Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Hitting Review with Ben Himes

Ben Himes giving feedback to current University of Texas Catcher Michael McCann on hitting. This is the kind of top notch Integrated Instruction you receive at Sharp End Athletics.


Tuesday, March 24, 2015

SEA Pitching Guidelines

Sharp end Athletics follows the recommendations and suggestions of major league baseball as well as the american sports medicine institute. Dr. James andrews is th leading expert regarding sports injuries and has clearly stated his recommendations. for further information go to:


GUIDELINES FOR YOUTH AND ADOLESCENT PITCHERS
Each organization — whether it be a league, travel team, showcase or tournament — should establish rules to ensure that players must follow the guidelines while playing in that league. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the parent and the athlete to ensure that the player follows the guidelines for his age group over the course of a year — given that he will oftentimes play in multiple leagues with different affiliations covering different times of the year.
PITCH COUNT LIMITS AND REQUIRED REST RECOMMENDATIONS
It is important for each league to set workload limits for their pitchers to limit the likelihood of pitching with fatigue. Research has shown that pitch counts are the most accurate and effective means of doing so.
AGE                 DAILY MAX (PITCHES)             REQUIRED REST (PITCHES)
                                                                        0 Days 1 Days 2 Days 3 Days 4 Days
7-8                               50                                1-20     21-35   36-50   N/A      N/A
9-10                             75                                1-20     21-35   36-50   51-65   66+
11-12                           85                                1-20     21-35   36-50   51-65   66+
13-14                           95                                1-20     21-35   36-50   51-65   66+
15-16                           95                                1-30     31-45   46-60   61-75   76+
17-18                           105                              1-30     31-45   46-60   61-75   76+

These are the typical risk factors that are most commonly associated with arm trouble. Most times players want to pitch through fatigue or throw an excessive amount of innings. Younger players play numerous positions as well as throw breaking balls and are typically concerned with lighting up the radar gun. The other issue is that most coaches are unaware of these risk factors and furthermore are more concerned with winning and bringing home trophies. Kids need to be taught proper “throwing mechanics” as opposed to “pitching mechanics”. Younger players will do what they are taught and need to be shown how to stay healthy.

Pitching While Fatigued
Watch for signs of fatigue during a game, during a season, and over the whole year. The American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI) found that adolescent pitchers who undergo elbow or shoulder surgery are 36 times more likely to have routinely pitched with arm fatigue.
Throwing Too Many Innings over the Course of the Year
ASMI found that players who pitched more than 100 innings in at least one year were 3.5 times more likely to be injured than those who did not exceed 100 innings pitched. Every inning -- whether it be during a game or showcase event -- should count toward that threshold.
Not Taking Enough Time off from Baseball Every Year
ASMI also found that pitchers who competed more than 8 months per year were 5 times as likely to suffer an injury requiring surgery. Pitchers should refrain from throwing for at least 2-3 months per year and avoid competitive pitching for at least 4 months per year.
Throwing Too Many Pitches and Not Getting Enough Rest
Daily, weekly and annual overuse is the greatest risk to a youth pitcher's health. Numerous studies have shown that pitchers who throw more pitches per game and those who do not adequately rest between appearances are at an elevated risk of injury. While medical research does not identify optimal pitch counts, pitch count programs have been shown to reduce the risk of shoulder injury in Little League Baseball by as much as 50% (Little League, 2011). The most important thing is to set limits for a pitcher and stick with them throughout the season.
Pitching on Consecutive Days
Pitchers should avoid pitching on consecutive days, if possible, irrespective of pitch count. According to Yang et al., pitchers who pitched on consecutive days had more than 2.5 times greater risk of experiencing arm pain, compared with pitchers who did not pitch on consecutive days.


