Thoughts and Opinions

IMO I would stay away from both you asked for. Radar balls record at impact and weighted balls are controversial and if you use them, it better be with someone who knows what they are doing. I would consider the following from a pitcher stand point.

1. Instructional DVD's from some of the best. i.e. Tom House, Brent Strom, Rick Peterson.

2. Jaeger Bands and the Jaeger DVD program.

3. Membership to 3 sports (See this website for
link)

4. Pitching Lessons

I think anyone of these would be a better option.

I'm with socal on this

1. Avoid the radar ball at all costs. It was designed to scam money out of people with 12 year olds. "Mommy, Daddy I just threw the ball 88 MPH - I'm a beast". I had one when I was a kid MAAAANNNNYYYY years ago and unless they've changed it's impossible to get an accurate reading. You have to push down a "button" on the ball to get it to read at impact. So there goes your relaxed grip your taught to have just to make this thing work. It may have changed over the past 20 some years but I still don't see it working.

2. I think weighted balls have SOME merit but you better know exactly what you're doing with them. They are definately NOT max effort throws but you got to know exactly how much effort to put in.

The 4 things socal put I would go with.

Swvabaseball,

quote:

“im wanting some things to help me train for this season coming up (in pitching)”

The best tool for pitchers at all biological ages is sand wrist weights, they fit comfortably around your wrist and down your hand so your fingers wrap around the edge. You can perform actual “Sport Specific” totally compounded overload interval training exercises involving the whole kinetic chain, top half and bottom half.
I have biologically aged 19 and up on 10 lb to 30 lbs.
Ba 16 to 19 on 8lb to 10lbs.
Ba 13 and 14 on 5lbs to 8lbs.
Ba 10 to 13 on 3lb to 5lb
Ba 8 and 9 on 2 lb
Warning: only non injurious straight driveline mechanics can be used!

quote:

“The school I play for don't have a radar gun “

This means the coach will be move cautious when selecting a pitcher whom may actually produce outs and get wins.

quote:

“I would like to see how fast im throwing and how I am progressing”

If you are in different stages of correct training you will never know how fast you actually are and do not need to know, when you get through 2 months straight of hard competition you should be as fast as you can get at your biological age, then have somebody gun you.
Even scouts and showcases who rate speed in the fall and winter have false data.

Learn movement and command, you are going to be as fast as you can be at any point in your life if you are in shape with your particular mechanics and training timeline.

quote:

”What about weighted balls? “

Weighted balls are the ultimate overload tool if they are actually weighted enough!
But these 7oz. thru 12 oz.balls will only let you destroy your arm faster because it allows you to perform the bad traditional pitching mechanics that you probably perform and is not enough weight to cause a significant physiological response while at the same time increases the stress at the injurious points when performing a “sport specific” training with an injurious mechanical application.

quote:

“How are you suppose to train with them and do they work?”

Really weighted balls like 6 lb will give you a physiological response from the overload principal and will make you transition correctly so you can not hurt yourself which in turn will translate back to your pitching mechanics. You must take the ball back correctly thumb up and transition early then you can throw very heavy balls and wrist weights and actually overload train for actual Sport specific strength.

quote:

”Any other things that you want to recommend please feel free to do.”

Start with a 6lb. Lady’s shot put and appropriate weight wrist weights and you will be on your way to the best throwing shape you can get into, Just add in your ballistic daily throwing activity also so you can get faster.

Don't listen to the old farts about radar.

How do know if you are getting faster if you don't measure?

Get a radar gun ($80) and a pitching DVD. Try new things and measure them.

Why waste your money on a radar gun?

1. Chances are the ones that are $80 won't give you an accurate reading. The ones used in college/pros (Jugs, Stalker) cost upwards of $2,000 for the top of the line models. A radar gun at $80 will most likely not give you an accurate reading.

2. Work hard to gain velocity and let the speed calculations be taken into account by the people that need to know them. socal had several good suggestions and all of those would be beneficial if done right. I'd also add to that list Steven Ellis's Tuff Cuff program, which provides an in depth year-round training program for pitchers.

Weighted balls are an iffy subject. I wouldn't mess with them without proper consulting and coaching on a program. Just using them on your own in hopes it will increase velocity is a surefire way to hurt the arm.

I'm with Socalcoach with minor modifications.

1. Skip 3P, I am not sure about what you will learn without a good coach working with you. Most good ones use video anyway.

