How to Practice Pitching Safely During Injury Recovery

One of the most difficult things about being injured for an athlete is the time spent inactive during recovery. While you definitely shouldn’t push yourself, there are some simple windmill pitching drills that are likely safe for you to do while you’re recovering. They’re not intense or complicated, but they can be enough to keep you sharp.Today’s video will take you through an easy routine.

ALWAYS ask your doctor before proceeding to work out.

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4 Comments

  1. Rick Gonzalez on February 12, 2013 at 2:52 PM

    Excellent drill for pitchers who have also hurt their groin on their push leg. My daughters drag foot is very heavy, sometimes digging a big hole in dirt, how can she fix that? I really think this is holding her back from pitching any faster.



  2. Scott McCorkle on April 22, 2013 at 3:50 PM

    My daughter pitched two games this weekend and played short stop for another. On Sunday she was complaining about her shoulder. I had a nurse practioner look her over, and she told us she had tendenitise in her shoulder. We had this problem last year. My daughter is starting to come into her own as a pitcher, and I was wondering how to we get her better? Also how to we get her stronger so we do not have this problem again. Also is there something we should do after the games that she pitches to prevent injury?



    • Phil on April 22, 2013 at 8:57 PM

      Thank you for the question Scott. You don’t mention how old your daughter is or whether she is doing any regular strength and conditioning work which is essential for the prevention of over-use injuries in developing athletes. As pitchers evolve and become stronger and more aggressive in their movements, it is more and more important for them to condition their bodies to adapt to the increased stresses associated with that evolution. It also becomes crucial that the athlete be very solid mechanically. Having not seen your daughter pitch, that is not something I can comment on. I can tell you that the type of inflammation you describe, if that is an accurate diagnosis, is quite common especially in multi-positional players. The combination of high intensity windmill and overhand deliveries in close succession can accelerate the microscopic tearing and inflammation of muscle fibers as well as connective tissue such as tendons. Applying ice to the affected area (10 minutes on; 30 minutes off) for the 12 hours or so after playing may be a good way to keep the inflammation in check. Make sure you check with your family physician before embarking on any training or treatment protocols. I will ask Joe Bonya to take a look at your question and add anything he thinks might be helpful. In the meantime, reviewing his posts on the website will likely point you in the right direction for exercises that will develop the strength and stability your daughter will need for peak performance. Good luck.