Feel free to check out just some of the press releases/interviews performed on the the ThrowMAX flexible arm brace. We are adding new one's all the time and will be updating this page as new ones are released.
Jr Baseball - Novemeber/December 2000 issue
Tribune Star, Terre Haut, IN- March 26, 2000
This is one of the most exciting peices done on the brace because as you will see, there is a large picture of the player wearing the brace as the article explains how it changed her from a righty to a lefty in a matter of months!!!
General interview with Tim Kafer from 01/31/01- owner and inventor of the ThrowMAX
Q and A with Tim Kafer - creator of the ThrowMAX Flexible Arm Brace conducted 01/31/01
The ThrowMAX is the latest and greatest throwing tool. It's the only product available on the market that SHOWS baseball and softball players how to throw correctly!!! One of it's best features is that it prevents a coach from ripping the hairs out of his/her head in frustration and allows players to truly comprehend firsthand what their coaches have been "telling" them for years about proper throwing mechanics. The following interview provides some in-depth information about what the brace is, how it works, and the radical changes it's making for players (both young and old) around the world.
Q - Tim, what is the ThrowMAX?
A -"The ThrowMAX is the world's only flexible arm brace made of extremely lightweight material that fits directly on a ballplayers arm. There are 2 Velcro straps to hold the brace on and 3 flexible polycarbonate bars that supply the resistance which provides instant feedback as to the correct and incorrect motion of a player's throwing motion."
Q - What purpose does the ThrowMAX serve?
A - "For overhand throwing, the brace works in numerous ways. As mentioned above, the brace provides resistance to a players arm if that player tries to shortcut an overhand throw - either by incorrectly cocking their arm or push the ball like a shot-put. It creates awareness of perfect 90 degree arm slot by getting the ELBOW UP to at least shoulder height or higher!!!
Now I am not a doctor, but I came to realize based off of my own observation and by reading some papers by sports therapists, instructors, etc, that if a players elbow is not at least shoulder height or higher on an overhand throw, they run the risk of creating extensive damage to their arm. Small ligaments in the elbow area are the only things really holding the forearm and Humerus (layman's: bicep/triceps area of arm) together. If unusual amounts of force are placed on the ligaments/elbow due to incorrect mechanics then that is what causes the serious injury either instantly (one throw) or over time. An example of what I mean by bad mechanics is something like "Inside-Out" or "wrapping" arm motion. This is when players will start their throw not by putting their arms in the high-cock position but by wrapping it behind the head which can result in either dropping the elbow, short-arming (pie throwing/shot-put) or leading with the elbow Wrapping also causes a players fingers to end up on the side of the ball instead of one top and what happens is an unintentional slider is developed meaning that almost every throw will end with a little tail - so the player does not have a true (straight) fastball.
The ThrowMAX completely prevents a player from wrapping the arm behind the head or dropping the elbow in any way. The only thing it will allow a player to feel is the proper mechanics of getting the arm in the high-cock position, which takes pressure off the arm and gets the fingers on top of the ball instead of the side. The brace does this by altering the previous incorrect comfort zones of the throwing arm in order to take the stress off of the ligaments, elbow, growth plates, and shoulder. It still permits the appropriate rotation of the arm and shoulder and has the player use more of their body to increase power and velocity. Players and coaches will see instant results.
For Fastpitch, the main focus is to have players (pitchers) understand what coach's mean by "wrist snap." Cindy Bristow (Women's Professional Softball League) was actually the coach that figured out how the brace works for Fastpitch. She called me at 4:00 in the morning all excited about how she figured out the ThrowMAX could help her players with the rise and drop. Oddly enough, other coaches from across the country have also determined how to use the brace for the circle change and screwball as well. We receive testimonials from coaches and players alike about how the brace has not only changed their fielding abilities but also how it greatly improved their pitching staffs."
Q - What kind of success have you had with the brace?
A - Considering we are only starting our third year in business, and our product has fulfilled a long-lasting void in sports by teaching basic throwing fundamentals, we have seen tremendous success (the money back guarantee helps too!). MLB Minor League players, professional instructors such as the Leverbe family, Division 1 college coaches, high school coaches, and many, many youth coaches all use and praise the brace for its simplicity and virtually overnight effects. The ThrowMAX has been known to literally transform a player's entire throwing motions and change them from a below average player to an all star of that league by the next season. It's the #1 ranked (both in sales and effectiveness) throwing tool in the world, which has accounted for it being used in over 8 different countries, seen in over 1 dozen trade catalogs, resold by multiple company representatives including individual and retail stores, etc, etc…
Q - Do you have any particular success stories you're proud of?
A - "Too many to mention, but here's one for baseball and one for softball- Baseball: We recently went to the 19th annual American Sports Medicine Institute Injuries in Baseball convention in Phoenix, AZ. Some of the best and brightest sports therapist and orthopedic surgeons in the country were present. We were invited to display and turned out to be the ONLY baseball product not involved in the medical field. It was probably the best show we have ever been to because every doctor that spoke of proper throwing mechanics reinforced exactly what the brace does for a player. Some of the speakers:
Dr. Tom House Dr. Nigel Zheng
Dr. Timothy E. Kremchek
Dr. E. Lyle Cain
Dr. John Conway
Dr. Angelo J. Mattanlino
Dr. Michael J. Axe
Dr. Robert E. Mangine
Dr. Sara Garcia
Dr. Glenn S Fleisig
Dr. James R. Andrews
David Osinski M.A.
David Stodden M.S.
Dr. Joe Chandler
Jamie Reed MS
Dr. Laura Timmerman
Fernando Montes
Steven W. Barrentine MS
They all explained and demonstrated that it is vital for every player to get their elbow up into the high-cock position before throwing and maintain the 90 degree arm slot on forward motion. They also stressed that a player cannot short cut the throw at any time and must use sports specific movement to understand fundamentals.
All of the aforementioned by these leading physicians reinforces what the ThrowMAX can do for a player to prevent injury and lengthen a career. It was a refreshing and exciting event for us because it means we can offer players something that can possibly make them one of the next premiere athletes in the sport.
Softball: Tom Rupert is the head coach at Indiana State. 2 seasons ago he had a right fielder that suffered a rotator cuff injury. Doctors told his player that she would never throw right-handed again. Tom Rupert had the player wear the brace on her left arm for November/December of her senior year, and at the end of her softball season that senior year, she made 2nd team All- Conference. The whole time she threw (including games) with the brace on, and she did it throwing left-handed!!! This is just another mind-boggling example of what the brace can do for just about anyone.
I must also again mention that Cindy Bristow who is a WPSL coach is also a big fan of the ThrowMAX and uses it to teach her players how to properly throw the rise and drop! Assistant Olympic Coach Ralph Weekly and his wife who coaches at the University of Chattanooga also really feel the brace is extremely beneficial. In fact Ralph Weekly while he cannot endorse the ThrowMAX for legal reasons, was kind enough to say many positive words push about the our company and brace at the Be the Best You Are Clinic in Cherry Hill, NJ back on January 20, 2001.
Thank you
