Questions for Weighted Ball Advocates—Why Do They Work And Why Don’t They Work For Major Leagu

I get regular emails from a website owner who sells weighted baseballs. He wants me to believe what he believes. But I can only believe what has been “proven” to work and proven to work because of a sports science principle.

I have read his website explanation of pitching mechanics and it is clear to me he does not understand how to teach the mechanics of pitching…or the person whom he hired to do the explaining.

I have yet to hear or read one explanation of why weighted balls work to improve velocity. Not one. It’s very similar to the argument that many still make that pitchers do push off the rubber. I fought that for years and years and never in that time did I read one explanation of how or when you were supposed to push off the rubber. I think they finally figured that was a losing battle and now you don’t hear much on that subject anymore.

I spoke to a world renown sports scientist—a PhD, who is also a biomechanist with over 35 year experience who not only has consulted with Olympic teams, and world class athletes all over the globe but he is a former Olympian himself. He reads on average six sports science studies each day.

This man’s entire life has been dedicated to finding what works to improve sports performance and what has been proven not to work. He doesn’t use anecdots or testimonials as evidence. There has to be a real reason why something works. You can’t just pull something out of thin air and say this now works so you should believe it works because so and so really believes in it.

His feeling on weighted baseballs? A waste of time with absolutely no real reason why that they would or could work. No principle in sports science backs up why they would work. Not even the Principle of Overload because he said the weighted balls do not even weigh enough to provide any physiological change in any muscles.

So weighted balls cannot be about building arm strength…which pitching velocity is not about anyway…it is all about arm speed caused by the forces of the entire body working together.

Also I would ask all the advocates why is it that weighted balls do not work for major league pitchers…to improve their velocity 10 mph in just 12 weeks? I guess it only works for gullible youth, high school and college pitchers who don’t understand how to use their bodies to develop velocity.

I know the answer as to why they don’t work for major league pitchers but what do the advocates give as a reason? They must explain that they work because…but because why?

I guess I am supposed to believe that they work because there are so many websites that are selling them…even some websites owned by former professional pitchers. Do these professional pitchers really know what they are talking about? Being a former professional does not make you knowledgeable about pitching performance. Being a professional only says that you had the ability to pitch…not necessarily teach.

I suggest that the advocates email me their scientific reasons or the controlled “peer reviewed” studies…not anecdote because it appears that they worked on a certain small group on one team. My question is do all users of weighted balls get the same % increase in velocity? Do they work in every case for all who use them?

Why and why not?

And why is it that they recommend not using them during the season? And do they also help to improve a pitcher’s control. Very important.

I honestly wished they did work because I could really sell the heck out of them.

I hate to beat a dead horse because I am an animal lover…but these advocates of weighted baseball seem to be only all about “hot air.” Or “please believe what I believe.”

Prove me wrong!