Ten Week Weighted Ball Program

I don't like weighted balls.  I do like stories about h.s. kids hitting 96.

Personally, I would throw those weighted balls right into the trash. A standard ball is stress enough on the shoulder and elbow...

I happen to believe in them....however they should be done only in a controlled program, and AFTER weight training, long toss, and mechanics work. They are not a magic bullet, just one aspect of a total program. 

 

I have the pdf of one done by a HS program if you want to Dialog me. Actually I will see if I can put it up on my Google docs and link it here for discussion. 

 

The program I really like is one that my son's college program uses, which I believe is based, in part, on Ron Wolforth's. They consistently have one of the best, (and hardest throwing) pitching staffs in DIII baseball in the country. They use the sand balls of different weights and it is not just going out and throwing baseballs of different weights back and forth. Frankly it is a very detailed with reverse throws, and is phased. They use it to reinforce mechanics changes as well as velocity increase.  

 

 

 

OK here is the program and results. It was done in 2007 at  Council Bluffs (IA) Abraham Lincoln High School by Jerry Kreber, Assistant Baseball Coach

He did an earlier program in 2005. 

Have at it and post positive and negative comments. This program is a bit dated to whet Ron Wolforth is now doing, and his results speak for themselves. 

 

https://docs.google.com/file/d...SnJBRklZTkNhb28/edit

 

 

I have tried weighted balls with both of my sons growing up to try and increase velocity with varying degrees of results but nothing definitive or conclusive enough to prove to me that they work significantly.

 

If anything, the only result I have seen is their arms got stronger in that they could throw the ball farther … not necessarily faster.  Even if the weighted balls were a strong factor, we eventually stopped because I felt the risk of injury to the shoulder or elbow was too great.  Particularly since we still did other arm strengthening exercises (long toss, rubber bands, etc) at the same time as well.

 

Aside from natural growth, the biggest gains in velocity came when we finally found a good pitching coach that focused on lower-body mechanics (legs), core strength, and rotational torque loading.  That’s when velocity increased the most, but again it was all those things together ...

 

.... but to respond to your inquiry directly, NO I am not a fan of weighted balls.

 

Besides, its not like weighted balls are some sort of recent technological breakthrough, if they worked definitively we wouldn't be having this discussion .... every team from HS, College, and the Pros would be using them.

BOF - interesting study.  Would you happen to know the size medicine ball used?  Ill also assume these studies were conducted during the off season. 

bballdad,

 

I don't know, but I am pretty sure they are the standard sized balls that are available. It is a reasonable conclusion to assume this was done off season.

 

My son's program does all of their work off season, however they use the sand balls. They also use some of them year round for recovery between games. I don't know the program, but I have seen pitchers throwing heavier balls backwards on their days off.

 

The link to Oates is below. They have all kinds of other performance stuff, very interesting site.

 

http://oatesspecialties.com/sa...treme-duty-p-48.html

Are the releasing (throwing) the weighted ball or holding onto it?

I do know this, Tom House's work outs consist of weighted balls, however, he NEVER has the pitchers throw them. They are more or less used as weights to strengthen the shoulder. I'm okay with that aspect because a pitcher is simply getting weight training in the form of holding a baseball. Now, as far as throwing a weighted ball, refer back to my first post...

The weighted ball program  developed by the National Pitching Association, i.e. Tom House and James Evans does include throwing weighted balls.  My son did the program this past year.  He had some increase in velocity but nothing more than what I think he would have had from just getting a year older.

Buddha, Just curious what you meant by this? Physics would dictate that a ball thrown farther has to be thrown faster. Maybe the effects were not translated to a pitching mound?

 

The science on this comes from other areas of speed training where overload and under-load training has been done for years. The concerns for pitching have been on the "overload" part, thinking that the ligament, shoulder, etc could not take the loads, but it has been found that the area of most concern is the under-load training aspect, which is why programs limit the lower end weight to 4 oz.  

 

My view is that they are fine as part of a complete training regiment, including proper pitching mechanics instruction, however they should only be used after puberty and with knowledgeable instruction, which is where the problem lies. Kind of like throwing curve balls at a young age, probably OK IF done properly, the IF is the big concern. 

 

We use weighted baseballs all the time in our facility. Both Oates' as well as the ones we specially manufacture.

 

You can see our guys pitch in the Pacific Northwest for yourself if you want to see the velocity. Don't need to take my word for it. Chris Carns (2014 Decatur, RIPS) threw 93 / sat 91 at a tournament in WSU, Julian Archuleta (2014 Peninsula, Krushers) hit 94 in a game, Herbie Good (2015, Auburn MV, Born2Play) hit 88 / sits 86. All of them started at far lower velocities than that.

 

It's not a quick fix, though. They use them on a regular basis even throughout the season. And we verified the safety and effectiveness of our program in our four camera high-speed lab and will soon be doing a large research study on them using wireless EMG sensors.

 

Should also be noted that they all throw long toss, lift weights, throw bullpens, etc. The best of my guys are training six days per week, even during the season.

Ok, have your son stop throwing weighted balls immediately! This is not part of Tom House' workout system. Like I said, House uses weighted balls, medicine balls, wonderweight, etc... I have never seen or heard of his program actually having the pitchers throw the weighted balls. Would you have your kid throw a shot put like a baseball? I truly hope not. It will tear his shoulder up. Granted, some weighted balls are a few ounces lighted than shot puts, but can create the same damage. Please do more research and if you do find ANYWHERE where Tom House has his players throw the ball, post back on this thread...

You couldn't be more wrong.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEQJAgIxX2A

 

Watch any number of the pitchers THROWING the weighted baseballs.

 

I have worked with many kids who have done the NPA program, and all of them throw 3 oz to 2 lb balls on TOP of the holds. Go to 9:30 in that video and see them throwing underload balls as well as doing holds.

 

Also read Dr. Coop DeRenne's studies on this topic that were done decades ago.

 

 

I know of several kids in our area that did that program this winter.  Several of them had arm issues during the season.  I think many of them where too young. 

Thank you for proving my point in your own reference video. "Why do arms and shoulders get stronger? Because they hang on to the balls." "Tennis players never get shoulder injuries because they hang onto the racket. In our program, we started hanging on to various weighted balls." - Tom House. 

 

You see the kids throwing regular baseballs in this video. They ALL hold onto the weighted balls and towels. 

 

Now, what were you saying about being more wrong? Please stop allowing kids to throw weighted balls back and forth to each other in their warm-up lines!

Couldn't agree more.

Those are whiffle balls covered in tape. I know people who trained DIRECTLY under Jamie Evans who say you are wrong.

They do both. Do more research, you are making yourself look foolish.

I truly hope you are not a coach, or worse, take peoples money by "training" kids to throw weighted balls as far as they can. There is no such thing as "making yourself look foolish" when you are putting health in top priority, unlike yourself. Foolish is having to explain to people why you did such foolish things in trying to "help" their kid throw with more velocity, when their kid's arms are hanging off their bodies... All torn up. Once again, I read a Tom House interview, and even heard it first hand from he, in the video YOU posted, he does not have players release the weighted balls. They are strictly mean for developing arm strength and muscle. Please, for the love of all that is good with mankind, tell me you do not allow kids to actually throw weighted balls to each other, much less have long toss with them. PLEASE tell me this is not happening under your supervision.