Comparative Pitching Biomechanics Among Adolescent Baseball Athletes: Are There Fundamental Differences Between Pitchers and Non-pitchers?
Garrett Bullock, Tessa C Hulburt, Gary Collins and 2 others
PMID 33842044WHAT IT FOUND
Adolescent pitchers threw faster than non-pitchers but showed similar arm mechanics.
Non-pitchers used less trunk rotation and ground force. This suggests non-pitchers may not transfer energy efficiently, potentially increasing upper extremity stress despite similar measured forces.
Key findings
01Pitchers threw significantly faster than non-pitchers for all three pitch types (fastball, breaking ball, change-up).
02Pitchers demonstrated greater trunk rotation velocity for fastballs and change-ups compared to non-pitchers.
03There were no significant differences in elbow valgus torque or shoulder distraction force between pitchers and non-pitchers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Skill level was not stratified, so differences might reflect experience rather than position. The study used a very strict significance threshold (Bonferroni correction), which may have hidden smaller but clinically relevant differences. Participants threw in a specific order, which could introduce fatigue or learning effects. Not all participants threw all pitch types, reducing data robustness.
Declared interests
None reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume non-pitchers are safe because their measured elbow and shoulder forces were similar to pitchers. The lack of efficient trunk and ground force generation in non-pitchers suggests they may be absorbing more force in the upper extremity or using compensatory strategies that increase injury risk over time.