Inverted W

General Pitching Topics
#1

I’ve been testing the ‘Inverted W’ for my arm action style to see what kind of results it can bring to me. Yesterday, I did some drills, and threw on the mound for roughly 70 pitches with the arm action. I thought: not bad, and if I can get it consistent, I can be good with this. My knuckle curve looked nasty with Inverted W arm action. But the problem is… arm concerns.

Right now, my arm feels fine after doing some Jobes exercises with a rotator cuff exercises that I learned. But with the high elbow and rather excessive use of shoulder, some people say it can damage my pitching arm. Here’s a good article that explains the weakness of Inverted W:
http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/RethinkingPitching/Essays/DeathToTheInvertedW.html

Thing is that, I feel good doing the Inverted W than other arm actions (and I feel I can repeat it more consistently), but it can give injury risks. Should I stay, or change my arm action back to slinging arm action? Any opinios? Thanks

#2

i think i do it and i had a recent shoulder injury check my post i just put up in general pitching forum and review it to let me know

#3

Are you sure you’re actually doing the inverted W? You have a vid or pic of yourself?

#4

2 VID XV check em out

#5

I was referring to vertigo, but I did see your vids and I see the inverted W.

I don’t know the exact effects of the inverted W regarding velocity or injury, so I can’t comment. But you can check out this thread
http://baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=62436
from Baseball-Fever.

#6

I don’t have a video right now, but I think my arm action is most close to Joel Zumaya right here:

#7

The inverted W or the M as i like to call it more, isn’t good and the reason is because it puts to much strain on the shoulder to rotate externally to throw the ball. Sp my advice is to change the arm action it might not feel comfortable but you will have to get use to it.

Don’t lift the elbow of thats the problem.

Pitchers that do some kind of M in the mlb that are hurt
chris carpenter
Anthony Reyes Doing bad i think injured
Mark Prior
Kerry Wood
And there are probley more I Don’t know about…

#8

Understand that Chris’s theory is just that - a theory. He claims to have identified a pattern of injury among pitchers with the “inverted W” arm action. There could be something to that or it could just be coincidence. I personally think the theory deserves attention because of the obvious ramifications. But is still is just a theory at this point.

#9

I agree with Roger on this. I, personally, don’t like this arm action because of the “violence” with which it causes the arm to externally rotate but I have no scientific basis for being sure this is a problem. Chris believes that the position of the elbows above the shoulder causes damaging stresses but I’ve yet to see proof of this. The elbow comes back down to shoulder height by the time the forearm is even horizontal. So, I theorize that the M is stressful also but for different reasons than Chris theorizes. Still, all theories right now, as Roger rightfully points out.

#10

There maybe be “correct” ways of using the M and there maybe incorrect ways.

I don’t think Mark Prior’s injury may be attributed to using the M. I think it can be attributed to his “detierorating” mechanics. In recent years he was short-arming and “pushing” the ball, whereas in his college years he was using a little bit longer arm motion and getting more “leverage”.

Check out this analysis
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/breaking-down-the-broken-down-a-video-analysis-of-mark-prior/
. Pay close attention to the position of his throwing forearm when his front foot lands. His tempo has gotten slower and slower over the years as well.

#11

The clips are interesting, but I know arm actions change as pain increases. Its probable that he was compensating for exsisting pain with the 07 vs the 01 deliveries.