A Fastpitch Softball Diet

Hey everyone,

Sorry for not posting in a while. I have been getting through the holiday season and working through finishing up in Mexico and preparing for the USA tryout camp. Good fortune allowed us to win the Liga Premier in Delicias, Chihuahua Mexico, and got me another year with the national team. Oh, and to top it all off I got engaged.

Now the focus has shifted to preparing for the ISF World Championships in June. Weight training, softball training, and eating right are now paramount to the quest of a medal this summer. Last year at this time, I decided to start eating better. I read the book "It Starts with Food" by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig and did their Whole30 diet. Essentially, I ate a strict paleo diet for a couple of months, dropped 25 pounds and gained 30 on my squat. Getting leaner also made me faster, and I think I had my best year ever in softball.

Paleo dieting has a lot of ins and outs that can get complicated so I decided to give a guide for people who want to try eating clean, shredding up and getting stronger at the same time. The workout part is on you for now. Matty Roy has posted some good stuff in this blog so go back and check that out. For the diet part, try this out. Now all of it can be followed to the T, or a try. But if you want real results you really need to get serious about it for at least a month.

The first seven days suck, I am not going to lie. However, after a while, you will get into Ketosis, burning fat instead of sugar. You will bring your insulin levels back to normal, and start to feel awesome. The weight comes off fast after about 10 days. Also, as long as it's good food, eat as much as you want. Seriously, it's crazy but you can eat a ton, and lose weight, along with get healthier, have better workouts, and crush your expectations for this season.

Here is the breakdown:

1. Vegetable and fruits that you should have at least one serving per day:

• Crucifiers: Brussel Sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, broccoli sprouts
• Leafy Greens: parsley, kale, watercress, chard, cilantro, beet greens, escarole, dandelion greens, and mustard greens
• Citrus: oranges, lemons, and limes (avoid grapefruit)
• Sulfur-rich foods: eggs, garlic, onions, and daikon radish
• Liver healers: artichoke, asparagus, beets, celery, dandelion root tea, whey and nutritional yeast flakes

2. Colon-caring foods at least 2 servings per day:

• Carrots
• Apples
• Pears
• Berries
• Milled or ground flaxseeds
• Powdered Psyllium husks

3. Water, lots of water. If you weigh 200 lbs. you should drink at least 100 oz.

4. At least 2 servings of protein, which includes:

• Lean beef
• Turkey
• Venison
• Chicken
• Fish (at least once a week)
• Avoid: Processed meats such as cold cuts, precooked ham, anything fried, anything fast food

5. 1-2 teaspoons of Olive oil or flaxseed oil. When cooking, use extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil.

6. If you are active, you may get tired. For extra calories, you can add sweet potatoes, yams, squashes, etc. for additional carbohydrates. However, avoid red or white potatoes, rice, breads (white or whole wheat; in reality there is no difference).

7. Avoid completely:

• Sugar including maple syrup and honey (you can have honey if absolutely necessary but in total moderation
• Artificial sweetners
• Anything with gluten
• Soy proteins
• Alcohol, medications, and caffeine (Black coffee if necessary, no more than a cup daily)

Strength and Speed

The strongest people lift the most weight and the fastest people move the fastest...

Let it resonate...

We as coaches spend a lot of time trying to find a way to coax peak performance out of our athletes, making them stronger, making them faster, better technique, more of everything. However I find that often we forget the most basic part of training: the strongest lift the most the fastest move the fastest. 

I've just started with a group of young softball and baseball players, strength training to gain strength and speed, the two most important elements in the game of softball. I am first instructing them on the proper way to do the lifts, for obvious reasons. The next thing I tell them is "go fast!" Lift the weight like you're trying to throw it through the ceiling, or pull it through the floor. 

We have 6 core lifts: power clean, dead lift, bench, pull-up, squat, push press. These lifts, or some variation, are the core to most workouts that train strength, and all can be done with an emphasis on speed. And we emphasize speed. This week I am merely introducing the lifts with proper form and giving them a light workout after with a METCON. But in the weeks to come, I will report on their transformation through numbers and try to illustrate what speed and strength is supposed to look like. Stay tuned!

More Bilateral Training from Mathieu Roy

The bilateral training In this article, we will see what’s the bilateral deficit as well as the benefits of bilateral training. Before developing these topics, here's a little reminder. Unilateral training includes exercises where each side is worked individually or alternately. A single leg press or a single leg curl and a split squat or lunges are examples of unilateral exercises. Bilateral exercises however include exercises that involve the simultaneous work of two members. Squat and deadlift are good examples. In theory, if you add the strength that can generate each of your members, the amount will be higher than if you perform the same movement with the two members simultaneously. For example, if I add the load lifted by each of my leg on the leg curl, the weight lifted will be higher than if I would do it with my two legs together. This phenomenon is called the bilateral deficit (BLD). It should be noted that normally the BLD is greater for beginners than for experienced people in training. It is therefore relevant to those who begin training to run a few bilateral exercises to reduce their BDL. In addition, bilateral exercises are often easier to implement because it is easier to control the movement since our base of support is larger. Bilateral exercises also help to lift heavier loads and have better gain on your strength in general than unilateral exercises.
So as you can see there are more advantages to use unilateral exercises if you want to improve your physical qualities for a sport, prevent injuries and even when we want to increase your muscle mass. Indeed, given that unilateral exercises allow a better recruitment of type 2 fibers (high activation threshold fibers) and that these fibers are better in order to gain mass, you can get great gain in muscle mass.
In summary, a good training program will include a variety of exercises that will develop all you need and is specific to your sport muscle physical qualities (j’enlèverais les 3 derniers mots, c’est mélangeant). Depending on the experience in training of the athlete, the amount of bilateral and unilateral exercises will be different.

Things that make you go hmmm...

