Why Do Baseball Players Wear Elbow Guards?

Elbow guards are padded gears worm by athletes on their elbows to shield them from possible scrapes and wounds during a hit or fall. Elbow guards are a must-wear for roller skaters, hockey players, cyclists, volleyball players, wrestlers, skateboarders, and skiers. Many pitchers usually go into the pitch without wearing elbow guards but that has gradually begun to change.  Are you wondering why? Continue reading to find out. Let us know ‘Why Do Baseball Players Wear Elbow Guards?’.

Some pitchers have experienced casualties from baseball shots smashing against their elbows and are coming to realize the importance of elbow guards. People might say it can lower swinging speed and reduce hand flexibility while pitching but the reverse is the case. Yes, the elbow guard is quite an unpopular baseball kit but it plays a vital role in maintaining the safety of a baseballer’s elbow when batting which has been unrivaled with time. In baseball, there are numerous reasons why pitchers should not go on with a game without wearing elbow guards. This article will uncover the many advantages of why baseball players wear elbow guards.  

Reasons Baseball Players Wear Elbow Guards

1.  Decrease Direct Impact From A Pitch Hit

A crucial reason why baseball players were elbow guards when pitching is to decrease the direct impact from pitch hits. If they fail to shield their elbows against direct contact with the baseball, the force from a pitch hit can break or bruise their elbows. The elbow guard safeguards their elbows from the effect of the baseball by consuming some of the impact arising from getting hit by a pitcher. 

Getting hit in the elbow by a vicious pitch is a terrible experience that no pitcher should experience. It can lead to instant removal from the game on worse it can lead to the hospitalization of pitchers. Baseballers use elbow guards to protect their elbows from a direct hit by such vicious pitches. Elbow guards help to minimize casualties for players during games.  

2. Protect The Throwing Arm Of Some Pitchers

Several baseball players may not see the urgency for wearing elbow guards on the pitch because their pitching arm is usually looking away from the pitcher. They feel elbow bruises are the slimmest casualty they could encounter when battling. But few pitchers are switch-pitchers and that can lead to inconsistency in the hand they choose to use for pitching. Also, some pitchers hit on the opposite side of their primary pitching hand. The throwing arm of this set of baseballers always faces the pitchers, so they benefit a lot from wearing baseball guards. 

If these set of players ignore wearing a baseball guard to a game, they only risk endangering their pitching arms from getting hit by a brutal pitch. If you are a switch pitcher or you bat with your throwing arm directly facing the pitcher. It’s safer to make use of elbow guards and also encourage your teammates to wear elbow guards to enhance the general safety of all baseball players playing the game.  

3. Elbow Guards Serve As a Precaution  

Sometimes, pitchers can miss their shot at a ball or accidentally swing their bat the wrong way and it may end up hitting another baseballer’s elbow. This can cause a professional player to be sidelined from playing a major game thereby allowing backup players to replace them. But this occurrence is rare in a baseball game, sometimes missed baseball shots or swings can land on any other part of the pitcher’s body that is not necessarily on the pitcher’s elbow. However, baseball players wear elbow guards as a precaution in case they ever get hit in their elbows by a vicious pitch. They prefer to be prepared and avoid sustaining severe elbow injuries. Ignoring the benefits of elbow guards can be detrimental to baseball players and a lot of them have come to realize this fact. So instead of waiting for the day, a pitch may break their elbows they rather go into the pitch wearing elbow arms. 

4. Elbow coverage during fall 

A baseball player can suffer from a serious elbow injury from a fall if he misses a shot while pitching.

Some baseball games can get tough and highly competitive. Pitchers may fall while swinging to get a perfect pitch hit and suffer from an elbow wound. Elbow guards help to cover a pitcher’s elbow from suffering scratch when they fall on the pitch. Going into the pitch for a game without an elbow guard is putting your next game at risk. Elbow guards are designed with pads to give a pitcher hard-shell coverage to the elbows. Also, repel the impact of hitting your elbows on the ground.

5. Best Elbow Guards For Baseball Players

Your pitching performance and comfort while wearing an elbow guard depend on the type of elbow guard you buy. There are certain qualities to look out for when buying elbow guards. This qualities include;

• Washable by machine 
• Soft materials provide better comfort to your skin. Feel the product for softness
• Elbow guards should be durable
• It should allow you maximum movement on the joint. Test-run the product before buying. Wear the guard and pretend to swing your arms like you do when batting.
• Get an elbow guard that is easy to wear and fits flawlessly to your elbow.

Here is a list of top recommended elbow guards that can keep you protected during a game while assuring you high pitching performance. 

1. EvoShield EvoCharge Batter’s Elbow Guard
2. G-Form Elite Batter’s Elbow Guard, Black, Youth
3. EvoShield SRZ-1 Batter’s Elbow Guard 
4. Bodyprox Elbow Protection Pads 1 Pair (Small)
5. EvoShield PRO-SRZ Batter’s Elbow Guard

Conclusion 

Baseball players are recently uncovering the importance of wearing elbow guards to the pitch. Elbow guards can save a baseball player’s profession because if a player misses a major game due to elbow casualty it might be difficult for him to recover. Hence, it’s very much encouraged that baseball players should wear elbow guards when batting to prevent such scenarios.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Does Elbow Guards Hinder A Baseball Player’s Performance?

A lot of people feel making use of elbow guards while pitching will hinder flexibility thereby reducing performance. They think swinging with an elbow guard on will give rise to less effective swings and so wonder if elbow guards are worth risking high for high performance. This is not always the case, your first time wearing an elbow guard might be a little discomforting but as you continue to wear it for games you’ll get used to it, and eventually, you’ll become used to wearing an elbow guard.