I just got my hands on a very interesting article that deals with overuse injures of softball pitchers. It was published in Training and Conditioning Magazine a few weeks ago. This is the official professional magazines of athletic trainers. These are the people that works with sports teams and take care of injured athletes.
Colleagues of mine who works with the Montreal Canadiens NHL Ice Hockey Club gave me a copy of the article.
The information presented is very important so I thought I would share with you the key messages contained in the article.
Here are the key messages:
- We assume that softball pitchers didn't have to worry about overuse injuries. That's not true.
- Recent studies have shown that the forces produces by the windmill pitching motion is similar to the baseball pitching motion and does take a toll on a softball pitcher's arm.
- Many studies conducted in the last few years have revealed that softball pitchers are subject to a high incidence of overuse injuries.
- Two main causes of chronic injuries in softball pitchers: poor mechanics and overuse. It's totally possible for a pitcher to never get injured if you do three things: (1) teach them proper pitching mechanics , (2) manage their use (pitching time) and recovery and (3) complete injury prevention training through softball-specific conditioning.
- Poor pitching mechanics can lead to injury even at young age.
- First thing you should work on with pitchers is to make a perfect circle with proper shoulder rotation. Most injuries are caused by an improper circle.
- Improper hip rotation has been shown to be another common cause of injury. The biggest flaw seen in pitchers is how their hips move when they release the ball.
- Lack of follow-through is also an important source of the stress on the shoulder and can also injuries.You also have to watch the follow-through on the various pitches as many causes very high levels of stress in the forearm, arm and shoulder.
- Another often overlooked factor is bad overhead throwing mechanics in pitchers - especially those playing another position. Often, this combines with a lot of underhand pitching leads to chronic injuries.
- You should keep count of pitches like they do in baseball. When reaching 100-120 pitches in a game, you should have your bullpen ready.
- You should NOT throw every day (practices or games). You should give at least a day or two off after a big weekend or a lot of pitching on the weekends.
- You should NOT overuse a pitcher every weekend (like pitching 3-4 games in a weekend). It's ok once or twice a year but doing it consistently will quickly wear down the shoulders and you are asking for trouble down the road.
- You also have to be careful with athletes playing other sports like volleyball or tennis for example where there is a lot of overhead motions. If this is the case, you should consider limiting the amount of pitching a bit to prevent injuries.
- Common overuse injuries in pitchers are in the rotator cuff and in the biceps.
- Signs and symptoms of overuse injuries: nagging pain, fatigue, decreased performance, change in mechanics, loss of velocity or control and changed in pitcher's attitude.
- Commonly diagnosed injuries: biceps tendonitis, rotator cuff strains, impingement syndrome (inflammation of rotator cuff tendons). Overuse injuries can also affect the lower back and the knees.
- You should differentiates normal soreness (temporary stiffness from doing work) and bad soreness (pain) that causes discomfort. Watch for pitchers' body language or facial expressions - these are good indicators of discomfort or injuries. Many athletes don't want to tell their coach because they don't want to be taken out of the line-up.
- Main treatment for overuse injuries: rest and proper treatment. if it is minor enough and you are in the middle of the season, just cut down on pitches and provide plenty of rest. You should also ice after every game or pitching practice.
- The use of anti-inflammatories is also recommended but should be done under the supervision a qualified medical professional.
- Doing exercises in a pool is recommended for good shoulder conditioning or rehab (make sure not to do too much swimming as it is hard on the shoulders).
- Massage is another element that can be integrated in a treatment or injury prevention plan. Make sure you work with a qualified and registered massage therapist. They can improve circulation, re-align the tissue, and enhance muscular relaxation, which promotes healing.
- Strength training is very important in preventing softball pitching injuries.
- Training the core is very important. The core is the lower part of the trunk musculature (hips, buttocks, abdominal, obliques, lower back, etc.). Lack of strength and flexibility in the core
often results in over-compensating and injuries show up elsewhere like in the shoulder.
- Almost every softball athlete has a deficient core.
- Single leg work help make pitchers stronger and is very sport- specific. Doing body-weight deadlifts with one leg, single-leg squats, and that type of exercises is highly beneficial.
- Tubing exercises is also very beneficial for strengthening the shoulder.
- Explosive strength is also something pitchers should work on because from the start of the pitching motion to release takes less than a second.
- Work with overweighted and underweighted balls is beneficial for injury prevention and gaining speed.