I haven't written a ton of anecdotal posts on this blog, staying with evidence-based papers so that I don't fall into the typical softball pitching junk that plasters the internet constantly. However, I noticed something this past week about results that was a little profound, and it has to do with diet. I am weird. I admit that I think about things a little differently and I have learned to live with that. But everyday, for me, is another experiment, as someone who works out, eats right, and works with pitchers and hitters. I am constantly noticing and picking up on trends and when I see something that sticks out, I note it for further observation.

I noticed something this past week about my eating habits vs. my roommate that was really interesting. We have a rhythm to life. I work at night and he goes to bed early so I rarely see him when I get home, or during the day. When we do talk, he tells me that he is trying to eat healthy, and since he has some training as a chef, he has some options on how to do that. I also see that he puts a lot of vegetables in the fridge, so I assume that he is walking that path. I also see what dishes he uses because usually when I start cooking I am putting his dry dishes away. Here is where my observation started...

I cook all of my meals unless I am on the road, and as you know from earlier posts, I am eating paleo. The premise behind paleo is good, whole foods like meats, vegetables, fruits and eggs, staying away from the processed versions that put preservatives and other crap in your food. This lifestyle has helped me drop 22 lbs. and still gain 30 lbs. on my squat. I love what I am doing and I totally believe that everyone can benefit from what I am doing.

My roommate has his own version of eating healthy, which is totally fine. He likes to drink veggie shakes and cook his rice for his meals. I used to think that these things were good for a diet, but I realized that if you drink your nutrition, your digestive system will absorb the nutrition quickly and you won't feel as satiated. Therefore, you will seek more food, which destroys the point of eating healthy. Also, I think that our minds have been swayed by a lot of propaganda about grains like rice, which I remember thinking was healthy, and then brown rice which was supposed to be the healthy version of a healthy thing. Then I learned that, no matter what, rice is overloaded with carbs and has little nutrition outside of that (even brown rice). So we get hyperglycemic after our meal that we thought was healthy, and sure enough, can't understand why we can't look like Brad Pitt in Fight Club.

I learned all of this, and have changed my lifestyle accordingly. But with that change I realized something that was almost comical about how I eat... I never use spoons. I started to think about why but then I came to a crazy revelation... isn't just about anything you eat with a spoon unhealthy? I mean the obvious ice cream is well known to be bad, but rice, oatmeal, soup, etc. aren't good either. Now I can attest to the fact that I used to eat rice and pasta with a fork, but think about what you would eat with a spoon. Weird right?

Now, let me say that my roommates healthy habits haven't extended into the weekend yet either, averaging a pizza box and a pint of ice cream per weekend as well. But think about the fact that he hits a floor every time he eats healthy and can't lose any more, whereas I blasted through mine in a month. I know that my theory isn't completely sound, but the observation may be something you notice as well. Soon I will be bold enough to show a picture of my progress, not quite yet. However, to update everyone, on Friday I weighed in at 196 lbs. I came back to Texas at Christmas at 225 lbs. and started the lifestyle at 218 lbs. on January 27th.

So put down the spoons and eat some good food!

To Compete or Not to Compete...

In short, this translates as my team that I played 4 games for during the regular season had to forfeit the entire 3-game championship series because Golden San Roman and I came to play.

The paragraph that has my name in it says:

"We wish to clarify that the baseball player Josh Johnson, came to participate in the Independent League of Juarez City invited by Mr. marco antonio solis and agreement to play with each and every one of the teams in the League and not just one, all this as a project of Mr. marco Solis to raise the level of play."

First off, it's pretty cool that they think that I am that good. It stinks that we couldn't play the playoffs because it was the two best teams in the league regardless. Second, I have never been a part of something like this, but to be honest the idea is a pretty good one. The short-sightedness of the tournaments that I used to get kicked out of back in Wisconsin when I was barely even ok as a pitcher (directors know who they are) or for that matter things like not letting Jeramie Holman throw in the league that he and I grew up in because he's "too good" now, really shows how ignorant people can be. And I should be fair to the directors, who are still accountable because they end up letting it happen, but it's the people that compete against us that complain about the level of competition.

I really appreciate my team, Poder Judicial, and teammates for the games I got to play this year. I really enjoy playing in Juarez and I can't wait for the next league to start, in about a month. Interesting how the US is the only country in the world that regulates it's leagues and the players in them. Also interesting how other countries actually encourage better players to play. I know that Tony Mancha will be playing when he can during the next league, raising the level all the way around. I hope that they also get the Malendez brothers, Lancho and Gabbe as well.

I can't wait for this season! With the Las Vegas tournament coming up in just a month, I can almost smell the grass, the burning smell after a foul ball, and feel the sensation of winning. The Cali A's will be very competitive and the tour with Team USA looms as a chance to re-invent the program. Can anyone else feel it? Every season is another great year of sun and competition. Sun and competition. What else could anyone want?

Want a new life?

Today is the 30th day of my new lifestyle. I have lost 15 lbs. and I am stronger than I have ever been. I decided to make a change to be healthier, feel better, and to stop relying on synthetic processed products to make me compete at the highest level. And I did it with food.

Just after my last season playing for the Bar of Green Bay, I tipped the scales at 235 lbs. and was in constant pain while I played. For some reason, I tended to gain weight during the season. It wasn't really a secret that season, tho. We didn't win often so we spent plenty of time drowning our sorrows in the bar after the games, knowing that we didn't have to play the next day. After that season, I decided to clean up my diet and managed to lose 30 lbs. only to put a few back on. I started the following year at 210 but sure enough wound up at 220 once again.

I have been on that cycle until this past January. After getting a book called "It Starts with Food" by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig for Christmas, I decided to make a radical lifestyle change and begin eating what is commonly referred to as the caveman or paleo diet. In a nutshell, the diet consists of eating meat, eggs, vegetables and fruit. The idea is simple enough, when we were roaming the land as early humans we ate things that were whole. There was no agriculture or processed foods, we killed animals, foraged in forests, and ate things as they were.

