Why Youth Pitchers Cannot Maximize Velocity And Are Getting Injured

by Dick Mills on September 11, 2009

Pitching mechanics is considered the key to maximizing pitching performance, pitching velocity, ball control while reducing the risk of injury.

The large majority of pitchers at all levels have flaws in their pitching mechanics....even major leaguers. However, amatuer pitchers are much more likely to pitch with less velocity and are more likely to get injured because of poor mechanics.

Tommy John surgeries have increased 7 times over a recent 10 year period according to The American  Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham.

Almost 50% of Little League and high school pitchers complain of elbow pain.

However, there is a solution to all this madness.  First is having a fundamental understanding of pitching mechanics where the body produces velocity while the arm is along for the ride.

Then constantly using videotaping to insure that certain parameters of pitching mechanics are met.

I believe that every Little League, high school and college pitcher would dramatically improve their velocity and reduce their risk of injury if they all had at least an annual video analysis of their pitching mechanics. http://www.pitching.com/coaching/

The large majority of amateur pitchers throw with just their arm. That reduces velocity and adds a lot of stress to their arm. Thus why surgeries are becoming much more prevalent at the Little League and high school levels.

An annual video analysis of a pitcher's mechanics will insure that the body is not only producing the forces but that those forces are efficiently transferred to the arm so that the arm does much less work.

I honestly believe that with regular video analysis by parents that most pitchers should be pitching at least 5 mph harder and I believe that arm soreness and arm surgeries would drop dramatically. www.pitching.com/coaching

This is what I have been focusing on in our Explosively Pitching DVD program since 2004.  How to videotape your own son so you can avoid arm injuries and help improve his velocity and control. We teach parents how to help their sons use their bodies to pitch instead of just their arms. And how to get specifically stronger for pitching without losing flexibility. Not only does this improve velocity but reduces the risk of arm injuries. http://www.pitching.com/products/

"My 14 year old son's velocity jumped 12 mph, his control improved dramatically and his arm pain vanished. For the first time since he has been pitching, he finally understands what he is doing...what causes the ball to do what it does and how his body functions to be effective...now that is priceless."