Elbow Guard in Baseball: A “sneak-peak” into the World of Accessories
You don’t want to go play Baseball absolutely without any guards. Like, come on! When the pitchers throw balls at 90 mph and more towards you, one should be a fool to stand there without wearing any protection. So that is the reason why the batters wear the elbow guard in Baseball.
An elbow guard in Baseball helps protect the hitter’s elbow, especially when the balls are coming at a “wild speed.” It is a prevailing situation where the ball hits the elbow of the hitter mistakenly. If there is a guard on the elbow, it helps reduce the blow on the arm and protect it.
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Need for an Elbow guard in Baseball
While this is a pretty evident fact that the elbow guard in Baseball is used as a protection measure, there are other reasons as well. Some of them may be listed as follows.
Protects the throwing arm of pitchers
This might seem a bit weird when we say that the elbow guard in Baseball also protects the elbow of the pitchers. So let us explain this in a bit of detail.
Suppose there is a pitcher who throws with his right hand. Now, in that case, which is his throwing arm? The right hand, obviously! Now suppose this player is a switch-hitter. Before we proceed further, let us give you a brief insight into a switch-hitter in Baseball?
A switch-hitter is a player capable of playing both with their right hand and the left. But they change the hand depending on the throwing arm of the pitcher. If the pitcher is throwing with their right hand, he uses his left hand as the dominant one and vice versa.
They are now coming back to our example. So, if the player in the example mentioned above is a switch hitter or a pitcher who throws with their right hand, they will have the elbow guard in Baseball in their right hand. Now, when they are designated as hitters for the pitcher’s (now the hitter) case, their right arm will face the pitcher, so it will protect their elbow. And in the case of the switch hitter, when facing a left-handed pitcher, they will use their right hand as their dominant one and hence protect their elbow with the elbow guard.
Reduces the Impact
Let us ask you a question when we say elbow guard in Baseball protects the elbow, can you guess how it can do so? Simple, it helps to reduce the impact. Let us understand this in this way.
We all have seen war documentaries or films sometimes. If you have noticed carefully, you would see the soldiers always prefer to fire the enemies from behind a wall, kind of a thing made of some bags of sand. The sandbags are used because they hit the sandbags when bullets are coming from the other side. The sand is made of many smaller particles that help to disintegrate the impact of the bullet and hence reduce the resultant force that the people behind it have to face.
Now, you might wonder how a sandbag example has got any relevance with the elbow guard in Baseball. Okay, let us put it in this way. If the pitcher throws the ball and the batter is unable to hit by chance, there is a high probability that the ball hits the elbow of the arm facing the pitcher due to the change in his posture. So, in that case, if the elbow guard is there, and the ball hits the guard, it would absorb a good percentage of the ball’s energy and reduce the impact of the batter’s elbow.
“Better to be safe than sorry.”
Although there is a good chance that the batter might get hit in the elbow, according to the statistics, this is fairly a rare event. Mainly to get hit in the elbow specifically. But what if there is an unfortunate event and the batter gets hit in the elbow badly. Obviously, it won’t be possible to play in Baseball, especially with an injured arm. So to prevent any such accidents, the batters always prefer to wear the elbow guard in Baseball.
However, when playing in professional Baseballs like the Major League Baseball or the American League, the elbow guard in Baseball becomes a “must-have.” The reason behind this requirement is that the pitchers are throwing at 90 mph in the National leagues most of the time, which, if they hit the elbow of the batter without the guard, might be a hazardous event. So it is always advised to take proper precautions whenever you are playing baseball or any other sport.
Elbow Guard in Baseball: A hindrance for the player’s performance?
When reading the article, you might think that the elbow guard in Baseball would affect the batter’s performance since it won’t allow a comfortable arm swing. But that is not the case! The elbow guard in Baseball is designed so that it does not hinder the player’s performance.
When a player is wearing the elbow guard for the first time, they might not feel very comfortable and confident wearing it. But with time, one gets used to it, and then it does not feel like any hurdle anymore.
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Top 3 Best Elbow guards in baseball
After reading through our article, you might be wondering which elbow guard would be the best choice for you. So here is a list of the top 3 elbow guards in Baseball.
3. Bodyprox – Elbow Protection Pads
This is one of the most affordable elbow guards that is also made of good quality. The smart design of the foam greed and its strategic placement helps in providing better protection. The fabrication used on these are also made very sprucely in order to make these highly functional and helpful.
2. G-Form – Elite Elbow Guard
If you want to play Baseball in style, then this elbow guard should definitely be your choice. They are made of a “shiny gold exterior,” which gives an exquisite look to them. There are numerous other trendy and catchy designs available to choose from.
1. EvoShield – Pro SRZ Batter Elbow Guard
This undoubtedly is the best elbow guard in the market. Everyone is quite aware of this company when it comes to premium quality baseball accessories. It is designed using the latest technology in a way that it does not just absorb the force from the ball but helps to even out the impact all throughout.
On a Final Note
With the advancement in technology, the elbow guard in Baseball has also evolved and improved. With the latest technologies in the market, there are elbow guards available that harden when the balls hit the elbow. This helps to reduce the ball’s impact and protects the elbow and the arm as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do you wear elbow gloves in both hands?
No, you don’t. Typically, the players wear elbow gloves in the arm facing the pitcher. The reason behind this is quite evident; it helps to protect the elbow from the high-speed balls that they face.
Is it necessary to wear elbow gloves?
Wearing baseball gloves is a personal choice. There is no strict rule for wearing them; however, it is better to stay safe than to get hurt for being careless.
What is the use of the double strap elbow guard?
Some players require extra support, and thus, they need the double strap elbow guard. There are quite a few companies that manufacture these, which provide a more “personalized fit.”
Are there custom elbow guards in Baseball?
Yes, some companies like Evo-shield allow you to build your elbow guards. In these, you can customize everything from the color of the base, binding, accent, strap to even the strap and the guard logo. Choose the type of elbow guard you want, then add your personal touch to it.