Now, of course, there will never truly be the same foods as then. Wild food, without acid rain or pesticide run off, exists only in the most remote areas. Now, the solution is organically grown food, which is better than major agriculture and processed foods, is still not the same as it used to be. But it's a viable solution. In reality, nomadic people are at the mercy of whats around them. I can actually go to the store and get food native to just about anywhere, and it's an awesome thing!

In reality, I eat like a king! Just today I had 5 eggs scrambled mixed with spinach, onions and tomatoes, bacon and raspberries for breakfast. For lunch I ate 16 oz. of steak grilled asparagus and avacado with grapes and for dinner I had a salad with mixed greens, broccoli, carrots, avacado, tomatoes, onions, and grilled salmon with pesto and an orange. That's it. Three meals a day and they're great meals. Oh, and I kept track of how much money I paid for all the food I have eaten in the past 30 days... $465. If I had a #7 at Taco Bell everyday, 3 meals a day for 30 days it would be about $450. Weird.

Thing is we have been conditioned by bad food. Oreos are delicious, but they attack your chemistry with synthetic sugars, processed from sugar cane. The sugar attacks your senses, making you want more and more, and it's shocking, but if you think about it, would you ever stop? Think about it. I am capable of eating the entire box in one sitting, because my brain won't tell me to stop. Since there is no nutritional value in an Oreo, your brain never thinks that you are satisfied or "full". But that's not the worst thing. All those carbs you eat makes your internal chemistry numb to the constant carb overload. You become insensitive and all out of whack, eventually needing those carbs to function, and never tapping into the fat stores that now cover your body and get you ever closer to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and a multitude of other problems.

It's honestly sad. Now that I am a little tuned in I heard a story about when the FDA initially wanted to do a food pyramid. You have all seen it if you live in the states. Remember? 6-11 servings of grains, right at the bottom as the basis for our nutrition. Ironically, the woman that proposed the original food pyramid to the FDA actually had 3-5 servings of meat as the base of the pyramid (I am sorry, I forgot her name). She suggested only 1-2 servings of bread. The shocker is this: our government, during the cold war, decided that it would be impossible to give food stamps for meats and vegetables because it would have been too expensive and there wasn't a surplus due to the impending nuclear war. So the basis for our nutrition, taught in every school in the country, was formed as propaganda for financial reasons!!!! WOW!!!

Fortunately, we can recover from our past discretion. We can choose to eat what we should have known for years, and we can afford to do so. If for no other reason than to simply know the truth, read the book and do some investigating. You can visit their website at http://whole9life.com/ and check it out. I have already suggested this to my closest friends and the people I care about the most. I hope you take a look for your sake, and your family's sake as well.

Unilateral vs. Bilateral Resistance Training for Softball (Mathieu Roy)

In this column, I analyze the difference between unilateral and bilateral training workout and I explain the importance of these types of training for ball sports. First, you should know that unilateral training includes exercises where each side works individually or alternated movements. A leg press or a leg curl with one leg and lunges are examples of unilateral exercises for the lower extremities. A rowing with one arm using the pulley or DB press alternated are examples for the upper extremities. Moreover, bilateral exercises involve simultaneous workout of two sides. Squat and deadlift are examples for the lower body, bench press and bent over row are examples for the upper body. Both methods are effective, but unilateral training offers some benefits that cannot be obtained with the bilateral training. Here are some benefits: 1 – According to several authors, unilateral workout promotes the stimulation of groups of muscle fibers that generate rapid muscle contractions (high activation threshold motor units). Therefore, the muscle will improve its ability to contract quickly and a muscle that contracts faster is more explosive, so increase power will be obtained. 2 - In ball sports, most actions such as throwing and running are performed using one arm or alternately. Therefore, it is important to incorporate unilateral movements in our workouts so we can learn to generate power efficiently with one side only and then be more specific to our sport. 3 - When we work unilaterally the lower extremities, we reduce our base of support, so we get unbalanced. This way, we increase significantly the involvement of stabilizing muscles. The load you can lift will however decrease because you will be unstable, but muscle stimulations will be enhanced. 4 - Repeating actions at high speed using the same arm or by rotating the same side create muscle imbalances over time. These imbalances can cause injuries that can decrease your performance and even keep you out of the game for a certain period of time. Unilateral exercises allow you to limit these imbalances, so it is a great way to prevent injuries. Overall, unilateral exercises should be incorporated into a training program for a ball player. However, we must not neglect the bilateral exercises, because these movements help to reduce bilateral deficit and allow you to greatly improve your strength, which will be the next subject of the next column ...

Pride and Pain, big study on owies...

Descriptive Epidemiology of Collegiate Women’s Softball Injuries: National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance System, 1988-1989 Through 2003-2004

Marshall, S.W., Kamstra-Wright, K.L., Dick, R., Grove, K.A., & Agel, J. (2007). Descriptive Epidemiology of Collegiate Women’s Softball Injuries: National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance System, 1988-1989 Through 2003-2004. Journal of Athletic Training, 42(2), 286-294.

This study was less of a study and more of a report of injury incidence during the early years of college softball. An average of 88 schools participated each year within the three NCAA divisions, including 171 in 2000 as the most in one year. On average, 48 games were played by Division I schools, 45 by Division II schools, and 32 by Division III schools, with an average of 12 participants per game for all divisions. Division I and II schools averaged 51 practices with 16 and 15 participants, respectively, per season. Division III schools averaged 47 practices per year with 16 participants per practice.