2. Get a membership to a gym for your work out routines.

I agree with that you need to measure it to improve, but a pitching coach should have a gun. The $80 toys are just that.

Good luck!

quote:

Originally posted by J H:
1. Chances are the ones that are $80 won't give you an accurate reading.

So, you have never used one, yet ...

JUGS guns are accurate within 0.5 mph but, may round +-1 mph. $80 Bushnell guns are accurate within 1mph, but may round +-2 mph.

You are interested in a "consistent" reading in order to gauge improvement in your pitching.

Actually I own a Stalker and a friend of mine purchased a Bushnell and we used them side by side to check it out. The Busnell only worked if you got right behind the catcher and the results varied quite a bit, +/- 2-3MPH. (they also won't work in a game situation)

If he wants to get relative readings then a "glove radar" would be a much better choice. They are more consistent, but again only at +/- 1MPH and would only give you speed at the glove, but they work.

IMO on a limited budget he is better off focusing his limited $$ on what will make him better and find someone who has the proper equipment to measure the results.

Maybe its just me but I've never been too worried about how hard I threw. Never really factored into the game that much. Didn't care what it was, as long as the batter didn't reach base. Worked alright thus far...

JH

great attitude

quote:

Originally posted by J H:
Maybe its just me but I've never been too worried about how hard I threw.

I understand what you're saying. The other side is that there are minimum speeds for each phase you pass through. 70mph not fast enough for HS varsity, 80 mph not fast enough for MLB, etc. (I know, exceptions, etc.)

The old axiom is coming full circle.

College Coaches are seeking arms who consistently
throw strikes.

The magic bullet = RHP at 85-87, with a decent deuce, who can throw a fastball with run at spots for strikes, and a curve ball/slide ball/off-speed for strikes are in demand.....and will get plenty of college innings and appearances and when experienced 14-16 conference starts every year.

Imagine that!

This may be true of college baseball as a whole. However, you will see very, very few kids that fall into this category in the ACC or SEC.

quote:

Originally posted by Bear:
The old axiom is coming full circle.

College Coaches are seeking arms who consistently
throw strikes.

The magic bullet = RHP at 84-85, with a decent deuce, who can throw a fastball with run at spots for strikes, and a curve ball/slide ball/off-speed for strikes are in demand.....and will get plenty of college innings and appearances and when experienced 14-16 conference starts every year.

Imagine that!

quote:

Originally posted by MTH:
This may be true of college baseball as a whole. However, you will see very, very few kids that fall into this category in the ACC or SEC.

quote:

Originally posted by Bear:
The old axiom is coming full circle.

College Coaches are seeking arms who consistently
throw strikes.

The magic bullet = RHP at 85-87, with a decent deuce, who can throw a fastball with run at spots for strikes, and a curve ball/slide ball/off-speed for strikes are in demand.....and will get plenty of college innings and appearances and when experienced 14-16 conference starts every year.

Imagine that!

Let's agree we disagree on this.

For you, does very very few kids = one kid? two kids? how many kids?

Weird...in one post quoted by MTH says 84-85 and then Bear must have edited it to say 85-87.

swvabaseball, some pretty good advice here and differences about the use of a radar gun.

I did not see how old you are or what grade you are in. But IMO you should not worry about the velocity at this point. You catcher should be able to tell you if you are throwing harder.

Long toss is also a great way to determine your progress to throw faster. Can you throw the ball from foul pole to foul pole across the outfield? There is a direct correlation between the distance on long toss and the velocity you throw. Keep the ball on a line and don't let it loft too high.

I've always heard people say you can't teach velocity. Sure there are some mechanics and strength things you can do to improve which should get you around an additional 3 to 5 mph. So keep working hard and strike people out. You will know you are throwing hard when you see the radar guns behind the fence watching you!!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bear:

The magic bullet = RHP at 95-97, with a decent deuce, who can throw a fastball with run at spots for strikes, and a curve ball/slide ball/off-speed for strikes are in demand.....and will get plenty of college innings and appearances and when experienced 14-16 conference starts every year.

[QUOTE]

Is this more like it rebird?

I own a Bushnell and would be happy to sell it. I later picked up a Stalker Sport 'deluxe' package (two battery grips, etc) -- which I am also thinkling seriously of selling. I've used it only twice a year -- in the fall on one day and then again one day in the spring to see the impact of winter work. My second oldest is a junior this year so I'm really running out of reasons to own the thing. He'll showcase this summer and it won't matter much what the old man's readings are anymore.