Weighted Balls

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.

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?

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:

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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

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

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.