I feel the only way to report this study is by giving short highlights:

• The average injury incidence per 1000 athletic exposures (AE) for games was 4.3 and for practices was 2.7.
• The highest year for game injury rate was 5.2 and lowest was 3.1 per 1000 AE.
• The highest year for practice injury rate was 3.6 and lowest was 1.9 per 1000 AE.
• In-season game and practice injury rates were higher (4.53 per 1000 AE) than post-season game and practice injury rates (2.39 per 1000 AE).
• Preseason game injury rates averaged 2.65 per 1000 AE but preseason practice injury rates were 3.65 per 1000 AE.
• Of the total injuries, 42% were lower extremity injuries and 33% were upper extremity. 12.3% were trunk or back.
• The most common injury was an ankle sprain for games (10.3 %) and practices (9.5%).
• The most common shoulder injuries during games were muscle/tendon strain (2.8%), tendonitis (1.5%) and subluxation (1.5%).
• Most game injuries resulted from contact with something (not a competitor) at a rate of 51.2%. Sliding accounted for 23% of the total game injuries.
• 27% of game injuries resulted without any contact versus 55% of the injuries in practice were not contact related.
• Of the injuries in games, 24.8% required more than 10 days of recovery. 22% of practice injuries involved more than 10 days of recovery.
• The most common severe injuries costing more than 10 days for recovery were internal knee damage (22.6%), ankle ligament sprain (7.8%), broken fingers (6.5%), and broken hands (6.2%).
• The most common severe practice injuries were internal knee damage (15%), ankle ligament sprain (6.6%), and shoulder tendonitis (5.5%).
• Only 10.8% of the total injured players were pitchers. The most injured players were base runners (28.8%).
• The most common game injury mechanisms were contact with an opposing player (18.3%), contact with the ground (13.6%), and no contact/non-throwing (13.4%). Pitchers’ throwing injuries accounted for 6.3% of the total.
• Softball players averaged 3.3 feet first slides per game vs. 1.34 head first slides. Injury rate per 1000 slides was 12.76, which is significantly higher than in baseball at 6.20 injuries per 1000 slides.
• Out of 2150 game injuries reported, 241 came from contact with a batted ball (11.2% of total), the majority of those were incurred by the batter (60) and the pitcher (54).

This ended up being an interesting study, as others have always pointed out that, in self-reported studies, most pitching injuries were in the shoulder (Hill, et al., 2004). Self-reports are based upon memory, and therefore some stuff may be inadvertently omitted due to their importance, pain factor, or that they were the most recent. The injury incidence was similar to previous studies as well (Hill, et al., 2004; Loosli, et al., 1992). Interestingly, pitchers are not the most injured players on the team, contrary to those early studies.

As a college coach, I know that we don’t practice sliding and diving often. In five years of coaching, I have never been a part of a division I program that worked on sliding and diving technique work. We only worked on it 2 or 3 times at my junior college school, usually when it rained. Obviously, this study reveals that significant technique and skill work should be devoted to sliding and diving.

Keep drawing conclusions and read the study. Like a good book, each time I read this one I see something new and interesting. The more we learn from it and keep our kids on the field, the more successful we can be.

 

Recent Softball Injury Article from the Athletic Trainer Perspective

Shoulder Range of Motion, Pitch Count, and Injuries among Interscholastic Softball Pitchers: A Descriptive Study

Shanley, E., Michener, L.A., Ellenbecker, T.S., & Rauh, M.J. (2012). Shoulder Range of Motion, Pitch Count, and Injuries among Interscholastic Softball Pitchers: A Descriptive Study. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 7(5), 548-557.

Injury incidence has been discussed in previous studies (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006; Hill, et al., 2004; Knowles, 2010; Loosli, et al., 1992; Shanley, Rauh ,Michener & Ellenbecker, 2011) that have found between 0.95 and 5.6 per 1000 athletic exposures for softball players. On the whole, the research has shown that the highest rate of injury is in the upper extremities. Also, new research has reported higher risks, 2- to 3- fold, of shoulder and rotator cuff re-injury (Rauh, Macera, Ji & Wiksten, 2007). This could possibly be due to a tendency for overuse to occur in pitchers particularly, but in many of the other position players as well. Further research has shown that the majority of shoulder injuries occur early in the season and in conjunction with the increase in game participation (Shanley, Rauh ,Michener & Ellenbecker, 2011).

In baseball studies, extrinsic performance factors such as innings pitched, pitch types, pitching with fatigue or pain, and pitch counts have been hypothesized as possible reasons for non-contact baseball related injuries (Freehill, et al., 2011; Laudner, Sipes, & Wilson, 2008; Lyman, Fleisig, Andrews, & Oskinski, 2002). Range of motion (ROM), internal rotation greater than 20° without concurrent increases in external rotation ROM combined with reduction in side-to-side horizontal abduction are intrinsic factors associated with posterior shoulder tightness and contributors to shoulder pathology (Burkhart, Morgan, & Kibler, 2000; Burkhart, Morgan, & Kibler, 2003; Myers, et al., 2006; Ruotolo, Price, & Panchal, 2006; Wells & Draper, 2006). Also, because baseball and softball are non-continuous sports, meaning that there are significant rest periods. For non-continuous sports, factors such as games played, are not accurate measures for assessing risk of overall play (Crocket, et al., 2002). Therefore, factors such as pitch count, or total plays, are more descriptive for assessment for baseball (Crocket, et al., 2002). Crocket, et al. (2002) also concluded that pitch count was the most accurate determination of the stresses of baseball pitching.

Pitch counts have been used in softball as well, but haven’t produced the same results. So far pitch counts have not been associated with injury at the collegiate level. And, even though many organizations control pitch counts for baseball players, pitch counts in softball are still not utilized.

In the current study, 12 high school pitchers age 13-18 (mean = 15.2 years) were recruited to participate in a year-long study. They analyzed internal and external shoulder rotation passive range of motion (PROM), shoulder abduction PROM, pitch counts, and previous injury history. They didn’t, however, compare the data points due to the small numbers of subjects and injuries (only 17% time loss from previous injuries).

Six of the pitchers threw in more than 60% of their games. Three of the pitchers threw in less than 25% of their games. The pitchers threw in 4.3 innings per outing and threw 14.9 pitches per inning on average. They averaged 61.8 innings and 745.8 pitches per year. They also averaged 119.1° of external shoulder rotation PROM and 60.6° of internal shoulder rotation PROM for a total average PROM of 179.7°. The mean horizontal abduction PROM was 30.5°.

