“Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again.”
― James Cook

Archive: Posts

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: A Case Study

In August of 2015,Brandon D., a 15 year old left handed pitcher, came to a Rocket Launchers Training Camp all the way from Queens, NY . According to his father, Brandon had already seen 4 different orthopedists for recurring, debilitating left biceps pain. He had struggled with it for over a year and had been shut down from throwing for 6 weeks on two separate occasions. Per his report, after throwing 1-2 innings, he would notice a distinct loss of velocity, and he would experience gnawing,...

Watch Out for Tiger Country: 97 mph Pitcher… Massive Shoulder Blowout

Last week I scrubbed in to surgery with Tampa Bay Rays Team doctor, Koco Eaton to observe one of the most amazing surgical performances I have ever seen. The patient was a college pitcher named Zach. He is a former JUCO guy from Arizona who had previously topped out at 97 mph and currently has a scholarship to a division 1 school. I first met Zach about 2 weeks into our Summer Program after his mother had called me and said he was ready to eject from the Jayhawk summer league because...

Quintin Time!! Quintin Time!: Another Arm Pain Case Study

Quintin Pile has a new arm and a new walkout "song" for his next season with the Wofford College Terriers. Picture this: The coach makes a visit to the mound and motions for right hander out of the bullpen. The anxious crowd cranes their necks to get a glimpse of the bullpen gate. Just before it opens, the public address system blares this: Quintin Time!! Quintin Time! Last winter we worked with one of Quintin's teammates, a Senior righty named Connell Anderson who was operating on the last...

The Dangers Of Training Corruption

More Is Just More: Last weekend I flew to Houston to help Coach Ron Wolforth at The Texas Baseball Ranch with a 3 day Elite Pitchers Boot Camp. I am honored to be a member of the staff at a place where instructors and students are free to innovate and experiment to find better ways to learn and to teach throwing. They pay me to help them, but I would do it for free just to experience my favorite part of every camp – Julio’s Mexican Grill (Formerly Rico's Hacienda)! The camps begin at...

Back Pain in Pitchers

A few days ago I got an email form a concerned Dad. His name Jeff, and his son is having low back pain on the landing side when he pitches. We spend a lot of time studying and talking about arm pain, but this is something I've seen seen enough that I though it might be worth sharing.   Here is my response to Jeff's question. Hi Jeff, I can't say that I see this frequently, but it does come up from time to time, and when it does, it usually appears on the left side for right handed...

Tommy John? No Thanks. I’ll Throw 90 Instead

Last November, I got a call from my friend Jason Burke, the pitching coach at Wofford College, a formidable D1 program in Spartanburg, SC. Jason told me he had a pitcher he needed some help with. The pitcher’s name was Connell Anderson, a senior righty who had missed the entire fall due to elbow pain. During the 2014 spring campaign, Connell was a starter on the Terriers’ squad, but about half way through the season his elbow started to bother him. It got worse as the year went on, and by...

The Connection Ball: A Case Study

I’d like you to meet Ryan Kopenski. He gave me permission to tell his story. Ryan is a sophomore left handed pitcher at Central Florida Community College. His most recent season didn’t go as well as he would have liked. He spent the entire spring season hovering at 80-81 mph and fighting constant pain in his medial elbow that he rated at a level of 5 out of 10. When he came to The ARMory for his initial evaluation on June 18th, 2014 his elbow was still hurting every time he threw.  His...

The Top 10 Reasons (You Might Not Have Considered) For All These Elbow Injuries

The following message is intended to be rich with tongue and cheek satire, but I promise you I will take some flack for it. Mark my words, some shallow minded half wit will cherry pick excerpts and quote me as if were serious.   Anyone who knows me understands that while I am deeply compassionate and caring, I am rarely serious. So here goes.  With debate on the rash of UCL injuries raging, and "experts" crawling out of every nook and cranny with what they claim to be undeniable...

SOS! Here’s the 411 on the 911 of Arm Injuries

I’m from Tampa, and since the day I sat in Tropicana Field’s left field bleachers and watched Wilson Alvarez spike the first pitch in team history, I have been a HUGE Tampa Bay Rays Fan. I suffered through the doldrums of the Vince Namoli era. (Not exactly sure what our team colors were)     I was equally amused and embarrassed when Wade Boggs dropped to his knees and kissed home plate after his 3000th hit. And I rejoiced and jumped through my ceiling...

And Here’s How Poor Deceleration Can Tear Your UCL

Hello again,   Yesterday I shared with you my research about how a poor deceleration pattern can be a significant contributor to anterior shoulder pain and can eventually lead to a labrum tear.   When I texted Coach Wolforth about my revelation, he suggested that poor decel could also contribute to medial elbow/UCL issues.   Remember his response? I've thought that for some time.... I also believe poor decel can also contribute to medial elbow...
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