We received some great comments and questions about our newsletter last week called “warm up routine for pitchers.”  Many pitchers agreed that their warm up program consists of jogging a little around the field with their teammates and just playing catch.  If you missed the article, just click on the link above and read it.  It’s a great one!

This is one of the questions we received from a concerned parent and coach in regards to the article.

What about after the game? What kind of cool down stretching do you suggest?  What about icing the arms, etc?

A cool down is just as important than warming up to pitch. I believe many arm injuries begin when pitchers don’t take the cooling down process seriously. While working out or pitching, lactic acid builds up and if you are not stretching after exercising, you are bound to get sore or tender.  When you continue to throw with a tender arm it just worsens.

Think about the last time you went to the gym and worked out your legs.  Lets just say you worked out to exhaustion and the only thing you did to cool down afterward was a couple 10 second quad and hamstring stretches on each leg.  Well, you are in for some very sore legs.  The first day after your workout you may be just a bit sore, but no big deal, you can function normally without walking around complaining of pain.  However, the next morning you go to get our of bed and you have to force yourself up straight because your legs are so sore and you’re walking like an old man just to go brush your teeth.

The same thing happens to your arm a couple of days after you have pitched a long successful game if you don’t cool down properly.

So what is a good cool down routine?

I will never forget watching Nolan Ryan’s seventh no-hit game.  After the game he was mobbed by reporters bombarding him with questions.  The great thing was is that they had to all follow him to the gym so he could cool down while answering their questions from the stationary bike.  After every game Nolan would ride the stationary bike for 25 minutes as part of his cool down process.

So many little league and high school pitchers ignore this critical element of being a healthy pitcher.  After throwing a great game you need to jog around the field a couple of times and get that blood out of your arm.  I would recommend some ballistic stretching and a little static stretching as well.  This is also a great time to do some core work that many pitchers ignore.  I would take at least 20 minutes after each game to stretch and cool down. This will help eliminate much of the arm soreness you would have if you had not done anything after the game but go get something to eat.

As far as icing the arm; I never had too or felt the need.  One of my buddies was talking to Mike Morgan (who pitched in the Majors for 22 years; including the 91 World Champion Diamondbacks) about icing his arm after games.  He also said he never iced his arm.  There is no need if you have a good cool down routine.

If you have a desire to play collegiate baseball for a great team or play beyond college ball, you need to become a student of the game.  You can’t just go through the motions like everyone else does.  You need to step it up and get the knowledge you will need to perform well at the next level.  We are confident Our new pitching DVD’s will give you the insight you need to play at that higher level.