Keeping your arm fresh between innings
Throwing a baseball is one of the most demanding movements you can do with your shoulder. Making sure your arm is warmed up properly is important for safe throwing. Obviously, it’s a full body movement, but baseball throwing requires strength, mobility and stability at extreme end ranges of the gleno-humeral joint into external rotation. In addition, you must have good thoracic mobility and core control.
Sitting between innings can leave your arm stiff, so it’s important to warmup again before you start your warmup throws. The video below demonstrates a quick warmup drill pitchers can do when your team has two outs. It’s also nice to have a routine you stick to which helps for mental preparation.
References:
Erickson, B. J., Thorsness, R. J., Hamamoto, J. T., & Verma, N. N. (2016). The biomechanics of throwing. Operative Techniques in Sports Medicine, 24(3), 156-161.
Lorenz, D., & Maddalone, D. (2017). Post-rehabilitation performance enhancement training and injury prevention in the upper extremity. Operative Techniques in Sports Medicine, 25(3), 220-230.
M.M. Reinold, K.E. Wilk, L.C. Macrina, Changes in shoulder and elbow passive range of motion after pitching in professional baseball players, Am J Sports Med, Vol. 36, Iss. 3, 2008, 523-527.
Szymanski, David J, PhD,C.S.C.S.D. (2009). Physiology of baseball pitching dictates specific exercise intensity for conditioning. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 31(2), 41-47.
