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Youth Baseball Pitching Mechanics: A Systematic Review
Samuel F Thompson1, Trent M Guess2,3, Andreas C Plackis3
1Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Sports Health
|November 2, 2017
Summary
Youth baseball pitchers experience increasing injuries. This review clarifies normal pitching biomechanics, finding peak elbow torque precedes maximum shoulder external rotation, with higher forces for fastballs than curveballs.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Biomechanics
- Pediatric Orthopedics
Background:
- Youth baseball pitching injuries are rising.
- A lack of understanding of normal youth pitching mechanics hinders injury prevention.
- Evaluating youth pitching requires basic biomechanical data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the kinetics and kinematics of the youth baseball pitching motion.
- To establish a baseline for evaluating abnormal pitching mechanics.
- To inform injury prevention strategies for young athletes.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of 10 biomechanical studies on youth pitching.
- Searched PubMed, MEDLINE, and SPORTDiscus databases.
- Manual extraction of kinetic and kinematic data.
Main Results:
- Maximum shoulder external rotation ranges from 166° to 178.2°.
- Peak elbow valgus torque (18 ± 4 N·m) occurs before maximum shoulder external rotation.
- Stride length averages 66%–85% of pitcher height; curveballs generate less elbow varus torque than fastballs.
Conclusions:
- Peak elbow valgus torque is closely linked to maximum shoulder external rotation.
- Fastball pitches impart greater elbow and shoulder forces compared to curveballs.
- Understanding these biomechanical parameters is crucial for addressing youth pitching injuries.
