Improving Finger and Hand Actions in Pitching
Pitchers are now beginning to include strength training in their programs to increase the force and speed applied to the ball. In addition it has helped to prolong many pitching careers.
However, to get the most out of your weight training program, it is important that you do exercises that duplicate exactly what occurs in the pitching motion and in throwing specific pitches. In other words, the exercises must be very specific to the actions that are incurred. In this way the strength that you develop will be used in the way it is used in the pitch. This gives you not only immediate results but the results will be quite appreciable — much more than can be achieved with general conditioning exercises or exercises which involve the same muscles but not in the exact action as in the pitch.
Selection of specific exercises is often difficult because considerable misinformation surrounds different kinds of pitches and the role of the forearm, wrist and fingers in throwing. For example, young pitchers are not allowed to throw a curve ball. This decision (to the best my knowledge) is based on the fact that many youngsters have injured their elbows when they threw a curve ball. The real problem, however, is not the curve ball, since it is a perfectly safe pitch in regard to the forces experienced in the elbow and wrist. The problem is that most coaches, including major league coaches, do not know how the curve ball is thrown and teach improper (and dangerous) technique.
For example, I have read articles by several major league coaches who stated that in the curve ball, you rotate the hand so that the back of the hand faces the target (hand supination) as the ball is released. Not only is this an incorrect description of how to throw a curve, but it is practically impossible to throw in this manner — at least with any force or distance. The greater the force applied when you supinate the hand the more dangerous the pitch becomes. Thus knowing how you throw a ball, and then doing exercises to strengthen the muscles involved in that particular throw, is very important. It is a key factor in truly improving performance.
If we closely examine the major actions of the wrist in throwing we will see that there are only two, wrist flexion and wrist ulna flexion. Wrist flexion is used with fast balls and when throwing left and right breaking balls. Ulna flexion is used when throwing a curve (sinking) ball, and combinations of both are used when throwing pitches such as the slider.
Wrist Actions. Ulna flexion is the main action used to throw a curve (a sinking ball). In this action, the little finger side of the hand moves toward the forehand while the hand remains in line with the forearm. The curve ball is the only pitch that involves this hand action. It is needed to get the fingers to travel over the top of the ball in order to impart top spin to the ball so that it will drop (sink) as it approaches the plate.
When throwing all other pitches (except the knuckle ball), and especially the fast ball, you must first have hand (forearm) pronation in order to get the front of the hand and fingers facing toward the batter as you execute the wrist and finger actions in the release. The forearm pronation creates a little additional force in the throw but is needed mainly to set up the force production phase for the wrist and finger flexion actions which follow immediately. In essence, the hand pronation places the fingers behind the ball so that when you break the wrist you push the ball forward with the fingers. In addition, the fingers determine the accuracy imparted to the ball in the release.
It should also be noted that hand pronation is the key action used to create side spin. To do this the fingers must be off-center as you release the ball toward the batter. The amount of hand pronation determines how much spin is imparted to the ball. Thus by using different finger positions and differing amounts of hand pronation, and wrist ulna flexion, and flexion, you will be able to manipulate the ball at will. To improve these actions, you should do the following exercises which duplicate these actions.
Wrist flexion. To strengthen the wrist flexor muscles do the wrist curl with dumbbells, a barbell or a Strength Bar with the weight centered between the hands. Execution is the same regardless of the equipment that you use.
To execute, kneel in front of an exercise bench and place your forearms across the bench, hands facing up. Your hands should hang over the far edge of the bench so that they’re free to move through a full range of motion. Sit back somewhat so that your arms are relatively straight. Hold the dumbbells or bar with a somewhat loose grip. Keeping the upper body and forearms stable, lower the hands until your wrists are hyper-extended. Then flex your wrists, curling the dumbbells or bar up as far as possible — usually about 60 degrees to the horizontal. (See Figure 1 a, b) After reaching the uppermost position, return to the hyper-extended position under control and repeat.
