Frequently-Asked Questions

Q: Do You Ever Answer Questions About Injuries That Pitchers Are Experiencing?
While I always recommend that people first see a doctor or other trained healthcare professional, in my Pitcher Injury Question And Answer Files I talk about the possible root causes of injuries and other problems that pitchers may be experiencing.

Q: What Is Your Medical Background?
I am not a doctor or healthcare professional and have no formal medical training. However, I have spent the past year immersing myself in the physiology and kinesiology of pitching. In that time I have read hundreds of technical and medical journal articles.

Q: How Do You Differ From Other Pitching Gurus?
I think there are three things that distinguish me from the other pitching gurus.
     First, I have skin in the game. I have two young boys who pitch and who are the reason that I started learning about pitching in the first place. Everything that I learn, I learn first and foremost to help them.
     Second, I try to take a more scientific approach. I try to base everything that I say on what the current scientific research says is true, not just what someone (including me) only thinks might be true. That means that in many cases I will directly contradict the conventional wisdom that other pitching gurus put forth as gospel.
     Third, I try to take a more balanced approach. In my opinion, too many pitching gurus care primarily about one thing: velocity. That makes sense given that that is what many people are looking for, but my concern is that in some cases that focus on velocity above all also can lead them to recommend things that work in the short term but may have long-term negative consequences In contrast, I try to take a more balanced approach that I call Maximum Safe Performance that stresses both effectiveness and injury prevention.

Q: What Is The Right Age For A Pitcher To Start
Throwing A Curveball?
In general, I don't think that kids shouldn't throw curveballs until they are 16 or 17.
     I say this for two reasons. First, throwing a curveball can focus the load on the UCL. This is problematic because it takes this long for the growth plate of the Medial Epicondyle (the bony bump on the inside of the elbow), which is the bone to which the UCL attaches, to close. Second, I'm not convinced that you have to learn to throw curveballs early to throw them well. For example, Trevor Hoffman didn't throw a curveball until he was in college.
     Technically, a kid of 12 can safely throw a curveball provided that he does so while pronating the forearm (rather than supinating the forearm). However, it can be hard to tell whether a kid is throwing a curveball the right way or wrong way, which is why I'm cautious. Also, throwing a pronation curveball also tends to require that a pitcher have a larger hand, which they won't get until they are older.

Q: Why Is It Throwing A Curveball At A Young Age Potentially Problematic?
The root cause of the problem with throwing a curveball (or a slider) at a young age -- young meaning less than 16 or 17 years old -- is that at that age the growth plate of the Medial Epicondyle (the bump on the inside of your elbow) is not yet closed. Most pitchers, when throwing a curveball (or a slider) tend to twist or supinate their forearm as they release the ball so as to give the ball topspin. The problem is that this keeps the muscles of the elbow from being able to take up some of the load and instead focuses the load on the UCL. Since the UCL attaches to the Medial Epicondyle, and the growth plate of the Medial Epicondyle is still open for pitchers who are younger than 16 or 17, you can end up irritating the Medial Epicondyle or even pulling it off of the Humerus bone at the growth plate.
     Fastballs, change-ups, and knuckleballs are relatively (but not absolutely) safer pitches for young pitchers to throw because they do not involve the twisting or supinating of the forearm. However, you can still end with Medial Epicondyle problems if you throw enough fastballs, change-ups, and knuckleballs because throwing these pitches also puts a (lesser) load on the UCL. It just won't happen as quickly as it would if you threw only curveballs.

Q: How Do You Teach Kids To Throw?
I have written an article called Sideways, Swing, Step, and Throw that explains how I teach kids to throw. If your son or daughter follows the advice in the article, then they will be well on their way to becoming a good pitcher.

Feel free to e-mail me if you have a question that I do not answer above.