Pitcher and Catcher ROM and ISO over a College Season

This week we are looking at strength and range of motion measurements of collegiate pitchers and catchers by Oliver et al. (2019). The purpose of this study was to see how playing in a full softball game affects hip and shoulder range of motion (ROM), strength, and lower-body power in college pitchers and catchers. The researchers studied 5 collegiate pitchers and 4 collegiate catchers during their competitive season. Before and after a game (in which each athlete had to throw or catch at least 70 pitches), the athletes were tested for:

• Shoulder and hip internal and external rotation ROM (using a digital inclinometer)
• Shoulder and hip isometric strength (using a handheld dynamometer)
• Hip abduction and adduction strength
• Vertical jump height and estimated power

Measurements were taken within two hours after the game ended. A paired t-test was used to compare pregame and postgame values to see if significant changes occurred.

They found:

Throwing Volume

• Pitchers threw an average of ~179 pitches
• Catchers made an average of ~226 throws

Range of Motion (ROM)

• Pitchers:
  • No significant changes in hip or shoulder ROM
• Catchers:
  • Significant increase in throwing-side hip internal rotation (IR) after the game
    • Mean increase ≈ 6.9° (p = 0.03)
  • No other ROM changes were significant

Isometric Strength

• Pitchers:
  • Significant decreases in non-throwing side hip strength:
    • Hip IR strength ↓ (~2.02%, p = 0.013)
    • Hip ER strength ↓ (~1.95%, p = 0.026)
  • No significant shoulder strength changes
  • No significant hip abduction/adduction changes
• Catchers:
  • No significant strength changes in hips or shoulders

Vertical Jump Performance

• No significant changes in vertical jump height for pitchers or catchers
• No significant changes in estimated jump power

Implications: The main finding of this study is that pitchers and catchers respond differently to the demands of a game. Pitchers showed decreased strength in the non-throwing side hip after throwing nearly 180 pitches, suggesting lower-body fatigue. However, they did not lose shoulder strength or range of motion. This may mean collegiate pitchers rely heavily on their hips to generate force and protect the shoulder. The decrease in hip rotational strength—but not vertical jump power—suggests that the specific muscles responsible for rotation may fatigue more than the muscles used for jumping.

Catchers, on the other hand, did not show strength decreases but did show increased throwing-side hip internal rotation after the game. This likely happened because of the repeated motion of squatting, standing, and rotating the hips to throw the ball back to the pitcher. The repeated rotation pattern may temporarily increase hip mobility.

Overall, the study shows that pitchers and catchers experience position-specific physical changes after a game, even though large decreases in shoulder motion or power were not observed. The authors note the small sample size as a limitation and suggest that future research should examine larger groups and track these changes over a full season to understand injury risk better.

Also…

The most consistent finding in softball biomechanics research is that ground reaction force of the stride leg after foot contact is positively correlated to pitch velocity. However, I rarely see coaches training force and rate of force development. Here is a post that discusses this concept by Fred Duncan.