Should kids throw curveballs? Or are we asking the WRONG question? I just evaluated a 10-year-old with a UCL tear… who couldn’t even do a simple get up from the ground. And we’re debating pitch types? This isn’t a curveball problem. This is a youth development problem. Kids are:... ⚾️ Playing 90+ games a year ⚾️ Throwing max intent before they can move ⚾️ Training like mini-pros ⚾️ Skipping athletic development ⚾️ Living in velocity culture And then we’re shocked when their elbows explode. So I’ll ask again: 👉 Is the curveball the villain? Or are we breaking kids before they ever get the chance to grow?show more

100+ pitches a weekend. Don’t throw at all M/Tu. Max out in private $70 lesson on Wed. Don’t throw at all Th/ F. 100+ pitches on the weekend. Rinse and repeat from Feb to Nov. It’s not the curveball, folks.

Sounds like Yamamoto in the World Series + him catching and playing shortstop the rest of the 6 games

The curveball is not the culprit. Travel organisations posting velo on 10 year olds is.

Now you’re asking the right questions Doc. It ain’t the curveballs. It’s chasing velocity on tendons that aren’t ready to handle it or the workload that comes with pitching 3 games in a weekend 120+ pitches year round.

Yes, a curveball before their arm is even close to being large enough to handle it is still a problem. Just because it’s not the ONLY problem doesn’t mean it’s not a problem. What a weird post.

"Curveballs hurt your arm" is an old wives tale. Arm problems have always been a part of the game, some aren't built for pitching. Pitch counts work unless the kid pitches EVERY weekend. Football in the fall get strong in the winter, slow ramp up the in the spring.

We posted the same question on IG “Should kids throw curveballs? Or are we asking the WRONG question?” Here’s a response 👇👇👇 “I say why not I never heard of a 12 year old getting Tommy John”

Parents obviously. And none of em know they’re a problem. Next up is the salesman coaches that sell garbage for 5k a year. Another is tournament culture, forces coaches to always have to play to win games and their best pitchers get worn out. To close the Little League/All Star trail also is deeply corrupted by Daddy ball and commissioners that fudge rosters to benefit their buddies. I’ve seen all this, and I don’t coach Travel anymore because of it. I’m just going to concentrate on my son cus no one listens.

Something you didn’t mention is a lot of kids don’t learn to throw fastballs with correct backspin, and instead get supinated from age 6 throwing mini sliders

I believe the curve shouldn’t be taught til at least high school. A kid’s arm is still developing and compound that with how often kids are taught incorrectly. Most 2 common incorrect ways of throwing a curve is “fly fishing” and “turning a door handle”. Better for kids to…

Curveballs took the blame when I was a kid. Then it was throwing too many innings. Now it’s not training enough or properly. I think you’re on to something. It’s too many innings and no off seasons. Too many kids focusing on one motion. Too much emphasis on velocity

This conversation very rarely explores another angle: the bat company arms race. In their quest for parent wallet dominance bat companies are putting bazookas in youth hands. Pitching to contact doesn’t work bcuz 12yr olds hit 90mph rockets. Kid+parents seek the answer to…cont

Throwing curveballs and pitching curveballs are completely different. I think kids should learn to throw all sorts of pitches, as it really helps with development for feel. Pitching with them, on the other hand, is a completely different story. Also agree youth development is pretty tough right now.

…Swing and miss. They listen to someone selling velo and ripping sliders. Broken elbows follow. Make throwing strikes rewardable again by taking the rocket launchers away.

I had the best curveball in Little League… And elbow surgery at age 14…

I dunno if a pitch that used a minority of the time and actually doesn't put a lot of stress on the elbow if thrown right Is the culprit. I threw 100 pitches today (60-70% max effort) and I only prob threw a dozen curves.

The curveball is not the enemy. Everything you listed is to blame, in my opinion. Kids should not be playing baseball year-round. Playing 90 games a year includes practicing 4-5 times every week. That's too much throwing for young arms.

It’s a good point. I’m just not sure what the main issue is. Is it throwing the curveball? Is it throwing the curveball incorrectly? Or is the fact that these kids play tons of games with hardly any rest? Many kids, especially in the little league Organization play both Little League and travel. So they’re throwing all spring for travel training, they’re playing tons of games in the summer, and then they go into a fall league, and then potentially they do their winter training and practicing with the same team. So we have young arms that are doing massive amounts of throwing with little to no rest.

No, it’s not the curveball. It’s extending the arm for velocity. Stressing and stretching the ligaments & tendons. I coached champion 10 yr olds and up.

The CB isn’t the “villain” but the CB is the henchman for the villain.

Kids need to limit the amount of curveballs at age 12. It’s beyond a joke how many curveballs these young kids throw. It’s more on the youth coaches and parents. When I coached kids, my main focus for them was to teach them a fastball/change up and barely work on curveballs.

Thank you for this post.

Having the “Tommy John” conversation with a 10-year-old and his well-intentioned parents hits different. It’s the elephant in the room… and it’s why we need better long-term player development conversations and solutions in youth baseball.

Absolutely!

Has nothing to do with curveball if thrown properly

CB on its own not problem if thrown right. But young kids find it hard to replicate proper mechanics. If it’s good CB, crappy coaches keep calling for it and with bad mechanics taxes arm. Playing to many games taxes it even more.

Not many, maybe 1 per batter max. Growth plate and UCL stress when throws aren't pronated. Over-pitching/throwing is also an issue. Never pitch and catch in the same game.

Metal bats contribute. Kids can foul off out pitches more easily. Kids overthrow and turn it over too much to get swings and misses

I don’t care what doctors think about kids throwing curveballs if they endorse kids getting the COVID jab.

I remember Frank Tanana being asked about this. He said that if a kid that young is throwing curveballs, he might as well break his arm.

1. Look at almost any team’s tourney GC and you’ll see abuse. 2. Kids have success early with curveballs since young kids haven’t seen them much so they throw a lot of curveballs instead of developing arm strength and accuracy with good mechanics. More important to get the W

13 is the very earliest! Arm injury waiting to happen

Probably 95% of kids who try to throw a curve do it wrong, and in a way that will injure their arm if they did it enough. However, overuse is so much more common and leads to almost all of the injuries.

If @tomhouse says kids can throw curve balls, then kids can throw curve balls.

Today’s kids throw pitches instead of actually learning the art of pitching. They learn how to pitch through little league then allow the velocity to come as they progress through school ball.

CB are NOT the problem..

It's the emphasis on velocity so early. Breaking balls of any type before "filling out" are also to blame.