One-armed Batting Drills

[Twitch5]

FYI...

I took my son in today for his initial PT evaluation for elbow rehab. During discussions with the trainer about what my son can/cannot do in the near future - one-armed batting drills came up.

The Physical Therapist strongly suggested that my son NOT continue doing the one-arm lead-arm drills. The PT stated that he has personally seen two cases of elbow/UCL injuries from swinging one-handed. He demonstrated how the one-arm swing puts additional force/torque on the inside of the batter's lead elbow when compared to the traditional two-handed swing.

Twitch5

[jbooth]

FYI...

I took my son in today for his initial PT evaluation for elbow rehab. During discussions with the trainer about what my son can/cannot do in the near future - one-armed batting drills came up.

The Physical Therapist strongly suggested that my son NOT continue doing the one-arm lead-arm drills. The PT stated that he has personally seen two cases of elbow/UCL injuries from swinging one-handed. He demonstrated how the one-arm swing puts additional force/torque on the inside of the batter's lead elbow when compared to the traditional two-handed swing.

Twitch5

That's true, and the drill using just the rear arm can strain that arm also. And, the one arm drill with the lead arm can put a strain on the front shoulder also.

When you do these drills you should be using a small bat, not a full sized one. MLB pros use a little 26 inch bat to do one handed hitting. I watched the Rangers in Spring Training last year using a 26 inch bat and hitting with one arm against balls thrown underhand by a coach behind a screen about 20 feet away. Don't try to swing a full sized bat with one arm. A kid 12 or younger should even choke up a little on the 26 inch bat, to avoid strain.

The purpose of the drills is to learn to keep the hands close to the body as you rotate the torso, and to whip the bathead at the ball, leading with the knob.

[Jake Patterson]

He demonstrated how the one-arm swing puts additional force/torque on the inside of the batter's lead elbow when compared to the traditional two-handed swing.
Twitch5

Maybe it's because the breaking muscles in one arm are unable to compensate for the momentum developed by the swinging bat.

[Erik]

FYI...

I took my son in today for his initial PT evaluation for elbow rehab. During discussions with the trainer about what my son can/cannot do in the near future - one-armed batting drills came up.

The Physical Therapist strongly suggested that my son NOT continue doing the one-arm lead-arm drills. The PT stated that he has personally seen two cases of elbow/UCL injuries from swinging one-handed. He demonstrated how the one-arm swing puts additional force/torque on the inside of the batter's lead elbow when compared to the traditional two-handed swing.

Twitch5

Twitch5,

I think a player needs to start off with a light wiffle ball bat or golf club shaft when learning to develop the front arm and back arm. I can see this could be harmful and caution should be used. I haven't had any of the players I train complain about arm issues. I believe this is because of the bat weight and underdeveloped arm control. Light but right when doing this drill.



EL,

[freddy]

FYI...

I took my son in today for his initial PT evaluation for elbow rehab. During discussions with the trainer about what my son can/cannot do in the near future - one-armed batting drills came up.

The Physical Therapist strongly suggested that my son NOT continue doing the one-arm lead-arm drills. The PT stated that he has personally seen two cases of elbow/UCL injuries from swinging one-handed. He demonstrated how the one-arm swing puts additional force/torque on the inside of the batter's lead elbow when compared to the traditional two-handed swing.

Twitch5

I could believe that, but here's my comment. Most one arm trainers available to the public are way to heavy.
I suggest to most find one thats not to heavy for them. JMO
We will be launching a drop down menu shortly on our website, so players can choose the weight that best suits them.

[Ursa Major]

Thanks for the heads-up, Twitch. I know HiddenGem uses bottom arm drills regularly but with a smaller bat, and I like them for a variety of reasons, the primary one which JBooth mentioned. I probably wasn't as sensitive to the fact that it might cause injury as I should have.

To be sure, I never use it as a strength development device, but more as a way to let kids feel for themselves that proper launch position and efficient movement can by itself create substantial batspeed. Also, as Jim mentiones, it helps kids keep their hands back to the shoulders. In addition, it can help diagnose improper lower body rotation -- if the bat has trouble making a full rotation without drooping, there's a good chance the kid is doing more spinning than proper turning.

I've never liked top arm drills -- as they promote too much arminess and I always felt they put too much strain on the arm, even with a smaller bat.

