Tall and Fall Versus Drop and Drive Strategy in College Baseball Pitchers for Velocity and Elbow Valgus Torque

Abstract

Background: Depending on anthropometrics and coaching style, pitchers are taught to pitch with a stride strategy that are traditionally classified as “tall and fall” or “drop and drive” for the purpose of maximizing pitch velocity. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of stride strategy (tall and fall vs drop and drive) in college baseball pitching on pitch velocity and elbow valgus torque. It was hypothesized that pitch velocity and elbow valgus torque would increase as pitchers aligned more with the tall and fall technique. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Markerless motion capture data were recorded on 64 collegiate pitchers (height, 1.89 ± 0.06 m; weight, 93.06 ± 9.44 kg) during game play at the host institution during the 2023 season. Peak magnitudes of body center of mass (COM) vertical displacement were determined using a straight-line trajectory between peak knee height and lead foot contact and used as a continuous variable. Pitchers were required to throw ≥4 fastballs during their outing to be included in the analysis. Multilevel modeling was used to determine associations between peak magnitudes of positive and negative vertical displacement of COM on pitch velocity and elbow valgus torque. Every fastball throughout the season with biomechanics data for each pitcher was included in the multilevel model. Results: Fastball velocity was mean ± SD 90.68 ± 2.90 mph (40.54 ± 1.29 m/s). Mean maximal negative vertical COM displacement was −0.91 ± 0.47 inches (−0.023 ± 0.012 m), which occurred 18.1% ± 5.75% of the way between peak knee height and stride foot contact. Mean maximal positive vertical COM displacement was 1.73 ± 1.14 inches (0.044 ± 0.029 m), which occurred 65.7% ± 7.8% of the time from peak knee height to stride foot contact. Positive COM displacement (β = 0.54; P < .001) and timing of peak positive COM displacement (β = 1.82; P = .023) reduced interpitcher variance by 9.9% and improved the ability of our model to predict fastball velocity. Negative COM displacement improved the ability of our model to predict ball velocity (β = −0.45; P = .021). Vertical COM displacement did not influence elbow valgus torque. Conclusion: Increasing vertical COM displacement in either the positive or the negative direction resulted in increased fastball velocity but did not result in greater elbow valgus torque. This indicates that the stride method may be used for performance enhancement but is unlikely to influence ulnar collateral ligament injury risk in college baseball pitchers. Clinical Relevance: Clinicians should not use stride mechanics as an injury risk indicator or diagnostic factor in injury etiology for college baseball pitchers.