Softball Throwing: How to Avoid Arm Pain

One very common problem among softball players and teams is throwing arm pain.  This was actually a topic of conversation recently over at Ohio Fastpitch Connection and of the posters there shared a throwing video done by Marc (which you'll also be able to see toward the end of this post).

Sometimes you see players throw the ball and you just know that their arm must give them grief because it's quite obvious that they're doing it wrong.  However, there are lots of times when I see some of the "best on the team" with the "strongest arms" also get arm pain because they aren't doing it right either.

Unfortunately, these players' mechanics are often overlooked because the end result (a strong, sizzling throw) looks so "good" that their parents and coaches forget to look at the process (or mechanics) they are using to throw the ball.  So I often see lots of good softball players with "great" arms experiencing arm pain half way through the season because of poor throwing mechanics.  They can "get away" with these poor throwing mechanics, so to speak, because of arm strength.  However, sooner or later it all catches up with them and hurts them (literally) and their team.

I can't stress enough how important good throwing mechanics are, not will they give you the strongest most accurate throw possible, but it's super important for safety and longevity of a player as well.

In the video below, Marc demonstrates a basic throwing drill.  Notice where the follow through of the arm is and notice the bend at the waist at the end of the throw.  I know I see lots of players that do not have that follow through nor the bend at the waist at the end of their throws (especially when warming up!).

For more help with avoiding arm pain through proper throwing fundamentals and mechanics, check out our Fundamentals of Throwing DVD.

• Review/Learn the basic fundamentals of throwing
• Increase throwing accuracy
• Increase throwing velocity
• Avoid painful arm injuries
• Raise your game!!!

Perfect one of the most important aspects of the game with the Fundamentals of Throwing DVD.