Hitting Velo Benefits Training with Weighted Balls for Baseball and Softball

Summary

1. Training with weighted balls for baseball or softball allows the player to finish their swing and square up the baseball - matching the bat plane to the pitch plane and making contact on the mid to lower portion of the baseball.
2. Teams using training programs with weighted baseballs can increase hitting strength, which means hitters can drive the baseball with more power and perhaps more exit velocity.
3. Tanner Rubber Weighted Balls are made of a durable, thick rubber coating with a weighted core.

Benefits of Weighted Balls for Baseball and Softball

Training programs with weighted baseballs can help an athlete to finish their swing and square up the baseball - matching the bat plane to the pitch plane and making contact on the mid to lower portion of the baseball.

When you don’t hit a weighted plyo ball perfectly square, you get immediate visual and tactile feedback.

You'll see the ball come off the bat with little to no distance traveled, and when you hit the top or bottom of the ball, the weighted ball will feel lighter at contact too.

For training purposes, hitting the top of the baseball would be considered a weak ground-out, while hitting the bottom of the ball would be the equivalent of a pop-out.

How Do I Use Weighted Balls During Training?

Weighted ball training forces the hitter to focus on delivering a powerful, accurate, on-plane swing in order to "get it right."

This requires hand-eye coordination, concentration, strength, and everything else hitters need when hitting live pitching from a tough pitcher. Weighted balls are a great way to warm up and practice hitting. They add an element of complexity to certain hitting drills and can be a welcomed component of your hitting program.

An athlete using a weighted ball program can also increase hitting strength, arm speed, and build muscle, which means hitters can drive the baseball with more power and perhaps more exit velocity. Tanner Training Balls are a great compliment to our line of batting tees and can be used for tee drills, front toss, flips and side toss drills.

Additional Uses for Weighted Balls

Weighted training balls can also be part of a throwing arm program for a pitcher to increase throwing speed, improve stability, increase pitch velocity, and aid in lowering injury rate.

Using weighted balls can be traced back to their use with major league baseball pitchers like Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, and Aroldis Chapman. Remember, any arm muscle strength program or weighted ball program should be performed under-educated supervision from a knowledgeable coach or strength trainer.

Learn more here: Effects of a six-week weighted-implement throwing program on baseball pitching velocity, kinematics, arm stress, and arm range of motion

What are Weighted Training Balls Made Of?

Tanner Weighted Rubber Training Balls and Assorted Weight Heavy Ball Sets are made of a durable, thick rubber coating with a weighted core. The weighted baseballs are manufactured with reduced rebound characteristics and are built to last through many training sessions and training programs for your athlete. The outer coating is designed to be strong enough to be used for hitting practice.

Each rubber weighted ball is available in 5 oz, 9 oz, 12 oz and 15 oz, in packs of 3 or 6, or in assorted weight sets for the athlete, coach or team.

Other Helpful Resources

• Baseball Training Nets Buyer’s Guide
• Hitting With a Level Swing
• How Youth, Amateur and Pro Hitters Use Batting Tees
• Three Ways to Increase Bat Speed

Our Mission is to Support Your Baseball or Softball Journey

The staff at Tanner Tees is always here to answer any questions you might have. Give us a call (800-230-6219) or visit our Facebook and Instagram pages to connect with other members of our community!

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