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• Breathing / Reset
• Flexibility / Soft Tissue
• Mobility
• Band Activation
• Movement

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• Digital Programs (email and online access w/videos)
  • 8-week Throwing Program (on-ramping)
  • Pre-Throwing Program
  • Post-Throwing Program
  • Plyo Balls – Drill Guide
  • Activation Bands – Drill Guide
• 1 Activation Band
• Soft Tissue
  • 1 Set of Massage Balls
  • 1 Massage Stick Roller
  • 1 High Density Foam Roller
• Balls
  • 1 set of Plyo Balls (6 balls, 3.5, 5, 7, 9 oz. and 1, 2 lbs.)
  • 1 set of Weight Balls (5 balls, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11 oz.)
• Recovery
  • 1 Mini-Rebounder
  • 2 Light Weight Bands – Yellow
• 1 RPP Gym Bag

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• Helps activate and balance rotator cuff and surrounding muscles
• Prepares the arm to accelerate/decelerate
• Increases blood flow prior to throwing

Let’s face it, everyone loves to throw hard, but we have to make sure we’re going about it the best and safest way possible. Learning the correct way to take care of your arm, shoulder and body as a pitcher should be a top priority, not only during the season but year-round as well.  We utilize band warm-up/activations 2x’s/week to help maintain cuff activation/stability, once high-intent throwing slows down. The first step is correcting poor form, so they don’t continue to “get good at moving poorly”.

In addition, over the years many college coaches have complained to me about how poor band-work looks on their fields. Many even have suggested “please write a blog about this!”.  Unfortunately, I know. I have seen it for myself.  Here are two main points that I see that causes band work to get “ugly”.

More is Not Better

Many people use an excessive amount of repetitions looking for that “burn” that is associated with strength training. The problem is, during the in-season, throwing is strength training for the cuff, so too much band work can put a shoulder into the 3^rd inning before you’ve even thrown a single pitch! On the contrary I use a bit more volume in the off-season (two sets instead of one), but I do not recommend it as a substitute for strength training.

Unfortunately, at some point along the way some of the band companies started to market and promote their bands as a strength training tool.  Let’s me say this loud and clear…

“Band work is not strength training”

Too Heavy of a Band

Using too heavy of a band resistance when performing band activations can do more harm than good by creating poor movement patterns as well as activating the bigger muscles such as the Latissimus Dorsi (Lat) and the deltoid instead of the smaller stabilizers of the cuff (infraspinatus Teres minor).

The takeaway here is that you want to feel these drills in the posterior cuff, not on the side or front of the shoulder or the lower lumbar for that matter.

We took the average distance that our HS and college guys stood from a wall when performing band work. This was approximately 60-70” (5’0 – 5’10) this was an average range and seems to be where athletes set up regardless of their ability to adequately perform the drills with proper form. I will say that our pro guys and more elite level players- who can actually handle the heavier resistance are actually the guys who immediately reach for the lighter bands. They just know it feels better.

We then measured the lbs of resistance with both a heavy and lighter resistance band. The “heavier” bands have a resistance of (6-7) lbs. when stretched whereas the lighter version such as the bands we use here at RPP had a resistance of (3-4) lbs.

Another takeaway was this… the athletes FELT the activation in the posterior cuff more when using the band with less resistance.

“The athletes FELT the activation in the posterior cuff more when using the band with less resistance”

If a bands resistance is correct the athlete should be able to do two things:

1. Keep the hips, lower lumbar and torso stable in order to help maintain ball and socket congruency…

Lower Half – Unstable

Lower Half – Stable

2. Keeping the elbow still throughout the exercise. This one again helps keep “the ball in the socket” as well as preventing creating downward depression of the scap through excess tugging on the lat.

Elbow – Unstable

Elbow – Stable

The problem is that most athletes being the alpha males that we are, feel once again that “more is better” when it comes to using a heavier band or one with less resistance. While some exercises where the shoulder is in more of a provocative position such as ER at 90 degrees of abduction (seen above), requires less tension, there are cases with some band activations where more tension/resistance is required. How’s this for a great idea.. you can always just back up a bit and increase the tension in the band.