- There are traditional exercises you should avoid like overhead lifts. They are not really recommended for pitchers. Also, there should be less emphasis on bench press (don't eliminate entirely but do much less of it). There should be more focus on body- weight push-up variations.
- You should focus more on pulling exercises and do less pushing exercises (do more rows and less presses).
- References used for this articles can be found at: www.athleticsearch.com/softrefs
What I think
WOW.. that's a lot of powerful information. I agree 100% with everything in this article because I have been preaching a lot of it for years!
I have seen too many dominating young pitchers just disappear of the circulation due to overuse injuries. It starts slowly and over a few years, they completely disappear because they can't pitch anymore. I am sure you have seen plenty of those cases too.
I really want you to take action and think on the long-term health of yourself (if you are a pitcher) or your pitchers (coach or parents). There is no point at over-utilizing a pitcher if she won't be able to compete down the road due to overuse injuries.
Marc Dagenais
Marc Dagenais, MHK, CSCS, is a Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players and teams hit with more power, run faster, throw harder, become mentally tougher and be more dominant on the softball field.
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/marc-dagenais/106433
Showing posts with label softball pitchers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label softball pitchers. Show all posts
Monday, July 15, 2013
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Five Most Common Softball Pitching Mechanics You Need to Avoid to Prevent Injuries
Softball Pitching Mechanics Flaws
By Guest Author: Marc Dagenais
Softball pitching is one of the most important roles that need to be learn if you want to be an elite softball player. It takes time and practice to be able to develop great pitching skills and if you are a softball pitcher, you, along with the catcher at the home plate, determine greatly the outcome of the game as you both communicate what pitches to throw in order to prevent the opposing team of players from hitting the ball with the bat.
There are cases where even the most seasoned softball pitchers, who have years and years of experience, use incorrect pitching mechanics, especially when they were taught to do so. And due to the wrong pitching mechanics that they employ, they can develop many softball pitching-related injuries that can either stop them from playing softball for a while or even end their softball careers altogether.
Here are five of the most common softball-pitching mechanics that you must need to stay away from if you want to continue playing the game that you love and prevent injuries.
Overuse
More often than not, when you throw the softball over and over again using the wrong pitching mechanics, you can get injured, specifically on the shoulder and rotating cuffs of your body. For instance, if you often pitch the rollover drop ball, it is highly likely that you would have an overuse injury. Up to now, there is no clear idea as to the number of pitches that you as a softball pitcher would only pitch to avoid injuries but you must be able to exercise some restraint and get proper rest in between innings.
Inadequate Warm Up and Stretching
When the day of the softball tournament comes, majority of the athletes do not take pre-game warm up seriously and so, they often rush through this activity. For softball pitchers, it is important that they perform warm-up exercises such as jogging, throwing and other dynamic exercises before they even go to the pitching mound. They must ensure that their muscles are lose and limber before they pitch the ball.
Doing Breaking Pitches At the Wrong Time
In order to be able to pitch drop balls, curve balls and other difficult pitches, you must have a developed and adept bone structure, specifically at the wrist. You need to have a tough, taut wrist snap so, that you can cause the ball to spin fast. Unfortunately, young softball pitchers do not have a developed bone and muscle structure yet and so, they are not capable yet in performing a tough wrist snap. So, if you are a softball coach, remember not to force young players to practice breaking pitches at this time as they would not be able to do it in an effective manner.
Doing the Chicken Wing
Chicken wing is what we call the elbow of the pitcher when she allows it to fly when she does a pitching maneuver. This can cause a softball pitcher to have elbow and shoulder injuries since this should not be a component of the pitch or even the follow through. Aside from the injuries, chicken winging can cause you as the softball pitcher to have improper control on pitching. Usually, if you utilize pitching methods like the snapover, then, you have the tendency to have your shoulder and elbows look like a chicken wing when you release the ball. To avoid this, you must have your elbow curled tightly on your side and your forearm and wrist should only be the ones that you use when you snap the ball.
Tugging the Head and Shoulders Backwards When Releasing the Pitch
There are some softball pitchers who tug their bodies as their arm releases the ball. Even if whipping your arm at this stage is necessary in order for your pitch to achieve optimal speed, you should never ever snap your head, neck and upper back. When you consistently do a jerking motion when you release your pitches, it is highly likely that you would have back or neck injuries.
Be sure to avoid incorrect softball pitching mechanics listed above so, that you would be able to prevent yourself from developing pitching-related injuries and have a long, successful softball career.
