Athletic Development: Using Your Assessment to Implement Strategic and Specific Interventions for Your Pitchers
The Key to a good training regimen is mixing Science with Art. When you see dysfunctional movement patterns and limitations that you know you can help mitigate, involve the athlete and find ways to get them engaged with the training prescription to get optimal results. Their buy in will equal greater outcome. There is not one way to achieve an outcome so I won’t try to put you in a box by guiding you with specific exercises or training regimens.
Interventions Guided by Each Part of Pitching Cycle:
Lower Extremity:
Ground Based Needs: Single Leg Stance Stability, Lunge (Late Cocking-Acceleration-Deceleration), Skater Position (Follow Through)
ROM Needs: Improve Available ROM at Ankle (DF), Knee (Length of Hamstrings/Quads) Hip Flexors (Hip Extension Availability) and Lateral Rotators (Avoiding IR)
Interventions:
SLS: Lateral Step Downs, with Dynamic Hip Flexion/Abduction/ER/Extension, Diagonal Plyo Landing in Functional Pattern (Acceleration/Deceleration)
Lunge and Lunge with Rotation: Can work through bridge matrix with both legs and then single leg to target similar closed chain LE synergies between ankle/knee/hip/trunk.
Single Leg Stance; Requires good lateral hip rotator function in order to achieve and needs to act on a stable core with neutral spine.
Table to Floor Philosophy: (Example)-Athlete that is unable to achieve single leg stance because of weak lateral hip rotators needs to be broken down into simple re-activation exercises in sidelying to help first with getting proper sequencing of the lateral hip rotators. Work on shortening the lever arm first and then lengthening. Once patient can raise against gravity you can start to implement ground based progressions to help them improve their isometric lateral hip rotator strength/endurance.
Upper Extremity:
Retraction/Downward Rotation (Early Cocking/Late Cocking Phase): If you find dysfunction in this stage it is imperative you work in prone and against gravity to allow the athlete to feel the
Strengthening ER: (Late Cocking Phase) against gravity and in abduction/scapular retraction/downward rotation to mimic throwing motion. You want to track active ER ROM measurements and for elite pitchers get them to 120-130 degrees. If they are not able to achieve you may be able to intervene by targeting tight IR’s and lengthening
Improving Posterior Capsule Mobility: Crossover stretch has shown to help improve IR/flexion without putting the rotator cuff tendons in a place of impingement. Can also do soft tissue work to RTC, lats, teres twins to help with mobility restrictions that may impact impingement and loss of ER, IR, flexion of shoulder.
Neuromuscular Training of The Arm Tuck: (Follow Through) Creating simulation to get athlete used to tucking arm after deceleration phase to protect medial elbow structures.