Although not possible for comparison analyses, two of the pitchers did get hurt. The table below illustrates the means of the injured vs. non-injured pitchers:

	Injured	Non-Injured
Total Pitches per Season	1170.5	660.8
Total Pitches per Game	78.3	58.2
Total Games Pitched	14.5	9.4

They also found that the injured pitchers appeared to average less dominant horizontal abduction than non-injured pitchers at 20.3° for the injured pitchers vs. 32.6° for the non-injured pitchers in their dominant arms.

Although the two injured pitchers did have higher pitch counts, standard deviations showed that some of the non-injured did have some overlap with their pitch counts. It’s a delicate balance between training and game pitching, as well as maintaining a proper preventative strengthening protocol to keep the pitchers healthy. One thing that wasn’t discussed in this study, or any previous study, was the number of pitches thrown in training, particularly in pre-season workouts. As stated before, most injuries happen early in the competitive season. Doing too much and over-stressing the pitcher in the preseason, or the opposite, throwing too little and leaving the pitchers unprepared, could both be factors to early season injury.

In-season protocols are also an issue. Pitch counts between games may also be an integral factor in a pitcher’s health. Many coaches still feel that a pitcher can throw every day, even though there isn’t a physical activity in the world where every day activity is healthy. Appropriate rest and control of inflammation is essential for strength development and recovery.

This was a good study, but it needs repeating. If PROM is important in the preseason, then more than likely it will continue to be important throughout the season. Maybe there are risk factors that develop throughout the season that need to be monitored on a regular basis. Future studies should include regular monitoring of shoulder PROMs. Also, a larger sample is necessary for comparison data. Future studies should also look into pitch counts throughout the year, monitoring, not only the competitions, but also pitches in training, and rest. Year long pitch logs would be appropriate, possibly.

The windmill softball pitch: Injury prevention implications

Oliver G.D. (2011). The windmill softball pitch: Injury prevention implications. International Journal of Athletic Therapy & Training, 16(1), 27-31.

As in the last post, the link between the different body segments, also known as the kinetic chain, is vital to both performance and injury prevention. There is also a neuromuscular connection involving a relationship between core muscle activation and the activation of those muscles that control the movement of the extremities (Putnam, 1993; Zattara, Bouisset, & Posturo, 1988).

This article was written as a exercise program concept to help prevent injuries in softball pitchers. The main focus of the program, as with all effective injury prevention programs, is the focus on the core functioning as it relates to the chain. Many upper extremity movements actually involve preceding lower extremity movements that fire the gluteal muscles, hamstrings and core to provide stability for the movement (Cordo & Nasher, 1982). Kinesthetic awareness and postural control are paramount to optimal performance.

Studies have found that athletes who have weaknesses or imbalances in the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex are predisposed to injury (Bliss & Teeple, 2005; Hewett, Ford & Myer, 2006; Ireland, 2002; Leetun, et al., 2004; Myer, Ford, Palumbo & Hewett, 2005; Wilson, Dougherty, Ireland & Davis, 2005; Zazulak, Cholewicki & Reeves, 2008). Many upper and lower body movements involve this area, but not all specifically target it. But, a simple routine involving only 2 minutes per day of isometric exercise with postural control, twice a week for four weeks, can be beneficial to create more lumbo-pelvic-hip stability (Oliver, Adams-Blair & Dougherty, 2010).

In developing a program for your athletes, remember that simple programming can be taken to the field. Also, making a routine, probably near the end of practice, as a team cool down function, or requisite activity before leaving, can keep your players on the field. Here are some exercises that you can do at the field that will help. Remember that doing them properly is more important than doing them for a specific time:

• Planks
• Front
• Side
• Front with contralateral leg and arm extension
• Bird dogs
• Side-lying hip abduction
• Clams
• Side shuffle with bands on the feet (or ankles)
• 45° forward and backward walks with bands on the feet (or ankles)
• Front knee drives with bands on the feet (or ankles)
• Hip bridge
• Back on a bench, bridge while hugging the knee
• Back on the ground, bridge while hugging a knee
• Feet on a medicine ball (one or two feet)
• Single-leg RDL with arm and shoulder extension holding a bat
• Floor mobility exercises
• Leg lifts
• Leg crossovers on the back and stomach
• Rollouts with legs straight, at a 45° and in a butterfly

Stretches include:

• Knee hugs
• Butterfly
• Pigeon pose
• Single-leg RDL (walking or standing still)
• Figure four leg lift
• Quad stretch and reach
• Spiderman walks
• The 3 warrior poses

The windmill softball pitch: Optimal mechanics and pathomechanics of injury

Oliver G.D. (2010) The windmill softball pitch: Optimal mechanics and pathomechanics of injury.  Athletic Therapy Today, 15(6), 28-31.

Most articles written about softball mechanics actually start out with an emphasis on injury. Much of that is the necessity to try and avoid injury, which, in sports like baseball, were addressed through mechanics. And, grant agencies have justified the importance of the research as softball sees 27% more injury incidence than baseball (Powell and Barber-Foss, 2000). Although severe injuries are less common (Axe, Windley, & Snyder-Mackler, 2002), debilitating overuse injuries are common (Loosli, et al., 1992).

Effectiveness in muscle motor patterns have always been based upon the efficiency of energy transfer. Kibler (1995) generalized the efficiency of any upper extremity movement to have a 50-55% contribution of that energy from the lower extremity. As that seems closer to a guess than a conclusion, most wouldn’t argue the importance of the lower half to any athletic movement.

In order for the lower half to transfer energy, a stable middle is paramount. The pelvis has been deemed “the platform” for the scapula, which in turn has been labeled the platform for the arm (Houglum, 2005; Kibler, 1998; Oliver & Keeley, 2010). Just like any platform, political, theatrical, or biomechanical, stability is the key. Therefore, the muscles surrounding the pelvis and scapula have to be healthy, strong, and contract with the proper motor pattern. Understanding the entirety of the process of energy transfer in the softball pitch is still in progress, and, even though some studies have analyzed the kinetics and kinematics of the underhand throw, there is far less knowledge than there is for baseball pitching (Barrentine, et al., 1998; Guido, Werner, & Meister, 2009; Oliver, Plummer, & Keeley, 2010; Werner, et al., 2005; Werner, et al., 2006).

