Death To The Inverted W

7/26/2007
Updated 5/10/2010

As you may know, I have a huge problem with a pitching arm action cue that is referred to as the "Inverted W" (or the "Upside-Down W", "M", "Winged Arm Action" or "Breaking the hands with the elbows"). I believe that pitchers who make the "Inverted W" are at a significantly higher risk of experiencing shoulder -- and in some cases also elbow -- problems.
     In the interests of accuracy in journalism, I have been holding off on publishing this essay because I wasn't sure if pitchers were actually being taught to do this or if they were simply figuring this out on their own (and being praised for it).
     However, just the other day I had a "conversation" with a pitching guru named Paul Nyman in one of the forums on Steven Ellis' Lets Talk Pitching web site and he indicated that the Inverted W is indeed something something that he advocates (and teaches)...

I can point to literally hundreds of players who have benefited significantly using the exact same methods (inverted W, scapula loading, pelvic loading, etc.) that you THINK are a problem or what you THINK causes problems.

The Inverted W Defined

For those of you with medical or other scientific backgrounds, let me give you a more technical definition of the Inverted W. I define the Inverted W as being more than 90 degrees of shoulder abduction with the PAS elbow above the level of the shoulders (aka hyperabduction) combined with 5 or more degrees of shoulder horizontal adduction (PAS elbow behind the shoulders). In the Inverted W, the GS and PAS upper arms are both elevated. In the Inverted V and Inverted L, only the PAS upper arm is elevated.

Reasons I Don't Like The Inverted W

Let me explain why I don't like the Inverted W.

It Is Not What Great Pitchers Do

If you look at the motions of great pitchers (and by great I mean pitchers who had long, successful, and relatively injury-free careers) like...

   - Roger Clemens
   - Bob Gibson
   - Randy Johnson
   - Sandy Koufax
   - Greg Maddux
   - Nolan Ryan
   - Tom Seaver
   - David Wells

...you will see that none of them make the Inverted W.
     Instead, while you could say that all of these pitchers employed Scapular Loading, I would argue that the critical difference is that they make the Horizontal W (and just to be completely clear, "horizontal" is the key word), with their elbows below the level of their shoulders, rather than the Inverted W, with their elbows above and behind the level of their shoulders.
     I believe that the Horizontal W is a safe way to scap load while the Inverted W is not.

It Is What Frequently-Injured Pitchers Do

If you look at the pitching mechanics of pitchers who have had injury-plagued careers, then you will often see the Inverted W, with their Pitching Arm Side (aka PAS) elbow both above and behind their shoulders.

Mark Prior

You will also see this pattern bear out if you go back into the history books and look at the careers of guys like Don Drysdale and John Smoltz. They both had some Inverted W (and Inverted L) in their arm actions and ended up retiring due to shoulder problems.

John Smoltz

If I am correct about this, then I believe a number of young pitchers will experience problems as a result of making the Inverted W, especially if they are moved into, or continue to pitch in, the starting rotation.

Jeremy Bonderman

Anthony Reyes

That includes Jeremy Bonderman of the Tigers and Anthony Reyes of the Cardinals. Pitchers who make the Inverted W include...

   - Jeremy Bonderman
   - AJ Burnett
   - Shaun Marcum
   - Mark Prior
   - Anthony Reyes
   - John Smoltz

Why The Inverted W Is Bad

Like the Inverted L and the Inverted V, I don't think the Inverted W is (that) bad in and of itself.
     It doesn't directly lead to injuries.
     Instead, the problem with the Inverted W is that it can create a timing problem, where the PAS forearm is not in the proper, vertical position at the moment the GS foot lands and the shoulders start to rotate.

Anthony Reyes

You can see this timing problem in the clip above of Anthony Reyes. The thing to notice is the position of Anthony Reyes' PAS forearm in Frame 41 at the moment his GS foot plants. Notice how Anthony Reyes' PAS forearm is horizontal, rather than vertical, in Frame 41. Anthony Reyes's PAS forearm isn't vertical until Frame 45, at which point his shoulders have rotated significantly. The problem with the Inverted W is that it can increase the distance, and thus the force, with which the PAS upper arm externally rotates and increase the stress on both the elbow and the shoulder.
     If you are interested in a more technical, anatomically-based explanation of why I think this is a problem, then let me give you one in the form of an e-mail I received in April of 2007...

