Weight Training Causes Shoulder Surgery For 15 Year Old Pitching Phenom

by Dick Mills on October 01, 2008

There is no room in baseball pitching for heavy weight training.  The latest sports science research is overwhelmingly against it for producing any benefits or for reducing risk of injury. The book I coauthored with a world renowned sports scientist, Dr.Brent Rushall provides that evidence. 

This story below of a 15 year old high school freshman pitcher, who ended up with shoulder surgery,   should be a wake up call to parents, coaches and players.  And to conditioning coaches who believe that strength training is vital for all sports activities. They have not read the research.

This pitcher by the way was no ordinary high school freshman pitcher.  Just prior to his injury his fastball was clocked at 88 mph at a college D1 pitching camp.  This was a high school pitcher on a fast track to 95 mph or more which can mean multimillion dollar signing bonuses.

The Research Is Clear About Weight Training - It Is Not Needed In Baseball

The research is quite clear on weight training in baseball.  Pitching does not require excessive strength or much strength at all. Pitching is an explosive movement where velocity is produced by momentum, speed of movement into a long stride where the body stretches out like a huge rubber band creates and stores elastic energy. It is this stored elastic energy from the body that produces velocity...not the arm. The arm is along for the ride and is mainly for control.

This is exactly why skinny pitchers or small pitchers such as Giants Tim Lincecum at 5'10" 170 lbs. can throw fastballs is the 95-100 mph range.

What high school and college pitchers (and pros) require is general forms of fitness where explosive exercises such as medicine ball or lower body plyometrics help get the pitcher's body fit to pitch thus reducing the risk of injury.  http://www.pitching.com/product/conditioning-the-pitcher-for-power/

There is never a need to do heavy weight training.  After about four to five weeks of weight training to build some general strength and prepare the body to do explosive full body exercises, there is no additional need to do any more weight training. Doing weight training during the season makes no sense at all.

High School PE Teacher Forces 15 Year Old To Do Maximal Bench Press Which Ends In Surgery

After reading this story there clearly is no need to say more except be cautious about what maximal practice activities your son engages in whether it's weight training or weighted balls.  The body must first be trained for any maximal activity. This 15 year old was trained to do a heavy bench press. 

I would highly  suggest that parents learn what their sons are doing at any strength training classes at school or at any private speed or strength classes.  If your son's high school or college coach is having them do heavy weight training you must step in and show them the research.  If you don't then this is what can be the result. 

Here is the story from the father of this 15 year old.  He certainly has regrets as we as parents do...although he did not cause the injury. They have our sympathies.  We hope you can all learn from this tragedy and begin questioning more what coaches are having pitchers do for practice...in season and out of season.  Much of it does not make any sense and is not supported by research.

Dick,

First, thanks for everything you have done it has been clear over the last six months that your program is making its impact on the baseball community - too bad it hasn't spread to the football community as well. I'll explain;

My son Matt hasn't always had a strong arm. As Ernie Johnson Sr taught me - you can't teach talent, but you can improve your technique. Ernie Pitched in the World Series with Warren Spawn. He was old school when it came to driving off the mound. I taught the same thing to my son Matthew - no shortcuts, no crow-hops, no pop n slide, no balance points - just throw the ball with your whole body.
 
Matt threw 75 in Little League and 80 in Middle school. As a freshman in High School, we had hoped to get his speed to 85 in the off season. Then I found your program. It reinforced ( with science ) everything I thought I knew and had been taught. I taped his sessions and found so many things that needed correction, I realized we had a long ways to go. I wouldn't let him pitch for the JV football coach that was coaching the Baseball team. He was put in left field. ( If he hadn't had a .921 slugging %, he wouldn't have played at all.)
 
I worked with Matt diligently thru the summer, then went to a showcase at the Univ. of South Carolina. The Pitching coach recognized the technique and brought Matt to Ray Tanner to show him Matt's technique. Coach Tanner raked out the mound to see where Matt was landing.  5' 9" Matt was striding out 76". His fast ball was 84, his 12-6 curve was 78 and his splitter-change was 74.
 
Three weeks ago, over his nervousness at having pitched for Ray Tanner, Matt went to ASU where he hit 88. A Rockies coach ( had on the uniform ) approached him about his change up and said it was "sick". I saw his jaw drop when Matt told him he was 15.
 
Last week, in PE class, The JV football coach had the boys - all of them - on heavy weight training.   ( "Maxing for a benchmark" )  The MRI showed a Labral tear of 180*.  He had shoulder surgery on his right arm by the finest doctor I could find (yesterday).  I had said, "Well, six weeks of supervised weight training won't hurt him."
 
I was wrong.  
 
I hope that everyone will get something out of this.  Matt will be fine, but won't be hitting 90 this year.
 
Thanks for all you are trying to do for us...
 
 Rob Wedding