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What if the number you trust most to protect pitchers is the one hiding the real risk? We break down OP10—outs per ten pitches—a clear, practical stat that blends results with context by adding errors back into the equation. Instead of worshiping a pitch count, we show how OP10 reveals true efficiency, flags fatigue early, and helps coaches decide when to pull, when to push, and how to plan training with purpose.

We walk through the simple formula and why it matters at every level, from youth leagues to varsity. Think of a kid burning 41 pitches in the first inning versus another who weathers multiple errors but keeps the pitch load low; OP10 makes the difference obvious. We also revisit Greg Maddux’s surgical efficiency to illustrate what strong OP10 looks like across innings, and why fewer pitches per out is the real currency of healthy, sustainable performance.

Numbers are only part of the story, so we pair OP10 with quick, coach-friendly checks: range of motion screens, simple strength and sequencing tests, and on-the-mound fatigue cues tied to command and velocity drift. With injury rates rising and position players now joining pitchers in UCL surgeries, waiting for a pitch cap to save the day isn’t a plan. OP10 offers a smarter lens for game management, offseason design, and honest conversations with athletes and parents about workload, mechanics, and recovery.

If you care about healthier arms, better decisions, and more efficient innings, this is your blueprint for moving beyond pitch count to what truly matters: outs with less stress. Subscribe, share with your staff, and leave a review to help more teams protect their pitchers and win smarter.

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The Velocity Rx podcast mission is to help save one million arms by giving the very best mechanical, health, and arm care information to it's listeners.

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A pitcher’s arm shouldn’t need a full-body emergency to finish a throw, yet that’s exactly what we uncovered when a minor leaguer reached out about thoracic outlet symptoms, a past elbow fracture, and a velocity drop that got worse as outings wore on. The video told the story: a sharp pelvic pop at release, weight shifting back to the heel, and a short, guarded finish. The surprise was where the problem really started—not in the legs, but in the shoulder, where scapular rhythm had broken down and the upper traps were doing the wrong job at the worst time.

We walk through the Game Test we use to map neurological sequence and then break down the shoulder coordination screen that revealed the truth. Above horizontal, his upper traps fired hard and early, the shoulder blades stalled and protracted, and the middle and lower traps—the true decelerators—went missing. When the scapula can’t glide down and in, the brachial plexus gets crowded and the arm can’t decelerate, so the nervous system recruits the pelvis to slam on the brakes. That protective pattern may save the joint but it steals velocity, consistency, and health. We dig into why “you can only accelerate what you can decelerate” isn’t a slogan; it’s the organizing rule of high-velocity throwing.

Then we share the simplest fix most pitchers never try: isometric scapular depression. Supine, arms up, shoulder blades tucked down and toward the spine, five-second holds for high-quality reps. After 100 reps, our athlete threw and felt an immediate difference—clearer path, calmer finish, less stress, better carry. We also dispel a persistent myth that scapular depression causes thoracic outlet signs, and explain why shrug-heavy cues and screen-strained posture feed the exact pattern that closes the outlet and crushes performance. If you coach pitchers, rehab throwers, or fight late-inning velo fade, you’ll learn how to spot the pelvic “brake,” test shoulder rhythm, and activate the right decelerators so the arm can finally move fast without fear.

If this resonated, subscribe, share with a teammate or coach, and leave a review. Want help fixing your sequence and saving your arm? Visit velocityrx.org and join the mission to help save one million arms.

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The Velocity Rx podcast mission is to help save one million arms by giving the very best mechanical, health, and arm care information to it's listeners.

Send us a text

A high school pitcher was told to rest, stretch, and wait it out—yet every week hurt more than the last. We took a different route: test how he moves under real conditions, then rebuild the pattern from the ground up. What we found was simple and powerful. His upper traps were calling the shots, his lat was stuck in neutral, and his pelvis and scapula were speaking different languages. Once we taught the shoulder blade to depress and the hips to hinge, pain gave way to clean mechanics and confident throws.

We walk you through the exact tests we used—the shoulder coordination test that exposes trap dominance, the squat screen that reveals pelvic control, and how serratus activation becomes the missing link for overhead athletes. You’ll hear why scapulohumeral rhythm matters for deceleration, how the lat connects shoulder and spine stability, and what changes when the body redistributes work from “always on” neck muscles to true stabilizers like lower traps and lats. The before-and-after details are striking: better thoracic extension, more space at end range, and a squat that preserves spinal curves while generating real force.

From there, we map the training plan that stuck: high-rep scapular depression with serratus, a catcher squat that grooves hip hinge and lordosis, and a steady ramp of throwing volume to 300 pain-free towel and ball throws a week. Along the way, we tackle the bigger lesson for players and parents—ask why every drill exists, demand a clear cause-and-effect, and measure what matters. If imaging is clean but movement is noisy, the fix is in the pattern. Subscribe for more case studies, share this with a pitcher who needs a roadmap back to the mound, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway so we can keep saving arms together.

Support the show

The Velocity Rx podcast mission is to help save one million arms by giving the very best mechanical, health, and arm care information to it's listeners.