Risk of injury from pitching softball underhand vs. Overhand baseball

[radness]

This ongoing discussion about pitching underhand versus pitching overhand and whether or not there is equal risk of injury.

is pitching in either sport more demanding on the body than the other?

 

[CoachJD]

This ongoing discussion about pitching underhand versus pitching overhand and whether or not there is equal risk of injury.

is pitching in either sport more demanding on the body than the other?

In one sport, pitchers have gotten a preemptive major surgery because the injury that requires the surgery is so common. And that's the major injury that actually has a fairly high return rate. Nothing close to that scenario happens in the other sport.

 

[radness]

In another thread a poster had commented this, using for example...

Which prompted me starting another thread on this conversation about risk injury to the body.
From seperate pitching mechanics.


I can add that I know of fastpitch pitchers who have thrown extensively literally over 20 inning games.
Continue to be healthy and strong as a starting pitcher threw out their D1 career.

Have also known pitchers who threw less about 30% of a season and had come down with injuries that took them out for recuperation.

I do not think that quantity is the culprit to injury.
imo
Quality of the body and good mechanic's is the root of sustaining good health.

I do not think throwing overhand or underhand is less or more risky than the other.

 

[radness]

In one sport, pitchers have gotten a preemptive major surgery because the injury that requires the surgery is so common. And that's the major injury that actually has a fairly high return rate. Nothing close to that scenario happens in the other sport.

Is that due to mechanics?
Do you have injury statistics of how often that occurs baseball versus injury statistics in fastpitch?

Anyone #'s out there?

 

[Towny9]

Whenever this topic comes up everyone forgets the difference between the two sports. Throwing both overhand and underhand are natural movements. Our primitive ancestors probably hunted by throwing. What is not natural in baseball is the mound. The mound increases the force production of the thrower, thus increasing the stress on the arm. Take the mound away and the two motions are relatively similar.

 

[radness]

baseball is the mound. The mound increases the force production of the thrower, thus increasing the stress on the arm. Take the mound away and the two motions are relatively similar.

Thanks for bringing that into the discussion. Do think people forget that that is part of the progression of throwing speed and trajectory in baseball.
Hmmm??? That would be saying throwing from a mound is more dangerous? Would like to read other discussion towards that.

what has been explained to me that injury is from arm angle path. From an orthopedic surgeon. Which can occur in softball also.

 

[softgabby]

Thanks for bringing that into the discussion. Do think people forget that that is part of the progression of throwing speed and trajectory in baseball.

Do you think being on the mound contributes to the Tommy John surgery?

what has been explained to me that is from arm angle path. From an orthopedic surgeon. Which can occur in softball also.

You touched on something I was thinking about when I read through this thread. The increase of Tommy John surgeries. The height of the mound alone adds a lot of stress to the tendons and ligaments of the elbow. I've also heard of shoulder issues as well. But I know from when I pitched as well as my sister, we could throw hundreds of innings and not have much in the way of shoulder pain. Her senior year, though, she did have shoulder soreness. But that went away with icy hot and kt tape.

 

[radness]

Quick Google searching could not find anything in relation to the mound causing more impact on elbow. * perhaps someone can add a link?
Although I can imagine throwing downhill does create more weight to body torque. Don't know how it would only specifically go to the Elbow? seems it could go to the front knee hip and or jolt the lower back. Also statistics on how much pitches are being thrown to produce the requirement to have Tommy John at that level in MLB. That could be repetitive injury to the elbow ligament?

 

[_MIA_]

The lag of the forearm compared to the upper arm in an overhand throw generates a large amount of stress on the elbow/UCL . I think I have read that the stress generated is actually much higher than failure stress (in tension) of the UCL (as measured in cadavers) but the surrounding muscles help in preventing a complete failure every time a pitch is thrown.

There is nothing that extreme in an UH throw…

 

[radness]

The lag of the forearm compared to the upper arm in an overhand throw generates a large amount of stress on the elbow/UCL . I think I have read that the stress generated is actually much higher than failure stress (in tension) of the UCL (as measured in cadavers) but the surrounding muscles help in preventing a complete failure every time a pitch is thrown.

There is nothing that extreme in an UH throw…

Thanks for adding!
Happy holidays!

Hmmm? So specifics in the mechanics causes some pitchers to injure their elbow.
*surrounding muscles help!

As in any comparison we would have to see if there are fastpitch underhand reoccurring issues?!