Glutes Increase Pitching Velocity And Reduce Injury
The gluteus maximus muscle is the biggest as well as most powerful in the body. It plays a vital function in ideal human movement as well as athletic efficiency. It also plays a huge role in the pitching delivery. Powerful hip extension from the glutes allows you to run faster, jump higher and throw harder. The gluteus medius and gluteus minimus aids in hip abduction during the stride, hip rotation to enhance hip to shoulder separation, and stabilization of your pelvis at front foot strike. All of these glute functions are vital to increase pitching velocity, improve pitching accuracy and reduce the risk of injury.
Increase Pitching Velocity
With the glutes being the biggest horsepower producers in the body, it should be common sense that it is vital for pitching velocity. Research has already shown the importance of the glutes to run faster and jump higher. I can all but guarantee you that holds true for pitching velocity as well. Look at some of the hardest throwers in baseball and you will see that 98% of them have absolute dump trucks! Why? Because the glutes play such an important role for many facets of the pitching delivery.
1) Hip External Rotation In Back Leg Load
Glutes help with hip external rotation. This is so important to set up an optimal back leg load position, holding torsion in the back leg and setting up a good back leg force vector. The set up of a good back leg load position allows you to maximize your back leg drive. A big pitching mechanics flaw often comes from a collapsing back leg. Can you guess what the biggest culprit of a collapsing back leg is? If you guessed weak or inhibited glutes we are on the same page.
The greater activation of the gluteus maximus on the preferred or drive leg indicated that it was active in externally rotating the drive hip throughout the arm-cocking and acceleration phases. From a kinematic chain standpoint, this increased activation may result in an increased rate of axial pelvis rotation throughout these phases. This is evident in the positive relationship (r = 0.730, p # 0.05 at maximum external rotation; r = 0.831, p # 0.05 at release) between the rate of axial pelvis rotation and preferred gluteus maximus activity at the points of maximum external shoulder rotation and ball release. - (3)
2) Hip Extension In Back Leg Drive
The back leg drive is primarily a combination of hip extension, knee extension, as well as ankle extension. This is otherwise known as triple extension. These 3 extensors contain the calves (ankle extensors), quadriceps (knee extensors), as well as glutes (hip extensors). All 3 extensors work together to produce power through the kinetic chain. However, the glute is probably the most important of the three. Glute dominant hip extension is key to healthy high velocity pitching.
Gluteus maximus activity fires at a maximum level throughout the stride and arm-cocked phases of the pitching motion. - (3,7)
Typically the gluteus maximus acts to extend the hip and then allows for external rotation of the hip. - (3)
The gluteus maximus is important in transferring forces from the lower extremities to the trunk. - (4)
As a global mobilizer, gluteus maximus produces large amounts of force and power to contribute to hip extension and external rotation of the femur, while the superior fibers act to produce hip abduction torque, and the inferior fibers act to produce hip adduction torque. - (6)
3) Hip Internal Rotation In Back Leg Drive And Front Leg Stabilization
The glutes help with pelvis rotation. Internal rotation of the hip is important for accelerating the pelvis to an open position. In my opinion, it is the most important components of the kinematic sequence. It is key to pass energy from the lower half to the upper body via pelvis angular velocity and a more open pelvis position enhances hip to shoulder separation. If the hip does not internally rotate well in the pitching delivery the kinematic sequence is thrown out of order and your ball velocity and arm health will suffer. Hip internal rotation is also important to absorb force as the front leg lands at foot strike.
