Question regarding weighted balls for 11 year old

Without getting into the pros and cons of weighted baseballs; I would tell you that a 9oz baseball is far too heavy for any 11 year old to train with!!

At 80% above the 5oz. weight of a standard ball, you are asking for trouble there! I would work a controlled long toss program in the off-season.

Forget about weighted baseballs for an 11YO! Just have him throw a lot with good technique. You can introduce some long toss techniques, but I would be cautious at this age.

I'm with Prime9 that is too early for weighted balls. He's still growing and things haven't fully developed and that would be putting a huge amount of stress on the elbow especially as well as the overall arm. Plus he may start to cheat mechanically and try to "launch" the ball rather than throw. I would stick with band work and long toss and let him be 11 years old first before starting to bring in high level stuff too early.

Overall I'm not a fan of weighted balls. I think there is some merit to what they can do to help improvement but you would have to truly watch over the players to make sure they do things exactly right. I believe you can get something positive out of using them when you've matured / developed but the gains don't outweigh the negatives of what could happen. I would stay away from them period but that's just me.

With the caveat that I really like weighted balls, I would definitely encourage him to use them. Every ball is technically weighted, so if we aren't going to have him throw a 9 oz ball, then we shouldn't allow him to ever throw a football or basketball, and we should make sure that he never throws a baseball that has been rained on, etc.

I think anything that will help him develop arm strength is important. I would definitely use weighted balls of all types at just about any age.

quote:

Originally posted by BOF:
Forget about weighted baseballs for an 11YO! Just have him throw a lot with good technique. You can introduce some long toss techniques, but I would be cautious at this age.

Agreed. Principle of weightlifting - you don't go up in weight until your form is perfect.

I am also a big believer in weighted balls, but not for just throwing them around randomly, or used in an uneducated way. (I am not saying in this that uvabaseball fan is uneducated...) My son in fact will be in a program this fall/winter, but he will be under the tutelage of a pitching coach and a trainer. (he is also in college)

There is a science behind them and for them to be effective they need to be used in a program, just as NDD pointed out in weightlifting, you need to have good form as well as a program.

By all means have him go out and throw baseballs, footballs, basketballs, rocks and snowballs. Leave the weighted balls for another day.

It would appear that BOF and I view this similarly.
I'm no expert but you are asking a question where the wrong answer could harm an 11 year old boy.

Using a ball that weighs near twice what the regulation ball does, used by physically mature adults I might add, will develop poor mechanics at the very least, and injure him in the worst case scenario!

Please do your due diligence on this one. The concept of over and under (weighted training) training is valid and studies have been done that validate a weighted ball program does increase velocity.

However, that training is for ADULTS! Moreover, a one ounce gain, 6 oz. is used for the over and one ounce loss, 4 oz. is recommended for the under. Remember, that one ounce represents a 20% increase, or decrease, in throwing weight!!!

Who mentioned weight lifting principles??? You don't ever jump 20% when going up, much less the 80% you are speaking of with a 9 oz. baseball.

I did not, and would not use weighted balls with an 11 year old any more than I would start him "Benching or Squatting."

Thank you all for the responses. Based on the feedback received, I will elect to stick with the normal long toss routine we planned to start in mid-December.

Thanks again for the great responses!

EH

Do not use weighted baseballs. They stretch and expand the ligaments in the shoulder and elbow, and not the good kind of stretch! Stick with band exercises and long toss and you cant go wrong

In the winter, 2014 does arm circles to warm up the arm and then some light tossing with the 9 oz ball at about 30 feet and progresses to about 45 feet. Total time is about 3-5 minutes and then he goes to a traditional ball and stretches distance from there. He stays focused on mechanics with the weighted ball and stays sound with the traditional ball as well but claims it comes out of his hand so much better.

In my mind, it helps with arm speed and velocity but I would not recommend any kid using one until they're physically more mature, at least 14 years of age.

Prior to using the weighted ball starting at 14, we would light toss a 16 inch Clincher, which worked is a similar fashion. 2014 son still can't believe 16 inch softball was played without mitts and has no idea how the old man never broke a finger playing first base.

If you want him to build up his arm (and people get crazy when you talk weighted baseballs) have him play catch with a football.

I have always felt throwing a football was a slightly different throwing motion. Try a 16 inch softball which does a better job mimicking mechanics and follow through

There is nothing wrong with weighted baseballs. However I don't think they are appropriate for kids who are under 18 or who are not fully developed. My son's college program uses them, but they are an off/preseason training aide and it is a specific program they follow.

Oates makes sand filled balls of various weights that are perfect as you just throw them against a wall.

http://oatesspecialties.com/pr...h=30&products_id=234