- Ron Wolforth, Pitching Central

In preparation for my presentation for this Webball challenge, I went back and reviewed all of my notes over the past 12 years. I gave a lecture on our suggested topic to a group of coaches in 1992. I almost couldn't have been more off track. See if you recognize and possibly even agree with the rhetoric, the assumptions and the underlying philosophy behind my explanation in 1992.


The use of weighted balls is possibly the worst idea in a long line of bad ideas. The key to velocity and keeping the arm healthy is developing and using 'proper mechanics'. To add weight to poor or marginal mechanics would be ridiculous at best, dangerous at worst.

Furthermore it appears the gains with weighted balls are temporary. They go away. Therefore to place a young's arm at risk for a temporary spike in velocity would not be wise.

Furthermore, pitchers in the 1950's & 1960's NEVER used weighted balls and the injury rate to pitchers of that era was small compared to 1992. Therefore we can safely assert that we can achieve great results both in terms of production and arm health without the use of weighted balls.

Furthermore the use of weighted balls confuses release points and steals precious TIME away from doing the important work - hitting a spot from a mound- 60'6" away. To pitch a baseball successfully is a skill requiring amazing precision. The precision of throwing a 5 oz baseball and hitting a spot 60 feet way is phenomenally intricate and complex. Confusing that intricacy and precision by changing the weight of the implement is a very, very bad idea. 

I believe the current fascination with weighted balls is a microcosm of a current trend in our society to look for a silver bullet...a short cut...a magic pill. It implies simply by using a unique tool that we can achieve results without the long hard trudge that is required to develop excellence.

The view that long toss is some sort of panacea in terms of arm speed, arm strength and arm health is almost as ridiculous as the weighted ball issue. While not as risky as weighted balls, long toss is also given far too much credit for any success of any pitcher. While I'm not against long toss per say, doing it improperly or giving it an inordinate amount of training time is likewise a very poor idea.

Once again the key to velocity and the health of arm, shoulder and elbow is developing and using 'proper mechanics'. To try and throw it as far as you can with poor or faulty mechanics would again be a very bad idea and automatically place yourself at risk. Therefore you should only throw it as far as you can do so perfectly.

Furthermore to project the baseball as far as you can, in terms of distance, would necessitate changing your release point, elevating your front shoulder and possibly slinging the baseball...an act that is contrary to effective pitching from 60'6" in almost every way imaginable. I certainly don't think this is the motor program we want to be developing in our pitchers. Like weighted balls, I believe long toss also confuses release points, alters good mechanics and steals precious TIME away from doing the important work - hitting a spot from a mound- 60'6" away .


Today (April 2004), many consider me an advocate for both the use of weighted balls and extreme long toss. But the instructive thing for the readers of Webball very well may not be in my current position itself, but instead the why and how of my transition from 1992 to today.

My current position did not occur over night nor did it occur by scholarly enlightenment or via one isolated experience or epiphany.  When you read my words twelve years later it is important for the reader to understand that I came into the light kicking and screaming. Only recently, over the past 18 months have I become an advocate of weighted balls and extreme long toss.

While the path of my journey was anything but linear, tidy or clear, the results of my transformation couldn't be more clear.

In the past 18 months the pitchers in our facility have gained an average of 7.7 mph. Several pitchers actually exceeded 12 mph hour gains. Prior to our change in philosophy and methodology, the previous 18 months showed an average gain    in velocity of 3.2 mph.

Over two dozen other coaches, programs and academies have utilized the system and EVERY ONE has replicated our results! Every single one! Proving that this phenomenon was not created because of our geographic location, the quality of our athletes or intangibles such as my personal charisma/ability to motivate, my staff's teaching expertise or our facility.

Our pitchers have also demonstrated a marked improvement in the health, durability and recovery of their arm, shoulder and elbow under considerable work loads. In truth, our arm is more durable and our pitchers far less susceptible to injury BECAUSE of our training systems utilizing weighted balls and our use of long toss. This fact I would have found literally impossible to accept 12 years ago. But there is no other variable. The truth literally is inescapable in this case.

What were the catalysts for my transformation?
What were the epiphanies that lead to our current systems and beliefs?

Via my continuing examination of pitching I ran across two individuals who collectively challenged my thinking on this issue. (They are both invited presenters to this challenge so they shall remain nameless). It became clear from their information and others that the concept of "one ideal mechanical model" was an inaccurate and an ineffective one. Via video analysis it is clear that no two pitchers in the history of baseball have ever pitched a baseball identically. There are literally thousands of ways to throw a ball effectively. Therefore the idea of  "a specific mechanical model" being the panacea of velocity, command, movement and health of the arm/ elbow /shoulder, had to be discarded and a new, more accurate paradigm created. Therefore I was forced to look to other avenues to enhance or augment performance and reduce injury.

Other sports such as track and field and football routinely use the overload and under load methods to enhance performance AND reduce the risk of injury.

The baseball is itself a weighted ball. It weighs 5 ounces. I found it increasingly difficult to defend the premise that balls weighing more than 5 ounces caused or lead to injury when softball pitchers throwing 6 oz balls and quarterbacks throwing 15 oz balls had a significantly less rate of injury than did the baseball pitcher.

When I finally broke down and incorporated weighted balls into our system and program, initially it was for a warm up and arm care only. When I turned my back, my players began to incorporate the weighted balls into our methodology. At first I vehemently protested.  My players' insisted that it not only did not hurt their arm, it made their arm feel stronger, more warm and more durable.


Over the next 6 months, I slowly and methodically allowed my top, most experienced players to add the use of weighted balls into our system. They kept asking to experiment with heavier and heavier balls. Finally we ended with the structured use of a set of 5 balls varying in weight from 2lbs to 3.5 ounces and the system that spawned gains of 7.7 mph and more healthy and durable arms in the next 18 months was born. We now use a modified version of the system for EVERY pitcher, regardless of age with similar results.

I came across a training description that I found to be exceptional...

"The First Principle of Training: In order to withstand the rigors of any sport, you must subject your body to levels of  stress (specific to each sport) required in that sport that exceed the levels you expect to encounter in competition."

Balls exceeding the 5 oz weight used in competition are intragral in fullfilling the First Principle of Training and helped greatly increase the health and durability of the arm/shoulder/elbow.
 
If used properly, weighted balls do not confuse release points. We have found them useful in actually improving command in our accuracy tests conducted every 6 weeks.

If used properly, weighted balls assist in increasing postural efficiency, arm action efficiency and the redirection of the arm. We have found weighted balls have helped our pitcher's improve mechanical efficiency via our qualitative video analysis performed every 6 weeks.

Indeed speed gains are only temporary. That could be said of all training. As soon as the training stops...so does its affect. Therefore we use a modified version of our training for our pitchers during their competitive season so they can maintain their off season gains.

It is impossible to throw harder or farther by throwing slower or shorter. Therefore we utilize and record our extreme long toss throws and radar our weighted ball workouts on a regular basis to give our pitchers the quality of feedback needed for each to become a more athletic, elastic, efficient and dynamic pitcher.

Sincerity is not a test of truth. I was sincere in 1992. I was sincerely wrong. I'm not saying that in 2004 I have all of the answers, for I know I do not. But the documented results of our training over the past 18 months suggest we are becoming far more closely aligned with the truth. My suggestion to those who are fearful or dubious of the use of weighted balls: I understand your skepticism. Keep yourself open to at least the possibility that you maybe slightly mistaken in your current understandings of the truth. And good luck in your journey.