Reply to "Started a weighted ball program"

This is a great thread and thanks to Kyle for sharing his experience. 

While I don't know the exact sequence of my son's program, I am sure it more or less mirrors Kyle's since I see kids throwing their sand balls all season long. I do know that the focus on "in season" is on recovery with the high intensity part being the in game pitching. I also know that relievers throw on different schedules vs starters due to the nature of in game pitching for relievers. The recovery part is as important as the velocity sequencing, which I think many people miss, thinking that just going out throwing heavy and light balls is all you need to do.

I know that many of the pitchers take their programs with them during the summer, while some are out in summer league they won't be doing the full off season work and others do the full program sequence during the summer, typically after a break, depending on their work load during the season. All of the pitchers will be doing the program in the fall, some start later than others depending on what their summer work load was. 

One of the reasons I am not all that high on summer baseball for all college players is that it may be more beneficial for some to use the summer to focus on strength and conditioning and a weighted ball program as they will certainly gain more in velocity and stamina doing this than pitching in the summer leagues, but this is a bit off subject.

My son did a full sequence of his program over the summer, once he was done with his internship he more or less had a month off coming home, travelling to and from school, etc. As soon as he got back to college he was immediately into the program, and it shifts to more baseball throwing up until they start full fall practices and scrimmages but they are still doing their weighted ball work. After fall practice he will get back into it up until they show up for school in January and then they will start to focus back on baseball throwing more and more as the season approaches. All the while there is still some weighted ball work. 

My point in this is that their program is totally integrated into all of their baseball activities, and as a consequence they consistently have the hardest throwers in D3 ball, in my son's case he went from a mid to high 80's pitcher and now sits 90-92. There were 6 kids throwing in the 90's last year, one up to 97, which is totally unheard of in D3 ball. 

First for HS kids I would not be doing this until Jr/Sr years and or until they are physically mature and have already started a serious strength and conditioning program and have good pitching instruction. I could see them doing a similar sequence, during the summer and into the fall, depending on pitching load in the summer. Now (fall) is the time to be working hard on S&C as well as a weighted ball program, this should continue up until Christmas and then start to introduce more baseball throwing switching into more baseball specific in January for Feb season start. For kids in Northern climates  the beauty of the weighted sand balls is that they can be throwing all winter indoors and be fully ready once the season starts in March.