Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Weighted Softballs for Pitching

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DD is 10 and has been pitching for about a year. Are weighted softballs a good idea at this age to safely improve speed? I'm worried about improper use causing an injury. Thoughts???

 

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My dd's is going 13U next year and we asked her pitching coach that question. She said no way in heck would she allow it. Only when they have matured can you go there. She sites that they are still growing and could really set them back. When offseason hits, we use the old fashioned ball in sock for around 10 revolutions maybe 3 sets (arm circle speed), every second day-double arm circles (arm circle speed), sprint into pitch (stronger leg push), karate kicks into pitch (strong leg push), etc. Do not be fooled, girls speeds come from not just their arms, but legs. They aren't built like us men. Also sent PM.

 

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Definitely not at 10, and IMO, questionable even for older kids. I tend to agree with brownsfan here. He nailed the two biggest generators of pitch speed, which are arm circle speed and leg drive. The biggest gains I saw in my DD was when we started using "distance pitching" in practice. This would be similar to using long toss in baseball. Pitching from greater distances forces you to use a more explosive motion = faster arm circle and forceful, explosive leg drive. Using weighted balls can add stress to the shoulder and elbow, and I just think you can accomplish your goals without that risk. Wait until she's 14 or so, then start a conditioning/lifting regimen. In the meantime, have her play different sports that use ALL parts of the body differently than softball does. Even an 8 year old can do explosive sprints to get a feeling of leg drive. Focus on speeding everything up and mechanics before 14u, and save the weight training for when her body can handle it.

There are certainly other nuances in pitching that add to speed, such as grip, wrist snap and using resistances from the stride foot landing, but arm circle and leg drive are the primary ones. Multiple arm circles from a standing position (1-2-3-pitch) help give the feeling of how fast your arm should be going. It's also very important to remember that ANY drill should use proper mechanics. The elbow should be slightly bent in arm circles, and excellent form must be maintained with distance pitching - otherwise you're just reinforcing bad habits. If you have access to a radar gun, measure your DD's average fastball speed before and after a distance pitching session. We saw several MPH gain every time.

 

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My dd's is going 13U next year and we asked her pitching coach that question. She said no way in heck would she allow it. Only when they have matured can you go there. She sites that they are still growing and could really set them back. When offseason hits, we use the old fashioned ball in sock for around 10 revolutions maybe 3 sets (arm circle speed), every second day-double arm circles (arm circle speed), sprint into pitch (stronger leg push), karate kicks into pitch (strong leg push), etc. Do not be fooled, girls speeds come from not just their arms, but legs. They aren't built like us men. Also sent PM.

Amen brother John. :cap:

 

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With all that said, how does the heavy balls come into play with batting warm-ups? Someone told me throwing at the girls from 10 feet away is bad on their wrists, I'm talking about the bigger/heavier balls. If my kid isn't complaining, is that okay? I also heard once they hit puberty, sorry guys, their bones aren't as soft and you don't have to worry as much. Any sports trainers or docs out there that want to comment?

 

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My dd is 12 and pc put her on a program where she threw a ball slightly heavier than reg and then thrww one lighter than reg. The thought is throwing lighter ball can allow the arm to gain speed. After what we thought were negligable results, my dd went from around 37-38 to 43-44. cant attribute it directly to this but shes significantly quicker.

 

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If done properly, I'm sure there is no harm as long as there is no related pain. Got some weighted balls for a good price for DD, and the problem wasn't arm pain, but one of compliance. She just didn't like changing weight, then she said it was boring, then she simply "lost" the balls. Her PC has worked with her on her balance, timing, LEG DRIVE, and
follow through, and voila, she got faster.

 

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The overweight and then the lightweight balls in thrown in sequence really does work to help improve speed. The cannon balls are used for wrist and forearm but do NOT throw those super heavies (1#) overhand or with a windmill. I think that by changing the weight from slightly heavy to light to regular 'tricked' her arm into going faster.

 

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There are several good over/under arm strengthening programs out there that work well. If throwing 100%, I would agree that most weighted balls are too heavy. The system I've used for overhand and pitching underhand , uses an 8 ounce heavy ball and a 5 ounce light ball. A regulation 12" softball is between 6.75 and 7 ounces, so the 8 ounce ball is just slightly overweight. Of course never throw hard until fully warmed up with a regulation ball. The system starts with 12 throws as hard as possible with the weighted ball, a 2 minute break and 12 hard throws with the light ball, a 2 minute break then 12 hard throws with a regulation ball. Alternate 60' one day and then 120' the next day three days per week. After two weeks, increase the reps to 18 each, then 24, 30 and so on up to 48. By the time you reach 48 reps, throwing speed will increase at least 4-6 mph for most girls, and I've seen as high as 10 mph. This being said, a girl that plays a lot of ball and throws all the time may not see those kind of increases, but it will definitely make her arm stronger and less injury prone. There is also a series of shoulder stretches and excercises that go along with it. When used for pitching, the light weight ball is great because it is very difficult to control and really helps with the proper release point and accuracy as well.

