Bill Roberts

Stop Using Reverse Throws! STOP: - Throwing backwards. - Throwing as fast as possible backwards. - Throwing as fast as possible backwards without legs. - Throwing back as fast as possible with weak forearms and super strong external rotator cuff muscles. Your arm is the catapult, the UCL of your elbow is the hinge. Your forearm muscles are the springs protecting the hinge and they are getting weakened by the throw. Reverse throws are accelerating layback, promoting reversed shoulder imbalances (external rotator cuff strength outpacing internal rotator cuff) and the deceleration comes from how much counter-rotation an athlete has in their spine in a half-kneeling position, the most stable position in throwing you can make the body, and therefore, your forearm is the only thing that can truly decelerate reverse elbow extension. Are you catching our drift? The greatest torques on our elbow that have been confirmed in science occur almost at the point of maximum layback where the muscles are trying to compress the elbow to not put extra load on the UCL ligament. If you are really unimpressed with science or the current rate of TJ surgery and want to continue to throw reverse throws - you 100% have to test your arm strength. We do not support reverse throws, but if you must.... If the shoulder is imbalanced, stop and fix it. If the forearm is weak, stop and fix it. If you are imbalanced and have a weak forearm and don't know about it, you are rolling the dice continuing to use reverse throws. There are more effective & safer drills/exercises to strengthen the posterior cuff. Example- weighted ball holds. @tomhouse @DeanDoxakisNPA @NPA_Pitching