Not sure where to go from here...HELP!!!

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Feb 10, 2018
496
93
NoVA
As others have said, the first thing is simply to stop and rest and let her body try to recover. Working through soreness or stiffness may be normal, but if anything HURTS when you are doing it, that is your body’s way of telling you stop. You keep pushing through that and the injury is simply going to get worse (speaking from experience as someone who couldn’t take his own advice and now has bum hip and shoulder to prove it).

When your daughter is ready to test the waters again, it is important not to go zero to 60mph to “make up for lost time.” You need to gradually ramp up the load.

Perhaps the most effective way to focus on improving pitching mechanics is to work them from shorter distances (20-25’), which doesn’t require you to go 100% to get quality work in. Have her pitch into a tarp and you don’t even need a catcher (which also removes the focus on the result). You can get a lot of work done from the Power K position. Not my formula, but I’ve found it to be true: Rick Pauly says that a mechanically sound pitcher should be able to throw 90% of their top speed from the Power K position from roughly 25’. If you are improving from the K position, you are improving.

Just mindlessly wailing away from 43’ for 30 and 45 minutes at a time (not saying you were doing this), is not a very effective use of time and a good way to get your pitcher hurt. See way too much of this in HS and travel ball.
 
Jul 24, 2021
19
3
I don't have any advice, but I can totally relate. My daughter is same age. She had an overuse injury last fall and hasn't been the same since. Says now she has to warm up way longer than before and complains of pain in the shoulder at times also. :( I made her take off July (except for tryout day) where all we did was stretching and pt exercises. I'm not sure if the rest worked or not yet- we will start throwing this weekend and build back up...hopefully with no more pain. We'll see. I keep wondering if she's also "done" at the ripe age of 12- or if she/we did long term damage. It sucks.
I’m sorry this has happened to your daughter. Hopefully there’s no long term damage.
 
Jul 24, 2021
19
3
8 other positions besides P.. Maybe give that up for a little bit.

Various health reasons has stopped DD Pitching for a while, she picked it back up quickly. IMO she will not lose any ground with the other pitchers.
Thank you! We are definitely making some long term changes to the way we are doing things.
 
Jul 24, 2021
19
3
No one knows. Some kids can pitch all the time without injury. Other kids can't.

Let her rest and recover. Then, try it again. If she gets hurts again, then she may need to think twice about pitching.



IMHO, you were hitting it too hard. During the TB season, my DD would do a light practice once a week.



It doesn't sound like the PC was the problem. I think you were just working her too much.



Most likely, the problem was overuse, not mechanics.

The best approach is for you to understand basic pitching mechanics.
Thank you! Great information.
 
Jul 24, 2021
19
3
Tha
As others have said, the first thing is simply to stop and rest and let her body try to recover. Working through soreness or stiffness may be normal, but if anything HURTS when you are doing it, that is your body’s way of telling you stop. You keep pushing through that and the injury is simply going to get worse (speaking from experience as someone who couldn’t take his own advice and now has bum hip and shoulder to prove it).

When your daughter is ready to test the waters again, it is important not to go zero to 60mph to “make up for lost time.” You need to gradually ramp up the load.

Perhaps the most effective way to focus on improving pitching mechanics is to work them from shorter distances (20-25’), which doesn’t require you to go 100% to get quality work in. Have her pitch into a tarp and you don’t even need a catcher (which also removes the focus on the result). You can get a lot of work done from the Power K position. Not my formula, but I’ve found it to be true: Rick Pauly says that a mechanically sound pitcher should be able to throw 90% of their top speed from the Power K position from roughly 25’. If you are improving from the K position, you are improving.

Just mindlessly wailing away from 43’ for 30 and 45 minutes at a time (not saying you were doing this), is not a very effective use of time and a good way to get your pitcher hurt. See way too much of this in HS and travel ball.
Thanks! We will definitely apply this in the future.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
2 thoughts:

1. What is "fastpitch power"? Is this another new and revolutionary technique of pitching?

2. Am I the only one who noticed where you said in the first post that the injury happened in late May throwing a ball in from the outfield, perhaps it's the overhand mechanics that need some attention????
 
Jul 24, 2021
19
3
2 thoughts:

1. What is "fastpitch power"? Is this another new and revolutionary technique of pitching?

2. Am I the only one who noticed where you said in the first post that the injury happened in late May throwing a ball in from the outfield, perhaps it's the overhand mechanics that need some attention????
2 thoughts:

1. What is "fastpitch power"? Is this another new and revolutionary technique of pitching?

2. Am I the only one who noticed where you said in the first post that the injury happened in late May throwing a ball in from the outfield, perhaps it's the overhand mechanics that need some attention????
The week after that tournament is when she began complaining. I think The summer volleyball league continued to aggravate it. Fastpitch power is a website with tons of content about IR/forearm fire.
 

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