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Post by thebighitter on May 31, 2014 14:47:14 GMT
Why is it that many major leaguers are in need of tommy john surgery because of flaws in their mechanics. Are coaches not saying anything to correct their flaws and just letting them pitch because they are effective? I think this should be stopped and correct mechanics should be taught at a young age to avoid this whole situation. What are your thoughts? |
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Post by Sensei Rob on May 31, 2014 15:02:43 GMT
Great question. Some of these injuries, I think, are inevitable. Pitchers are throwing faster than ever before (way more folks throw 95+ now), and the human body can only take so much. Pitchers are weight training, getting way stronger, but ligaments don't build up the same way. So, you have great force being applied, and the body fails at its weakest point (the weakest link in the kinetic chain). You can always reduce injuries by not throwing as hard, but then again, you'd never make it "big" since all MLB clubs are now looking for guys who throw VERY hard. Just like you can always reduce your odds for a car accident at the Indy 500 by driving 75 MPH---but you'd never win. Low risk means low reward. A lot of these guys get to the big leagues because they've organized their body in a way to help them throw the hardest. Changing that might have effects downstream (they might not throw as hard or accurately if they changed the mechanics that got them there, which would then reduce their chances at being successful). That being said, some of these injuries can be reduced at younger ages. Yes, there are somewhat safer mechanics (again, nothing is totally safe when you're talking about throwing 95+mph...even Nolan Ryan eventually blew out his arm at 46 years old). You can reduce wear and tear when pitchers are young (pitch counts etc), take time off to allow your ligaments and muscles to heal, not pitch when tired, and other things. You can also throw with your whole body and make sure you decelerate properly. Here is a good discussion about the ASMI guidelines regarding reducing Tommy John surgery that were released this week, along with a copy of the guidelines: throughthefencebaseball.com/asmi-report-tommy-john-injuries-is-refreshing/43079www.asmi.org/research.php?page=research§ion=TJpositionstatement |
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Post by ThePitchingNinja on May 31, 2014 15:09:42 GMT
Yeah, I think a big part of it is because pitchers are throwing a lot harder. I think you can have good mechanics, but if you throw 100 mph, you still are at a risk of hurting your arm. Especially if you pitch while tired or sore.
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