Baseball Pitching: What Causes a Baseball Pitcher to Throw Hard? By Dr. John Mishock, PT, DPT, DC In baseball, it is often said that the pitcher has a strong arm. However, this phrase is a misnomer. Research clearly shows that the arm musculature (hand, forearm, and arm) contributes only about 20-25% of throwing velocity. (Gretchen […]
Dr. John R. Mishock, PT, DPT, DC 1. Dynamic warm up: Perform the dynamic warm-up prior to throwing. 2. Throw and holds: Hold baseball and go through throwing motion without releasing the ball (10 times). 3. Rest-recovery: After each set of throws, rest 60-90 sec. (Perform push-ups, front planks, side planks) 4. Phase progression: Progress […]
Single-limb exercises mean that the individual moves with one limb vs. two limbs—for example, a single-arm curl vs. a double-arm curl. There are many advantages to unilateral exercise training that I will highlight in this article. Benefits of unilateral exercise: 1. Increase motor unit recruitment: There is more significant muscle firing during the unilateral exercise. […]
By Dr. John R. Mishock, PT, DPT, DC In the US, there is over 8.6 million sports-related adolescent (age 10-20 years) injuries annually; 42% happen in the lower extremity, 30% in the upper extremity, and 16% in the head and neck. (NHSR, 2016) Many of these are over-use injuries that occur due to excessive intensity, […]
By Dr. John R. Mishock, PT, DPT, DC Lower extremity injuries make up 66% of all sports injuries, the knee being the most commonly injured joint. (Med Sci. Sports Exerc. 2002) The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of four ligaments in the knee that holds the thigh and leg bones together. The ACL ligament […]
By Dr. John R. Mishock, PT, DPT, DC The baseball pitcher is the most vital position in baseball. The success of the baseball pitcher not only requires high-level ability but also requires durability and prevention of injury. Science has also shown that in elite baseball pitchers, 85% of throwing velocity comes from leg drive (push-off […]
By Dr. John R. Mishock There is a belief that resistance exercises or weightlifting create muscle damage, leading to tightness and limiting function in sports such as baseball, basketball, golf, and others. Does resistance exercise damage muscle? Can the muscle damage be helpful? When exercising, there is micro-damage or small amounts of physiological tissue change […]
By Dr. John R. Mishock Today’s elite-level basketball player needs high-level athleticism with elite-level skills in shooting, ball handling, and passing. When I was growing up, it was a common belief that lifting weights would make you too bulky and tight, negatively impacting your shooting form and accuracy. Some basketball coaches and trainers still hold […]
By Dr. John R. Mishock, PT, DPT, DC Overuse injuries in the shoulder and elbow are the most common problems in baseball players. Injuries of the shoulder account for 14-21%, whereas the elbow account for 16%-22% of all baseball-related injuries. (Agresta et al. Orthop. J Sports Med, 2019, Posner et al. Am J Sorts Med, […]
By Dr. John R. Mishock, PT, DPT, DC In sports, most high-level athletes (70-90%) and elite sports coaches (94%) report using motor imagery (mental or kinesthetic imagery) to enhance sports performance. (Ridderinkhof et al. J Physiol, 2015) There have been over 122 studies demonstrating the effectiveness of motor imagery in basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, […]