After three years of doing this with 15 - 20 different girls starting at 12U, I have not had one complaint of a sore arm or shoulder resulting from this program.

 

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There are several good over/under arm strengthening programs out there that work well. If throwing 100%, I would agree that most weighted balls are too heavy. The system I've used for overhand and pitching underhand , uses an 8 ounce heavy ball and a 5 ounce light ball. A regulation 12" softball is between 6.75 and 7 ounces, so the 8 ounce ball is just slightly overweight. Of course never throw hard until fully warmed up with a regulation ball. The system starts with 12 throws as hard as possible with the weighted ball, a 2 minute break and 12 hard throws with the light ball, a 2 minute break then 12 hard throws with a regulation ball. Alternate 60' one day and then 120' the next day three days per week. After two weeks, increase the reps to 18 each, then 24, 30 and so on up to 48. By the time you reach 48 reps, throwing speed will increase at least 4-6 mph for most girls, and I've seen as high as 10 mph. This being said, a girl that plays a lot of ball and throws all the time may not see those kind of increases, but it will definitely make her arm stronger and less injury prone. There is also a series of shoulder stretches and excercises that go along with it. When used for pitching, the light weight ball is great because it is very difficult to control and really helps with the proper release point and accuracy as well.

After three years of doing this with 15 - 20 different girls starting at 12U, I have not had one complaint of a sore arm or shoulder resulting from this program.

sounds like a great idea, roto. i like how it introduces weighted balls with distance throwing. one question, the number of weekly sessions per week is odd and the number of different distances is even...that means i would start week 2 with 3 sets of 18 from 120', correct?

 

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forum,
Whether the gains are from the weighted balls or just the focused training on speed is subjective...There is more muscle on a chicken breast then most girls will have within their entire arm... I'd stay away from the weights... do push-ups...the push-ups will put alot of muscular balance on the player...the weight training will possibly reduce risk of injury, increase stamina, make you look and feel better/good... If there was a (weighted balls or free weights) weight training regimen for increasing your arm-speed/pitching speed it would be known and available... If you elect to continue with the weights, educate yourself as much as you can.... I have seen weight training help with injury recovery and enable girls to play with far less fear of aggressive play whether it was theirs or an opponents...I have yet to see weight training of any kind help a pitcher throw faster than their genetics allow... Speed is a gift... a genetic gift... You'll never throw fast and move slow...
Ron Poole..

 

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With all that said, how does the heavy balls come into play with batting warm-ups? Someone told me throwing at the girls from 10 feet away is bad on their wrists, I'm talking about the bigger/heavier balls. If my kid isn't complaining, is that okay? I also heard once they hit puberty, sorry guys, their bones aren't as soft and you don't have to worry as much. Any sports trainers or docs out there that want to comment?

We have a set of the atomic TCB balls. The directions even state no more than 3 X's a session until they have the strength. We use them maybe once a week during off season.

 

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sounds like a great idea, roto. i like how it introduces weighted balls with distance throwing. one question, the number of weekly sessions per week is odd and the number of different distances is even...that means i would start week 2 with 3 sets of 18 from 120', correct?

No for the first two weeks they do 12 reps alternating 60' and 120', so after two weeks they've thrown three sessions from each distance. This is a 14 week program to get to 48. The most difficult thing is keeping the girls throwing as hard as they can through the reps in lieu of just playing catch. You can't get where you've never been unless you go where you've never gone, so they have to push themselves on every throw. Their throwing accuracy will also improve dramatically, assuming they have already been taught good throwing mechanics.

 

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I can tell you what Bill Hillhouse has posted and told me. He is against weighted balls.

 

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The notion that weighted balls in of themselves are harmful is silly. My DD used weighted balls since she was 9, and never had any arm problems. Weighted balls are like any other weight regiment. if you use too heavy of a weight too many times, or you lift the weights improperly, you will hurt yourself. If you use the right weight balls, and the correct repetitions for your strength and skill level and proper mechanics your DD will be fine. If not she will get hurt. If done properly, it is a great tool.