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Are Weighted Balls the Answer?

This has been a hot topic for the past few years and something we discuss in the clinic on a weekly basis. All baseball players would love to throw faster even more now than ever due to seeing such high velocity in MLB pitchers. Should I use weighted balls is often the first question we get asked when discussing increasing throwing velocity with players. Before we answer this question, we will expand on the use of weighted balls.

What Are Weighted Baseballs?

• A standard adult sized baseball is 5oz, which is roughly 141grams.
• Weighted baseballs for training often come in a set including lighter and heavier balls. These often range from 3oz to 12oz, but can be more or less
• Using weighted balls is nothing new,it has been around for several decades

What are “Plyo” Balls?

• Plyo (plyometric) balls are soft balls that are often the same size or bigger than a baseball.
• They can also range from 3oz to 12oz, but some up to 2lb.

Why Are They Different?

• Plyo balls are often used for warmup or motor control drills.
• They are also great for throwing indoors as they don’t bounce.
• These are great for throwing at home against a brick wall in the garage or a mattress up against the wall when the weather is too wet to go to the field.
• Weighted balls are generally used just for throwing only with full effort.

Do Weighted Balls Increase Velocity?

• The latest study by Reinold et al in 2018, showed a 3.3% increase on average, about 2mph.
• Overall this isn’t much, but can be very helpful for some players.
• Be very cautious of players/coaches saying that they gained 5mph+ JUST from weighted balls. It is often from other factors such as weight gain, strength gain, throwing more frequently, improving mechanics etc

What Does The Research Say?

• Unfortunately the research is limited and generally not of high quality.
• Two of the best studies done were by Reinold et al in 2018 and 2020.
• These showed:
• An increase in shoulder range of motion
• An increase in injury rates
• An increase in throwing velocity
• However, the research along with the best coaches/programs around the world realise it can be effective, but it needs to be closely monitored with a specific program.

Are Weighted Balls Safe?

• For anyone 16 years and under we would not recommend using them at all. The risks far outway the small improvements in velocity. Also there are many other safer and more rewarding ways to gain velocity at this age.
• For players 17 and above there is also a common criteria a player should have: 1) Normal physical motion in key areas, 2) adequate strength, 3) significant established throwing program, 4) no significant shoulder/elbow injury history. This is to avoid serious injury and maximise their velocity. Most programs and the top coaches often say this is just 15% of players they work with.

Should I Buy Weighted Balls Or Plyoballs?

• As a general rule for playing level as a guide, we recommend buying:
• Fun/stay healthy player: A 5oz plyo ball
• Semi serious player: A 5oz and 1lb plyo balls
• Serious player: A 5oz, 3oz, 8oz and 1lb plyo balls
• Serious player that passes common criteria test: Above plyos plus 3oz and 7oz weighted balls.
• We are doing a bulk order soon to save players money so please contact us if you are interested in buying some.

How Often Should You Use Them?

• For Plyo Balls
• :If using for warm up, every time before you throw.
• How much, is individualised for each player
• If using for motor control then 2-3x per week
• For Weighted Balls:
• This is very individualised, but rarely more the 2x per week