Practice makes perfect—or does it?

For generations, parents, coaches, teachers, bosses and countless others have repeated those words of wisdom—practice makes perfect—in hopes of inspiring the recipient to keep working on whatever the task was that prompted the comment.

As an orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist, I know firsthand that adhering to that mindset ended many athletic careers and participation. Why? Overuse. That’s why I want to take this opportunity to explain why as many athletes are trying to keep their skills sharp by continuing to practice on their own. Here’s why more practice is not always better and information on how to get my interval throwing guidelines based on throwing at an incremental speed and distance to gradually prepare the arm for the season.