Improve Baseball Performance and Reduce Injury Risk with an In-Season Shoulder Program
Participating in an in-season baseball program can improve your throwing and help keep you from missing time out with an injury. In college baseball players, the shoulder and elbow are the most frequently injured.(1) An activity like throwing results in overused and tight muscles, affecting range of motion and strength throughout the season.(2) Tightness in the posterior shoulder is common among baseball athletes and often leads to GIRD - Glenohumeral Internal Rotation (IR) Deficit (pitching arm IR - non pitching arm IR).
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GIRD, The Life of a Baseball Athlete’s Shoulder
A recent study published in 2022 in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy by Plummer, et al., “Effectiveness of a Shoulder Exercise Program in Division I Collegiate Baseball Players During the Fall Season”, assesses the effectiveness of an in-season exercise program on range of motion and strength in collegiate baseball players. (4)
The athletes did the exercise program three times a week from August-October and then once a week from October to November. All exercises were performed at 3-5 sets of 5-15 reps at 70-80% of 1 rep max. The exercises include pec and shoulder stretches, isolated rotator cuff strengthening, and compound exercises including press and rows for the chest and back.
At the frequency prescribed in this exercise program of just 3 times a week tapering down to only once a week, horizontal adduction range of motion was increased. Think of the classic cross body stretch for the back of the shoulder. This gets super tight in baseball athletes with repetitive throwing.
External Rotation Surplus (ERS) of the pitching arm = ER of the throwing arm - ER of the non throwing arm. Following participation in the exercise program, ERS increased resulting in greater max external rotation in the throwing arm. External rotation is the key shoulder mechanic for the arm cocking phase of throwing.
“A lack of ERS on the throwing arm has been identified as a risk factor for injury in baseball players.” (3)
Regarding strength, internal rotation strength in the throwing arm increased relative to the non-throwing arm. Internal rotation is the key shoulder movement during the follow-through phase of throwing.
Participation in the exercise program supported flexibility and strength needed for proper baseball throwing mechanics. An in-season shoulder program can help optimize performance and reduce injury risk in baseball players.
Want to increase your throwing velocity? Have a baseball-related injury? We can build you an individualized program to optimize your throwing mechanics.
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References
Wasserman EB, Register-Mihalik JK, Sauers EL, et al. The first decade of web-based sports injury surveillance: Descriptive epidemiology of injuries in US high school girls’ softball (2005-2006 through 2013-2014) and National Collegiate Athletic Association Women’s Softball (2004-2005 through 2013-2014). J Athl Train. 2019;54(2):212-225.
Reinold MM, Wilk KE, Macrina LC, et al. Changes in shoulder and elbow passive range of motion after pitching in professional baseball players. Am J Sports Med. 2008;36(3):523-527.
Pozzi F, Plummer HA, Shanley E, et al. Preseason shoulder range of motion screening and in-season risk of shoulder and elbow injuries in overhead athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2020;54(17):1019-1027.
Plummer HA, Plosser SM, Diaz PR, Lobb NJ, Michener LA. Effectiveness of a Shoulder Exercise Program in Division I Collegiate Baseball Players During the Fall Season. IJSPT. 2022;17(2):247-258.
Disclaimer: This SciSport blog post is a summary of an article printed in an academic research journal. The purpose of this blog post is to provide readers with academic and educational content in an easy-to-understand format. We take no credit for the material and knowledge presented, and we encourage readers to take a look at the original source provided in the References section.
