Ten Steps For Reducing Little League Arm Injuries

by Dick Mills on May 17, 2008

Is there a new pitching style that could prevent Little League pitching arm Injuries? 

Little League pitchers continue to get injured at an alarming rate. Some are even having Tommy John elbow surgery. Finally, Little League Baseball took steps to limit pitch counts which they hope will reduce or limit the number of Little League pitching arm injuries.

But are Little League pitch counts or overuse injury the real cause of all the Little League pitcher's sore arms or the increases in Little League arm surgeries? Certainly overuse injury is a problem because Little League pitchers are throwing too many pitches without being fit to pitch and not getting enough recovery time in between games. In fact, high school arm injuries are up tenfold over a recent seven year period according to The American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Al.

ASMI and Andrews, who called the increase in adolescent injuries "alarming" in his letter of support for Little League's pitch count program, stated there was no "magic" number of pitches. But research concluded the higher the pitch count, the higher the risk of injury; the strongest predictor of injury is pitching past fatigue, with those crossing that tipping point 36 times more likely to be injured; and mechanics, strength and pitch counts were a few of the injury risk factors.http://www.sptimes.com/2007/08/01/Sports/Little_League_pitcher.shtml

However, just limiting pitch counts, in my opinion, is more of a band aide approach but will not totally solve the real problem which is poor pitching mechanics and over-coaching.

Little League Baseball is also looking into the over-use of curveballs to see if that is an injury factor.  However, this research is not available as yet.

I believe one of the other big reasons for some so many Little League  as well as high school pitching arm injuries is poor pitching instruction and over-coaching from misinformed coaches and instructors who do not understand how the body produces velocity. Velocity has not proven to come from arm strength. When Little League pitchers learn how to use their body to produce more momentum then their throwing arms will take on less stress.

Over-coaching Pitching Mechanics Using Drills Is A Big Problem

Over-coaching by using dozens of pitching drills rather than using full body natural movements is the problem today at all levels of baseball. However, the latest sports science research disputes the use of pitching drills as a good learning tool for pitchers or as a teaching tool for instructors. (The Science And Art Of Baseball Pitching, Mills/Rushall 2006).

Some drills or partial practice movements can be beneficial for beginners... however once a pitcher has a delivery built the research suggests that pitchers don't need continuous drills.  Instead it is far more beneficial to focus on using full body natural movements so that the lower body is the impulse for delivering the upper body and the arm.

In fact, drills, such as the towel drill, balance drill or kneeling drill have proven to produce slow moving and robotic pitchers where there is little focus on how to use the total body to produce momentum thus reducing stress to the arm.

Pitching Mechanics Is Being Complicated By Most Coaches

Because of all this partial practice or use of drills it seems that pitching instruction is being taught "by the numbers" which complicates teaching for the coach and learning by the pitcher...according to the research.

Because pitching instruction has become more complicated by all these drills, which kill any natural movements, there are just not enough pitchers on each Little League team to help prevent overusing the one or two who end doing the majority of pitching.  If pitching instruction was simplified and more effective by focusing on teaching more natural movements while building momentum by the lower body, then Little League coaches could more easily help create more pitchers to reduce the pitching load.

A Pitching Style That Could Prevent Little League Arm Injuries

In a recent article in the Philadelphia Daily News, May 6, 2008, columnist Bill Conlin wrote an article titled "A Pitching Style That Could Prevent Injuries." delive/http://www.philly.com/dailynews/columnists/bill_conlin/20080506_Bill_Conlin__A_pitching_style_that_could_prevent_injuries.html. He was referring to our new Momentum Pitching delivery which he feels could help major league baseball reduce the excessive arm injuries which do not seem to have been reduced with all the latest conditioning tools being used including long toss, flexible tubing exercises or weight training. 

http://pitching.nexcess.net/article/baseball-writer-discovers-momentum-pitchingthe-new-injury-preventing-

Momentum Pitching was discovered by myself and my co-author Dr. Brent Rushall in January of 2007...after watching the mechanics of many older Hall Of Fame pitchers such as Nolan Ryan, Sandy Koufax and Whitey Ford.  All of these pitchers used a similar style to build more forward momentum into a longer stride than is traditionally taught today.  Pitchers today unfortunately are being taught to step to the side first away from the target and to use more slow and controlled movements rather than using their bodies more explosively.  This we believe is one of the reasons why there are so many arm injuries since a slower moving pitcher will not be able to build as much momentum. Thus the pitcher must try to create velocity with his arm.   This leads to more arm injuries.

If Momentum Pitching is good for reducing arm injuries for major league pitchers it should also help Little League pitchers learn how to use their bodies to produce velocity instead of their arm. 

The idea that velocity is the result of arm strength is not supported by the current sports science research. Thus coaches and instructors who still focus on trying to build arm strength for improving velocity...using tools such as long toss are wasting valuable time. This time could be better utilized pitching from the mound more often while videotaping the pitcher.

Here are ten simple steps to help reduce Little League pitching arm injuries:

1. Have parents become better informed about pitching mechanics
2. Make sure pitchers get fit to pitch prior to the season by building throwing intensity and the volume of pitches over time
3. Have coaches teach more players Momentum Pitching while limiting and possibly eliminating all pitching drills
4. Follow pitch count and recovery guidelines
5. Have parents purchase inexpensive pitch counters to monitor their son's pitches
6. Limit the number of games each pitcher pitches per week and increase the number of practice bullpen sessions
7. Do not stretch before pitching...research in 2005 proves static stretching before pitching increase arm injuries and reduces velocity
8. Have all pitchers engage in a dynamic bull body warm-up routine prior to pitching
9. Videotape all pitchers weekly and help them make needed adjustments while improving skills
10. Do not allow the use of breaking balls but emphasize fastball location and changing speeds using a change-up

Protect your child's throwing arm Here are some tips from the American Sports Medicine Institute on how to take care of a child's throwing arm.
Suggested pitch counts			Age to learn pitches
Age	Max. pitches/game		Age	Pitch
8-10	52		8	Fastball
11-12	68		10	Changeup
13-14	76		14	Curveball
15-16	91		15	Knuckleball
17-18	106		16	Slider, forkball

Suggested recovery time (rest days), after given number of pitches

Age 1 day 2 day 3 day 4 day

8-10 21 34 43 51

11-12 27 35 55 58

13-14 30 36 56 70

15-16 25 38 62 77

17-18 27 45 62 89

[Last modified August 1, 2007, 02:50:11]