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I have read numerous threads across the net relating to the PROS and CONS of WEIGHTED BALL THROWING.
There's quite a bit of disagreement between coaches, some claiming they'll cause injury and decreased performance, while other claim increases of 5 mph and more.
I am an Exercise Professional who has played at National Level in Australia and I'd like to share the science from the training world, so that you can each make up your own mind as a lot of the scientific articles used to back or discredit claims are often misquoted or not fully grasped.
First here's my personal take on WB training, explaination will follow.
4oz - Used for overspeed training
50z - regulation ball
6oz- Used for overload training
7-8oz - to be used in general conditioning work and preseason
9oz+ - to be avoided completely.
4oz - Overspeed training
Overspeed training is used extensively in the athletics world and it is one of the techniques employed by Ben Johnson during his 1985-88 dominance, setting a time (although enhanced) that took around 15 yrs to be matched.
By running on a track with a slight decline or by using resistance bands, the resistance on the athlete was decreased seeing greater speeds produced.
This is essential in increasing true speed.
Ask any good strength coach "Train slow, be slow"
The 'overspeed' used in throwing a 4oz ball allows the body's passive systems (ligaments/ joint capsules) to be exposed to greater angular velocities without the excessive strain (decreased load). This extra speed will overtrain the Type IIb muscle fibres (fast twitch) of the body, which is needed to continue increasing/ developing speed.
Now errors can be made by going too light in weight.
Think about running down a steep hill. There's a point where you can't run freely and you need to employ a braking mechanism to maintain balance. This is counterproductive as it will make the athlete slower, but upsetting running mechanics. Same holds true for overspeed training, no lighter that 4oz or a braking mechanism will be employed by the body which will dcrease velocity if used in training.
6oz ball - Overload training
Now for the muscular tissue/ tendons and ligaments to develop the necessary tissue tolerance, some form of overload needs to be employed. By increasing the weight, the athlete can now place load on the muscles of the shoulder girdle, without the accompanying increase in angular velocity stresses. When using the 6oz ball, no change in delivery or mechanics should occur. Any change in motor pattern is bad news for velocity, if a weighted ball necessitates any change in mechanics, it's too heavy for use.
Using the 4 and 6oz balls in bullpens, general throwing programs will help create both the strength and speed/power to increase velocity.
7-8oz ball - these can be employed as softballs, footballs etc are currently used in conditioning programs. Again no change in mechanics. Generally used during off/ preseason to condition the musculature of the shoulder without the high speeds of a 5oz ball.
9oz+
Most over the studies used to debunk the WB training theory entirely, used a ball of 10oz or more. This is a 100% increase in load and will in pretty much every case, alter mechanics when throwing.
The work of Schmidt and Janda showed in relation to motor performance learning that training a new skill takes between 200-300 repetitions before that motor pattern starts to develop. The bad news, to correct a faulty motor pattern takes between 3000-5000 repetitions to retrain the nervous system. That's why it's so hard to fix poor mechanics without repetition, and even then the athlete will often have muscular imbalances and range of motion issues at both the shoulder and hip which can make the process take even longer.
The more a motor pattern is rehearsed the easier it becomes to do, taking less nervous system energy than previously (for an example compare the nervous evergy needed to throw with your glove hand to your throwing hand)
The more rehearsed the motor sequence, the faster it will fire and the less energy it will use to complete. The body is amazing!
So here it is, in a nutshell from the strength and conditioning world, you can each make up your mind.
1. Science shows overspeed training works and is necessary in increasing muscular speed.
2. Science shows that muscles need to be overloaded for supercompensation to occur (for a muscle/ tendon to grow/ strengthen)
3. Science shows that poor reptitions of movement will upset the timing and recruitment of muscles in movement sequences, and lead to decreased performance.
4. Science shows that provided the motor pattern (movement) doesn't change, both the load and the speed can be manipulated without upsetting mechanics.
Would love to hear opinions on this information and any personal accounts as to how WB have worked or not worked in your training.
