Biomechanical Comparison of Baseball Pitching and Long-Toss: Implications for Training and Rehabilitation

Study Design Controlled laboratory study. Objectives To test for kinematic and kinetic differences between baseball pitching from a mound and long-toss on flat ground. Background Long-toss throws from flat ground are commonly used by baseball pitchers for rehabilitation, conditioning, and training. However, there is controversy over the biomechanics and functionality of such throws. Methods Seventeen healthy, college baseball pitchers pitched fastballs 18.4 m from a mound to a strike zone, and threw 37 m, 55 m, and maximum distance from flat ground. For the 37-m and 55-m throws, participants were instructed to throw “hard, on a horizontal line.” For the maximum-distance throw, no constraint on trajectory was given. Kinematics and kinetics were measured with a 3-dimensional, automated motion analysis system. Repeated-measures analyses of variance, with post hoc paired t tests, were used to compare the 4 throw types within pitchers. Results At foot contact, the participant's shoulder line was nearly horizon...