Post-Throwing Recovery

    Now, there are two aspects to recovery. The first is what should happen the same day of throwing, and the second should be what happens the next day after a "high intent" day - long toss, pulldowns, or a bullpen/game outing. 

    A lot of uneducated coaches that will say that running poles and ice is the best thing to do immediately after throwing. THEY'RE WRONG. Running poles, an aerobic exercise, requires constant tension and lots of oxygen. Pitching itself is a short burst of high-intent motor skills that doesn't allow constant airflow. Why recover one way when you perform another? Ice is only necessary if actual, visible swelling is on the throwing arm. If not, the ice is just prolonging the soreness because it will constrict blood flow. 

    Instead of running poles, my recovery plan will revolve around running sprints and stretching my arm. Running sprints is a good exercise that is also a short burst of energy followed by the recovery of walking back, much like how a pitcher has time between pitches to recover. Sprints, along with drills to improve sprint times, aid pitchers in being more athletic and able to last longer in games.

    Instead of icing, I will do more work with J-Bands and Driveline wrist weights, along with just working on my upper body's mobility, as shown by this workout posted by Robby Rowland. It's important to note that it doesn't matter what Rowland does, if it doesn't feel good for you. Each pitcher is their own individual, so experimenting with what works and what doesn't work is all part of the game.

    Typically the day after a high-intent day of throwing, I will go very light in the weight room with a full-body lightweight workout, emphasizing my mobility and if I am sore at all. I aim to eat good, full meals with a lot of water and no caffeine the day after I throw, as well as trying to get a good ten hours of sleep. If I feel up for it, I will throw very lightly after doing some arm-care exercises with J-Bands, much like how Eric Sim documented in his recovery day walkthrough video.

   At the end of the day, you need to do whatever makes you comfortable and what works the best for you as a pitcher. Recovery days shouldn't mean sleeping all day and playing videogames. You still work on your recovery days, and you still PRACTICE LIKE YOU PLAY!


-Sam Corbett

#W2W - NCC Cardinal Baseball

Stead Up! - Homestead Ranchers

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