Don’t get me wrong, band work can be great; just make sure you are doing it correctly, and with good form. And remember, let me say this again…

“Band activation is NOT a replacement for strength training”

So, using too heavy of a band is like “throwing the baby out with the bath water”. Try a bit less resistance and see how much your form improves as well as how much more you feel it where you’re supposed to-in the posterior cuff.

Lastly, while there is some degree of strengthening that can be done to the posterior cuff and shoulder in the off season, it is primarily a great way to increase blood flow to the shoulder and activate the primary cuff musculature to help you get ready to throw as well as keep up with arm care and health year-round.

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• Digital Programs (email and online access w/videos)
  • 8-week Throwing Program (on-ramping)
  • Pre-Throwing Program
  • Post-Throwing Program
  • Plyo Balls – Drill Guide
  • Activation Bands – Drill Guide
• 1 Activation Band
• Balls
  • 1 set of Plyo Balls (3.5, 5, 7, 9 oz. and 1, 2 lbs.)
  • 1 set of Weighted Balls (4 and 6 oz. only)
• Recovery
  • 1 Mini-Rebounder
  • 2 Light Weight Bands – Yellow
• 1 Gym Bag (optional)

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• Real leather weighted balls – 4 oz, 6 oz, 7 oz, 9 oz and 11 oz
• Color coded for easy identification
• Velocity enhancement
• Training with varied stimuli helps develop neuromuscular pathways
• Improves kinesthetic awareness

Weighted Balls – Frequently Asked Questions

Weighted balls are just one of the tools used in our throwing programs to help athletes achieve a higher velocity ceiling. As with any protocol, the “dosage” (volume and intensity) is paramount in order to maximize their effectiveness safely. Below are a few questions we have received in the past including how they work, and how we integrate them into a total throwing program used to increase velocity on the mound.

Do you use weighted baseballs in your throwing programs?

Yes, but it depends on a few variables:

• • Must be at least 16 years or older
  • No current pain
  • The movement quality of the athlete (assessment)
  • Anatomical maturity of the athlete (growth plates)
  • A good foundation of strength
  • Display good fundamental mechanics of throwing a regular (5 oz.) baseball

Note: If you have (i) severe physical constraints, (ii) disconnected movement patterns, or (iii) are currently experiencing pain, we would not recommend you go anywhere near a weighted ball program before completing a thorough strength and conditioning program for at least 8 weeks

Can’t strength training alone improve velocity? Why weighted balls?

Yes, in fact I’ve witnessed it many times during the off season. However, throwing weighted balls will help improve coordination of muscle contraction and the development of a more efficient kinetic chain in the throwing motion helping the athlete stay connected. This, combined with increasing physical size and strength through weight training, is the best of both worlds creating a much greater result.

Is throwing a weighted baseball dangerous?

Doing anything overhead at a high velocity increases the chance of injury. Weighted balls are no different. What’s even more dangerous is a velocity program that is not “all inclusive”. By that we mean a program that doesn’t contain ALL (not some) of the following components:

• • Proper and thorough assessment
  • 2-4 week “on-Ramp” (in which mechanical disconnects are addressed)
  • Full, 20-30 minutes warm-up (soft tissue / mobility / activation)
  • Carefully programmed and individualized throwing days
  • Strength training (yes, weight lifting)
  • Post throwing recovery

What’s the difference between Overload and Underload Weighted Balls?

Throwing overload and underload weighted balls helps remap mechanics and recruit the pitcher’s natural ability to throw harder but they each serve different purposes.

Overload training provides the pitchers with the training effect of increasing resistance and external rotation if necessary while slowing down the deceleration pattern.  Increasing the weight of the implement slows down the arm action and moves the athlete further to the right on the speed-strength continuum. In other words, overload weighted balls comprise a medium between traditional throwing drills and medicine balls/resistance training.

Underload training provides the pitcher with the training effect of improving arm speed on the rapid fire end of the spectrum. The pitcher gets the stimulus of throwing a 3 or 4 oz. baseball much faster than he would throwing a regulation 5 oz. baseball. Decreasing the weight of the implement speeds up the arm action and moves the athlete further to the left on the speed-strength continuum.  This creates not only preparation and awareness of how the arm moves in a higher velocity throw, but also improves the capacity in both the underlying musculature as well as the central nervous system.