The author illustrated the phases of the pitch. I will be honest, I am not a fan of the breakdown. I am not sure if there is conflict between researchers, but this study was an attempt to veer from the established nomenclature of previous research. I am not sure that the attempt was viable to clear up any confusion. The first phase didn’t actually involve the full push off, and the 5^th phase didn’t involve a full follow through. I feel like it’s rather limited in it’s approach.

That being said, the author did note some important things. First, she noted that the length of the pitcher’s stride correlates with ball velocity (Guido, Werner, & Meister, 2009; Oliver, Plummer, & Keeley, 2010; Werner, et al., 2006), even though in her own study, she found contrary results (Oliver & Plummer, 2011). Second, she noted that, at the top of the backswing, which is approximately 12 o’clock, the humerus is externally rotated, noting the connection with “arm cocking” in baseball.

Third, closing on ball release, the author noted the “posting” position, where the gluteal group fires to extend the hip and stabilize the pelvis, noting that the hips then rotate with ball release. Also, the scapular muscles fire to stabilize, and as the arm internally rotates the bicep begins to fire. They also note that the posting shortens the follow-through and causes the pitcher to move away from the target.

This is the first article that I have reviewed that mentions the kinetic chain. In lay terms, the kinetic chain is a sequence of events that occur in the body, starting in the middle, to force the appendages to accelerate. Generally, in most athletic movements (except kicking), the legs go first, forcing the body to act like a rubber band of sorts, gathering energy and as the energy moves up the body, the legs then initiate the rapid deceleration as well.

Food for thought: How many of you are guilty of telling kids that he hands should lead the swing? Funny right? And then, if you don’t think that the bottom half rotation shouldn’t start the swing, find me video of an elite hitter than doesn’t do that. Better yet, find me video of any elite swinger (tennis, golf, baseball, cricket, hockey) that doesn’t start with the legs.

Happy thinking!

Muscle activation patterns of the upper and lower extremity during the windmill softball pitch

Oliver G.D., Plummer H.P., & Keeley D.W. (2011) Muscle activation patterns of the upper and lower extremity during the windmill softball pitch. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 25(6),1653-1658.

A total of 7 pitchers were recruited with average age, height and weight 17.7 years, 1.69 m, and 69.1 kg, respectively. EMG readings were taken from the Biceps and Triceps Brachii, Rhomboids, Gluteus Maximus and Medius. Each threw 5 strikes, the fastest of which was used for analysis.

Gluteus Maximus activity was most intense during the wind-up, with the pivot foot leg extension (196.3%), and at stride foot contact, in the stride leg (180.1%). Gluteus Medius activity peaked during hip rotation/stabilization in phases 3 and 4 starting at 101.2% and moving to 93.2% through release. Biceps activity peaked through release at 73.2%. The triceps were actively firing the entire motion under 150% and the rhomboids peaked during the middle of the windmill for scapular retraction.

Biceps activity in this study was similar to Rojas, et al. (2009), which is interesting, but previously discussed. The triceps activity was curious in that it constantly fired. However, I would be interested in further studies that involved a discussion of the importance of this finding and why it’s happening. I find the research on the rhomboids to be interesting. Scapular stabilization has been studied over and over in baseball pitching. Due to the intense forces that the overhand motion creates, the scapula must elevate to avoid impingement, while also providing a solid base for the rotator cuff muscles to properly hold the arm in place. The scapular movement has been discussed, but never truly studied in the sense of proper movement, risk factors, etc. Until then, drawing conclusions on what rhomboid activity is meant for is dangerous. However, it does appear to have some activity in retracting the shoulder during arm elevation.

The glute activity in this study is the most intriguing to me. The Gluteus Maximus, the main hip extensor, fires during phase one for the push off. This is consistent with jumping research that has overwhelmingly concluded that hip extension is the main mover in all jumps, particularly horizontal jumping. Then the same muscle in the other leg works eccentrically to decelerate the body during the landing, and maybe extending a little bit as well during pelvic stabilization. The author states that the Gluteus Maximus is most used for weight shifting, but being a pitcher and after reviewing the literature on jumping, I think I can conclude with confidence that the 196.3% activation is a little more than just a weight shift.

Another interesting anecdote is that the author in concluded that the pivot foot gluteus maximus and medius was more active than the stride leg. This is tough to comprehend knowing that during stride foot plant, almost no forces are working on the pivot foot leg, meaning that everything should be loaded on the stride leg. I am curious to see more research looking at leg muscle firing to determine what is really happening. More subjects and better pitchers would be ideal to study. 

Speed up to slow down

Lower-Extremity Ground Reaction Forces in Youth Windmill Softball Pitchers.

Guido, J.A., Werner, S.L., & Meister, K. (2009). Lower-Extremity Ground Reaction Forces in Youth Windmill Softball Pitchers. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 23(6), 1873-1876.

In Werner, Et al. (2005), ground reaction forces were presented but not really discussed in their relationship to the rest of the pitch. The researchers here took that data from the 53 pitchers ages 12-18 (mean 14 years old), average height of 1.65 m and weight of 59 kg, and compared it to the baseball pitch (MacWilliams, et al., 1998). Each threw 10 fastballs and the three fastest were chosen for analysis. The average velocity was 55 mph, average knee angle at stride foot contact (SFC) was 30˚ and average stride length was 1.03 m (62% height).

Braking force peaked at 115 %BW just after SFC and was 0 %BW at release (REL). Medial forces peaked at 42 %BW at .061 s after SFC and vertical forces peaked at 139 %BW also .061 s after SFC. Stride length correlated (r=.765,  p<.05) with ball velocity. Also, time from SFC to peak braking force (r=.764, p<.05) and time to peak vertical force (r=.710, p<.05) correlated with ball velocity. Furthermore, the time from the top of the backswing to release also correlated with time from SFC to peak braking force (r=.788, p<.05) and SFC to peak vertical force (r=.808, p<.05).

