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“Team Ahmad” Checks In With BHN Founder Steve Hayward

Team Ahmad’s Frank Alexander sat down with Baseball Health Network founder Steve Hayward for a timely conversation!

Steve Hayward photo
BHN Founder Steve Hayward
Frank: Young pitchers want to add depth to their arsenal of pitches they throw. What is the first off-speed pitch you teach to your athletes?
Steve: The first off-speed pitch I teach is a change-up. The change-up is much easier to learn and has a higher percentage for a young pitcher to throw for strikes. The arm and hand speed is consistent with a fastball, creating deception to disrupt a hitter’s timing and increasing the pitcher’s likelihood of getting a hitter out. ANY pitch thrown improperly will add unnecessary stress to the arm. Developing consistent, efficient mechanics is the key to keeping a pitcher healthy.

FA: What is your advice to a player who wants to throw a curveball?
SH: Curveballs have gotten a really bad rap when it comes to arm injuries. A lot of blame has been put on curveballs; but none of the research has proven it is more dangerous than any other pitch. There’s no set age when a player can start throwing a curve. A player can “develop” a curve as young as 10. My criteria to learn is when a player is can consistently control his direction to the plate and throw fastballs for strikes. “Developing” a curveball doesn’t mean throwing them live in competition – it means learning how to spin the ball in bullpens and practice. When they develop consistency, I allow them 5 curves per game. I want to emphasize that this is only for pitchers that are capable of throwing curves safely.

FA: Every athlete varies on stamina and the days they pitch. What is your recommended pitch-count for a high-school-age, multi-position athlete who may be called in to pitch in a game they are also scheduled to play the field?
SH: The problem with generic pitch counts is they are based strictly on age. Not taking the individual’s off-season programs or previous workload into consideration when deciding on a pitch count is irresponsible. In my opinion, it is one of the biggest factors contributing to the arm injury epidemic. Until I have a clear answer on how a player feels on that day, I can’t set a number for that outing. Body language is more of an indicator as he’s throwing more-so than a pitch count. A player can throw 100 pitches with minimal stress where in another outing, throw 50 pitches and struggle with control of both pitches and his body. This can lead to doubling the workload on a given pitch. The point is – the number of pitches won’t always tell the whole story.

Steve Hayward & Dr. Christopher Ahmad
BHN founder Steve Hayward & Dr. Christopher Ahmad
FA: When a pitcher is coming back from surgery, what is your first order of business regarding mechanics since they haven’t thrown in a couple of months?
SH: My initial attention is directed towards making sure they are throwing naturally. I make sure the arm action is clean and smooth. I also check to see if they are creating consistent rotation with a 4-seam fastball, especially for the guys that are returning from Tommy John Surgery. These players have a tough time getting proper extension at the elbow and end up cutting the ball which creates a cutter or slider rotation. If the injury was caused by a mechanical issue, the slow pace of a rehabilitative throwing program allows them to improve where they were deficit at lower intensities.

FA: Dr. Ahmad’s mound throwing programs suggest the use of a radar gun for athletes to estimate their effort. What do you say to those athletes who “want to let it loose”?
SH: If a player focuses heavily on velocity in the rehab process, it creates a recipe for setbacks or re-injury. Either way, it will definitely affect a player’s return date. The daily goal is to complete the day’s throwing with no pain or discomfort. I prefer my guys to make a lot of throws at low to medium intensity. There is healing power in throwing but only when it’s done properly. Each player recovers differently and the decision as to when we start increasing and focusing on velocity is determined by the progress the player has made throughout the program.

FA: What is the best advice you could give to a parent who wants to keep their player’s arm healthy?
SH: First, start with the entire body. Way too many pitchers, at every level, have deficiencies and asymmetries throughout their body causing unnecessary stress on the throwing arm. Most arm injuries have little to do with the arm itself. If the body is functional and the delivery is efficient, the stress is distributed more evenly throughout the body instead of just the shoulder and elbow. Once those issues are addressed, a progressive throwing program is next. The arm needs to be fully conditioned prior to the season, and throwing at various intensities helps this process. Pitchers need to have an in-season maintenance and recovery throwing program as well. The last step is having the ability to communicate to the coaches and athletic training staff exactly how and what they are feeling. If an athlete learns how to listen to their body and pay attention to warning signs, they can stay ahead of potential arm issues.

Frank Alexander, a member of Team Ahmad, is a Physician Extender to Dr. Christopher Ahmad at Columbia University Medical Center.

Tagged With: Baseball Health Network, Dr. Christopher Ahmad, Pitching Healthy, Team Ahmad, Tommy John Surgery

To Build It, Break it First

doctorBy Christopher Ahmad
Head Team Physician New York Yankees
Columbia University, Center for Shoulder, Elbow and Sports Medicine
Baseball Health Network

As a child, I spent hours staring at my favorite soccer players on television, completely and utterly mesmerized by their sheer skills. I lay in bed at night surrounded by my posters of Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Carlos Alberto, wondering what it would take to get from mimicking them in my backyard in their jerseys to scoring the winning goal in a World Cup match.

While my daydreams might’ve stopped there, I dug deeper than the awe these players evoked in me. I studied their every moves; I dissected every pass, every improvisation, every steal and every save. Each player had his own set of skills he had worked to perfect. Pele had his speed, agility and goal-scoring sense; Beckenbauer had his composure, creativity and improvisational skills and Carlos Alberto: his physical presence, leadership and confidence.

