Athletic Shoulder Test Differences Exist Bilaterally in Healthy Pitchers.
Aaron Trunt, Brandon T Fisher, Lisa N MacFadden
PMID 35693860WHAT IT FOUND
Healthy pitchers push harder with their throwing arm than their non-throwing arm at 90 and 135 degrees of shoulder lift.
However, how hard they push on this test has no link to how fast they throw a fastball. Use the test for side-to-side comparison, not speed prediction.
Key findings
01Pitchers produced significantly greater peak force on the dominant arm compared to the non-dominant arm at 90° and 135° of shoulder abduction.
02Peak force production during the ASH test for the throwing arm was not statistically significantly related to fastball velocity.
03Subjects exhibited significantly greater external rotation ROM and significantly less internal rotation ROM on the dominant arm compared to the non-dominant arm.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study only included healthy high school and collegiate pitchers, so the results may not apply to youth players, professional athletes, or other overhead sport populations. The ASH test requires a force plate, which is expensive and not always available in clinical settings. The study did not include injured athletes, so it does not show how the test performs in patients recovering from shoulder surgery or injury. The sample size was not large enough to establish normative values for all levels of baseball players.
Declared interests
The authors declared no financial or conflicts of interest. The research was internally funded by Sanford Health.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use the ASH test to predict a pitcher's throwing velocity. The study found no statistically significant relationship between peak force on the test and fastball speed, so a low score does not necessarily mean a pitcher will throw slowly.