There are some, particularly online, who continue to spread incorrect and misleading facts about weighted ball training. Our argument here will deal with Overload/Underload (Ou) training in general, and its application to baseball and softball in particular.
1. Ou Training Defined
Sport Hoop Reviews
2. A Brief History of Ou research and Training
3. Other Sports That Use Ou Training
4. The Benefits of Ou Training
5. Other Baseball Experts Who Are Proponents of Ou Training
Ou Training Defined
Using weight-modified implements that are otherwise identical
to those used during competition
The weights of these modified tools weigh both more and less than the acceptable competing weight.
Such tools allow athletes to train more nothing else but for their sport. Sport-specific impel and power are advanced by movements with resistance or aid that imitate the joint action of the skill - exact Resistance Training. What makes this type of training so efficient is that the weights of the modified tools used are heavy enough to produce a conditioning effect, yet light enough to not adversely influence the athlete's mechanical skills.
Generally, Ou Training is employed to growth an athlete's Power. Power is defined as the rate at which one can accomplish work, or the potential to exert muscle force quickly. This potential is connected to, but unavoidable from strength, which is defined as the potential to exert muscle force.
As an example, impel is demonstrated as the potential to pick up a 30 oz. Bat. Power is demonstrated by the potential to drive a baseball 400+ feet while swinging that 30 oz. Bat.
As long as the tools used are not too heavy, mechanics are not affected, production Ou Training what I call "skill-neutral." agreeing to published data (see below) the ideal weight range for conditioning and execution enhancement is up to 20% +/- the weight of the competing implement. I do Not suggest using baseballs weighing more than 6 oz., or softballs heavier than 8 oz. There is some data that indicates using much heavier balls can negatively influence throwing mechanics, maybe foremost to arm problems. Extra motor-units are recruited while throwing these heavy balls that are then not used when the regular competing ball is used. As relates to our argument here, the modified implements ball players can use are weighted baseballs and softballs, and assorted weights of baseball/softball bats, and/or devices attached to these bats.
Conversely, this type of training would not be useful for training other athletic skill areas, for example, shooting or throwing accuracy. Ou training could help a golfer drive their tee shots further, but it wouldn't help eliminate their slice if they have one, or otherwise help them to hit straighter drives. Ou training could help a young basketball player who is having issue hoisting a basketball high enough to make a shot in a 10 foot hoop, but the shot still has to be accurate enough to go in. Accuracy training needed for a exact skill would therefore be performed apart from power work.
If I was working with a pitcher who had control problems, I would not break out the weighted baseballs and expect training of this type to help him throw strikes. I would look at his mechanics and make any needed adjustments, and maybe suggest some drill work to help reinforce the new concepts being taught. Such a player might also be working with weighted baseballs/softballs as part of their allembracing training regimen, but this would occur at a dissimilar time, and for the purposes of developing more power and speed behind his/her throws as well as conditioning the throwing structures of the arm.
A potential side-benefit of Ou training is that a player could heighten their accuracy by virtue of the increased whole of reps or throws they are performing. This would be an artifact of the main goal of improving power, however, and not the main purpose of Ou training.
A Brief History Of Ou research And Training
The first research spicy Ou training was performed in the 1970s by the Soviet Union and East-European track and field teams. A great deal of this research has been published in prestigious, peer-reviewed journals around the world. Shot-putters, javelin, discus and hammer throwers, and sprinters were the early adopters of this training method.
Research with baseball players dates back to the 1960s. This is just a sampling of studies spicy Ou Training and baseball. There are dozens more relating to Ou Training generally:
1) Coop DeRenne, Kwok W. Ho and James C. Murphy. 2001: Effects of General, Special, and exact Resistance Training on Throwing Velocity in Baseball: A Brief Review. The Journal of impel and Conditioning Research: Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 148-156.
2) Escamilla et al. 2000: Sports Med Apr; 29 (4): 259-272
3) David J. Szymanski, Med, Cscs, June 1998: The Effects of assorted Weighted Bats on Bat Velocity - A Literature Review. impel and Conditioning, pp. 8 - 11
4) Coop DeRenne, Barton P. Buxton, Ronald K. Hetzler and Kwok W. Ho. 1995: Effects of Weighted Bat Implement Training on Bat Swing Velocity. The Journal of impel and Conditioning Research: Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 247-250.
