then attempts to correct this mechanical flaw by taking these mechanics through his “Pull Down” phase, down to 60 feet, which forces the pitcher to finish over the front leg. This would be a good approach if he used good mechanics to keep pitchers safe from this extreme training. Just like it is critical to have good lifting mechanics when training to get bigger, stronger and faster but the main reason that 3X Pitching is a far superior approach to pitching velocity is because it trains the pitcher to do the same as an extreme long toss program without putting the abuse on the arm. This is why 3X Pitching wins hands down!

In the 3X Pitching Velocity Program the medicine ball drills are training the pitcher to develop elastic energy early in the delivery as effectively as extreme long toss but you are only throwing the 2 lb med ball 40 feet while focusing to hit all of the 3X Mechanics. You then take these mechanics into the target throws with the 5 ounce baseball. This is why 3X Pitching is so effective in increasing velocity and it is injury free. With Alan Jaeger’s extreme long toss program, I know he can not say the same!

I wanted to title this article, “Why Some Athletes Throw Harder than Others?” but conventional wisdom does not label pitchers as athletes yet so I didn’t want to confuse anyone. I hope I can help change this perspective of us Pitchers in the near future.

The results of the study showed that hard throwing pitchers had more external rotation of the throwing shoulder after front foot strike and also had more forward trunk tilt at ball release. You can read the results and more of the study here.

I believe these results are true because it is a part of my 6 components to velocity in the 3X Pitching Velocity Program. The reason that the results of this study do not answer the question, “Why Some Pitchers Throw Harder than Others?” is because you can’t answer a question with another question. The final results of this study leaves us with a new question, “Why Do Some Pitchers Have More External Rotation and More Forward Trunk Tilt than Others?” The answers to this question was attempted in the study but neglected, I believe because the researchers were more focused on physics than biology in finding the answer. I have nothing against a physics approach but it doesn’t give us all the answers and most researchers today, performing these baseball studies, are not focusing enough on biology. Now that we have a pretty good understanding of efficient and effective velocity focused pitching mechanics, we now need to understand more about the athletes or pitchers who are performing these mechanics.

The point in this study when the researchers attempted to answer the question, that inspired this study, was when they stated that, “The greater external rotation produced by the FAST group may increase the stretch-shortening action of the internal rotators, and consequently, contribute to greater ball velocity.” The reference to the stretch-shortening cycle should have pulled them into biology to continue searching for the final answer, but they left us hanging as if their money ran out and they had no more time to continue on. So, I would like to continue the study for them here. First we need to learn more about the stretch-shortening cycle before we continue.

The stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) can be defined as an active stretch (eccentric contraction) of a muscle followed by an immediate shortening (concentric contraction) of that same muscle.

This makes perfect sense because the reason the harder throwers have more external rotation and forward trunk tilt is to maximize the SSC but now the question becomes will all pitchers have the same velocities with the same degrees of external rotation? The answer to this question is, NO. All athletes are different because of their muscular, skeletal, and chemical makeup. This is what separates us physically from each other. The harder throwers will get more velocity from the same external rotation than the slower throwers because they have physical attributes that allow them to move with more power. Power is strength and speed combined. This would mean you could take two different body types, with the exact same pitching mechanics and receive two different velocities.

The Final Answer To Pitching Velocity

Why do some pitchers throw harder than others? Because they have more external rotation after front foot strike, more forward trunk tilt, and they are able to generate more power with their muscular, skeletal, and chemical makeup, through the stretch-shortening cycle, during external rotation.

In conclusion, this study shows us pitchers that we must create more external rotation after front foot strike, along with more forward trunk tilt. This will allow us to maximize our body’s potential to reach its top velocity. Once we accomplish this then we must train our body’s to produce more power than we are capable of creating. This is only possible through a strength and conditioning program that is focused on modeling more fast twitch muscle fibers. Fast twitch muscle fibers are the only muscle fibers that can generate power. This is why I highly recommend the Ace Pitcher Handbook. It takes this exact strategy to gaining velocity, with the Velocity drills, which train you to develop more external rotation with the 3X approach and forward trunk tilt, along with the Fusion System, which is a strength and conditioning program that focuses on modeling more fast twitch muscle fibers.

The next study I will be looking out for is, the one that shows us athletes how to model more fast twitch muscle fibers in a short amount of time, which will increase the power we can generate during the stretch-shortening cycle. Stay Tuned!

Articles on Hard Throwing Pitchers

Here are some of the latest articles and discussions on hard throwing pitchers. You are welcome to join in on the discussion or debate. You have to register before you can comment. Registration is FREE!

Justin Verlander Pitching Mechanics

Sports Illustrated Trevor Bauer article

Tim Lincecum Teaches Top Velocity

Pitching velocity is the product of momentum and torque. You can read countless articles on this site about Momentum and Torque. Pulling the ball down during release prevents early internal rotation which is a key component to velocity as stated in the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI) case study called Comparison of High Velocity and Low Velocity Pitch Deliveries.

Dr. Andrews case study states:

….the maximum shoulder horizontal adduction occurred later and maximum shoulder internal rotation occurred earlier at greater ball velocities.

