Can using weighted balls help you throw harder?
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Well ovbiously not in a game, and i as a catcher, if you are pitching to somebody and not a wall the catcher wont like it, it stings enough as is. But if youre throwing at a net i suppose you could, comparing it to batting, to warm up the batters they use weights on their bats, then the bat feels lighter. BUT, ive never heard of anybody, or seen anybody using a weighted ball, i would just reccomend buliding arm stgrenth with weights. Also, maybe when throwing, try buying some strap on weights, like ankle weights, or wrist weights and using them. Good luck.
Weighted balls aren't meant for full strength throwing. They are amazing, but almost bad. You just throw very softly with a person, not so far away, and then you pick up a basebal, its like a wiffle ball. I almost feel like I can't throw it because it's too light.
Weighted ball programs can be beneficial to young arms, but they must be followed and monitored closely. It has recently been noted that many pro's are using weighted ball programs in the off season.
Lefty,
They are tools, and as such have the potential help you if used correctly. If used inappropriately they have an even greater potential to do harm to you.
My son uses them from time to time as part of getting loose. He will use it for a few throws, but never throws 100% with them. For him, one of the keys the weighted ball helps him with is to make sure he releases in front and not up top.
I would recommend you talk with your pitching coach about how to utilize them in your throwing program if he believes in using them.
DO NOT just go out and start throwing with them with out a specific plan of how your going to work them into your own regiment.
They are tools, and as such have the potential help you if used correctly. If used inappropriately they have an even greater potential to do harm to you.
My son uses them from time to time as part of getting loose. He will use it for a few throws, but never throws 100% with them. For him, one of the keys the weighted ball helps him with is to make sure he releases in front and not up top.
I would recommend you talk with your pitching coach about how to utilize them in your throwing program if he believes in using them.
DO NOT just go out and start throwing with them with out a specific plan of how your going to work them into your own regiment.
Great advice, NHF.
You know if you use them CORRECTLY they can give you tremendos gains. Ron Wolforth is the man!!
I recently went to Ron Wolforth's Can Am Academy and I was more than impressed. I talked with several young pitchers that added over 10 mph to their fastball using Ron's training methods. Of course the weighted balls are a part of it but Ron's Athletic Pitcher program is a lot more work than just throwing weighted balls.
darkmoon,
what are ron's "methods"? how does he say to use the ball?
what are ron's "methods"? how does he say to use the ball?
Be carefull that you keep throwing with the feet and don't start muscleing with the arm.I think they can be a good tool but be very careful they don't change your normal mechanics.
I agree with what has been said. Weighted balls are very beneficial when the correct weight is being used and the correct program is being used.
catch, go to Ron's web site The Athletic pitcher.com. It is way to long and involved to explain on this site. You can also call tham, I have been very happy with the gains from the program. In a nutshell, it is an involved warmup, followed by a series of 10 different stretch cord workouts, followed by medicine ball work, arm care drills and then heavy ball throwing in very specific orders and reps done both up a balance board and down a balance board with and without a weighted vest. The cord work we do on a sort of wobble board. The program has both an in season and out of season workouts. Be advised it takes a while to get through and is a very specific program that should be done while being monitered much like weight training.
Great job lineshot. It is a detailed and long approach that takes plenty of work and patience. Much too long to splain here. Anyone can go to the site and get pieces of info and then pay for the whole program, but someone should be monitoring the individual doing the work, like a mom or dad or a coach.
If using weighted balls is such a good idea then why don't all of the major legue organizations use them?.....there may be reported positive results, but I'm sure almost 100 percent of them are from young players in their teens who would normally make velocity jumps simply due to physical development....I'm not buying it....
quote:y
Low337,
The studies have CONTROL groups which grow and develope much the same as the other participants. The only difference being that they do not throw the weighted balls,just the regular ones.
Many programs have the net result of throwing weighted balls shown as an increase. They are not compairing their results to a control group. Thats been done already. Why do it over again with customers expecting results?
The important thing is that these programs continue to be effective and will eventually show usage in higher levels of baseball.
5-10 years from now this topic will be dead.
