Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center reported the launch of a brand new biomechanics pitching lab, the first one in the U.S., in partnership with Wake Forest University. It will use “16 high-speed cameras and motion-capture markers to record every detail of a pitcher’s throwing delivery and follow through to provide instant feedback on several large video monitors,” according to the report.

For many years before the Tommy John surgery (named after the pitcher who was the first one to undergo it on his elbow in 1974 and successfully returned to the Major League Baseball to have a great career) came about, elbow injuries sidelined many a baseball pitcher and even ended their pitching career.

As research has continued through the years to keep players’ bodies healthy, this latest one shows a hopeful horizon for the future at its inception. It is undertaken by experts of sports medicine at the hospital and the athletic department at the university.

The lab is located within the Chris Hurd Player Development Center at David F. Couch Ballpark, the university’s baseball facility in Winston-Salem, NC.

The prospects also include analyzing the biomechanics of younger pitchers to compare their throwing motions with those of college-age ones.

Let’s keep our eye on the ball and wish them much success. Play ball.

Reference:

• https://newsroom.wakehealth.edu/News-Releases/2019/01/State-of-the-Art-Pitching-Lab-Designed-to-Help-Reduce-Baseball-Injuries