The anterior fibers of the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and piriformis change from external rotators to internal rotators as the hip assumes a more flexed position. - (4)
In a similar fashion, the gluteus medius acts as an internal rotator of the hips. As the nonpreferred leg (plant leg) was planted, the magnitude of gluteus medius activation increased. After foot contact, nonpreferred gluteus medius activity increased to a level near 145% of MVIC. This, coupled with the fact that the rate of axial pelvis rotation peaked just before release indicates that the nonpreferred gluteus medius may not simply function as a pelvic stabilizer throughout these phases, but may also function to allow for increased internal hip rotation during the arm-cocking and acceleration phases of the pitching motion. This is supported further by the observed positive relationship between axial pelvis rotation and nonpreferred gluteus medius activity (r = 0.794, p # 0.05 at maximum external rotation; r = 0.779, p # 0.05 at release). Also throughout the arm-cocking phase, preferred gluteus medius activity was observed to be inversely related to the rate of axial pelvis rotation (r = 20.824, p # 0.05 at maximum external rotation). This again indicates that the role of the gluteus medius may be twofold, with it serving as both a pelvic stabilizer and an internal hip rotator with the latter action possibly being directly related to the ability of a pitcher to control the rate of axial pelvis rotation. -(3)
4) Hip Abduction In Stride
The glutes also assist in hip abduction. Hip abduction is so important during the stride phase. Good hip abduction allows you to have a longer stride and get into a good back leg loaded position. Longer strides have also been found to produce higher ball velocities and may also help to reduce injury.
The gluteus medius and minimus are the primary lateral stabilizers of the hip. During open chain movements, they abduct the hip. - (4)
5) Stabilization Of Pelvis At Front Foot Strike
Stabilization of the pelvis at front foot strike creates a solid foundation for the trunk to create rotation. The front legs stabilization and extension is actually one of the highest correlations to ball velocity in biomechanics. The glutes play a huge role in stabilizing the pelvis at front foot strike which allows the trunk to accelerate through shoulder rotation. This stable base for the glutes not only increases pitching velocity, but also reduces the risk of injury.
The very high activation levels of the VM in the stride and trail legs during phase 3 explain their important roles to control/stabilize knee joint positions, whereas the upper extremity and torso forcefully rotate about the stride hip. In fact, many high-level pitchers actually demonstrate stride knee extension during arm cocking and acceleration (9), which is occurring during phase 3 of the pitch. Additionally, the very high EMG levels elicited from the BF and GM of the stride and trail legs have similar roles in their function of dynamically controlling/stabilizing the lower extremities during phase 3, which encompasses the 2 most explosive phases of the pitching motion from an upper extremity standpoint (arm cocking and arm acceleration) (4). During the end of phase 2 and phase 3, the upper extremity and torso forcefully rotate about a base of support, which includes both the trail and stride legs. These results support the basic tenet of Newton’s Third Law of Motion, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Rotating the trunk and upper extremity requires a stable base of support upon which to rotate and, thus, simultaneous and substantial muscle activity from the stride leg and trial leg. This brief bilateral base of support serves to promote the optimal transfer of momentum generated from the initial phases of the pitch. Furthermore, during the later part of phase 3 and throughout phase 4, the stride leg musculature must eccentrically and dynamically control the ankle, knee, and hip joints as the trunk and upper extremities are decelerating.
Data from phase 4 (ball release to 0.5 seconds after ball release) is presented for the stride leg only. During this phase, the trial leg is non–weight bearing and provides no benefit to pitching performance. However, we feel that the EMG data from the stride leg during phase 4 are very important from a stabilization and strength point of view. In general, this phase required a very high amount of muscle activity with the GAST, Gluteus Maximus, and BF eliciting mean EMG values of greater than 100% of their MVIC, whereas the mean EMG value for the VM and RF was approximately 89 and 47% of the MVIC, respectively.
In general, the muscle activity elicited from the stride leg musculature during phase 4 functions to dynamically stabilize the hip and knee joints to maintain standing posture and promote a controlled follow-through. During phase 4, the stride leg is the only leg in contact with the ground and, therefore, is responsible for maintaining a single-leg stance while rotation of the torso and upper extremities continue. The significant amount of muscle activity elicited by the BF (125%) and Gluteus Maximus (170%) eccentrically controls hip flexion deceleration and deceleration of the throwing arm that accompanies the follow-through portion of the pitch. The moderately strong activity from the RF (47%) and the significant amount of activity from the VM (89%) and GAST (126%) serve to dynamically stabilize stride knee and ankle joint positions, whereas the trunk and upper extremity pivot about the stride leg during follow-through.
Improves Pitching Accuracy
The glutes role in the stabilization of the pelvis at front foot strike also assists in improving pitching accuracy and overall pitching performance. One study compared two groups of professional pitchers and found that the group with better lumbopelvic control had more accuracy, endurance and better performance compared to the group with poor lumbopelvic control. This makes sense considering the glutes create a solid foundation for the trunk to accelerate rotation. If the foundation isn’t stable it will not only leak energy up the chain, but theoretically alter the release point lessening command of the strike zone.
