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While pitchers throw from a mound, all other players throw from flat ground.
To identify differences between these throws, 27 college pitchers were
tested throwing from flat ground (60, 120, 180 ft) and pitching from a
mound (60.5 ft). The crow-hop technique (similar to an outfielder's throwing
motion) was used for all flat ground throws. At the instant of foot contact,
a shorter stride and less shoulder external rotation were present when
throwing from flat ground. At ball release, the trunk was most upright
during long-distance (120 and 180 ft) throws. Deceleration forces in the
shoulder and elbow after ball release were lowest during long-distance
throws. This may help explain why non-pitchers experience less overuse
throwing injuries than pitchers. However, elbow varus torque was greatest
during 180' throwing, implying that the lower incidence of elbow injury
in non-pitchers is probably due to other factors, such as number of throws,
intensity of throws, and type of throws (e.g., fastball, curveball).
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