Marc Dagenais is a softball peak performance coach that helps softball players and coaches improves their game by sharing with them the tips and strategies used by the world's best softball players and coaches to achieve extraordinary performances. Visit his site and sign-up to get his FREE softball hitting tips!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_Dagenais
By Guest Author: Marc Dagenais
Softball pitching is one of the most important roles that need to be learn if you want to be an elite softball player. It takes time and practice to be able to develop great pitching skills and if you are a softball pitcher, you, along with the catcher at the home plate, determine greatly the outcome of the game as you both communicate what pitches to throw in order to prevent the opposing team of players from hitting the ball with the bat.
There are cases where even the most seasoned softball pitchers, who have years and years of experience, use incorrect pitching mechanics, especially when they were taught to do so. And due to the wrong pitching mechanics that they employ, they can develop many softball pitching-related injuries that can either stop them from playing softball for a while or even end their softball careers altogether.
Here are five of the most common softball-pitching mechanics that you must need to stay away from if you want to continue playing the game that you love and prevent injuries.
Overuse
More often than not, when you throw the softball over and over again using the wrong pitching mechanics, you can get injured, specifically on the shoulder and rotating cuffs of your body. For instance, if you often pitch the rollover drop ball, it is highly likely that you would have an overuse injury. Up to now, there is no clear idea as to the number of pitches that you as a softball pitcher would only pitch to avoid injuries but you must be able to exercise some restraint and get proper rest in between innings.
Inadequate Warm Up and Stretching
When the day of the softball tournament comes, majority of the athletes do not take pre-game warm up seriously and so, they often rush through this activity. For softball pitchers, it is important that they perform warm-up exercises such as jogging, throwing and other dynamic exercises before they even go to the pitching mound. They must ensure that their muscles are lose and limber before they pitch the ball.
Doing Breaking Pitches At the Wrong Time
In order to be able to pitch drop balls, curve balls and other difficult pitches, you must have a developed and adept bone structure, specifically at the wrist. You need to have a tough, taut wrist snap so, that you can cause the ball to spin fast. Unfortunately, young softball pitchers do not have a developed bone and muscle structure yet and so, they are not capable yet in performing a tough wrist snap. So, if you are a softball coach, remember not to force young players to practice breaking pitches at this time as they would not be able to do it in an effective manner.
Doing the Chicken Wing
Chicken wing is what we call the elbow of the pitcher when she allows it to fly when she does a pitching maneuver. This can cause a softball pitcher to have elbow and shoulder injuries since this should not be a component of the pitch or even the follow through. Aside from the injuries, chicken winging can cause you as the softball pitcher to have improper control on pitching. Usually, if you utilize pitching methods like the snapover, then, you have the tendency to have your shoulder and elbows look like a chicken wing when you release the ball. To avoid this, you must have your elbow curled tightly on your side and your forearm and wrist should only be the ones that you use when you snap the ball.
Tugging the Head and Shoulders Backwards When Releasing the Pitch
There are some softball pitchers who tug their bodies as their arm releases the ball. Even if whipping your arm at this stage is necessary in order for your pitch to achieve optimal speed, you should never ever snap your head, neck and upper back. When you consistently do a jerking motion when you release your pitches, it is highly likely that you would have back or neck injuries.
Be sure to avoid incorrect softball pitching mechanics listed above so, that you would be able to prevent yourself from developing pitching-related injuries and have a long, successful softball career.
Marc Dagenais is a softball peak performance coach that helps softball players and coaches improves their game by sharing with them the tips and strategies used by the world's best softball players and coaches to achieve extraordinary performances. Visit his site and sign-up to get his FREE softball hitting tips!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_Dagenais
Sunday, January 10, 2010
5 Softball Pitching Drills
By Marc Dagenais
Drill 1: Fast and Slow
Purpose: To practice changing speeds.
Procedure: Working with her catcher, the pitcher alternates fast and off-speed pitches. The goal is to keep the delivery the same.
Drill 2: Football Toss
Purpose: To develop correct rise-ball release.
Procedure: The pitcher throws a junior-sized football underhand to a partner. Grip it along the seam with all the fingers and with the thumb on the opposite side. The ball should spiral. If it wobbles in flight, the palm has turned toward the catcher at release.
Drill 3: Four-Corner Control
Purpose: To develop control and accuracy.