Two of the performance variables showed significant differences between groups: WHIP (accuracy) and total IP (endurance). Walks plus hits per IP were significantly lower for the group with better lumbopelvic control than for the group with poorer lumbopelvic control (WHIP, 1.352 ± 0.251 vs. 1.584 ± 0.360, ES = 0.79, p = 0.013). The group with better lumbopelvic control also pitched significantly more innings on average (IP, 78.89 ± 38.67 vs. 53.38 ± 42.47, ES = 0.64, p= 0.043). Trends toward significantly better performance in the group with better lumbopelvic control were seen in opponents' batting average (BAA, 0.260 ± 0.033 vs. 0.280 ± 0.059, ES = 0.46, p = 0.133), strikeouts per inning (Kin, 0.767 ± 0.180 vs. 0.689 ± 0.160, ES = 0.45, p = 0.147), and walks per inning (BBin, 0.334 ± 0.182 vs. 0.437 ± 0.279, ES = 0.47, p = 0.131). - (1)
Furthermore, it can be inferred that the activation of the gluteal group may have a greater influence on the entire pitch vs. only trunk and pelvic control. -(3)
Reduces Injury
Studies have found that poor glute contribution in both the drive leg and front leg has a correlation to injury. Think of it like a foundation for a house. If you have a poorly built foundation your house will fall apart. Same thing with the glutes in the pitching delivery. If there is no stability in your glutes, there will be no stability in the throwing arm, no stability in the throwing arm means you are an injury waiting to happen.
This study found that poor lumbopelvic control in professional pitchers was associated with increased risk of missing significant time due to injury. - (2)
The findings from this study indicate that during the baseball pitch, there is a need for greater control of gluteal activation throughout the pitching motion. These findings may have implications for future injury prevention mechanisms within the pitching cycle. - (3)
Our results show that a relationship exists between lumbopelvic control of the drive leg and both shoulder horizontal torque and elbow valgus torque during the throwing motion. Because of these relationships, clinicians should consider incorporating lumbopelvic control training exercises to minimize the kinetic force placed on the throwing shoulder and elbow during the pitching motion. - (5)
Summary
The glutes are incredibly important for pitching velocity, pitching accuracy and reducing the risk of injury. A large emphasis needs to be placed on them in your training to ensure that you’re maximizing your performance and lowering your risk of injury. Weak or inhibited glutes is very common in athletes. A lot of times we do exercises like squats and deadlifts thinking we are strengthening our glutes, but we end up compensating and building quad dominance. Make sure you become a glute dominant athlete in your training. Your velocity and health will thank you.
References:
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Chaudhari, Ajit MW, et al. "Lumbopelvic control and days missed because of injury in professional baseball pitchers." The American journal of sports medicine 42.11 (2014): 2734-2740.
Oliver, Gretchen D., and David W. Keeley. "Gluteal muscle group activation and its relationship with pelvis and torso kinematics in high-school baseball pitchers." The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 24.11 (2010): 3015-3022.
Willson, John D., et al. "Core stability and its relationship to lower extremity function and injury." JAAOS-Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 13.5 (2005): 316-325.
Laudner, Kevin G., Regan Wong, and Keith Meister. "The influence of lumbopelvic control on shoulder and elbow kinetics in elite baseball pitchers." Journal of shoulder and elbow surgery 28.2 (2019): 330-334.
Buckthorpe, Matthew, Matthew Stride, and Francesco Della Villa. "Assessing and treating gluteus maximus weakness–a clinical commentary." International journal of sports physical therapy 14.4 (2019): 655.
Laudner, Kevin G., et al. "Descriptive profile of lumbopelvic control in collegiate baseball pitchers." The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 32.4 (2018): 1150-1154.
Watkins, ROBERT G., et al. "Dynamic EMG analysis of torque transfer in professional baseball pitchers." Spine 14.4 (1989): 404-408.
Campbell, Brian M., David F. Stodden, and Megan K. Nixon. "Lower extremity muscle activation during baseball pitching." The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 24.4 (2010): 964-971.