Andy
There's quite a bit of disagreement between coaches, some claiming they'll cause injury and decreased performance, while other claim increases of 5 mph and more.
I am an Exercise Professional who has played at National Level in Australia and I'd like to share the science from the training world, so that you can each make up your own mind as a lot of the scientific articles used to back or discredit claims are often misquoted or not fully grasped.
First here's my personal take on WB training, explaination will follow.
4oz - Used for overspeed training
50z - regulation ball
6oz- Used for overload training
7-8oz - to be used in general conditioning work and preseason
9oz+ - to be avoided completely.
4oz - Overspeed training
Overspeed training is used extensively in the athletics world and it is one of the techniques employed by Ben Johnson during his 1985-88 dominance, setting a time (although enhanced) that took around 15 yrs to be matched.
By running on a track with a slight decline or by using resistance bands, the resistance on the athlete was decreased seeing greater speeds produced.
This is essential in increasing true speed.
Ask any good strength coach "Train slow, be slow"
The 'overspeed' used in throwing a 4oz ball allows the body's passive systems (ligaments/ joint capsules) to be exposed to greater angular velocities without the excessive strain (decreased load). This extra speed will overtrain the Type IIb muscle fibres (fast twitch) of the body, which is needed to continue increasing/ developing speed.
Now errors can be made by going too light in weight.
Think about running down a steep hill. There's a point where you can't run freely and you need to employ a braking mechanism to maintain balance. This is counterproductive as it will make the athlete slower, but upsetting running mechanics. Same holds true for overspeed training, no lighter that 4oz or a braking mechanism will be employed by the body which will dcrease velocity if used in training.
6oz ball - Overload training
Now for the muscular tissue/ tendons and ligaments to develop the necessary tissue tolerance, some form of overload needs to be employed. By increasing the weight, the athlete can now place load on the muscles of the shoulder girdle, without the accompanying increase in angular velocity stresses. When using the 6oz ball, no change in delivery or mechanics should occur. Any change in motor pattern is bad news for velocity, if a weighted ball necessitates any change in mechanics, it's too heavy for use.
Using the 4 and 6oz balls in bullpens, general throwing programs will help create both the strength and speed/power to increase velocity.
7-8oz ball - these can be employed as softballs, footballs etc are currently used in conditioning programs. Again no change in mechanics. Generally used during off/ preseason to condition the musculature of the shoulder without the high speeds of a 5oz ball.
9oz+
Most over the studies used to debunk the WB training theory entirely, used a ball of 10oz or more. This is a 100% increase in load and will in pretty much every case, alter mechanics when throwing.
The work of Schmidt and Janda showed in relation to motor performance learning that training a new skill takes between 200-300 repetitions before that motor pattern starts to develop. The bad news, to correct a faulty motor pattern takes between 3000-5000 repetitions to retrain the nervous system. That's why it's so hard to fix poor mechanics without repetition, and even then the athlete will often have muscular imbalances and range of motion issues at both the shoulder and hip which can make the process take even longer.
The more a motor pattern is rehearsed the easier it becomes to do, taking less nervous system energy than previously (for an example compare the nervous evergy needed to throw with your glove hand to your throwing hand)
The more rehearsed the motor sequence, the faster it will fire and the less energy it will use to complete. The body is amazing!
So here it is, in a nutshell from the strength and conditioning world, you can each make up your mind.
1. Science shows overspeed training works and is necessary in increasing muscular speed.
2. Science shows that muscles need to be overloaded for supercompensation to occur (for a muscle/ tendon to grow/ strengthen)
3. Science shows that poor reptitions of movement will upset the timing and recruitment of muscles in movement sequences, and lead to decreased performance.
4. Science shows that provided the motor pattern (movement) doesn't change, both the load and the speed can be manipulated without upsetting mechanics.
Would love to hear opinions on this information and any personal accounts as to how WB have worked or not worked in your training.
Andy
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