Execute at a moderate rate of speed being sure to keep your elbows and forearms in contact with the bench at all times. Be sure that you do not have a tight grip as you do this exercise as it will not allow you to go through full wrist extension-hyperextension. A limited range robs your muscles of the benefits of this exercise, especially in relation to the range of motion seen in the hand/wrist actions in pitching. Also do reverse wrist curls to balance the forearm muscle development.
Ulna Flexion. To execute, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a Strength Bar with the weighted end pointed to the rear. Palm of the hand should face the body with the arm alongside the body. Relax the wrist muscles to allow the weighted end to drop to its lowest position behind the body, and then keep the arm straight and raise the weighted end of the bar as high as possible with ulnar flexion in the wrist. At the uppermost point you should feel the triceps also undergo contraction. Return to the original position keeping the weight under control at all times. (See Figure 2 a, b)
Be sure to keep your arm straight and to use only your wrist action to raise the weight as high as possible (close to elbow height). The length of the bar that you use plays an important role in resistance and range of motion. I have found that with pitchers and other position players, the 15-inch Strength Bar is best. When the bar is shorter, you must use more resistance and the range of motion is usually less. If the bar is too long (20 or more inches), the momentum becomes difficult to handle even with the lightest weights.
Also start with light weights (usually 2 ½ – 5 pounds) to ensure a full range of motion (approximately 135 degrees). Once you are accustomed to going through the full range of motion you can place additional weight on the end of the bar.
Forearm Pronation/Supination. Forearm pronation can be done separately or it can be combined with forearm supination to provide full forearm development. To ensure balanced development of the forearm muscles supination/pronation will be described in one exercise.
Kneel in front of the long side of an exercise bench and place the forearm across the bench seat so that your wrist and hand are clear of the seat. Hold the Strength Bar in your hand in a neutral grip — that is with your thumb uppermost, the bar vertical and the weight at the top end. This is the starting position. When you are ready turn your hand palm up (supinate) until the shaft of the bar is almost level or in line with the bench. Be sure to keep your forearm and elbow in contact with the bench as you do this action.
Then turn the hand palm down (pronate) so that the bar is once again vertical and then go beyond (additional pronation as seen in pitching) until the bar is once again level to the bench. In this way you execute pronation through a full 180 degrees range of motion. If you have good forearm flexibility the bar can also go below level, increasing the range of motion as often occurs in many pitches. After reaching the lowermost position, turn the palm up again and repeat, maintaining a continuous motion turning the hand palm up and palm down at a moderate rate of speed. (See Figure 3 a, b, c)
Be sure to keep your shoulder over your elbow so that you maintain a 90 degree angle in the elbow at all times and so that the elbow remains in contact with the bench. Repeat with the other arm so that you do not overdevelop the muscles of only one arm.
Pronation/supination can also be done with a dumbbell but it is not very effective because the resistance lever arm is too short. In essence, the closer the resistance, the easier it is to turn your hand and the less the muscular development that will occur. When you use the Strength Bar, you can adjust the length of the lever by holding the weighted end closer to or farther from your hand.
Inhale and hold your breath during the latter lowering and raising action in both supination and pronation. Exhale as you approach the vertical position. Holding your breath will help to stabilize your body and allow you to generate greater force and handle the weights safely and effectively. Note that in pitching the breath is held during the actual throwing phase.
Finger Actions. The fingers of the hand play an extremely important role, not only in gripping the ball but in the release. Some pitchers are more successful with certain pitches because of their ability to spread the fingers sufficiently or to be able to place them in particular positions to throw unique types of pitches. In my work with pitchers I have found that after developing the fingers in many of their different actions they too become capable of throwing more different and varied pitches and throwing them more effectively.
Some of the better exercises include finger abduction (the ability to spread the fingers), adduction (the ability to bring the fingers in closer together), finger flexion (grip) and finger flexion at different digits, ie., being able to bend the fingers at any particular joint. Because some of the major finger flexor muscles are located in the forearm (with the tendons running across the wrist into the hand and fingers) you will see a definite change in forearm muscle definition. In addition, you will develop a much stronger wrist by stengthening the tendons that cross it.