In their comparison with MacWilliams’, et al. (1998) data with baseball pitchers, very few similarities were noted. The authors attributed much of the difference to the angle of the baseball mound, which is downhill versus the flat softball mound. They also noted, as did MacWilliams, et al. (1998) that the stride leg serves as an anchor in transferring momentum from the vertical and horizontal components of the leg drive to the arm. Therefore, the more force to stabilize the body against it’s forward energy derived from the leg drive, the better. And they noted that the more leg drive that the pitcher can produce, the more velocity the pitcher will be capable of producing. Research to this point has not touched upon the leg drive component at all.

Studies have shown that the longer force is applied, the higher the performance in other areas of research as well, such as jumping research (Dowling & Vamos, 1993). Pitchers who can reach SFC with their body more “loaded” or with more time to apply force can generate a lot more force. There are a lot of ways to apply these data, one of which I see is in the arm circle. If the pitcher hits SFC with the ball still extended in front of their face vs. over their head, they will have more time around the arm circle to generate force. Although it is difficult to teach, this might be a secret to increasing velocity.

However, there are still gaps to be filled. Without knowing anything about the leg drive component, we cannot apply proper mechanical analyses to any of the end components. Pitchers may be weak because they are recovering from poor leg drive, or they may be braking twice as much from the speed they developed. As always, we need more research. 

If you didn't know, your butt is important...

"It says here that one of your interests is Dabutt???"

"Oh that's da butt. I also enjoy reading."

~Dialog from the movie Lady's Man

Ground Reaction Forces, Kinematics, and Muscle Activations during the Softball Pitch.

Oliver, G.D. & Plummer, H. (2011). Ground Reaction Forces, Kinematics, and Muscle Activations during the Softball Pitch. Journal of Sport Sciences, 29 (10), 1071-1077.

Oliver and Plummer (2011) took 10 female pitchers with an average age of 17.6 years, height of 1.66 m and weight of 67.4 kg and had them throw into a net, selecting the fastest pitch for the study. The average velocity of their pitches was 54.1 mph.

The study listed a few findings that have been contrary to other studies done with similar models. First, according to the current study, pitchers with longer stride lengths threw the ball slower, than those with short stride lengths. This flies in the face of earlier research by Guido, et al. (2009) and Werner, et al. (2006) who both stated that stride length was positively related to ball velocity. Second, there were huge discrepancies in ground forces when compared with Werner, et al. (2005). This table illustrates the differences in the data:

Forces are all in % BW	Oliver & Plummer, 2011	Werner, et al., 2005
Braking/horizontal force	36% BW	115% BW
Vertical force	179% BW	139% BW
Medial force	12%	42% BW

There are a lot of possible reasons for these discrepancies, including sample size, level of expertise, size and athleticism of the pitcher, etc. As research in softball pitching is in its infancy, there will be studies that contradict one another, and only multiple studies will reveal the truth. However, Oliver and Plummer (2011) had only 10 participants, only one trial per participant, and slow average velocities (54.1 mph) from the pitchers where Werner, et al. (2005) had more participants (53), took 3 trials per participant, and had a higher average velocity (55 mph) making it a little more valid. We can also postulate that the pitchers in 2011 had a more vertical motion, as is evident from the foot strike data, which would lead to shorter strides. This would also explain the findings on stride length vs. velocity.

Oliver and Plummer (2011) did however do muscle EMG ratings for the lower half muscles and found that gluteus maximus activation in the stride leg positively correlated with ball velocity. Also, the glutes seemed to be used to not only extend the hips but also stabilize them close to release. Furthermore, a lack of gluteal activity was evident by the great amount of stride knee abduction at foot contact. They also concluded that training the gluteal muscle group bilaterally is salient in the windmill softball pitch.

To put this in perspective, the gluteal muscles act as the main hip extensors of the body. This is more simply put as the muscles that stand you up when you bend over to pick something up. The straighter the hips are, the harder we can throw. The gluteus medius also helps in hip rotation and stabilization. Excercises such as lunges and step-ups can really target train this area, and also all of their variations. I have found that rotational step-ups and lunges are particularly excellent. As we are putting all of this together, we have noticed that the front side needs to be as straight and as stable as possible at release for optimum ball velocity. 

Kinematic Motion of the Windmill Softball Pitch in Prebuscent and Pubescent Girls

Oliver, G.D., Dwelly, P.M., K, Y.H. (2010). Kinematic Motion of the Windmill Softball Pitch in Prebuscent and Pubescent Girls. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24 (9), 2400-2407.

In this study, 17 pitchers participated and separated into 3 groups: novice, intermediate and advanced. Each threw 5 pitches, one of which was selected for analysis.

Results showed group differences in ball velocity and wrist speed, with the advanced and intermediate groups being higher in both. They also determined a proximal to distal sequence of acceleration and deceleration to generate higher velocities in both the arm. This means that the upper arm accelerated first, then decelerated as the lower arm accelerated. The lower arm decelerated as the hand accelerated, and so on. In the trunk, however, angular velocities were greatest at release. The novice group did not show this same process. Also, all of this sequence happens in the last hundredths of seconds prior to ball release. Other noteworthy items included the shoulder losing angular velocity just prior to ball release and that the peak velocity is in the hand.

Each segment on the proximal side initiates its distal component. The distal component will lag behind and acquires its speed to get to a greater velocity as the proximal segment is decelerated. That’s a fancy way of saying that the part of the body closest to the center accelerates the next part of the body that’s further from the center, which lags behind and accelerates as the part closest to the center of the body slows down. The sequence is followed until the hand and fingers are in full motion. This action is generally referred to as the “whip” action of the arm.