[Twitch5]

I had asked the PT about doing the drills with a lighter bat, since my son had been doing the drills with an old 19 oz. LL bat. He suggested not doing them with anything heavier than a wiffleball bat. The PT contended that the second hand provides resistance; whereas the one-arm drills allow the elbow to "fly open" excessively.

Twitch5

[jbooth]

I had asked the PT about doing the drills with a lighter bat, since my son had been doing the drills with an old 19 oz. LL bat. He suggested not doing them with anything heavier than a wiffleball bat. The PT contended that the second hand provides resistance; whereas the one-arm drills allow the elbow to "fly open" excessively.

Twitch5

Well, using a wiffle bat will prevent injury, but it would be useless for training. The purpose of one hand swinging is for the student to get the "feel" of how creating movement at the knob will cause the heavy head to move. You need to learn how to make the bathead move without forcing it with the wrists. You can't "whip" a wiffle bat, it isn't end-weighted. You're trying to get the feel of lagging the bathead behind and feeling it whip into the ball and having a firm grip AT CONTACT.

[Dirtberry]

I have been using the one hand front side and backside drills for about 30 years on my clients and in that time have not seen or heard of any discomfort much less an injury. This drill I believe trains the brain in halves and is more important with right-handed batters because the backside is the most important to get right. Your left arm is controlled by the right hemisphere of your brain or the creative side that is dominated by left hemisphere of the brain, which is the motor skill side that controls the right arm. Basically the left hemisphere dominates the right hemisphere in all motor skill development but there is some crossover. When righties swing one armed backside their good mechanics are evident, when they grab the bat with their front side their mechanics are always left short so this drill helps bring the right side of the brain to where it needs to be. I train youth batters with their own bat but chocked up to the top of the grip tape then adjust for control. At 16 years old I do under load and over load with
This drill.

If you are rebounding from a previous elbow injury I can see where your PT might have reservation but a healthy Elbow will not receive Valgus over stress.

I would sure like to hear from actually injured players from this drill and what the exact injury was? If they are pitchers there UCL is always in an over stressed condition and is always in a state of repair.

[Twitch5]

I love how some people need to be so combative and contrarian on this website. It seems like if one person says "white", there will always be people who say "purple"!

This thread was merely an FYI because I was unaware of a potential injury until a PROFESSIONAL showed my son and me the possible consequences.

All I know... do a full-swing with two hands and look at the orientation and stress on the lead elbow, then do a full-swing with only the lead arm and notice the change in orientation/stress on the elbow. And I'm sorry, but I think an end-weighted bat would only exacerbate this.

Twitch5

[Jake Patterson]

I love how some people need to be so combative and contrarian on this website. It seems like if one person says "white", there will always be people who say "purple"!

This thread was merely an FYI because I was unaware of a potential injury until a PROFESSIONAL showed my son and me the possible consequences.

All I know... do a full-swing with two hands and look at the orientation and stress on the lead elbow, then do a full-swing with only the lead arm and notice the change in orientation/stress on the elbow. And I'm sorry, but I think an end-weighted bat would only exacerbate this.

Twitch5

Agree .

[Go Cardinals]

Agree .

I agree as well...

[Lady_Knights]

And I'm sorry, but I think an end-weighted bat would only exacerbate this.

Twitch5

Unless the bat was not end loaded until it reached the contact area?

[Dirtberry]

Twitch5,

If your statement was directed at me, I see no disrespect regarding your statement. I even believe your PT and you. My statement was an FYI also. I know many great batting coaches that have been using this drill as long as me and not one of them has mentioned an injury using it, that does not mean it does not happen.

One injury that I do see year after year is front side minimal shoulder separation from letting go of the bat with your back side arm. I’ve seen this from plate appearances and many on deck swing injuries.

[Ursa Major]

All I know... do a full-swing with two hands and look at the orientation and stress on the lead elbow, then do a full-swing with only the lead arm and notice the change in orientation/stress on the elbow.

Why is there a change in orientation and stress in a lead arm swing? The drill is to emulate the good swing, so the finish should be similar. In any case, the one-arm swing by definition isn't quite so powerful and I look to make sure the elbow doesn't completely lock at the end of the drill, as it's potentially harmful and doesn't help the drill at all.

And I'm sorry, but I think an end-weighted bat would only exacerbate this.

Jim wasn't recommending that you use an "end-weighted" bat. Rather, he was saying a wiffle bat was useless for this drill, because it has no weight at the end. There is a huge middle area between the two extremes from which the hitter can select an appropriately-weighted bat.