The exercises that I have developed are done with the Exer Rings which consist of a set of five rings of different tensions, three of which have rounded surfaces and two of which have flat surfaces. The round surface is more for gripping and finger flexion while the flat surface allows for better fingertip contact to work each digit, individually or the fingers in their entirety and for adduction and abduction.
Finger Flexion. To develop finger flexion strength select a round ring with the needed tension (according to the diameter) and place one in the hand. The ring should be situated against the middle pads of your fingers and the base of the thumb and palm. When you are ready squeeze the ring maximally so that in the ending position your hand is in a fist. The ring at this time should the shape of a paper clip (elongated rectangle with rounded ends). After strongly contracting the finger muscles, relax your grip until the ring resumes its round shape and then repeat for the desired number of repetitions. Change the positioning of the ring on the fingers for different effects. (See Figure 4 a,b)
To work the fingers in basically a straight position as they are during the last split seconds before the ball leaves the fingers, as, for example, on a fast ball, grasp the flat ring with the fingertips of the fingers. Place the thumb on a tabletop or on your thigh and then press down with the fingertips. After the ring is fully deformed into the shape of a paper clip relax the muscles to return the ring to its original normal shape. For more precision, isolate the action to the index or middle finger or work both simultaneously. (See Figure 5 a, b) Do with the fingers close together, and apart to allow for different ball grips.
Finger adduction and abduction. To strengthen the muscles when the fingers are spread apart you should do finger adduction. To execute, hold a flat ring so that it is perpendicular to the fingers when between the index and middle finger. Allow the tension of the ring to spread the fingers apart. Hold the ring with the opposite hand so it does not slip and then squeeze the two fingers together. Squeeze until the ring is in the shape of a figure eight, release and then repeat. Place the ring at different positions on the fingers. (See Figure 6 a, b)
To help spread the fingers take one of the rings and put it between the fingers, hold it with the opposite hand so it does not slip and allow the tension of the ring to spread the fingers. This can be done for flexibility. For strength take a wide band rubber band and place it over the fingers when they are slightly spread. Then holding the rubber band in place pull the fingers apart as much as possible to develop strength of the muscles in this action.
It is also possible to do isometric strength work with the ExerRings by placing the two fingers inside a ring and then try pulling apart as hard as possible for up to six seconds. Then relax and repeat. (See Figure 7)
When developing grip or finger strength it is not necessary to use a ring with great tension because it may not allow you to go through a full range of motion or to execute a sufficient number of repetitions. When this happens you will not gain the greatest strength or strength endurance which is most important for pitchers.
There are many variants of finger flexion that can be done with the Exer Rings. The ones mentioned here are only a few that are specific to pitchers. The finger exercises with the rings can also be done in many ways and in many places. For example, you can do exercises with the rings while in a standing or seated position with the arms straight or bent in the elbow. Many student athletes like to work the rings while sitting in class listening to lectures, while others like to work the rings while watching television. The rings can also be used in warm water and thus have great value in rehabilitation.
Finger flexion with rings is one of the best exercises to develop grip and finger strength. Other devices such as spring-loaded grippers or tennis balls, etc. usually do not allow you to go through a full range of motion. If you have small hands you may even have difficulty gripping them. Different kinds of putty are also available, but the putty does not return to its original shape after each repetition and must be remolded. Also putty cannot be used in water and cannot be used for many other finger exercises.
By doing the various finger and hand and wrist exercises you can improve your pitching ability greatly. You will improve not only your ability to throw more effectively, but also throw a greater variety of pitches. It should also be noted that these exercises are also beneficial for players in different positions. By improving the strength of the fingers, wrists and forearms all throws are enhanced as well as many aspects of batting.
Sidebar. The descriptions and exercises presented in this article are specific to baseball pitching; however, many of the exercises also apply to softball pitching. This includes all of the finger exercises, wrist flexion and forearm supination/ pronation. Softball pitchers use a greater variety of hand, wrist and forearm actions to throw pitches with many different effects. Thus in addition to the exercises described softball pitchers should also do radial flexion which is the opposite of ulna flexion and place greater emphasis on supination which is safely used in many pitches. Note that when the supination occurs in softball pitching the arm is basically straight and the front of the fingers are pointed toward the target making it a safe action.