This dialog means that the emphasis to improve the mechanics of the arm should be placed upon the stability of the core, making it rigid through much of the motion but particularly at release. Also, the generation of the “snap” should be talked about and practiced as an entire kinetic chain. This means that you can stop doing static snaps, t-drills, and k-drills, and start adding movement components, such as a back swing, a small step, etc. to allow the chain to happen. If the novice group has such a rigid arm, or a moving trunk, we can assume that drills that mimic such movements are not in the pitcher’s best interest.

Shoulder Muscle Firing Patterns During the Windmill Softball Pitch

Maffett, M.W., Jobe, F.W., Pink, M.M., Brault, J., Mathiyakom, W. (1997). Shoulder Muscle Firing Patterns During the Windmill Softball Pitch. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 25(3), 369-374.

This study was actually a stand-alone study, and part of a comparison study in Escamilla and Andrews (2009). 45% of time-loss injuries were shoulder injuries and 27% of those were from overuse in Loosli, et al. (1992). This study tried to compare differences in the muscle firing patterns between elite underhand and overhand pitchers.

Participants in the softball portion were 10 collegiate pitchers with an average 20.1 years of age, and 53 mph per pitch. The external rotators peak muscle activation was between the 6 – 9 o’clock phase of the pitch (not after release like baseball), and the internal rotators peaked activation from 12 o’clock to release.  The most expressive way to put this is a table:

	6 – 3 o’clock	3 – 12 o’clock	12 – 9 o’clock	9 o’clock – REL	Follow-Through
External Rotators
Supraspinatus	78%	43%	22%	37%	19%
Infraspinatus	93%	92%	35%	29%	30%
Teres Minor	24%	87%	57%	41%	44%
Shoulder Flexion
Ant. Deltoid	38%	17%	22%	43%	28%
Pectoralis Major	17%	24%	63%	76%	33%
Post. Deltoid	37%	102%	52%	62%	34%
Internal Rotators
Subscapularis	34%	41%	81%	75%	26%
Serratus Anterior	38%	19%	45%	61%	40%

I highlighted those muscles that were most relevant during each movement. It’s interesting that the arm first externally rotates, then internally rotates. If we are looking to maximize the pitch in terms of muscle contraction, we should increase external rotation so that we can increase internal rotation. In real terms, that means that we would want the elbow facing away from the body and the ball and palm facing toward the body. I will let you conceptualize how that is supposed to work.

This also illustrates a few training notes:

• The Serratus Anterior is active the entire pitch, as it helps to maintain Scapular stability throughout the pitch. Scap pushups, etc. should become part of your routine.
• Those of you who stay away from bench because it’s “bad for your shoulder” should re-evaluate the value of training the Pectoralis Major
• Anterior and posterior Deltoid muscles are very active during the pitch. Therefore, you need to have a balanced shoulder routine with a lot of rear delt work since the anterior deltoid will work in all press movements.

Escamilla and Andrews (2009) also reviewed baseball muscle firing patterns for the overhand throw in their study. Here is a table with the firing patterns of similar muscles to the softball pitch:

	Stride	Arm Cocking	Arm Acceleration	Arm Deceleration	Follow-Through
External Rotators
Supraspinatus	60%	49%	51%	39%	10%
Infraspinatus	30%	74%	31%	37%	20%
Teres Minor	23%	71%	54%	84%	25%
Shoulder Flexion
Ant. Deltoid	40%	28%	27%	47%	21%
Pectoralis Major	11%	56%	54%	29%	31%
Post. Deltoid	42%	26%	68%	60%	13%
Internal Rotators
Subscapularis (Lower)	26%	62%	56%	41%	25%
Subscapularis (Upper)	37%	99%	115%	60%	16%
Serratus Ant.(6th rib)	44%	69%	60%	51%	32%
Serratus Ant. (4th rib)	40%	106%	50%	34%	41%

Quite a few studies have been done to illustrate the muscle firing patterns in the baseball pitch, as compared to the single study that has been done in the windmill softball pitch, so the data may not be as accurate. However, we can generalize a few conclusions in comparison to the baseball pitch that might help us understand more. Also, just as a note, the arm deceleration phase in the overhand pitch is more akin to the softball follow through. In the overhand pitch follow-through, the pitchers arm has all but stopped after the arm deceleration.

The first glaring thing I see is that the external rotators take more of the brunt of the action during the overhand deceleration (39% - 84% activation) than in the follow-through of the softball pitch (19% - 44% activation). This is probably why we don’t see the same injury rate in the rotator cuff in softball. That being said, the bigger muscles (Posterior Deltoid and Pectoralis Major) are activating a lot more during the softball pitch:

Peak firing:

	Softball	Baseball
Anterior Deltoid	43%	47%
Pectoralis Major	76%	56%
Posterior Deltoid	102%	68%

This would likely be why many unofficial experts say that the windmill is a more “natural motion”. That being said, injury incidence in softball is just as, if not more common, than it is in baseball, the difference being that most of the injury incidence in softball does not result in time lost (Loosli, et al., 1992). Baseball research is also more extensive, leading training protocols to be much more accurate and more preventative toward injury.

The other observation that I have that the authors didn’t is the activation of the internal rotators and the potential it has to the softball pitch. In non-scientific observations, I have noticed that girls who have above average overhand throws tend to also be the kids that throw underhand with above average speed. According to the baseball research, the internal rotators peak activation (115% in the upper subscapularis) is much higher than in softball (81% in the subscapularis). This likely is due to the extreme stretch reflex effect produced during the arm cocking of the overhand throw. This could be why the ball velocities of the overhand throw are still higher than the underhand throw. If we could activate the internal rotators more, possibly by increasing the stretch reflex, could we see velocities that we haven’t reached before? Food for thought.

Here is that reference as well:

Escamilla, R.F. & Andrews, J.R. (2009). Shoulder Muscle Recruitment Patterns and Related Biomechanics during Upper Extremity Sports. Journal of Sports Medicine, 39 (7), 569-590.