Elbow Spiral: Unlocking an Elite Arm Path
I first came in contact with the term “elbow spiral” by reading “MVP Machine.” “MVP Machine” is a fantastic book about baseball analytics, philosophy, technology, and a narration of where the game of baseball is going. It’s a thought provoking book that I adore. Essentially elbow spiral is a term that Driveline uses, and now many other baseball organizations use as well to describe proper throwing arm path mechanics. Data shows that this arm path is efficient and can increase velocity. The real question is, is it healthy? The answer to that question is yes! In fact, it saved a career. New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka received bad news in 2014. He found out that he needed Tommy John surgery. Instead, Tanaka chose to not have the surgery done. Instead he decided to use the elbow spiral technique. Needless to say, Tanaka has still been one of the top pitchers in all of baseball, even despite needing his UCL repaired.
Teaching the elbow spiral technique is all about feel and understanding. There are many ways to teach this technique but there are a few drills from “Wasserman Strength” that is affordable and genius for an athlete to understand the feeling of proper elbow spiral. This first drill is called the water bottle drill. To use this drill, simply have an empty water bottle, add enough water to fill up about half of the bottle. As the athlete goes through the elbow spiral movement, he should feel the bottle start at the bottom, go in the middle midway through the arm path, water on the cap end of the bottle, and then finish with the water going back to the bottom at the finish. Here is a video to the drill: https://youtu.be/Un8inw4Ry_Q
Another drill that is helpful with teaching young athletes how to use the elbow spiral technique is to have them do a simple drill. This drill is called the straight up drill. This requires the pitcher to throw the ball straight up into a batting cage net. This movement allows for the player to feel the elbow spiral mechanics. To do this drill, I would prefer to video the athlete. This allows for the athlete to see if he is doing the proper mechanics to understand the feel. Here is a video to this drill: https://youtu.be/qiOPTK6Vxo8
By this point you may be asking, okay so these drills can have the athlete feeling this movement but do pitchers actually do this movement while pitching? The answer to that question is YES. I will present to you three pitchers who use this movement. The previously mentioned Masahiro Tanaka, Trevor Bauer, and Daniel Bard. Before I show you these three pitchers using this technique, let’s go through the movements. As the pitcher breaks his hands and is leading with his front hip down the slope of the pitching mound, the pitching arm should be down (water on the bottom of the bottle), as the front foot is getting ready to land, the elbow is working to get on time. The arm at this point will be preparing to get ready to explode forward. As the arm is ready to launch, the arm should be in a perfect 90 degree L shape, and the front foot is about to land (water is in the middle). As the front foot lands, the arm goes forward to throw the pitch to the intended target of the pitcher (water to the front of the bottle and then back to the bottom at release). Now here as I promised are videos of Tanaka, Bauer, and Bard. Make sure to watch for the elbow spiral technique.
Tanaka: https://twitter.com/pitchingninja/status/967443280035287042?s=21
Bauer: https://youtu.be/XNirdgxitIk
Bard: https://youtu.be/0-vOceb1Cho
In summation, the elbow spiral technique has data, success, and health to back up its worth. We don’t have concrete evidence to what is exactly causing UCL damage, but this technique sure seems to help build high velocity pitchers who are also healthy. In fact, with the case of Tanaka, helping to prevent further UCL damage and saving a career. Take all of this information into consideration, and create healthy and successful elite arm paths.
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