Send us a text

Two sports medicine experts pull back the curtain on why young baseball pitchers are getting injured at alarming rates—and it's not what most coaches and trainers think.

Drs. Kevin McGovern and Clay Hammons dive deep into real case studies that reveal the true culprits behind baseball's arm injury epidemic. Through detailed analysis of an 18-year-old pitcher with "dead arm" syndrome and a senior with a partially torn UCL, they demonstrate how poor mechanics—not lack of strength—initiated these preventable injuries.

The doctors methodically dismantle the popular notion that strength training alone can overcome faulty mechanics. "If you have a wheel with five lug nuts and three are stripped off and two are loose and it's wobbling... hitting the gas will just make the wheel fall off faster," explains Dr. McGovern. This vivid analogy perfectly captures why focusing on velocity before fixing mechanical issues is a recipe for disaster.

Parents will find particularly valuable guidance on what to look for in a proper assessment, including red flags that signal it's time to find different care. Both doctors emphasize the critical importance of immediate test-retest protocols that demonstrate measurable improvement in a single session. They also warn about facilities requiring injury waivers—a clear sign to "run."

Whether you're a parent, coach, or athlete, this episode offers crucial insights that challenge conventional wisdom about avoiding arm injuries. The doctors' shared mission comes through powerfully: young players should choose when they stop playing baseball, not have that decision forced upon them by preventable injuries. Follow their systematic approach—assess impairments, treat them, master mechanics, then build velocity—to keep arms healthy for the long haul.

Support the show

The Velocity Rx podcast mission is to help save one million arms by giving the very best mechanical, health, and arm care information to it's listeners.