A baseball columnist says while pitching injuries continue to mount many of them can be prevented. Will Carroll is the author of the book “Saving the Pitcher” which addresses all aspects of pitcher conditioning and injury prevention. He decided to research the subject after more than two hundred pitchers in professional baseball underwent ligament replacement surgery in the past three years. Carroll says it was not long before he discovered an alarming amount of injuries at the youth level.Carroll says proper mechanics can prevent injury, but for many young pitchers the radar gun is more important.Carroll says pitchers of all ages need a proper exercise program and says the most effective emphasize stretching as well as building hip and core strength which Carroll says takes a lot of stress off the arm.There are many theories on when a young pitcher should learn to throw a breaking pitch. Carroll believes a pitcher needs to have a controlled fast ball and a controlled change-up before moving on.Carroll says teaching proper technique is a must for youth coaches and says there are a number of videos out there that can help. If your child wants to pitch Carroll urges you to make sure they are being taught the right way, as he says it’s not just the coach’s responsibility, it’s also the responsibility of the parent.
