Scapular (Shoulder Blade) mobility and the strength of the muscles surrounding the scapula are essential for throwing. Some players (especially younger players) struggle with the protraction and retraction movements. A great exercise to introduce the movement and prepare the catcher for performing the movement with resistance is the Quadruped Scapular Protraction/Retraction Pushup. I go over these exercises and so many more inside of my Virtual Catching Program. Head to the www.thecatchinglab.co

Mobility push ups with scapula retraction and protraction. Athlete 20XX system starts from the very beginning and requires you to master many basic level exercises before we move onto developing higher level athletic elements. This makes Athlete 20XX perfect for beginners and those who are not yet very fit to start. For example, first you practice the push up with the approach to develop mobility and strength. Then we practice push ups using high-level stability principles. Only after this, we a

Protraction and retraction of the scapula are movements that occur along the thoracic wall and are essential for upper limb function and overall shoulder mechanics. Protraction involves the scapula moving away from the spine and around the rib cage, as you’d see when reaching forward or pushing something away. The primary muscle responsible for this is the serratus anterior, which pulls the scapula anteriorly and laterally. Retraction is the opposite movement—drawing the scapulae back toward the