Notice that Tim Lincecum, who’s fastball averages in the high nineties, proves this component in the case study true in his picture above. He is releasing the ball above his shoulder and head. He couldn’t release the ball any earlier than in his picture. There is no pull down phase in this high velocity delivery.  Early internal rotation occurred  because he has met ever component of greater ball velocity described in the ASMI case study. He has “less lead knee flexion velocity after front foot contact” which we find just before this image, “greater lead knee extension velocity at the time of ball release,” “Maximum shoulder external rotation” which also occurred before this picture and finally “forward trunk tilt at ball release.” Tim Lincecum is the epitome of this ASMI case study, especially early internal rotation.

To give an example of a pitcher who is fighting against his potential velocity by pulling the ball down to release would be this picture here. This happens because of a flaw in timing. When the front foot lands and momentum is slowing down then the arm must take over. The pitcher must pull the ball down to create more external rotation that was lost when his momentum slowed down. Momentum must accelerate all the way to ball release to support top velocity. Just like a plane taking off, momentum must not stop or velocity will suffer. In the case of pitching the arm suffers as well because this adds more wear and tear on the arm. Notice that both of these pitchers are almost in the exact same position but the pitcher here is releasing the ball in front of his face and his elbow has not extended. This tells me that his momentum has stopped and his arm is doing the majority of the work. This also means he created poor hip to shoulder separation at front foot strike which caused his arm to throw the ball too early in the delivery. The most important perspective of the ASMI Comparison of High Velocity and Low Velocity Pitch Deliveries is the timing of each component. If any of the four velocity components stated in the case study initiate too early then the proceeding component will not reach its maximum potential.

When you find yourself losing momentum and pulling the ball down to release you will notice that your ball pulls down as well as it reaches the plate but when you get early internal rotation you will notice that your ball jumps out of your hand and looks like it is rising as it reaches the plate. This is an increase in velocity. To prevent launching the ball high you must make sure you are achieving maximum forward trunk tilt at ball release.

When working to improve on these four components of velocity you must practice them in reverse not continuing until each component is mastered. This is the only way to develop top velocity and to break the conventional wisdom that says these mechanics can not be taught.

In conclusion, Alan Jaeger’s Long Toss program may sound good on video or his website but scientifically it fails. Next time you find yourself trying to pull the ball down at release to create velocity check your momentum because your velocity is slowing down.

I have stated on this website that long toss is not as effective in developing velocity because it forces the thrower to use more of the arm to throw the ball a long distance like 300 feet. I also said that if you want to increase velocity you must develop throwing mechanics that use more big muscle groups, like the core and legs, rather than the small muscle groups, like the shoulders and arm. Once you have learned these “Total Body Mechanics,” like I talk about constantly on this site and have listed in detail in the Ace Pitcher Handbook, you will not only begin to throw harder but you will take more stress off of the arm which will allow you to throw longer.

Now for the research Mr. Jaeger!

I will use Dr. James Andrews and his studies on proper throwing mechanics at the American Sports Medicine Institute to support my claims above. You can read his case studies here http://www.asmi.org/asmiweb/research/baseball.htm.

A quote from Dr. Andrews’ case study on “Interval Throwing Program” states:

“Throwing from flat ground produced a shorter stride and less shoulder external rotation at foot contact, more elbow varus torque during arm cocking, a more upright trunk at ball release……”

A quote from,  Dr. Andrews’ case study on “Shoulder Abduction and Lateral Trunk Tilt Influence the Peak Elbow Varus Torque During Pitching” states:

“The combination of 10 degrees of lateral trunk tilt and 100 degrees of shoulder abduction produced the minimum peak varus torque among all conditions in the study. Thus, the results of this simulation study clearly show that shoulder abduction angle and lateral trunk tilt have an affect on elbow varus torque and thus can be helpful in reducing stressful forces on the shoulder and elbow during pitching.”

A quote from Dr. Andrews’ case study on “Flat-Ground Throwing” states:

“Elbow varus torque was greatest during 180 ft’ throwing.”

You can read Dr. Andrews’ case study on “Biomechanics of Elbow Injuries During Throwing” to learn about Elbow Varus Torque here http://www.asmi.org/asmiweb/research/usedarticles/elbow_injuries.htm

Based on these three studies performed by the most respective Doctor in the game of baseball, we learn that throwing long toss at only 180 ft, which was the farthest distance used in the study, causes more elbow varus torque because of the shorter stride and the lack of forward trunk tilt than pitching on a mound. Could you imagine the results of these case studies if they used 300 ft instead of 180 ft?

Mr. Jaeger, I am sure you have an answer for all of this and your Long Toss Program addresses these issues but there is a better way then using this “Old School” approach to “Arm Development.” I believe that better way is learning “Total body mechanics” by using normal throwing distances because we do not throw with just our arms. We also never throw the ball 300 feet in the game. If you want to develop more velocity and decrease injury, you must also work hard to develop fast twitch muscle fibers in the weight room using total body lifts, like the Olympic lifts, along with plyometric training and speed/agility work.

