radness
Possibilities & Opportunities!
- Dec 13, 2019
- 7,270
- 113
Reflecting on my catching career and the health of body, particularly knee's...
For reference, Started catching when I was 6 years old and continue to be a catcher until I was 30 years old. Caught 95% of all games I played.
How are my knee's then and now?
I always thought it would be extremely important to not wear out my knees.
So I purposely use the muscles in my legs to support my body weight.
Both in my catching stance and when I would have to drop to my knees would not squish down.
(To not squish all my weight on top of folded legs)
Focused on Keeping leg muscles at the ready
To utilize explosive agility!
Developing strong legs in every mechanic is a giant goal for me.
As an older teenager was catching almost everyday, from games to practice with team's pitchers and also would catch for pitching instructors weekly...
with catching so much, created a condition called chondromalacia in knees which is a cartilage issue sort of like crab meat.
Had swelling and stiffness from that situation. Which I backed off catching every day, at least gave myself a day or two break during the week,
The chondromalacia that season subsided and I have had strong knees since and good knee health ever since.
Do have a little cracking and popping similar to cracking and popping of knuckles. But my knee health is amazingly and gratefully in good condition.
From this I continue to encourage a strong
athletic catching stance
Using two legs to keep us holding our weight and keep us prepared for explosive mobility.
AVOID weight bearing on folded legs!
That collapses muscles and is basically putting your body weight onto folded knee joint, not good.
Very hard to go from that position to being an explosive athlete when you're coming from the most unathletic position. Weight-bearing with no muscle strength is no good.
For reference, Started catching when I was 6 years old and continue to be a catcher until I was 30 years old. Caught 95% of all games I played.
How are my knee's then and now?
I always thought it would be extremely important to not wear out my knees.
So I purposely use the muscles in my legs to support my body weight.
Both in my catching stance and when I would have to drop to my knees would not squish down.
(To not squish all my weight on top of folded legs)
Focused on Keeping leg muscles at the ready
To utilize explosive agility!
Developing strong legs in every mechanic is a giant goal for me.
As an older teenager was catching almost everyday, from games to practice with team's pitchers and also would catch for pitching instructors weekly...
with catching so much, created a condition called chondromalacia in knees which is a cartilage issue sort of like crab meat.
Had swelling and stiffness from that situation. Which I backed off catching every day, at least gave myself a day or two break during the week,
The chondromalacia that season subsided and I have had strong knees since and good knee health ever since.
Do have a little cracking and popping similar to cracking and popping of knuckles. But my knee health is amazingly and gratefully in good condition.
From this I continue to encourage a strong
athletic catching stance
Using two legs to keep us holding our weight and keep us prepared for explosive mobility.
AVOID weight bearing on folded legs!
That collapses muscles and is basically putting your body weight onto folded knee joint, not good.
Very hard to go from that position to being an explosive athlete when you're coming from the most unathletic position. Weight-bearing with no muscle strength is no good.
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