SMART POWER FOR PITCHERS: WEIGHTED BALL AND OVER-UNDER LOAD FACTS AND FALLACIES

Fallacy: throwing something heavier than a regulation baseball will hurt your arm.

Fact: the only reason that you will hurt your arm is your inability to adjust to the new load. And in fact attempting to throw something heavier will actually increase the efficiency of the throwing action because the body has to organize itself a more effective manner to deal with the heavier load. If a player cannot throw a 7 or eight or nine ounce baseball without experiencing some discomfort then his mechanics throwing mechanics are suspect and either limit his velocity. Or his present mechanics will increase the chance of injury in throwing a regulation Weight baseball in the future.

Fallacy: throwing a heavier than normal baseball negatively effects a player's mechanics.

Fact: in reality having to deal with a heavier object causes the body to find a more efficient way to throw the baseball. A possible problem would occur if the player ONLY threw the heavier baseball and did nothing else. Then the body would have a tendency to adapt to just throwing a heavier baseball. This is called the specificity principle. But a well thought out and manage training program has a player throwing a range of loads so that the body will not become specific to one particular load.

Fallacy: weighted baseball training is only for older players.

Fact: weighted baseball training is for all ages. And ii fact younger players benefit more than older players. For two reasons. Younger players are in more need of proper mechanical instruction. Throwing a heavier baseball actually forces them to find a more effective way to throw a baseball. If a player cannot throw a heavier baseball without discomfort, he is not throwing efficiently. And will either never throw with the velocity that he is physically capable of. Or will be a good 'candidate" for arm injury as he does try throw harder as he gets older.

Fallacy: overload and underload training works, but it doesn't last.

Fact: critics of overload underload training finally have to admit that it does work but then try to discount it by saying it doesn't last. No type of training will last if you stop training. Fortunately with baseball, throwing is part of what is done every day. Overload and underload training is not like weight training. In other words, overload and underload throw training simulates exactly what is done on the baseball field. You don't do weight training on the baseball field. So if you stop weight training, the benefits of that weight training may dissipate over time because you're not performing the same type of actions on the playing field. The same is not true of overload and underload throw training. Also it only takes one session a week of overload underload training to maintain your gains.

Fallacy: if overload underload training is so effective, why don't more college and professional teams do it.

Fact: this is both a difficult and an easy question to answer. The easy answer is that major league baseball treats pitching as a art. And a "black art" at that. This can be seen in the fact that players are drafted on what their velocity is today and not what it will be tomorrow. Major league teams feel that they can develop pitching skills but not pitching velocity. Perhaps the greatest "deterrent" and setback to training today is what is happening in the major leagues. The major league approach to training is to prevent injuries to multi-million dollar players as opposed to improving performance. This was recently illustrated by the Arizona Diamondbacks firing of the entire strength and conditioning staff to save money. And unfortunately if the major leagues used as the standard, then it is quite easy to understand why college, high school and other programs don't do what they should.

Many parents, coaches and players are under the impression that throwing a weighted baseball is a sure way to injure your arm. Nothing could be further from the truth.

It is to that the INCORRECT use of weighted baseball or should I say overload training can lead to injury but that is true of any training that is not done properly.

The following is from a study done by the ASMI (American Sports Medicine Institute) located in Birmingham AL.:

EFFECTS OF THROWING OVERWEIGHT AND UNDERWEIGHT BASEBALLS
ON THROWING VELOCITY AND ACCURACY

Rafael F. Escamilla1, Ph.D., Glenn S. Fleisig2, Ph.D.,
Steven W. Barrentine2, M.S., James R. Andrews2, M.D., and Kevin P. Speer, M.D.