I warn all pitchers that perform a long toss program, that pushes the distances to 300 feet, you better make sure you have “total body mechanics” because if not, based on Dr. Andrews’ case studies above, you are putting extreme amounts of pressure on your elbow which could ruin your arm and end your career.

I am not the only pitching coach against long toss programs. Dick Mill’s has a similar opinion in this video.

Dr. Andrews is Mr. Fixit when it comes to the elite athlete. He has poineered the sports medicine industry. He has worked on the likes of Michael Jordan, Jack Nicklaus, Drew Brees, Roger Clemens, Bo Jackson, and pretty much any other famous athlete you can think of who has been injured. This page is an honor to his amazing impact on sports medicine and a reference to what he has to offer the athlete today. Read his BIO to learn more about him and watch the videos to pick up some helpful tips.

James R. Andrews, M.D. BIO

Doctor James R. Andrews, orthopaedic surgeon, was one of the founding members of the Alabama Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center. After the dissolution of Alabama Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center he founded the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in August 2007. Dr. Andrews was also one of the founders of American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI) a non-profit institute dedicated to injury prevention, education and research for sports related problems. The foundation continues to be one of the world’s leaders in this field. Dr. Andrews continues to serve as Chairman and Medical Director of ASMI.

Doctor Andrews is also a founding partner and Medical Director of the Andrews Institute located in Gulf Breeze, Florida.

Doctor Andrews is internationally known and recognized throughout the world for his scientific and clinic research contributions in knee, shoulder and elbow injuries, and his skill as an orthopaedic surgeon.

Doctor Andrews came to Birmingham in 1986 to help form the Alabama Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center. He has been the mentor for more than 200 orthopaedic/sports medicine fellows and more than 30 primary care sports medicine fellows who have trained under him through the American Sports Medicine Institute Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. Involved in education and research in sports medicine and orthopaedic surgery, he has made major presentations on every continent, and has authored numerous scientific articles and books.

Doctor Andrews attended from Louisiana State University in 1963, where he was Southeastern Conference indoor and outdoor pole vault champion. He completed LSU School of Medicine in 1967, and completed his orthopaedic residency at Tulane Medical School in 1972. He had surgical fellowships in sports medicine at the University of Virginia Medical School in 1972 with Doctor Frank McCue, III, and at the University of Lyon, Lyon, France in 1972 with the late professor Albert Trillat, M.D., who was known as the Father of European Knee Surgery.

Doctor Andrews is a member of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He has served on the Board of Directors of the American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine, and served as Secretary of that Board from May 2004 to May 2005. Currently he is the Second Vice President of this prestigious Society. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Arthroscopy Association of North America and the International Knee Society. He is Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Alabama Birmingham Medical School, the University of Virginia School of Medicine, the University of Kentucky Medical Center, and the University of South Carolina Medical School. He has been awarded a Doctor of Laws Degree from Livingston University, Doctor of Science Degree from Troy State University and a Doctor of Science Degree from Louisiana State University.

At present, Doctor Andrews serves as Co-Medical Director for Intercollegiate Sports at Auburn University. He is Senior Orthopaedic Consultant for Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Alabama. He is the orthopaedic consultant for the athletic teams of Troy University, University of West Alabama, Tuskegee University and Grambling University.

He is the Senior Orthopaedic Consultant for the Washington Redskins Professional Football team.

He is the Medical Director for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays Professional Baseball Team. He is the team physician for the Birmingham Barons Double A Professional Baseball Team, an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

He is Co-Medical Director of the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

He has been a member of the Sports Medicine Committee of the United States Olympic Committee having served during the last two previous quadrenniums.

He has served on the NCAA Competitive Safeguards in Medical Aspects of Sports Committee.

He currently serves on the Medical and Safety Advisory Committee of USA Baseball.

He serves on the Board of Directors of the following companies: FastHealth Corporation, and Robins Morton Construction Company. He is a member of Troy University’s Board of Trustees.

Doctor Andrews has been inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and was named recipient of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame 1992 Distinguished Sportsman Award. In 1996, Doctor Andrews was inducted into the LSU Alumni Hall of Distinction. Recently he was awarded the Alumni of the Year for his alma mater LSU.

Doctor Andrews and his wife, Jenelle have six children, Andy, Amy, Archie, Ashley, Amber, Abby and three grandchildren.

Yacht racing is one of Doctor Andrews’ keen interests. His 50-foot racing sloop, Abracadabra III, won the 1990 International 50-Foot Yacht Association World Cup. He has also won many other yacht racing off shore regattas. His offshore racing sloop Abracadabra was recently named one of the best 100 vessels of the twentieth century by Sail Magazine. He served as President and Chairman of the Board of Aloha Racing Foundation, an America’s Cup XXX Syndicate based in Honolulu, Hawaii, which challenged for the 2000 America’s Cup contested in Auckland, New Zealand. His other hobbies include golf and hunting.

More on Dr. Andrews

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=3024046

Dr. Andrews on the throwing shoulder

Dr. Andrews on the throwing injuries

Dr. Andrews on the athlete

Dr. Andrews on Roger Clemens

Dr. Andrews on the pro athlete