Weighted Ball Training: My Thoughts

As a precursor, I think it’s appropriate for me to mention I have personally thrown weighted balls in the past, and now use them with the players that I coach. I also think it is worth mentioning that I had 2 shoulder surgeries while in college and think using weighted balls had a role in causing my injuries. With that being said, the reason might not be what you think.

Weighted balls seem to be one of the most debated topics in baseball training, specifically with pitchers. Are they safe? What’s the benefit? Risk/Reward? Why? How?....All sorts of questions. What you will find is that people are typically completely on one side of the argument or the other. They are either all for them, in every aspect of the game, or they should cease to exist. Very few people tend to find their way to the middle of the argument, and I personally don’t understand why.

Baseball and its training methods are constantly evolving. Weighted implements have been used for years. Just because Mariano Rivera didn’t use them the exact same way as Trevor Bauer does, the point is that they’ve long been used. And just because your favorite pitcher in 1972 didn’t use them, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t (or should) be used now. Below you’ll see a few different kinds of “weighted balls”….

(Baseball: ~5oz; Football: ~15oz; Tennis Ball: ~2oz)

If you have ever thrown one of these balls, then you have thrown “weighted balls” yourself! So, congratulations. Whatever your opinion might be, you have actually thrown them yourself. Not to mention, most baseballs aren’t exactly 5oz either.

I have found great success, both in the immediate and long term with using weighted ball training. This success has not only come in velocity gains, but also in command and feel training (proprioception), stress manipulation and control training, mentality training, and simply getting guys to realize something they may not have before.

Now that I’ve outlined a few of the uses of over/underweight balls, the MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR is how an athlete goes about using them. As stated, I do believe weighted balls factored into what caused my injuries throughout college. However, it was not simply just because I threw balls weighing something other than 5oz. There is so much more to it than that. My issue was that I had no structured throwing program other than throwing weighted balls 2-3 times per week. There was no individualization, long toss was random, strength training had zero correlation to my weighted ball pulldown program, warm-up was lazily completed (if at all), and there was zero recovery. This was a recipe for disaster. Unfortunately, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Weighted ball programs have to be structured. If they aren’t, injury risk drastically increases.

It is also important to note that weighted ball training is not for everyone. Dr. Josh Heenan has something called the 90 MPH Formula. Whether or not you believe this is the way to 90mph is irrelevant, as the point is that strength has to be a precursor and priority number one. There have to be strength requirements if you are going to implement a weighted ball program, specifically with pulldowns. Weighted balls are not a quick fix and often times there are many reasons that factor into a lack of velocity. Generally speaking, the “quick fix” is simply to get stronger. The sooner an athlete gets stronger, the sooner their velocity will jump.

Understanding what an athlete needs starts with an assessment and constant reassessment. Even more importantly, a movement screen should be a requirement for any throwing athlete. Many people fail to include this part completely. Without an assessment and a baseline, there is no way to truly understand what an athlete needs, and ultimately we are just guessing. Take the guess work out, and provide proof and reason. It’s imperative to have a reasoned justification for why an athlete is or is not ready for such a program.

Once a weighted ball program is implemented, its important that its directly coupled with strength training and includes adequate warm-up and recovery. We can (should) all agree that throwing is taxing on the body regardless of the weight of the ball. It’s imperative that the body be adequately prepared and recovered consistently. These things should take up far more time than the throwing itself in all programming. Without it, again, you are creating a recipe for disaster.

In conclusion, simply saying weighted balls are good or bad, is irresponsible. I have seen great gains in both athletes that regularly use weighted balls, and in those that have never picked one up. Understanding the individual athlete helps to determine needs and weighted balls may or may not be the answer. In my opinion, there is certainly a time and place for weighted balls, but there are also necessary precursors that should be met. In programming with weighted balls, it is in fact a PROGRAM. Just as there isn’t a one size fits all program if you don’t use weighted balls, there is no one size fits all program that does include weighted balls either. All other aspects of training have to line up with the implementation and programming of weighted balls. Take individual needs into account, and program as needed. Most importantly, don’t forget THE INDIVIDUAL.

Sean Stacy