Michael W. Krzyzewski Human Performance Laboratory
Division of Orthopaedic Surgery
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, NC, 27710

American Sports Medicine Institute
Birmingham, AL 35205

Running Header: Throwing Overweight and Underweight Baseballs

Re-Submitted September 3, 1999

SPORTS MEDICINE

The purpose of this review was to determine how throwing overweight and underweight baseballs affects baseball throwing velocity and accuracy. Two studies examined how a warm-up with overweight baseballs affected throwing velocity and accuracy of 5 oz regulation baseballs. One of these studies showed significant increases in throwing velocity and accuracy, while the other study found no significant differences. Three training studies (6-12 weeks in duration) using overweight baseballs were conducted to determine how they affected ball accuracy while throwing regulation baseballs. No significant differences were found in any study. From these data it is concluded that warming up or training with overweight baseballs does not improve ball accuracy. Seven overweight and four underweight training studies (6 - 12 weeks in duration) were conducted to determine how throwing velocity of regulation baseballs was affected due to training with these overweight and underweight baseballs. The overweight baseballs ranged in weight between 5.25-17 oz, while the underweight baseballs were between 4-4.75 oz. Data from these training studies strongly support the practice of training with overweight and underweight baseballs to increase throwing velocity of regulation baseballs. Since no injuries were reported throughout the training studies, throwing overweight and underweight baseballs may not be more stressful to the throwing arm compared to throwing regulation baseballs. However, since currently there are no injury data related to throwing overweight and underweight baseballs, this should be the focus of subsequent studies. In addition, research should be initiated to determine whether throwing kinematics and kinetics are different between throwing regulation baseballs and throwing overweight and underweight baseballs.

Professor Coop-DeRenne, University of Hawaii has done at least 8 studies over 10 or more years involving at least 200 pitchers and has never had an injury!!! More specifically:

1982: Pilot Study

Purpose: To determine the effects of overload AND underload baseballs on throwing velocity over a 10 week program.

Subjects: 10 high school pitchers.

Group 1: underload baseballs
Group 2: overload baseballs

Results: 1. Significant increases in velocities with both groups. 2. Average gains were approximately twice as great would underload group (4.5 MPH), then in the overload group of (2.9 MPH). 3.no arm injuries.

1984: Replication of 1982

Purpose: to compare the effects of overloaded AND underload baseballs want throwing velocity over a 10 week training program.

Subjects: 30 high school pitchers.
Group 1: overload
Group 2: underload
Group 3: control group

Results: 1.significant velocity increases. 2.Group 1 gains equal 4 MPH, Group 2 gains equal 5 MPH, Group 3 gains equal.88 MPH. No arm injuries.

1986: Underload Project

Purpose: to determine the effects of underload baseball training on throwing velocity over a 10 week training program.

Subjects: 34 high school pitchers.
Group 1: underload
Group 2: control group

Results: 1.significant increases, Group 1, underload it, gains 3 MPH, Group 2, control group, decreased 1/2 MPH. No arm injuries.

1987: Integral Project

Purpose: To compare two integral weighted implement training programs on throwing velocity.

Subjects: 41 high school pitchers
Group 1: heavy-light-normal weight sequence
Group 2: heavy-normal; light-normal
Group 3: control group

70 University pitchers
Group 1: heavy-light-normal weight sequence
Group 2: heavy-normal weight; light-normal weight
Group 3: control group

Results: 1.significant increases in throwing velocity. 2.Group 1 5 MPH and 4 MPH gains respectively; Group 2,5 MPH and 3 MPH gains respectively; Group 3,. 9/10th MPH and-2.8 MPH loss respectively. No arm injuries reported.

1988: Replication of 1987

Purpose: To determine the effects of two integral weighted implement training programs on throwing velocity over a 10 week training program.

Subjects: 110 University pitchers

Group 1: heavy-light-standard weight sequence
Group 2: heavy-standard; light-standard weights
Group 3: control group

Results: 1.significant increases. 2.Group 1, 3 MPH gains; 2.Group 2, 3 MPH gains; 3.Group 3,-3 MPH loss. No arm injuries reported.

Based on the above studies one can say the following:

1. That warming up using overload or should I say weighted baseballs did not appear to improve throwing velocity immediately after warming up with them.

2. Using weighted (over load and under load) baseballs did significantly improve throwing velocity.

3. Using weighted baseballs did not affect accuracy.

4. There were no reported injuries in any of the studies.

SETPRO has worked with hundreds of players using overload and underload training. And what we have found is consistent with the above studies. That one done CORRECTLY overload and underload training is one of the most effective tools for increasing a players velocity and conditioning their arm.

