Wanted to resurrect this thread as I see many folks who are still active posters. Looking for any updates over the past three years.
As an aside, my 2017 came home the other day and said he wanted to start a football throwing program - apparently throwing with knees on the ground. Sounded kind of a heavy load so started thinking about some other options (thus the swimming post). Anyone try the football approach?
Haven't tried the football approach.
Is he throwing footballs?
The knock on swimming has been reports that it can cause shoulder impingement. Not a good thing for a pitcher. However, the studies that were done were following pretty high level competitive swimmers....college level swimmers, guys spending hours in the pool every day. I like swimming fine as a way to get some cardio work in in a way that does not "pound" the joints or is not jogging.
I have a friend who was a first round draft pick out of HS in the early 90's. As a Junior he was a mid 80s LHP....back then that velo may have gotten you drafted, certainly a lot of college attention. He started playing water polo during his junior year. Water polo, of course, is tons of swimming and throwing an overweight (compared to a baseball) implement a lot. If you look at the water polo throw the opposite leg (of the throwing arm) goes straight out front like in pitching and it has a good rotational element to the throw. He ended up throwing 93 isn senior year of baseball. He swears it was the water polo. Was it the swimming, the throwing the water polo ball, developing the rotational element of the throw??....or was it just getting in the best shape of his life because of the water polo? Or a combo of all of those mixed with physical maturity? Who knows?
I think swimming is probably fine as long as it is not over done.