JOI Can Help With Baseball Injuries
How to help your child become a better, safer throwing athlete.
Florida’s climate allows baseball and softball to be played all year long. Most youngsters in league play start pitching at the age of nine or ten. It is extremely important that the young developing pitcher learn the correct mechanics — and have the strength and flexibility to demonstrate proper technique. My goal is to prevent injuries and subsequent surgeries that result from incorrect mechanics.
Throwing Mechanics in Baseball
The answer is improved education of parents and coaches. Coaches do an incredible job teaching the art of throwing, and they can be assisted by the staff at JOI Rehabilitation, who have additional resources to address proper mechanics. At JOI, I use state-of-the-art equipment to perform a comprehensive video analysis of throwing — slowing everything down so we can see the errors, then using specific drills to correct them. Many repetitions are needed to keep the good mechanics.
Stride Length in Throwing
A good example of correcting errors is stride length. A pitcher’s stride should be about 70 to 80% of their height. When it’s too short, it affects other areas of the pitching motion.
70–80%
of the pitcher’s height = ideal stride length
To increase stride, I place a chair in front of the athlete and have them use a towel in their hand through the throwing motion, hitting the chair as they go. I keep moving the chair further out until they reach the tape marking their target stride. This really works well.
Stages of Throwing
This biomechanical assessment breaks the complete throwing motion into stages. I review the film to see what errors occurred, then work with your child on correcting the problems identified. I’ll gladly work with your child’s coach to assist with the complete circle of care — this team approach works in injury prevention. Please seek out advice if you think your child is not throwing correctly or has pain.
The JOI Approach
Video Analysis
Slow-motion film to spot mechanical errors.
Targeted Drills
Specific repetitions to correct each error.
Strength & Flexibility
Programs built for your child’s individual needs.
Team With Coaches
A complete circle of care for the athlete.
Flexibility is Important to Prevent Baseball Injuries
In rehab, I focus on the correct strength and flexibility for an athlete to achieve proper throwing form. JOI Rehabilitation clinicians have the expertise to develop specific programs for the individual needs of your child. The importance of this early intervention cannot be overemphasized — like any sport, throwing is a learned activity, and it’s vital to have correct mechanics from the start. Investing in this process helps your child reach their maximum potential and keeps them from having shoulder problems down the road.
To learn more about biomechanics, please call 904-858-7045. To learn more about the biomechanics of throwing, please read this article.
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