5) Coop DeRenne, Barton P. Buxton, Ronald K. Hetzler and Kwok W. Ho. 1994: Effects of Under- and Overweighted Implement Training on Pitching Velocity. The Journal of impel and Conditioning Research: Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 247-250.
6) Coop DeRenne, Kwok Ho and Alan Blitzblau. 1990: Effects of Weighted Implement Training on Throwing Velocity. The Journal of Applied Sport Science Research, 4, 16-19.
7) DeRenne, C., Tracy, R., and Dunn-Rankin, P. 1985: expanding Throwing velocity. Athletic Journal, April, 36 - 39.
8) Bagonzi, J. A. 1978: The Effects of Graded Weighted Baseballs, Free Weight Training, and Simulative Isometric rehearsal on the Velocity of a Thrown Baseball. Master's thesis, Indiana University.
9) Litwhiler, D., and Hamm, L. 1973: Overload: ensue on Throwing Velocity and Accuracy. Athletic Journal, 53, 64-65.
10) Brose, D.E., and D.L. Hanson 1967: Effects of Overload Training on Velocity and Accuracy of Throwing. research Quarterly. 38:528-533.
11) Elias, J. 1964. The ensue of Overload Training on Speed in Baseball Pitching. Unpublished Master's thesis, Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts.
12) Egstrom, G.H., Logan, G.A., and E. L. Wallis 1960: Acquisition of Throwing skill spicy Projectiles of varying Weight. research regular 31:420-425.
Other Sports That Use Ou Training
Over and underloaded implements and techniques are used very effectively by athletes in many sports to augment performance:
Track & Field: heavier and lighter discuses, javelins, shot balls (shot putters) and hammers; sprinting with resistance, such as pulling weighted sleds, wearing weighted vests, and downhill running on a puny downward slope, being towed while running, and running on a high speed treadmill (overSpeed training) .
Swimming: wearing swimming gloves that allow for more water to be pulled during an arm stroke; swimming while dragging an implement or otherwise artificially producing drag on a swimmer.
Heavier footballs (over the acceptable 15 oz) are thrown by quarterbacks; heavier basketballs are used by basketball players. Boxers train with dissimilar weights of boxing gloves.
Note that All of these training implements are used to heighten Power and/or Speed through the joint range-of-motion (Rom) in the action being trained, which can lead to enhanced performance.
The Benefits Of Ou Training
Benefit #1
Appropriate impel and conditioning regimens, such as Ou Training, can sell out and even prevent arm injuries connected to throwing by expanding Strength/Endurance. Increased impel - helps prevent injury. Increased stamina - helps allege throwing velocity, allows for more pitches to be thrown before tiring.
The muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones (even nerves) of the shoulder and arm in general will nothing else but adapt to an acceptable growth in training load. They come to be tougher and more durable, able to deal with greater workloads. Such training must conform to the following two guidelines:
1) The training load is enough to produce the desired training effect, yet not so great as to negatively impact throwing (or hitting) mechanics.
2) The thrower's schedule introduces Ou training gradually and systematically, employing a training principle known as Progressive Overload (Clarkson & Watson, 1990). This principle states that "strength and stamina cannot be increased unless the muscles are stressed beyond their general workload. To growth the workload, growth the frequency, duration and intensity of your rehearsal program."
To effectively and safely growth throwing velocity, intensity is increased by using 20% +/- Ou balls, duration is increased by gradually expanding the whole of Ou throws performed with each workout, and frequency is increased by the whole of days of throwing workouts. Arm/shoulder structures trained in this manner are more capable of handling the regular competing game requirements, which are less than those imposed by the Ou conditioning. An arm conditioned for production numerous throws with a 6 oz ball will more than likely out-perform an arm trained only to accomplish under a 5 oz. Load (ability, mechanics and over-use considerations aside).
Dr. Mike Marshall, in his Pitching Book (Chapter 32, pp. 5 & 6), describes a understanding he calls "Plioanglos Training" as a means of training the external rotator cuff muscles (decelerators). This is similar to the ideas expressed above:
"Plioanglos training means adding resistance to forward ballistically speeding pitching arms to growth capacities of lengthening deceleration muscles to stop."
Perhaps this is best summed up by way of the familiar conditioning principle S.A.I.D. - exact Adaptation to Imposed Demands (Wallis and Logan, 1964). This principle states that the body will adapt to stress imposed on it (as long as it is not excessive, in which case the body breaks down). One safe and efficient way of doing this is with Ou Training, employing the aforementioned guidelines.
