Taking Care Of The Arm

work hard on functional strength so his body can support his pitching.

also do exercises to protect the rotator cuff.

Drop the slider. Very hard on the arm. If he has a good c/u and curve to go along with his fastballs, he doesn't need the slider.

Observe recommended pitch count limits.

Observer rest periods.

As bbt pointed out, tubing exercises for the rotator cuff.

Don't let him get carried away with a weight lifting program.

Good luck to your son.

Usual advice is to take time off from throwing twice a year for a month or two.

Don't over-do it right before the season starts. I don't think you need to be in 100% shape on the first day of tryouts (if you are certain of making the team!)But it is very hard for kids to pace themselves once MLB spring training shows up on TV.

Proper warm-up, watch the pitch counts, don't over throw. Don't worry about the slider. If he has got a good one at that age, use it. Rotator cuff exercises; i.e. lateral raises from front, sides, and back.

Common Myths: take time off "Pitching is the only activity that the so-called guru's expect you to get better by doing less", -Leo Mazzone

"Injuries are not from one type of pitch. They are caused by improper warm-up, over throwing, and too high of pitch counts" -Leo Mazzone

"Out pitchers throw every day. Not pitch, but throw. Also, we don't take time off. We throw all year round. You won't take time off of your exercise program and expect to get better." -Leo Mazzone

quote:

Usual advice is to take time off from throwing twice a year for a month or two.

I'd still toss the ball once or twice a week at 50% power.

HS runners are almost always cautioned to take a month off after cross country and after track seasons. Latent stress fractures need time to heal. Makes sense for pitchers too, IMO

I've seen a ton of cross coutry injuries

think it is important to note that Mazzone stated they throw year round not pitchyear round. Playing catch once or twice a week in the off-season is not going to put the same stress on your arm as pitching. Pitching year round can really over-work the arm and cause a breakdown during the season.

Wow,Thank you everyone for so much good advice.Willy did not play fall ball this year for some arm rest.His high school coach seems to take good care of him (tube work,long toss,lot of running and regular stretching).It seems like every time I take Willy to a camp or pitching coach they try to coach him into more of a 12 / 6 arm slot.Why is that?

Ignorance.

Probably because that is what they were taught.

The three quarter arm slot is very natural for a significant percentage of pitchers. And many pitchers get more movement from the three quarter slot.

If they are trying to move him to an overhead (as opposed to overhand) delivery, they may well end up injuring his shoulder.

.

Big Rip...

The love of a 12/6/overhead (not overhand) arm angle really surprises me.

Know a young pitcher who has been told at numerous showcases by college recruiters that the 12-6/overhead arm slot is unrecruitable unless he is over 90.

Has been told that at the 12/6/overhead arm angle the fastball is likey to flatten out, remaining on a single plane. Has been told that if a pitcher drops to 3/4 then the fastball moves on two planes, and is therefore harder to hit. Has been advised to drop down to a 3/4.

Haven't seen a single recruiter that liked the 12/6/overhead arm angle.

Some recommendations:

1. Work on core strength including a good plyometric program.
2. You need to include a good band program.
3. We rest some. Meaning after our legion season is over until now. We will start our throwing program in two weeks. They will then throw until next year after Legion season ends. WE DO NOT THROW OFF OF A MOUND.
4. DON'T FORGET THE MENTAL ASPECT OF PITCHING. What do you throw? When do you throw it? Etc.
5. Long toss is the toughest for us. Finding an appropriate place to do it for us is nearly impossible.

Why not throw off a mound? If you want to continue to become a better pitcher (better accuracy, more velocity) why not throw off a mound? As long as you have the correct mechanics it's not going to destroy your arm.

I wouldn't ice the arm. I mean think of it this way. When your body is going to repair itself, it rushes blood there and it kind of inflames a little bit. That is the body's natural way of healing itself. Icing decreases the blood flow and actually slows down the body's healing time to it's target.

XFactor
I have the same argument for not icing the arm. Obviously almost everyone in baseball uses ice. So, is there anyone out there that can rebut this argument for not icing. (medical argument)

Well, since I revamped my pitching mechanics I can tell you that I haven't had to use ice or advil or anything..
If your arm is sore (and you've had proper rest between starts) then that means somethin is wrong with your mechanics. Technically if you have perfect mechanics you can pitch all day without hurting one bit.

Quite a few people like to do a little running/jogging after they throw rather than icing to get their blood flowing
But hey, if icing works for you then go ahead and do it..

I think heat is better than ice, but I do use ice as well. Running does wonders!

From the ASMI board:

Glenn Fleisig, Ph.D.
ASMI Team

The jury is still out whether icing is good or of no use to some healthy pitchers. If you are going to do something after the game - which might not be necessary - go with ice to decrease inflammation. If you're going to use some heat, use it before the game as part of warming up the muscles.