Procedure: The pitcher throws to the extreme four corners of the strike zone. When she achieves accuracy at one spot, she moves the target to the next corner. A catcher or a target on the wall can be used. To adjust for the in and out targets, the pitcher must adjust her body angle from her normal stance. She turns the toe on the rubber about a half inch in or out from the position she used to throw to the middle of the plate.
Drill 4: Wrist Snap Behind Back
Purpose: To develop the wrist snap by isolating the wrist, which prevents the pitcher from using the elbow to snap the ball.
Procedure: The pitcher stands sideways 5 to 10 feet from the catcher or a wall. The glove side faces the target, and the ball is behind the back. The pitcher flips the ball by snapping the wrist.
Drill 5: Oversized and Undersized Ball Spins
Purpose: To make the pitcher practice throwing a riseball.
Procedure: Using a baseball or an 11-inch ball may help the pitcher make the correct movements to get underneath the ball. The smaller the size of the ball allows the fingers to be more flexible and allows the correct movements to occur with less effort. A pitcher can use an undersized ball when initially trying to create muscle memory for the correct spin movements. An oversized ball is helpful in speeding up the wrist snap because the hand must pass under more area in the same amount of time. The oversized ball can also illustrate the spin to a pitcher who may be struggling with the backward concept. A 14-inch ball seems to be the perfect size because the pitcher can hold on to it comfortably throughout the circle before snapping the wrist at release. The routine used with these balls can mirror the routing used with the Spinner-starting close up without the circle and adding distance as well as the full circle.
Marc Dagenais is a softball peak performance coach that provides softball tips, softball drills, and information on techniques for hitting, pitching, coaching, and training through his blog at http://www.softballperformance.com/blog
He also helps softball players and coaches improves their game by sharing with them the tips and strategies used by the world's best softball players and coaches to achieve extraordinary performances. You can sign-up to get his FREE Softball Tips at http://www.softballperformance.com/softball-tips.html Go Sign-up Now!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_Dagenais
Check out these coaching articles at the Softball Coaching Digest:
---SoftballCoachingDigest.com
---Articles from the Youth Softball Coaching Clinic Blog
---Articles from the Coaching Fastpitch Softball Pitchers Blog
---Articles from the Coaching Fastpitch Softball Hitters Blog
---Articles from the Tips for Fastpitch Softball Coaches Blog
---The Fastpitch Softball Training Equipment Blog
Monday, November 2, 2009
Softball Pitching - The Four Mechanics
By Marc Dagenais
It is very vital for softball pitchers to know and breathe the basics. One cannot perform at his or her best in fastpitch softball if he or she does not know or is not adept with the basics of softball pitching.
There are four mechanics which is essential when it comes to the effective execution of every single softball pitch:
The Stride
The stride should at all times be taken with the pitching hand opposite the foot. The distance is individual but it should be a long walking step. Balance is everything when it comes to looking for the perfect stride. So find where you are most comfortable, balanced, and energized.
The Arm Circle
The arms of the pitcher must be fully relaxed. The circle must be a complete rotation and must be at the same direction as the force. Rotate the pitching arm in a clockwise motion. As the ball is released, the pitching must be quite close to the body particularly the hips.
The Hip Thrust
The hip thrust is said to be the hardest of the four mechanics because it involves the simultaneous use of the hips and the pitching hand... At the point of release, the hips should move forward in order to add some more force and momentum in the pitch. Keep the weight back and push with the pivot foot to achieve this.
The Follow Through
After the ball has been released, the arm should continue to about eye or should level then stop. The pivot foot continues to move forward and ends up being planted on the side to give the softball pitcher his or her balance.
Those are the four basic softball pitching mechanics that every softball pitcher should know. With the knowledge of these four, you can most certainly perform at your peak in softball pitching.
Marc Dagenais is a softball peak performance coach that helps softball players and coaches improves their game by sharing with them the tips and strategies used by the world's best softball players and coaches to achieve extraordinary performances. Visit his site and sign-up to get his FREE softball hitting tips!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_Dagenais
SoftballrUs.com/FastpitchSoftballSupply.com is the ultimate online fastpitch softball online store. SoftballrUs.com has Batting Trainers,Pitching Training, Training Bats,Defensive Training Equipment,Coaching DVDs & Books, Softball Pitching Machines, Softball Complete Net & Frame Batting Cage Packages, Batting Cage Nets, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, and BatAction Hitting Machines, and much, much more. Visit Softballrus.com now!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