Benefit #2
Improved on-field execution - increased throwing velocity (or bat speed).
Increased arm speed throughout the throwing Range of request for retrial (Rom). This attribute is advanced by throwing a ball weighing 20% less than the competing ball. Because the ball weighs less, the arm moves more speedily through its Rom, foremost to increased throwing velocity. Throwing lighter balls has been shown (both clinically and on the ball field) to be one of the best means of expanding throwing velocity. Swinging appropriately lighter bats helps develop increased bat speed. This is also known as overSpeed training.
A note on "light" ball training, high school and older players: This can be an excellent way for pitchers in particular to get a good whole of throwing in between starts with less stress on the arm. For youth ball players - why do we make lighter bats for younger ball players, yet make them throw the same 5 oz ball that guys like Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson throw? That youth fields are smaller makes puny disagreement when it comes to the length of some of the throws that young players have to make. These puny arms still have to generate a great deal of force to propel the ball. Underweight balls (4 oz.) are a Great tool for players of all ages.
Benefit #3
Enhanced neuromuscular conditioning.
According to Vern Gambetta, impel and Conditioning Coach for the Chicago White Sox, the primary source of fatigue in baseball pitching is not metabolic, but neural. The metabolic demands - conditioning - are just not that great in baseball or softball. Don't misunderstand - I'm speaking here of the skills required to be a good hitter or pitcher. Being well conditioned is still important, as this will help prevent injury, but no doubt you've seen players like John Kruk, David Wells, Tony Gwynn, and others. High level performers who are not particularly well conditioned.
Neural fatigue occurs at the motor-unit level. In the act of pitching, for example, the Central Nervous system sends a nerve impulse to a motor unit (Mu) in the shoulder involved in this process. The potential of these Mus to forward these signals, with optimal frequency and speed, diminishes over time. This "breakdown" occurs at the nerve synapse/biochemical level, which Then leads to slower and weaker muscle contractions.
In baseball pitching, throwing muscles and tendons in the shoulder are stretching and contracting repeatedly while accelerating and decelerating the arm during an overhand throw - constant biochemical action at the neuromuscular junction. As neural fatigue sets in, it becomes manifest in mechanical problems. For example, a pitcher dropping their shoulder later in the game, foremost to a loss of control or velocity. The tough thing is, this "fatigue" is usually not felt by the pitcher, but it occurs nevertheless.
This is where permissible conditioning (Ou Training) comes in. research has shown that neurons adapt to stress much like muscles do. Motor neurons exposed to high-frequency impulses end up with more advanced neuromuscular junctions which appear more capable of handling high-intensity impulses good than those not exposed to similar stress. The S.A.I.D. Principle in ensue again.
Does this mean Ou Training is fool proof, and has never harmed a player? Of course not. Most any type of conditioning, performed incorrectly, can cause problems or injury. Throwing itself, be it footballs, baseballs, rocks or whatever, has harmed many a throwing arm. Running is the cause of many knee and ankle injuries. Shoulder problems among swimmers are common. Ice skaters often suffer from some very painful leg ailments. I could go on, but you get the point. All of these injuries and problems occur as a part of the athlete's regular convention and competing activities. Performing them properly minimizes the risk, of course. So does a range of impel and conditioning methods, along with Ou Training.
Other Baseball Experts Who Are Proponents Of Ou Training
Dr. John Bagonzi. former pitcher with the Red Sox. Known as the "Pitching Professor" and author of the highly regarded book, "The Act of Pitching."
Dr. Tom House. former pitcher with the Rangers. Author/co-author of any books, along with "The Winning Pitcher" and "Power Baseball." Personal pitching coach to Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Mark Prior, and others.
Dr. Mike Marshall. former Cy Young Award winner with the Dodgers. Author of the book, "Coaching Pitchers" and the pitching training Dvd, "Dr. Mike Marshall's Pitching Instructional Video."
Dr. Coop DeRenne. former professional player, educator and advisor to the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers. Probably this country's foremost baseball researcher, supervising 16 hitting and pitching warm-up, biomechanical, and visual research projects using over 600 amateur and professional hitters and pitchers as his subjects. Co-author (with Tom House) of the book, "Power Baseball" and other baseball training books.
Asmi - The American Sports rehabilitation Institute
All of these experts possess impeccable credentials and favor some type of weighted ball training.
Overload / Underload Training: How It Works & Why Ball Players Should Use This Training method
