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Increased pitch velocity, rate of injuries seen with throwing program using weighted baseballs
Although pitch velocity increased in baseball players who performed a 6-week throwing program that used weighted balls, research published in Sports Health noted a higher injury rate in these pitchers compared with controls.
“There is still a lot to learn about the use of weighted balls in baseball pitchers. We know that many, but not all, will show an increase in velocity, but at what cost?” study co-author Michael M. Reinold, PT, DPT, SCS, ATC, CSCS, told Healio.com/Orthopedics. “The significant changes in shoulder range of motion likely cause both the gain in velocity and the increase in injury rates. There are many ways to enhance performance that are less stressful on the arm, especially for youth and high school pitchers.”
In the trial, 38 healthy baseball pitchers were randomly assigned to either a control group or an experimental group that participated in a 6-week throwing program that met three times a week and used a baseball that ranged between 2 and 32 ounces. Pitchers in the control group used a 5-ounce regulation ball. All pitchers, regardless of group, performed a strength training program. After the 6-week program, measurements were repeated. During the program and subsequent baseball season, injuries were tracked. Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to assess the impact of trainings with a weighted ball.
The experimental group saw a statistically significant increase in pitch velocity. Shoulder external rotation increased 4.3° in the experimental group, which was statistically significant. Investigators noted the experimental group had a 24% overall injury rate. There were four pitchers from the experimental group who sustained elbow injuries; whereas, none of the pitchers in the control group sustained injuries. – by Monica Jaramillo
Disclosure s : The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
Perspective
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Weighted ball programs have recently become popular among youth and adolescent baseball pitchers in an effort to increase velocity. To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of these programs, Reinold and collaborators including Glenn Fleisig, MD, and James Andrews, MD, at the American Sports Medicine Institute performed a randomized clinical trial. In this study, the effect of a weighted ball program upon velocity, range of motion, strength, elbow torque and injury rates were assessed. The authors found that their weighted ball program did increase pitch velocity by 3.3%. While it had been previously thought that weighted ball programs may increase strength, no differences in strength were seen. Instead, the authors observed a significant increase in abducted external rotation, which may provide insight into the into the mechanism for the increase in velocity. However, the authors observed a substantial increase in injury rates – specifically, 24% of the pitchers within the weighted ball group were injured either during or after the program while none of the control pitchers were injured. These results raise concern about weighted ball programs going forward. These results provide further evidence regarding the strong connection between pitch velocity and injury rates. Further studies will be necessary to examine these programs but based the results of this study, weighted ball programs should be discouraged or utilized only with caution.
Shoulder and elbow surgery
University of Utah Health
Salt Lake City
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Reinold MM, et al. Sports Health.2018;doi:10.1177/1941738118779909.