Excessive Throwing When Not Pitching
A pitcher should not also be a catcher for his team as it is the next most throwing-intensive position and results in far more throws than players at other positions. ASMI found that amateurs who played catcher while not pitching were 2.7 times more likely to suffer a major arm injury.
Playing for Multiple Teams at the Same Time
Players who participate on multiple teams at the same time are at an increased risk of injury as it makes it more difficult to monitor pitch limits and results in reduced rest.
Pitching With Injuries to Other Body Regions
Players should be cautious about returning to play after any injury. A sprained ankle or oblique strain can imperceptibly affect the player's biomechanics, changing the way he throws and putting more stress on his arm.
Not Following Proper Strength and Conditioning Routines
While often overlooked, any strength and conditioning program should include a shoulder and elbow component. Numerous studies have shown that deficits in upper extremity strength and mobility are strongly correlated to serious arm injuries.
Not Following Safe Practices While at Showcases
A showcase can be a terrific opportunity for young players to demonstrate their skills for college coaches and professional scouts. However, pitching in a showcase during the offseason can be particularly hazardous, as it is difficult to get back to healthy game condition and it is also makes it difficult to get sufficient offseason rest. Pitchers should treat these appearances as they would any other game for purposes of daily, weekly and annual pitch count limits. Furthermore, they should avoid the temptation to overthrow in an attempt to make a favorable impression.
Throwing Curveballs and Sliders at a Young Age
While existing research has not consistently shown a strong connection between the curveball and injuries, Yang et al., found that amateur pitchers who threw curveballs were 1.6 times more likely to experience arm pain while pitching and Lyman et al, found that youth pitchers who throw sliders are 86% more likely to experience elbow pain than those who do not (Lyman et al., 2002).
Radar Gun Use
While radar guns do not directly cause harm to a young pitcher, they can inspire pitchers to throw harder, oftentimes beyond their normal comfort level, in an attempt to impress others. This may create additional strain on the arm.


Thursday, March 19, 2015

Segment Acceleration


Producing Power in your Swing with Technique not Effort
by
Ben Himes
Head Hitting Coach, Sharp End Athletics


I define hitting with power simply as the ability to transfer as much energy into the ball as possible. The ability to do this comes from the consolidation of power as the swing uncoils up the kinetic chain. As certain technical aspects of this chain break down, many hitters lose percentages of power in their swing.

In this article I will show you how to create more power without effort, consolidate the largest percentage of your power into the baseball via technique, while showing you how to allow your strength to work for you, or how to allow your swing to happen, rather than try to make it happen. There are several major tenants to make this leap in your development as a hitter:

1.   Footwork. The swing uncoils from the ground up. Your ability to consolidate power comes directly from your connection to the ground. Your footwork is your connection to the ground
Fig. 1 is an example of Barry Bonds' foot work at contact. Note that his front foot is closed. If his front foot were open already he would lose a percentage of power at contact for every degree the foot is open.


Fig. 1

2.   Separation. The ability to “separate” mean the ability to begin rotating the back hip and core against a closed front side (closed front foot, hip, shoulder), while keeping the hands back as well. Fig. 2 is Michael Reed of the Milwaukee Brewers. Every off-season Micheal trains with Sharp End Athletics. In this session we were specifically focused on creating separation in Michael's swing. Can you spot the difference between the two pictures?
In the shot on the right, notice how much further along Michael's back hip is, rotationally, compared to the shot on the left, while his front side hip, shoulders, and hands are in relatively the same position in both shots. Creating separation makes you uncoil and accelerate as one connected unit from the ground up.

            Fig. 2 

3.   Bat Speed & Balance. Once the swing has begun with the right consolidation and direction of energy, the swing is also about extending and accelerating at high velocity. At high speed, especially when rotation is involved, high levels of stability are required. The acceleration of a swing is directly proportional to the net unbalanced force and inversely proportional to the body's mass. Force = Mass x Acceleration.
4.   Relaxation & Extension. “When you let go, a lot happens”. The ability of major muscle groups involved in hitting is to extend and accelerate. This a a feeling more than it is an mechanical aspect of a hitters swing. Tension or strength prevents this acceleration. If you try, you somewhat inhibit the learning process- when you allow you learn to feel it.


Keep  your eyes out for more hitting tips coming to you soon. To learn more, or to sign up for private or online lessons please email sharpend@sharpendathletics.com. Also, check us out at sharpendathletics.com.