30% of coaches, 51% of players, and 37% of parents believe Tommy John surgery should be performed in the absence of elbow injury to enhance performance.
-Ahmad, et al.,
Baseball players will do some crazy stuff for performance gains, but I was especially shocked by the statement.
This article is about ten years old, so the perception of Tommy John Surgery is hopefully changing. However, I’ve talked with several players and coaches who still consider Tommy John as a way to increase velo.
I hope to clear this misconception up once and for all.
Tommy John Surgery by itself will not enhance your performance.
There is a 12-16 month recovery period following Tommy John Surgery, which means that while you may be a whole year older, you are actually a year younger in training age.
This time off can be detrimental to a young player looking to make the next level. You miss out on a critical stage of your development, and it’s also a warning sign for coaches and scouts looking for young talent.
So why is this myth so widespread?
Our biases are mostly to blame. We tend to sensationalize the players who return from injury and perform well but don’t think about the players who never return to their old selves and are never heard about again.
But it’s also true that some players do come back stronger. Why?
The answer is their rehab.
There is almost always an underlying strength breakdown for the player who needs to get Tommy John, and the injury exposed this chink in the armor.
Then through the rehabilitation following the elbow repair, the underlying strength deficiency is corrected to get them back on the field healthy again. And when they return, their arm is now strong and ready to push their performance to the next level.
Better Than Rehab
The good news is that these performance gains may be achieved without the surgery. That would mean no time off or risk of a failed surgery, just continuous growth in your game.
For baseball players, the strength issues to be addressed are weaknesses of the decelerating muscles and the scap stabilizers.
Specifically, a 5-year MLB study showed that pre-season shoulder weakness was significantly linked to in-season arm injuries. On top of that, weakness in those same muscles keeps you from throwing harder.
Primary surgery has to be avoided at all costs, as revisions have significantly lower rates of return. On top of that, workloads, fastball usage, and accuracy all drop after surgery, which may last more than one season.
Then the pre-season (right now) is the best time to start preventative training on your weak links.
If you really want to take your game to the next level this season, give up hope on the bionic arm implant and start making your arm stronger. This will allow you to throw more and throw harder without running into a season-ending injury.
References
Return-to-Play and Competitive Outcomes After Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction Among Baseball Players A Systematic Review. Stephen J. Thomas, *PhD, ATC, Ryan W. Paul, BS, Adam B. Rosenk, PhD, ATC, Sam J. Wilkins, k MS, Joseph Scheidt, {BS, John D. Kelly IV, MD}, and Ryan L. Crotin, PhD, CSCS. Investigation performed at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Effect of Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction on Pitch Accuracy, Velocity, and Movement in Major League Baseball Pitchers. Branden McKnight, MD, Nathanael D. Heckmann, MD, Xiao T. Chen, BA, Kevork Hindoyan, MD, J. Ryan Hill, MD, Graham Goldbeck, BA, Reza Omid, MD, George F. “Rick” Hatch III, MD, and Timothy P. Charlton, MD. Investigation performed at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, California, USA