No other type of training can reproduce the same training effects as throwing overload underload. And here's why.

The following is from the textbook "Neuralmechanical Basis of Kinesiology", by Roger M. Enoka:

Principles of training

Substantial effort has been focused on determining the neural mechanical basis of muscle strength. As a result of these efforts, several rules for the prescription of exercise have been elaborated. These rules are often referred to as the principles of training. One such rule is the overload principal, which may be stated as follows:

To increase their size or functional ability, muscle fibers must be taxed toward their present capacity to respond.

This principle applies that there is a threshold point that must be exceeded before adaptive responsible occur. Normally the threshold point is expressed as a percentage of maximum. For example, it has been suggested that the threshold for isometric exercises about 40 percent of maximum; that is, adaptations will occur only if the four succeeds 40 percent of maximum. Because the maximum torque the muscle can exert changes with time to variations in level activity (i.e., training and the training), so too does the absolute load that will exceed threshold changes. This is apparent individuals who training nearly and then to experience a period of inactivity (e.g., having a limited cast, been confined to bed for elements); upon recovery, they find that they cannot resume training at that pre inactivity levels.

In addition to manipulating the training load relative to maximum capabilities, exercise prescription must match the motor training to the desired effect. This constraint is embodied in the specificity principle:

Training adaptations a specific to the cells and their structural and functional elements that are overload.

This principle states that the induced change is specific to the exercise stress. If an individual performs a strength training program, then only this characteristic (strength) and not others (e.g., endurance) will exhibit an adaptation. For example, some investigators have reported that strength training appears to elicit adaptations that are specific to the task, muscle length, and muscle velocity used in the training. The specificity principle emphasizes the need to carefully match the training or rehabilitation program with the desired outcome.

An important corollary of the specificity principle is that the effects produced by training also depend upon the to pretraining capabilities of the individual. And that highly trained athletes require greater specificity to increase their results. Where is less trained athletes will enjoy greater results over shorter periods of time as compared to the more highly trained athlete.

Finally, the reverseability principle formalizsan aspect of exercise-induced at adaptation that was mentioned in the discretion of the overload principal:

Training-induced adaptations are transient.

As we emphasize in chapter 8, the functional and structural status of the motor system adapts to accommodate the level (overload principal) and type (specificity principle) of stress that the motor system experiences. One corollary of this interaction is that the adaptations acquired as a result of a training program are retrained only as long as the physical demands warrant that level performance. When training ceases, the system adapts to the new (lower) requirements; this down-regulation is often referred to as detraining. One extensively examined example of detraining is the adaptations experienced by astronauts in a micro gravity (weightless) environment.

The key issue when using weighted baseballs and performing overload and underload training is the proper training information.

This is true of any type of training. Those who understand what it takes to bring an athlete to their maximum capability also understands the risk-reward relationship. That you must stress the body beyond its normal limits that in order to achieve improvements in performance. And that with the proper tools and information you can maximize your baseball potential.

Here's an email that I recieved on 11/23/2001 from the father of a High School Senior who was throwing 69-70 MPH 18 months ago and has been doing our BWBK program since then:

Paul,

It finally happened today in one of our bwbk workouts.


Travis hit the 90 mph mark 3 times.We had been all around it the last several weeks, but just couldn't quite get there. Many 87 - 88 mph pitches.

It will be interesting to see how this effects future workouts leading up to the showcase on 12-8-01.

I can't thank you enough for your assistance and input into all this. Without your help these past two years it would never have happened. I'm convinced of that. And in particular the last 10 months we have been kind of doing this via remote control.The many conversations we had were all informative and helpful. It gives one great confidence knowing that you are getting sound instruction and are doing the right things.

Many have had their strong desire to succeed washed away by "bad instruction". Since working closely with you I have not had that concern. It was only a matter of making it work for you. And Travis did that part of
busting his ass to get there.

It's all here, on this site. If you're willing to look for it and work for it.

Thanks again. And hoping you and your family enjoyed the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Ed Miller

We call this SMART POWER TRAINING.