Does Long Toss Really Prevent Arm Injuries—Doesn’t Seem So

The virtues of long toss continue to be written about. Just last month in Collegiate Baseball magazine there was an article written by Alan Jaeger, who is the biggest long toss advocate out there since he actually teaches long toss. I, of course, am not an advocate of long toss to either improve pitching velocity or to reduce arm injuries.

No one to date has shown me any evidence that long toss works to improve velocity or reduce arm injuries. After all, long toss has actually been proven to increase elbow injuries. I believe long toss has two limiting benefits.

One is as part of an overall full body conditioning program in the off-season since pitching is a full body activity. I think once a week long toss during the offseason is fine. If you are going to do any throwing, which I strongly believe you should during the offseason, then 90% of that throwing should be done from a mound at full game intensity throwing in order to build better skills for game throwing. However, never long toss during the season when mound pitching is what pitchers get paid to do.

Secondly, long toss can be used as part of a five minute warm-up before going into the bullpen. I think limiting that distance to 90-100 feet is adequate.

Alan’s article spent a great deal of time mentioning how long toss reduces the risk of arm injuries. I have one thing to ask Alan Jaeger and all the long toss advocates. If long toss helps reduce arm injuries why is it that over 20% of major league pitchers had arm injuries during the month of April 2007…when they long tossed all during spring training?

If Alan Jaeger were an insurance company, he would be broke quickly for insuring that his long toss program worked to prevent injury. If it does not work for major league pitchers how will it work for high school or college pitchers. I believe last year I read that for the past seven years high school pitchers have had a ten fold increase in arm surgeries according to The American Sports Medicine Institute.

I believe most high school pitchers unfortunately engage in long toss. Long toss does not seem to be working at any level of baseball. We know it does not work to improve velocity. If it did then all professional pitchers would be able to increase their velocity by long tossing. But they don’t.

Someone please give me an intelligent reason to have pitchers long toss. Arm strength is not a reason since it has been proven that the throwing arm and non-throwing arm of pitchers are just about as strong. If long toss worked to improve arm strength wouldn’t the throwing arm be stronger.

Velocity has been proven to be the result of the momentum of the body as it stretches out like a huge rubber band. The body actually provides the energy to whip the arm through. The arm according to Tim Lincecum, the 5’10″ 170 lb rookie pitcher for the Giants who throws 95-100 mph, is simply along for the ride. Why waste time long tossing?