When most people think about technology’s role in their training regimen, they tend to think solely in terms of performance. Tyler White from Gestalt Performance recently appeared on the Rapsodo Baseball Podcast to discuss the ways technology is also aiding in improving injury prevention and rehabilitation.
Baseball Injury Prevention and Data
White believes getting a solid baseline on Rapsodo is just as important for monitoring a player’s health as it is for monitoring their talent. While there are a number of things that can impact results, knowing what to expect can give coaches and trainers the ability to identify potential issues or injuries early on.
“If you have a solid understanding of a player’s normal spin rate, for example, and that player is deviating in a significant way during their bullpen, that can be a red flag,” White said. “You might pull them aside and check out their range of motion, ask them if they worked out too hard the day before, see if they slept on their shoulder wrong. There are so many things it could be, but the beauty of Rapsodo and the ability to capture that spin rate is that we know there is something to look at.”
As coaches are getting more familiar with Rapsodo PITCHING 2.0 technology, they are able to make faster adjustments with their pitchers. White believes the next big change at higher levels of baseball is that pitching coaches will have ability – and data – to tell the medical staff when a player may need attention.
“Sometimes there will be some therapy involved, other times it might be as simple as some extra stretching and, boom, that player is back on the mound and you’re seeing what you wanted to see before,” White said.
World Pitching Congress’ New Medical Focus
Rapsodo is involved in many events throughout a given year, and one of the most unique and informative in the last year was Gestalt’s World Pitching Congress.
“Personally, I got a lot out of the World Pitching Congress because it dealt with subjects [that] I think the average coach isn’t super well-versed in,” Seth Daniels said.
The event brings some of the leading minds from multiple disciplines together to share their latest findings related to strength training, rehabilitation, and pitching performance. The 2020 event took place in January, and they are already planning a virtual version for 2021.
“This year, we’re doing a two-day event,” White said. “One day will be completely dedicated to performance and the other day will be entirely medical.”
The Full Interview with Tyler White
To hear more from Tyler on the ways technology can improve injury prevention and things coaches can do to learn more, listen to the latest episode of the Rapsodo Baseball Podcast.
For more information on Rapsodo products, visit www.rapsodo.com/baseball/.