Chris I am an orthopedic surgeon, and would like to offer you a theory on why the Inverted W is bad to the long term health of the shoulder.
     In the position of hyper abduction, elevation and extension of the distal humerus above the shoulder (inverted W) the inferior glenohumeral ligament is placed on stretch. The humeral head must lever against it to advance the arm forward. This ligament is the primary anterior stabilizer of the glenohumeral joint with the arm elevated (i.e. pitching). In other words, this position places this ligament under tension, then it is levered against in order to throw. This eventually will either loosen the shoulder, or tear the anterior labrum.
     It should be recognized this ligament is under stress during the "normal" delivery. If you traumatically dislocate your shoulder, this ligament is a key part of the pathology. 
Shoulder instability in turn leads to impingement, and other problems. Conversely, when the elbow is below the shoulder, this ligament would not be as stressed.
     Also, the specific use and timing of the muscles about the shoulder is critical. They have done muscle activity studies during throwing, and there are distinct differences between amateurs and professionals. There is also evidence for muscle use differences in the healthy shoulders, and the ones that aren't.

I'm not sure he's exactly right about why this is bad, but what he says is interesting enough to make me think I'm on to something.

Recognizing The Inverted W

The point I am trying to make about the Inverted W is critically important and I want to make sure that you understand exactly what I am talking about.
     If you look at the arm actions of guys like Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan, and Greg Maddux, you will see that their Pitching Arm Side (PAS) elbows never get above the level of their shoulders.

Randy Johnson

You can see this in the video clip above of Randy Johnson.
     While at first blush it looks like his PAS elbow gets quite high, if you take into account the fact that Randy Johnson leans forward toward First Base during his stride, you will see that his PAS elbow actually stays well below the level of his shoulders (the yellow line in Frames 43 and 49).
     You can also see this in the still photos below of Nolan Ryan and Greg Maddux.

Nolan Ryan

Greg Maddux

The thing to notice is that their PAS elbows never get above the level of their shoulders after they break their hands.

The Standard W

Viewed from the side as above, the elbows are below the level of the shoulders and the hand, and this forms the shape of a "W" (the green lines in the diagram above).

Greg Maddux

As you can see in the frame above, you can see the same thing in video clips of Greg Maddux.

Greg Maddux

You can also see the same thing in still photos of Greg Maddux, as the photo above makes clear.
     If you contrast this with the arm action of guys like Mark Prior and Anthony Reyes, you will see that after they break their hands their elbows go above and behind the level of their shoulders.

Mark Prior

Viewed from the side as above, the elbows are above the level of the shoulders and the hand, and this forms the shape of an Inverted W (the red lines in the diagram above).

The Inverted W

Now, some people will argue that I am comparing apples and oranges because what I am describing are two different points in time when I compare the Standard W to the Inverted W. While this is true, it doesn't matter for two reasons. First, pitchers who make the Standard W never let their elbows get above the level of their shoulders. Second, the problem with making the Inverted W is that it increases the distance and force with which the PAS upper arm will externally rotate. This increases the stress on both the elbow and the shoulder.

Points Of Confusion

I have recently discovered that there is some confusion among my readers about exactly what is (or isn't) the Inverted W and who exhibits it (or doesn't). One example of a player about which there is confusion, possibly due to prior confusion on my part, is Carlos Marmol of the Cubs.

Carlos Marmol

While it looks like Carlos Marmol is making the Inverted W in the photo above, I do not think he actually is. That is because he is leaning forward toward Third Base in this photo. As with Randy Johnson, that makes his PAS elbow look quite high. However, his PAS elbow does not seem to actually get above the level of his shoulders, which is a key characteristic of the Inverted W.

The Origin Of The Term

Many people think I coined the term "Inverted W" and criticize me as a result for not using the much simpler term "M". This is a perfectly valid criticism. However, the truth is that I did not coin the term the "Inverted W". Instead, I believe the term "Inverted W" was coined by Paul Nyman and I'm just sticking with his terminology since it's already out there.