@jeffpassan ’s story for ESPN about how Rob Hill and Ian Walsh of the @Dodgers helped Roki Sasaki re-tool his mechanics is a testament to the importance of building technique around what the body can do.
If you expect all of your pitchers to throw the same way, you better hope they all can move the same way
If a player has been struggling with their mechanics, identifying a physical restriction that could be the potential underlying cause can be immensely motivating.
After all, there’s nothing more frustrating than being asked to do something that your body can’t do
Regardless of sport, we believe that matching an athlete’s mechanics to their physical capabilities is a prerequisite for great coaching.
As we say in our Level 1 course:
“We don’t believe there’s one way to swing, but we do believe there’s a most-efficient swing for every player and it’s based on what they can physically do.”
Build the swing around what the body can do.
Assess, don’t guess.
In our experience, the best way to learn is to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.
It’s safe to say we accomplished that today.
Thanks to Tom and Nolan for coming by TPI. Always an honor to learn from the best.
As coaches, we are the driver and our athletes are the car.
We should determine what information we need on our dashboard and what technology or assessments can help us achieve it.
After all, a car won’t drive itself to the pit crew. It needs a driver to recognize the problem and steer it there.
The MRI (data) is for the Doctor (coach), not for the patient (athlete).
As coaches, it’s our responsibility to be able to interpret the data and translate it for our athletes.
We don’t need hitters and pitchers to try to read the graphs!
Thoracic extension mobility tends to be a hallmark of elite throwers.
Layback isn’t just the product of shoulder ER.
🎥: Finnish javelin thrower @tonikeranen
Thoracic spine mobility is one of the most important physical traits for a rotational athlete to develop. Restrictions in thoracic spine mobility not only can negatively affect mechanics, but increase an athlete’s risk of injury.
While the underlying cause could be related to spine, fascia or joint (rib cage), it only takes ~ten seconds to check your athletes’ range of motion with our Seated Trunk Rotation Test.
Assess, don’t guess.
“The one common denominator I’ve seen with successful athletes is they find joy in what they do everyday.”
Wise words from the legendary, @tomhousesports . Help us wish a Happy 78th Birthday to one of our favorites
Why wait to assess? The earlier coaches, trainers and rehab professionals understand how a young athlete moves, the better prepared they are to guide their development and identify potential injury risks.
Assess, don’t guess.