Rollerman
quote:Originally posted by LOW337:
If using weighted balls is such a good idea then why don't all of the major legue organizations use them?.....there may be reported positive results, but I'm sure almost 100 percent of them are from young players in their teens who would normally make velocity jumps simply due to physical development....I'm not buying it....
Lol you are so clueless
smokky
I think your time has lapsed-- I think you are about to be gonged!!!11
I think your time has lapsed-- I think you are about to be gonged!!!11
quote:Originally posted by TRhit:
smokky
I think your time has lapsed-- I think you are about to be gonged!!!11
For what?
for being a nice kid and accepted
son you have a lot to learn
son you have a lot to learn
quote:Originally posted by TRhit:
for being a nice kid and accepted
son you have a lot to learn
You need to lighten up. That is what you need to do.
smokky
You have to grow up and post as a gentleman not as a wise guy and learn to speak to adults with respect
Funny how your location says so much--you are from "nowhere"
Me thinks we have another troll on the loose
You have to grow up and post as a gentleman not as a wise guy and learn to speak to adults with respect
Funny how your location says so much--you are from "nowhere"
Me thinks we have another troll on the loose
Why should i repect you when you do not respect me?
Excuse me for not giving out my exact location where i live.
Excuse me for not giving out my exact location where i live.
Hey (Bros & Sisters),
First of all, I would like to say Happy 4th and you "all" are my heros. Not trying to stick my nose where it doesn't belong and I'm not getting involved in the weighted balls disagreement or anything about Zachary Duke but I am here to tell you that LOW337 has many years experience as a professional pitcher, pitching coach instructor and is currently a person with great control of who plays professional baseball and who doesn't...He is a part of the establishment and has many years of hands-on experience.(full-time) He is my personal friend and has great passion for the game of baseball and has just got an opportunity and slowed down enough to give his time here and post for his desire to help others...I would appreciate it if you wouldn't run him off before he gets back...He has a lot to offer and is one of the best baseball people I know and I know quite a few. I'm not going to tell exactly what LOW's title is because he would like to remain anonymous which I certainly can't blame him in the position he's in. He has played with several HOF players on the same team, pitched against HOF pitchers and can teach us all a great deal about the game of baseball if we will listen and keep an open mind. He has great passion for helping others and could be in many other places other than posting here. As a request, I humbly ask to please keep disagreements within reason and respect each other.
Peace, Shep
First of all, I would like to say Happy 4th and you "all" are my heros. Not trying to stick my nose where it doesn't belong and I'm not getting involved in the weighted balls disagreement or anything about Zachary Duke but I am here to tell you that LOW337 has many years experience as a professional pitcher, pitching coach instructor and is currently a person with great control of who plays professional baseball and who doesn't...He is a part of the establishment and has many years of hands-on experience.(full-time) He is my personal friend and has great passion for the game of baseball and has just got an opportunity and slowed down enough to give his time here and post for his desire to help others...I would appreciate it if you wouldn't run him off before he gets back...He has a lot to offer and is one of the best baseball people I know and I know quite a few. I'm not going to tell exactly what LOW's title is because he would like to remain anonymous which I certainly can't blame him in the position he's in. He has played with several HOF players on the same team, pitched against HOF pitchers and can teach us all a great deal about the game of baseball if we will listen and keep an open mind. He has great passion for helping others and could be in many other places other than posting here. As a request, I humbly ask to please keep disagreements within reason and respect each other.
