Pitching+Injuries+Page+2

media type="youtube" key="wLjSuygBSIc" height="385" width="480" The video above shows the pitching motion of Tim Lincecum, a pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of the MLB. He is only 25 years old and he already won the Cy Young award twice in a row (2008 and 2009). There are two of these awards given, one in the National League and one for the American League. That is totally unheard of. The best pitchers in the game have never done that in their entire Major League career. The reason he is so good is because he has never, or if he continues with the same motion, will never, injure his arm. If you watch the video above, he uses his entire body to throw (that is why I have a slow-motion video, so you can see the motion). The reason using your entire body is good is because it takes a large amount of the pressure off the arm. The pressure is distributed throughout the body, which can easily handle the pressure, much better than the arm. First comes his rocker step, starting the motion. Then his arms come in to his body, the same direction of his rocker step. Next, his leg starts coming up to his balance point, twisting his entire body around (except for his head, which stays locked on the catcher's glove). After the balance point, his left arm (with the glove on it) comes up, like a gunsight he is aiming down. His leg is now coming down to his landing point (he has one of the biggest strides in the game). Then, his legs bend as his throwing arm reaches down and the ball nearly brushes the ground. Next, his hips twist as his upper body twists around, and his arm comes whipping forward. During that, his right leg is coming up and around his body, and after the ball is released the leg lands on the ground. I read in Sports Illustrated that when Tim was a kid, his dad would have him pick up a quarter from the ground when his arm came back to throw. That is why you see the ball nearly hitting the ground as Tim's arm comes back. Tim Lincecum is the best example of full-body pitching in the Major Leagues, and if he uses the same motion throughout his career, he will never be injured.

Stress Points On The Arm
As you can see on the picture below, there are a lot of stress points on the arm while you pitch. The first is on your shoulder. Then you add your elbow and knee, while the pressure is increasing on the shoulder. After that, the pressure is taken off the knee, as the pressure keeps increasing on the shoulder and elbow until you release the ball. That is the pressure on your arm for only one pitch, so this shows how much and how well you need to stretch before you pitch.



Me: About how many pitches does it take to injure your arm?

Mr. Youngdahl: For 9-10 year olds, more than 75 pitches per game. For 11-12 year olds, more than 85 pitches per game. For 13-16 year olds, more than 95 pitches per game, and for 17-18 year olds, more than 105 pitches per game. That is why there are pitch counts in baseball leagues. You also need to have enough rest between games.

Me: What surgeries are used to fix the arm?

Mr. Youngdahl: Actually, most injuries do not need surgery. They can be fixed with physical therapy/rehabilitation, the right stretches, and proper pitching mechanics. The few injuries that would need surgeries would be Tommy John (UCL), Labral SLAP tear, and rotator cuff partial/full thickness tears.

Me: What can be done to prevent pitching injuries?

Mr. Youngdahl: Lots of things! Proper throwing mechanics, balance of scapular shoulder muscle strength, following the recommended pitch count for your age group. One of the best ways to prevent injury is to never pitch if your arm or shoulder is feeling tired. The risk of injury goes up when you pitch while fatigued. You should also not participate in a sport where you throw over the top during the offseason. You should not play on more than one team during the season, because you may exceed the pitch count for the game/week/season. Also, pitching at an early age is not good. 9-10 years old may be too young. Also, you should not throw curveballs until you are at least 14.

Me: How much force is put on the arm with every pitch?

Mr. Youngdahl: Overall, the amount of force on the arm during the pitching motion is approximately 1.5 times your body weight.