Recognizing my love of medicine at an early age, I went to engineering school first. I didn’t want to just learn medicine, I wanted to learn how the tools of the body worked at a more mechanical level. Here, the concept of reverse engineering struck a chord with me. Taking something apart and putting it back together seemed the best way to understand how an object really worked at its core. Why couldn’t this reverse engineering of machinery apply to learning the ins and outs of the human body? I carried this obsession with dissecting the details into my medical training after engineering school.

To really learn the skills you admire—whether it’s athletic ability, surgery techniques, presence when public speaking—you’ve got to take it apart piece by piece and study how to duplicate it. The process is slow, it’s deliberate, it’s strenuous, but it’s necessary to continue to improve your skill level and reach your peak performance. While completing my residency at Columbia, I dissected the skills I admired in those around me—calm under pressure, biomechanics expertise, and patient interaction. Every person you meet will have a unique set of skills they have worked hard to build. Once you recognize their strengths, it’s up to you to hone in on those specific skills and actively observe them in detail. The best surgeons, like the best chefs or chess players, break it down, master it, and reassemble the pieces.

Oftentimes, you’ll find a skill is difficult to duplicate. When that happens, slice it into smaller and smaller pieces. Instead of working to perfect the optimum baseball throw, break it down. What makes the perfect throw? It’s in the wind-up; it’s in your stance; it’s in the positioning of your fingers on the ball. Instead of overwhelming yourself with all of these at once, try starting with the perfect wrist flick to release the ball. Do it over and over again. Study that specific motion in professionals you admire. Videotape yourself doing it and study how you could have done it better. Once you’ve perfected that, move on to your grip. You can apply this technique to learning almost anything in life. You can’t cook the perfect pasta dish if you don’t perfect the flavors in the sauce, the firmness of the pasta and the plating technique individually.

By breaking down what makes something great, learning the individual techniques and adding those skills into your repertoire, you can push yourself to be your best—no matter what it is you’re trying to achieve.

Tagged With: Baseball Health Network, Dr. Christopher Ahmad

Baseball Health Network Seminar April 11, 2016

The Baseball Health Network‘s latest seminar – “Coach, my arm arm hurts.” Now what? – was held at Professional Baseball Instruction‘s indoor training facility in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

Baseball Health Network staff - Dr. Ahmad, Doug Cinnella, Steve Hayward, Eric D'Agati, Leo Mazzone
The Baseball Health Network

The evening was hosted by BHN founding partner Doug Cinnella and featured presentations by BHN founder Steve Hayward, Performance Director Eric D’Agati, Dr. Christopher Ahmad, and legendary former MLB pitching coach Leo Mazzone.

Trunk Rotation and Shoulder Mobility
Eric D’Agati demonstrating how to improve trunk rotation & shoulder mobility

Highlights included a full demonstration by Eric on Trunk Rotation and Shoulder Mobility, using a local high school coach as his test subject.

A full video showing how to test and fix trunk rotation can be found under “premium videos” here on the BHN website.

Steve Hayward
Steve Hayward

Steve detailed the importance of proper throwing mechanics, along with ideas on playing catch with a purpose. He also incorporated a power point presentation that illustrated some of the common mistakes young pitchers make and how to correct them.

Dr. Christopher Ahmad
Dr. Christopher Ahmad

Dr. Ahmad‘s power point demonstration shed light on baseball’s current love affair with velocity, and how it’s not necessarily good for the game. He also showed video footage of an actual Tommy John surgical procedure.

Former MLB pitching coach Leo Mazzone
Former MLB Pitching Coach Leo Mazzone

Leo Mazzone spoke of the benefits of throwing more often with less intensity and how that philosophy not only carried the Atlanta Braves to 14 consecutive National League Eastern Division crowns an a World Series victory, but also helped keep his pitching staffs relatively injury-free under his supervision.

A full Q&A, hosted by PBI’s Jim Monaghan, followed featuring questions from the audience as well as some submitted in advance over the Internet.

Tagged With: Baseball Health Network, Dr. Christopher Ahmad, Leo Mazzone, Tommy John Surgery

“Coach, My Arm Hurts.” – Now What?

John LackeyIf you or your child has played baseball for any appreciable amount of time, there’s a good chance you’ve heard complaints of pain. It has become all too common for players to be suffering from pain in their throwing arm. Many times it’s just a warning sign from their body that something is wrong and if addressed properly, there will be no further issues. Other times, that warning sign is just the beginning of something far more serious – possibly an injury that can lead them straight into the operating room!!!

The statistics are there – each year, players younger and younger are experiencing serious throwing arm injuries. Some of these injuries are causing players to miss a couple weeks of practice and games; others are ending their seasons, even threatening their careers.

The bottom line is this – throwing a baseball puts extreme stress on the joints, tendons and ligaments of pitchers as well as athletes who play multiple positions.

The only way to prevent your child from becoming a statistic is to educate yourself on both the causes and solutions.

On Monday April 11 from 7:30-10PM, the Baseball Health Network will present an educational seminar on this topic with an All-Star lineup that includes legendary MLB pitching coach Leo Mazzone, Dr. Christopher Ahmad (head team physician for the New York Yankees), and Steve Hayward & Eric D’Agati from the Baseball Health Network. Professional Baseball Instruction’s Doug Cinnella will be your host for the evening.

TOPICS:
* Injuries/injury prevention
* Arm care/maintenance
* Pitch counts
* Training pitchers for health/success

A question and answer session will follow.

COST: $20 in advance, $25 at the door
LOCATION: Professional Baseball Instruction, 107 Pleasant Avenue, Upper Saddle River NJ

TO REGISTER:
Online registration (credit card/PayPal) – Click Here
Call 800-282-4638

Baseball Health Network 4/11/16 seminar

Tagged With: Dr. Christopher Ahmad, Leo Mazzone, Tommy John Surgery

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