The baseball landscape has been evolving quickly over the last decade and is showing no signs of slowing down in the years to come. A major part of this evolution is the consistently rising fastball velocity at all levels. This has also meant that the baseline requirement for velocity to get your foot in the door at the collegiate and professional level has also continued to rise accordingly, leading to more pitchers chasing velocity in order to keep their chances of advancing alive.
By now, it’s fairly common knowledge (I hope) that as the arm moves faster, there are greater forces exerted upon the elbow, shoulder and their supporting structures. As we begin to run into the perceived upper limits of what the human body is capable of, this poses a concern for the long-term health of pitchers and throwers alike.
Unsurprisingly, instances of throwing-related injuries and associated surgeries have also continued to rise at a similar pace to that of the average fastball velocity.
So, what’s to be done about this relationship between velocity and risk of injury?
At Velo Baseball, we recognize the indispensable role of daily readiness assessments in maintaining this aspect of an athlete's health as they navigate their throwing schedule. This post delves into why these assessments are fundamental in navigating this high-velocity era and how they inform our daily decisions about throwing volume and intensity.
EVALUATING readiness to throw
Our daily check-in process is routine for all athletes, and our strategic tools enhance performance while vigilantly mitigating injury risks. By closely monitoring and adjusting training based on these daily evaluations, we've seen athletes increase their fastball velocity with a sustainable approach while prioritizing their long-term arm health.
In this context, our focus at Velo Baseball extends beyond merely achieving high velocity; it's about maintaining and increasing it safely. Within our facility, velocity often takes a back seat to maintain arm health as we concentrate on the nuanced balance of pushing limits while protecting the arm.
The Importance of Daily Readiness Assessments
These assessments, which evaluate an athlete's physical and psychological state before engaging in throwing activities, are vital for several reasons:
Injury Prevention: Regular assessments help identify early signs of fatigue or strain, which are known precursors to injuries in pitchers (Fleisig & Andrews, 2012).
Performance Optimization: Tailoring training sessions based on an athlete's readiness can significantly enhance performance without overburdening the arm (Escamilla et al., 2007).
Recovery Monitoring: The assessments offer insights into an athlete's recovery from previous sessions, which is crucial for adjusting training intensity and volume (Olsen et al., 2006).
HOW WE EVALUATE READINESS TO THROW
All athletes who train with Velo Baseball are put through a daily readiness evaluation. This check-in process is our way of ensuring they are recovered well enough to accept the training load that’s programmed into their day plan. If they aren’t, we adjust the plan for the day accordingly.
Prior to picking up a baseball, Velo athletes will go through the following step-by-step process:
Step 1: Fill out a wellness questionnaire to evaluate their mental and emotional readiness. Research indicates that psychological factors significantly influence an athlete's performance and recovery (Gordon, 2005). Athletes will rank their perceived stress, sleep duration from the previous night, general muscle soreness, arm soreness, fatigue, and diet/caloric intake on a 1-5 scale, which is then added to a score of 30.
Screenshot of our wellness questionnaire.
Step 2: Complete a comprehensive warm-up following the RAMP protocol. It’s essential that athletes perform a quality warm-up prior to performing their readiness evaluations because we want to evaluate readiness in the state in which they will be performing their throws. Evaluating readiness prior to warming up and activating the CNS can be misleading, especially if these evaluations are performed at varying times throughout the day.
Step 3: Collect physical readiness metrics
Grip strength - A handheld grip strength device measures peak strength and provides insight into the forearm, hand and wrist neuromuscular fatigue.
Rotator cuff strength - A handheld dynamometer that measures peak and average force applied during an isometric internal and external rotation. Peak force provides insight into the athlete’s tolerance to intensity, while average force provides insight into their tolerance for volume.
Central Nervous System (CNS) readiness - Proteus motion is used to perform a series of two exercises to evaluate the athlete’s acceleration. Low values relative to baseline can indicate their CNS is not well recovered, while values close to or in excess of baseline values can indicate their CNS is primed and ready to accept a high training load.
Screenshot of our daily wellness form. Athletes complete this before and after every throwing session. This information allows trainers to evaluate readiness as well as the effects of the assigned throwing workload.
All of this information is pulled into each athlete’s dashboard on TRAQ and viewed by their trainer before commencing any throwing for the day. Based on the submitted values, trainers will make recommendations on how to scale the athlete’s training for the day.
Applying THE Data: SCALING THROWING WORKLOAD
We utilize the data from these assessments to make informed decisions about the day's training regimen. If an athlete shows signs of fatigue, we may reduce the volume (# of throws), intensity (velocity of throws), or both to decrease the risk of acute injury and avoid chronic overload. Conversely, optimal readiness can allow for more intensive training sessions.
Example of an athlete’s pre-throwing peak and average values for internal and external rotation strength. This data is used to make informed decisions about throwing volume and intensity for that throwing session.
When making such decisions, it’s also important for the trainer to converse with the athlete and get further information while looking at the trend of the data. Asking questions about why they believe their values came in lower than usual can provide valuable information that a device can’t measure and be factored into the decision.
Sometimes, we scale back intensity and/or volume. Sometimes, we scale up. Sometimes, we stick to the plan as written. It really just depends on the data and our interaction with the athlete.
APPLYING THE DATA: PROGRAMMING IMPLICATIONS
Aside from leveraging athletes’ readiness metrics to inform daily decisions on workload, we also monitor their recovery trends over 60-day windows. These 60-day time windows allow trainers to interpret athletes’ recovery trends visually.
Example of an athlete’s pre-throwing grip strength values. The decline in grip strength can prompt trainers to seek further evaluation and/or seek assistance from sports medicine professionals.
Watching for extended periods of decline can indicate a number of possible scenarios to the trainer. They should either revise the training plan to allow for better recovery between sessions or speak with the athlete to potentially uncover alternative reasons for their lack of recovery. More often than not, a combination of these two interventions best serves the athlete and their success. After all, communication is the precursor to success in the athlete-coach relationship.
Intra-session INTENSITY Monitoring
During throwing sessions, a radar gun and digital display show the speed of every throw an athlete makes. The use of a radar gun for each throw serves multiple purposes:
Intensity Control: Continuously monitoring throwing speed ensures the athlete stays within safe intensity levels (Fleisig et al., 2011).
Workload Management: Helps manage the athlete’s overall workload, a critical factor in preventing overuse injuries (Olsen et al., 2006).
Immediate Feedback: The radar gun provides real-time feedback to the athlete, facilitating immediate adjustments in mechanics and effort.
In conclusion…
The integration of daily readiness assessments into our training regimen is fundamental for maintaining arm health and enhancing performance. Utilizing these assessments in conjunction with advanced monitoring tools allows us to customize each training session to the athlete's current state, thus striking a balance between advancing performance and preventing injuries.
Through systematic assessment, adjustment, and monitoring, we are committed to helping athletes achieve peak performance while prioritizing their long-term health and well-being. Our evidence-based approach underscores our dedication to being at the forefront of athletic training and health maintenance in the world of competitive baseball.
