Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Weighted ball routine??

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Bought a 9 ounce and a 5.5 ounce ball for my DD but I don't have a training routine to follow. I thought I'd have her throw the weighted ball 3 times a wek for 4 weeks and then do the same with the light ball. But how many reps and should she throw with a full motion??

DD just turned 13 a week ago. She was just clocked at the !2U USSSA nationals (skills day) at 52. Not bad but not great and she won't be facing 12year olds next year. Thought I'd try the weighted ball to see if she can gain a litle speed.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

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I've got a copy of the Club K routine saved in .pdf format. If you PM me an e-mail address, I'll send it to you.

 

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Thanks. I'll send you a pm.

Looks like I put this in the wrong thread. This was supposed to be in the pitching section. Oops.

 

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I just sent the e-mail. Good luck with the program.

 

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The 9 oz ball is too heavy for the Club K workout. The 5.5 is fine for the 2nd 4 weeks, but you need to stay at no more than 8 to 8.25 for the heavy ball. Worth sells a set that is made specifically for Cheri's 8 week program. It's a little pricey, but stay away from using that 9 oz ball for full motion pitching.

 

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The Club K program specifies an 8.5 ounce ball for the heavy ball.

The Worth set includes 5.5, 6.25, and 8.5 ounce balls.

http://worthsports.com/fastpitch/accessories/fpptk

 

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Thanks to both of you. Now I'm worried about the 9 ounce ball, so I'll probably put this on hold until I but either an 8.25 or 8.5 ball. Thought for sure 9 would be safe but perhaps she can use that for wrist snaps (both wrists)?? Thanks again.

 

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You can make your own variable weight balls by driving small finish nails into it at the seams. If you want an accurate measurement go down to your local post office and ask them to use their scales. Weigh the ball and the nails and you will know exactly how many to use. I know our local postmaster was happy to help with something similar to this.

 

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There are some very good posts on some of the pitching sites against throwing weighted balls. You can also read Bill Hillhouses comments on his site. Most address harm this can cause.


http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-pitching/6736-weighted-balls.html

 

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I've also read that using weighted balls pitching full speed has done damage to the shoulder. In the past, my DD has used a 16oz ball (cannonball) for her wrist snaps. I can't speak for everybody, but my DD seemed to pick up some speed from pitching at longer distances during her drills. She does all the normal drills then went back to 50 feet, eventually we got to about 60 feet and do about 20-25 pitches.

 

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Keep in mind it is the long term effect, not short term gain! When these kids get older it is the wear and tear now that catches up.

 

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Be careful in that when using over and under training you keep sound mechanics. Many times the motions are modified to adjust to the difference in resistance.

 

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Have fun with that shoulder surgery and the pain your daughter will go through. That may seem a bit harsh but if you use weighted balls for throwing or pitching its going to harm your DD. You will do more damange to the micro fibers around her rotator cuff and that will result in inflamation. You can also damage growth plates that are not fully developed.

I can not endorse anything that puts abnormal stress on the shouder. Its not healthy for the player.

Dana.

 

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Keep in mind it is the long term effect, not short term gain! When these kids get older it is the wear and tear now that catches up.

Great post. I am a mom of a 13u pitcher and her pitching coach is not a fan of the weighted balls for the reasons above (ifubuildit & WM_83)

If you want to strengthen her forearms/wrist snap, try the rice bucket. A good way to strengthen the shoulders (rotator & labrum) is to use the elastic bands. Make sure you also focus on strengthening her core- lots of sit-ups/crunches. PM me if you'd like.

 

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Just to clarify, the "heavy" ball in the Club K routine that is the primary topic of this thread, is not really that heavy. It is less than two ounces heavier than a regular softball.

Absolutely, you don't want to be doing anything remotely close to full arm motion throwing with what some may be thinking of as a weighted ball, i.e., a "cannonball".

 

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Still not advised ! Had a good conversation about this topic with Bill Hilllhouse years ago. There are some National pitching sites that have some good conversation on weighted balls and most of the pitching coaches on those sites are against any type of weighted ball routine..