Getting Better While Injured
For most players, it’s hard to not be on the field and competing during the season. There’s also a psychological element to participating in activities and being sidelined can disrupt that flow.
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Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game.
While they may cast a pall on your season, it’s best to remember that how you respond is critical. You can choose to take the opportunity to get better.
Photo by Nicole Wilson on Unsplash
Here’s an example:
When Craig Kimbrel was 18 years old, he was working with his father on a construction site when he dropped a bundle of sheetrock on his foot, breaking several bones.
Unable to practice normally, his junior college coach, Randy Putnam, had Kimbrel to work on his throwing action from his knees.
“A lot of guys try to throw off one knee, but this was throwing off two knees,” Putman explained. “He’d start off just a light toss and then the stronger your arm gets, which you can see it getting a lot stronger in a couple of weeks, he’d move back and move back.“
Kimbrel worked at it for about 20 minutes a day, six days a week. He built up the muscles in his back and along his sides. He learned how to get his arm up and release the ball more cleanly and with backspin behind it. After about eight weeks, Kimbrel could throw the ball from third base to the right-field foul pole — from his knees.
Here’s the good news: You don’t have to smash a body part with construction material to benefit from this type of training!
In addition to arm strength, knee drills can be beneficial to improving the arm path and gaining the feel for hip-shoulder separation. Here are some examples from Nick Sanzeri of Sanzeri Baseball that you can incorporate into your training routine:
Kimbrel goes on to say that he does not advocate this method of training for every pitcher but does acknowledge it improved his arm strength and upper-half flexibility, helping him go from 84 to 95 at Wallace State Community College.
For most players, it’s hard to not be on the field and competing during the season. There’s also a psychological element to participating in activities and being sidelined can disrupt that flow.
Tennis star Rafael Nadal once injured his leg and couldn’t practice, upending his normal training routine. To keep him from losing the mental edge, his trainer had him sit in a chair on the court and return shots while seated. There was no real performance benefit, not like throwing baseballs from the knees would increase arm strength, but the act of committing the time to be on the court allowed him to stay focused on his goals while injured.
From a baseball perspective, most ailing hitters can still track pitches in bullpens. Infielders can take ground ball reps from their knees. Pitchers with arm issues can still focus on lower half movements and exercises. These are ways to continue to improve and participate in regular activities while unable to compete.
Obviously — and this should go without saying — listen to medical professionals. They will be able to provide guidance far beyond what a coach or parent can. Just as important: listen to your body. That will tell you what can and cannot be done.
Injuries are an unfortunate part of sports but there are still opportunities to get better while sidelined from the game.
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