TRX Corrective Exercises for Pitchers

You don’t run to get in shape, you get in shape so that you can run. Simply running every day will not improve your running ability. Cross training, improving muscle imbalances through corrective exercises, and strength training are all required in order to improve performance with running, and minimize the risk of overuse injuries.

You can take the same concept with any activity which requires repetitive motion, especially pitching. Simply throwing every day as hard as you can will only decrease performance and increase the likelihood of injury. There is a certain amount of core strength, rotator cuff stability, hip flexibility, and lower quarter stability that is required to optimize the movement of an overhead athlete. When an athlete has reached a certain level of strength and flexibility, I encourage using a TRX suspension strap to train these elements of pitching. My favorite TRX exercises for pitchers are listed below, but with a disclaimer: as healthcare professionals, we cannot simply prescribe exercises without a thorough examination of the athlete. These exercises should only be performed after an assessment and under the instruction of your healthcare specialist.

1) TRX Side Lunge

The stride phase of the pitch may be the most important phase of pitching. The stride length of a professional pitcher is approximately the length of the pitchers height, and the shoulder has to move towards end range of external rotation. Needless to say, in order to maintain proper mechanics the pitcher requires a certain amount of trunk control. Therefore, the TRX side lunge becomes a great exercise to work on adductor length of the stance leg (ensuring increased stride length) and trunk control during this motion.

2. TRX W Deltoid Fly

This exercise is named for the large deltoid muscle which assists with the abduction of the shoulder, but I like to use it to work the external rotators of the shoulder. This is also important for the stride phase of pitching, and requires a certain amount of instruction without the TRX before it can be done appropriately. After a pitcher learns appropriate joint centration of the glen0-humeral joint (to be discussed in a future blog) he can begin to train the rotator cuff to maintain the stability of the joint during pure external rotation. Again, all of this is being done while maintaining trunk control.

3. TRX T-Deltoid Fly

The cocking phase of the pitch requires scapula adduction and full external rotation of the gleno-humeral joint. At this phase of throwing, the middle trapezius operates at approximately 50% Maximal Voluntary Isometric Contraction (MVIC) and the Infraspinatus works at 74% MVIC. This exercise places works on these muscles to place the scapula and glen-humeral joint in the appropriate position for this phase of throwing.

4. TRX Lunge

 

Of particular note, at this time all exercises have focused on  phases of pitching before the ball is released (showing the emphasis I place on the early phases of pitching). The most important component of the pitch after the ball is released is the follow through. Flexing through the hip and trunk can attenuate the force developed in prior phases from the shoulder. The TRX lunge can work on strengthening the gluteals and hinging from the hip to assist with this phase of throwing.

This form of training requires appropriate flexibility, strength, and supervision, but it can greatly improve your pitching mechanics. If you live in the Redlands area, a great spot for TRX training is at The Energy Lab. Check them out for their TRX classes and all fitness goals.

For rehabilitation, movement screenings, and to work towards your fitness goals, check out OMPT and email me at alan@optimalmovementpt.com

 

http://www.optimalmovementpt.com

Pitching Biomechanics

There are 39 major league pitchers who have had or are scheduled to have Tommy John elbow reconstruction this year. THIRTY NINE! This includes some big name pitchers (and therefore big money pitchers) including Matt Harvey, Jose Fernandez, Matt Moore, and Patrick Corbin to name a few. The combined salary of these four players is over 2.5 million dollars in 2014 alone. The high amount of elbow injuries has become MLB’s “number one research priority” at this time. There have been several hypotheses regarding pitchers being overworked, pitchers focusing only on one sport starting in their youth and losing out on cross training, to even a varying amount of humeral torsion leading to a higher likelihood of elbow injury.

But what about their movement?

Not all pitchers throw the same. They all have varying amounts of biomechanics, some of which place excessive loads on the elbow.

Determining differences in pitching biomechanics becomes quite obvious when looking at the late cocking phase of throwing. At this phase of throwing and pitching, a pitcher should have maximum external rotation of the throwing arm. 

Take a look at Roger Clemens in the late cocking phase of throwing. His shoulder is at maximum external rotation and he is prepared to move into the acceleration phase of the pitch. Note: Clemens had a long career without much history of shoulder or elbow trouble.

 

Take it a step further and look at Greg Maddux at this phase of throwing. Another long career without a history of injury. His shoulder is also in external rotation when his lead foot makes contact with the ground.

Let’s compare the shoulder position of Maddux and Clemens with the shoulder position of some pitchers with a history of Tommy John. First, Mark Prior. Prior was an up an coming pitcher who along with Kerry Wood was meant to bring the Cubs back to the World Series. His career was shortened due to injury.

You can see that Prior actually has his shoulder in full internal rotation just before his foot hits the ground (showing the ball to the first baseman rather than second or third base).

Adam Wainright is another pitcher with a history of Tommy John. Just like Prior, you can see the internal rotation of his shoulder in late cocking.

Both of these pitchers are very talented, but their pitching biomechanics set them up for injury. Essentially, the legs are moving through the mechanics faster than their shoulder is, creating the need for the shoulder to “catch up” to their legs. The reason for pitching like Prior and Wainright is that the delay between the lower quarter and upper quarter creates more torque at the shoulder. More torque results in a higher velocity pitch as well as more break on the pitch. However, more torque on the shoulder can also lead to more shearing stress at the shoulder and tensile stretch at the elbow.

If trying to eliminate elbow injuries in pitchers, pitch count, appropriate rest, flexibility, and strength are all vital components. After all, Maddux and Clemens had to work at maintaining their long healthy careers. That being said, the biomechanics of the pitcher should also be taken into consideration.