What prehab work can minimize risk of injury for throwing a disc forehand?

Question

In Ultimate and other disc sports, the forehand "flick" throw is one of the most common movements. Like a forehand in tennis, the movement starts with the arm to the side and slightly behind the player. The arm is then whipped foreward in the horizontal plane.

I've anecdotally seen a number of shoulder and elbow injuries that seem to be caused by this movement. A player throws hard and throws often and finds that the movement produces pain.

I'm not particularly interested in specific diagnoses and treatments. What I'd like to know is how we can prevent injury by using prehab exercises that strengthen and mobilize the arm for the forehand disc throw.

I know that getting the arm stronger and more mobile in general will help, but what are the specific needs of this movement?

Answer 1

I believe injuries from the flick are caused by improper form; most people aren't very good at it and torque their arm to make up for their form problems. One way to improve form, and to avoid injury, is to practice the flick by throwing very short distances at low speed. This focuses the movement on getting a level throw and some spin on the disk while reducing the impact of the movement. Without speed, there is no way to compensate for poor throwing motion.