Alex Haynes @HaynesVeloLab

K bro we would never call your mom that

Here's a go-to Arm Care routine we use with our in-house and remote athletes, seeking to target every possible link from the scapula to the fingertips. Notice the emphasis on training the flexor pronator muscles (FCU, FDS, Pronator). x.com/treadathletics…

Ben Brewster @TreadAthletics

6 months ago

Don't have an Arm Care routine? This targets everything from the scap to the fingertips. 6-Way Forearms I-Y-T-A Scaption Raise 3-Way IR 2-Way ER Pronator/FCU ISO Hold Thumbless Farmer's Carry Bear Crawl Exploration 3-Way Partner Stabilizations KB Waiter Walks

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This extra 1-2 days would ensure more complete recovery between starts (minimizing fatigue accumulation). More ideas: -Extended on-ramps -Regular deloads (not just All-Star break) -Further study of pitch clock -Further study of sticky on flexor fatigue

So where do we go from here? What are some possible solutions to this issue? 6 Day Rotations An obvious one is to adjust to 6-7 day rotations, which would likely require increasing roster sizes. Players might command less value, but it would keep the on-field product high.

Weighted balls get blamed in these circumstances when the reality is that 4, 5, or 6 oz balls will all present risks if you violate the Load vs Capacity equation. Light patterning work with plyo balls in the warm-up is not the foundational issue - but any tool can be abused.

I've seen a scenario where a pro org tested out an "experimental" protocol with MiLB players who were on the chopping block (nothing to lose). They threw absolutely outlandish workloads at these guys, and almost all of them got injured within a few weeks.

Focusing on the icing (high-output throwing) and not the cake (building the strength base & patterns) is where a lot of amateur players run into issues, especially when they don't follow a structured plan, have a coach or monitor workloads/recovery.

Velocity improvements can come from -Increases in strength/size/power/mobility -Improvements in efficiency through low to moderate-effort patterning/sequencing drills -Increased output within the delivery as a result of high output training (pulldowns, etc.)

While throwing 95+ mph, even with great mechanics, is inevitably stressful, certain variables are likely to heighten the loads placed on the elbow. E.g. Dragging the arm through layback way outside of 90 degrees, as this position tensions the anterior bundle of the UCL.

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While all of these should continue to be studied, realize that it's never as simple as blaming 1 mechanical variable. At most, these may be risk factors. Pitchers with a wide range of mechanics are getting injured, including guys with elite kinematic sequences (Exhibit A ⬇️)

Among the most commonly proposed: -Early torso rotation -Late Arm timing at landing -Inverted W -Excess elbow extension/low elbow (arm drag) -Excess supination or pronation -Muscling up (not using the lower half i.e. poorly timed kinematic sequence)

Depending on how sharply the pitch clock is found to impact fatigue, this may impact pitch counts. We could easily discover that the fatigue created from 100 pitches w/ the pitch clock is equivalent to 110 or 120 w/o the clock. It's also possible that the effect is negligible.

It is not only plausible but probable that reducing the time between pitches has a statistically significant impact on forearm fatigue over the course of an inning or start. The pitch clock is a + for fans, but research is needed to confirm how much it impacts fatigue.

5. More breaking balls? With advanced analytics showing how every pitch stacks up, pitchers are relying less on their fastballs only. While it is traditionally thought that curveballs, sliders, and splitters are higher-risk pitches, it's unclear if this is the case.

One study found that FBs have the highest elbow torques. However, despite these slightly higher torques, work from @jameshbuffi showed that in supination, the forearm muscles are less able to provide a protective force. More research is needed. x.com/treadathletics…

Ben Brewster @TreadAthletics

2 years ago

Are curveballs more dangerous than fastballs?🧐 Jesu- I mean Jimmy Buffi, summarizes his thoughts on the research. ✅In supination, the forearm muscles are less able to protect the elbow ✅However, with CBs, the absolute torques are lower than FBs @jameshbuffi

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3. Spring Training Evaluation Workloads tend to jump precipitously in spring training, with many orgs requiring bullpens every other day - an unsustainable off-season workload. With every pitch being tracked and evaluated on velo/metrics, the incentive is to throw 100%.

This year, one of our MiLB players was hanging by week 2, and took a "light" bullpen at 90-91. The team was concerned, pressed him on if he was hurt, and was bothered that his stuff was "down" on their pitch grading models. No wonder guys are scared to take a recovery day.

Arm Action Basics: Capturing Momentum💡 Stabbing, jerking or pausing ultimately limits the smooth loop or wave that the most efficient throwers create with their arm path. Taking advantage of the potential energy from hand break can ⬆️ efficiency (and therefore velocity).

‘25 RHP Josh Hammond (NC) punched out 8 in his 6 innings of work today. Was mostly 90-94 early & in attack mode, really good low-80s SL @ 2500+ that he tunnels well too; tooled up 2-way. #Wake commit. #PGHS @PG_Coastal @wca_varsity

Game winning Grand Slam anyone?🔥 Lucas Alberti (‘24 CAN) does it again for @P27Blacksmiths and continues his hot streak offensively @naaconference @pg_int1

Perfect Game Scout @PG_Scouting

3 weeks ago

Lucas Alberti (‘24 CAN) has been another standout performer for @P27Blacksmiths, adds two more knocks including this 2B and 3 RBI yesterday to bring the BA to .313 for the @MasonBaseball commit. @naaconference @pg_int1

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