Peace, Shepquote:Originally posted by Shepster:
Hey (Bros & Sisters),
First of all, I would like to say Happy 4th and you "all" are my heros. Not trying to stick my nose where it doesn't belong and I'm not getting involved in the weighted balls disagreement or anything about Zachary Duke but I am here to tell you that LOW337 has many years experience as a professional pitcher, pitching coach instructor and is currently a person with great control of who plays professional baseball and who doesn't...He is a part of the establishment and has many years of hands-on experience.(full-time) He is my personal friend and has great passion for the game of baseball and has just got an opportunity and slowed down enough to give his time here and post for his desire to help others...I would appreciate it if you wouldn't run him off before he gets back...He has a lot to offer and is one of the best baseball people I know and I know quite a few. I'm not going to tell exactly what LOW's title is because he would like to remain anonymous which I certainly can't blame him in the position he's in. He has played with several HOF players on the same team, pitched against HOF pitchers and can teach us all a great deal about the game of baseball if we will listen and keep an open mind. He has great passion for helping others and could be in many other places other than posting here. As a request, I humbly ask to please keep disagreements within reason and respect each other. Peace, Shep
Ok, but major leaguers DO USE WEIGHTED VESTS and riveria does use a weighted ball. A lol of people make judgements on weighted baseballs without doing enough research. Speak to ron wolforth. He has a LOT of older players gaining velocity with his weighted baseball programs
Smokky
You are correct and different organizations do different things and I truly see your point and thank you for your respectful reply. I currently scout "pro coverage only" and look forward to meeting you in the future brother.
Regards,
Shep
You are correct and different organizations do different things and I truly see your point and thank you for your respectful reply. I currently scout "pro coverage only" and look forward to meeting you in the future brother.
Regards,
Shep
i have a question shep. I currently throw VERY WILD. I know a pro pitching instructor that could help me. Do you think it is worth the 50 bucks a week? are pitching mechanics that important?
Shep,
Thanks for the bio on LOW.
It will make his post more interesting even if I don't agree with him.
It does not surprise me that someone with his level of experience might find that the use of weighted balls to be spurious and possibly harmful.
I dont know that I've talked to one established coach that doesnt have some reservations about them. Indeed most are opposed to them.
The specific objection LOW raised delt with the method of determining the effects of over/underload training. He stated that the normal developement could account for the increases observed.
I just wanted to mention that they were done with Control groups that essentially did all the things the weighted ball throwers did EXCEPT that they didn't throw the weighted balls. The gain in velocity was compaired to the control groups and the increases judged to be as a result of WB throwing and substantial.
There's much to be learned about baseball from established baseball people and maybe much more to be learned from people contributing to the sport from other backgrounds.
Hopefully we all can listen without prejudging.
Rollerman
Thanks for cutting in Shep. Low has shown great knowledge in the past. The weighted ball program is reportedly being used by some minor and major leaguers. I have been told by a friend that Papelbon is one who swears by them. This guy is connected to the organization, so maybe its true. I have heard of injuries due to improper use of the weighted balls, thats why I strongly suggest that the player using them should be monitored closely.
Could someone give me an idea of how often(# of times per week) and how much time is required for each workout session for Ron Wolforth's "The Athletic Pitcher" Program. This information would help my son and I in deciding wheather we should purchase this program. He is currently using a work out program for pichers, but this one sounds very interesting. Football season is about to be here and his HS Team is counting on him playing, they need him, but we are trying to decide if he can fit everything in. Any infomation you have knowledge of about the AP Program will be a great help. Thanks.
If you're serious about the AP Program, it takes about a good hour to an hour and a half depending on how quick you get through things. Its definately a full body workout. Velocity will definately increase if you do the whole program correctly.
You will be doing the program 2 or 3 times per week during the off season plan on one hour to hour and a half. During the in season mx routine it goes a little quicker as you cut back on reps. You will see gains going 2x per week during football and then pick up the 3rd day after football ends over the winter. great program but it does take commitment and time. Good Luck.
Thanks guys for the information. I'm going to talk to his baseball/football coach and see if he will allow him to use the AP Program during his Advance PE course he takes during school hours (class is 1 1/2 hour). I hope he will cooperate as this could benifet other players as well. Thanks again.
Rolling, one other comment is that I would not do the ap program without good supervision.
Thanks Line, that is another reason I hope I can get it worked into this Advanced PE class because his coach who oversees this class is a Doctor in strenght and conditioning. He will provide great supervision. He designed our schools heavy lifting, which is what this class is, and conditioning program. One of my concerns is not to allow my son to do too much heavy lifting as a pitcher. He is mixing lighter weights and alot of stretching into his present routine along with some heavy lifting for football.