Here are a few more misunderstood facts about throwing a weighted ball…

As you increase the weight of the ball, you slow down the arm action. The more a ball weighs, the less you can accelerate it, and less acceleration means less force on the ligaments and tendons.  In other words, there is actually less force on the ligaments and tendons with a heavier ball.

We do not however, go above 9 oz. for any drill that has a considerable lay-back component done at high velocity. The stress on the elbow is already pretty high from being in such a provocative position, so no need to add weight to dysfunction.

Weighted baseballs are basically strength training for the arm. They sit right in between traditional throwing (bullpens, long toss, and flat ground) and the medicine ball we do during the off season.

How do you incorporate them into your throwing programs?

There is about a 3-4 week ramp up of long-tossing / flat-ground connection (mechanics) drill work to re-map any mechanical “disconnects”. Once the on-ramp phase is completed, we begin incorporating the weighted balls into the program using a “periodiz-ed” (progressive) approach.

How do you decide how heavy to go?

We keep most of our weighted baseball drills in the 7-9 oz. range. The dosage is tailored to the individual depending on various factors such as anatomical maturity, strength, training age, etc.  With the exception of a couple of drills, we don’t exceed 9 oz.

What time periods do you recommend to do a weighted ball program?

• • Summer and early Fall (May – October)
  • 4-week winter tune up (college and pros only)

Can’t you accomplish the same thing with weighted ball “holds”?

The most obvious disconnect with holds as opposed to actually throwing a weighted ball is that the pitcher performing holds does not achieve adequate external rotation of the arm, which is the whip-like lay back of the arm that helps to generate velocity. If the brain realizes it has a weighted ball in its hand and that the arm will need to decelerate at release with the ball still in its hand, the body will want to protect itself by not allowing as much acceleration, and not allow the arm to become whip-like by laying back into external rotation.

For those of you familiar with the towel drills, this is a similar problem to the mechanics resulting from that drill. Basically, weighted ball holds change the ER and decel of the throw because neurologically the brain knows the body is decelerating with a weighted implement still in its hand.  The other issue is a towel is virtually “weightless”.   I’ve seen more arm problems from over torqueing the arm with a towel than with a weighted ball.  It’s not much different than throwing a wiffle ball.

Will weighted balls affect command or the ability to repeat the delivery consistently?

Many pitching coaches talk about finding a “repeatable delivery”. It doesn’t exist!  Every pitch is unique and will present subtle changes requiring subconscious, real time adjustments to achieve the desired goal.

Training with varied stimuli, like a weighted balls, allows for the development and preparation of the neuromuscular pathways in a varied format to account for nearly every possible situation.

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• Sand-filled weighted balls made with durable PVC shells
• Great for re-mapping arm path
• Key part of any throwing recovery program
• Can be used frequently for both hi-intent and warm-up

Many of the drills have been made popular through the years.

As a part of this purchase you will also receive a guide with drills and videos that have worked well for over us over the years.  Below is one such example providing the purpose behind the drill, what specifically its used to improve, performance cues, sets / reps and common mistakes.

Reverse Throws

Purpose – Reverse throws are a ballistic movement that train power while helping to activate the posterior shoulder musculature when going into lay back. The drill is great for training T-spine rotation during counter rotation of the trunk, as well as keeping the trunk stacked when coming down the mound. The 90-90 position helps maintain a stable lower half in order to focus on upper body mechanics.

Used to Improve:

• • • Posterior shoulder strength
    • T-spine rotation
    • Trunk counter-rotation/stacking

Performance Cues:

• • • Start in an upright position
    • First, rock forward to simulate position of ball release
    • Drive movement back using torso only
    • Don’t allow knee to collapse in order to facilitate rotation
    • Maintain supinated (thumbs up) position while focusing on driving shoulder “into the wall”

Sets:

• • • 1-2 sets of 10 reps with a 1-2 lbs. plyo ball

Common Mistakes:

• • • • Starting out front – This eliminates back-chaining from the point of release
      • Collapsing the front knee – This allows the hips to facilitate rotation instead of driving from the torso
      • Throwing “thumbs down” in other words pronated instead of supinated

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