Should I Wear a Protective Sleeve?

The “sleeve” on a pitcher can be a very big warning sign.  Yes, there are specific instances where we suggest a sleeve.  If a student has Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, some doctors feel it can help blood flow, but only in specific cases.  It can also keep the arm a bit warmer, encouraging circulation.  After some surgeries, a sleeve can provide support. 

The problem is that a sleeve can mask really poor movements, which can seriously injure a pitcher.  If she is making hip contact with the elbow or forearm, let’s address that problem.  I have seen far too many new students with serious pain and they don’t even know that it is a problem.  Yes, most pitchers may bump the hip on occasion, but we are talking about more serious collisions.

If your forearm is turning rosy red after 50 pitches, that can be an indicator that that elbow is taking violent force on every pitch.  The elbow is very fragile and it does not take much impact to cause serious damage.

One of my first new students with such a problem had so much contact that it damaged a valve in the arm, so blood could not return to the heart.  She was told she would never pitch again, but a simple fix allowed her to take it to the college level.

It seems simple.  Just keep the arm away from the hip.  I see kids come forward in the circle, trying to keep the arm far away from the hip, which means the arm will cross over the opposite shoulder, and it has no choice but to come down behind her and hit more violently.  Simple fixes are not usually simple.

Hip contact, and the arm going out of line, are not arm issues, but can come from two or three more serious breakdowns in the body.  These breakdowns destroy efficiency, and can lead to injuries, not just in the arm, but also the shoulder, the hips, the lower back, or even the knee.  Those are also parts of the body that could be the root cause of the issue.

When someone tries to “fix the arm path” without studying these things, it tells you that they do not understand the interrelationships of different body parts.  It means you should look elsewhere for answers.  Our Certified Instructors are a great place to start.

If you, or your pitching coach, have questions, feel free to get in touch with us.