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Welcome back to the Velo Reset podcast.
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I'm your host, Joey Myers, and my job is to help parents, pitchers, and coaches make calmer, smarter arm health decisions using evidence, context, and long term development, not highlight culture.
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Today we're tackling a question I hear constantly, weighted balls or long toss?
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Which are which one builds velocity and which one is going to protect your kid's arm?
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Here's the misconception that creates most of the confusion.
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People treat these tools like they are the solution when they are really just different ways of applying stress.
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The real issue is rarely the tool.
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It's how often that stress is applied whether it is stacking on top of other throwing and whether the arm is actually ready to absorb it.
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By the end of this episode, you'll have a simple framework for deciding what role a throwing day is supposed to play, how long top balls load the arm differently, and what readiness looks like in real life so you can support development without gambling with overuse.
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The debate surrounding training methods for young pitchers has become increasingly complex creating widespread confusion among parents and coaches trying to make informed decisions about their athletes' development.
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While long toss and weighted balls represent two primary training approaches, the fundamental issue isn't about choosing between these tools, but understanding the science of arm adaptation and stress management.
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Today's velocity focused baseball culture headed faster than proper education about training methods, tools that were traditionally reserved for physically mature athletes are now commonplace in youth baseball often implemented without proper context or understanding.
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This has led to a dangerous misconception that all throwing stress is interchangeable and that any velocity associated training must be beneficial for development.
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The science of throwing mechanics reveals crucial distinctions in how different tissues respond to stress.
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Muscles demonstrate relatively quick adaptation while tendons and ligaments are longer periods to strengthen properly.
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Bone tissue, particularly in growing athletes, adapts at an even slower rate.
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Research from sports medicine and biomechanics, including significant studies from ASMI researchers, consistently shows that injury risk correlates more strongly with workload accumulation and sudden intensity increases rather than any particular exercise or drill.
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Understanding the distinct characteristics of different training approaches is essential.
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Weighted balls increase throwing intent and intensity, desire joint forces at the shoulder and elbow even when velocity remains constant.
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While not inherently dangerous, they place significant demands on the throwing arm that must be carefully managed.
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Long toss, depending on implementation, typically increases volume and range of motion demands, distributing stress over distance and time, usually at submaximal effort levels.
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The critical factor in training decisions isn't choosing between these tools but understanding when and how to apply them appropriately.
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Consider two contrasting scenarios that illustrate this point.
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A 12 year old year round player with open growth plates, changing coordination, and inconsistent recovery habits might find weighted balls overwhelming if added to the resting throwing schedule.
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Their developing body may not be prepared to handle the additional stress potentially leading to decreased performance or injury risk.
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Conversely, a high school pitcher with structured offseason training, consistent strength work, and good sleep habits might handle higher intensity tools more effectively due to their stronger physical foundation and better recovery practices.
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Even at the professional level, teams carefully manage the use of weighted implements.
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They rarely use them for volume building, instead implementing them in short monitored periods with built in recovery time.
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This cautious approach at the highest level of baseball should serve as a clear indicator for youth development programs.
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If today's episode stirred up the weighted balls versus long toss debate, here's the velo reset takeaway in plain language.
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The tool is rarely the problem.
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The problem is usually how stress is being applied, how often, and whether the arm is actually ready to absorb it.
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That is why Velo reset is built around understanding first, training second.
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We help parents and pitchers make decisions around workload, intensity, and recovery, so development does not come at the cost of durability.
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If you are a parent of a youth pitcher who is doing all the right things but still feels heavy, sore, or stuck, or you are trying to figure out what to add and what to remove, start with the ArmLab newsletter.
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It is a calm science aware guide that helps you spot capacity mismatches early and organize throwing with more clarity.
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Visit veloreset.com and click the arm care tips tab in the navigation.
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A practical framework for making training decisions should follow three key steps.
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First, identify the intent of each throwing day whether it's focused on high intensity work or building capacity and efficiency.
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This clarity of purpose helps guide appropriate tool selection and implementation.
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Second, match the tool to the intent.
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Long toss often works better for moderate intensity days, helping develop arm endurance and throwing rhythm without maximal effort.
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Weighted balls, if used with youth players, should be limited to speedos with strict volume control and reduced other throwing activities.
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Third, monitor Observe arm, feel later that day and the next morning, movement quality and confidence levels.
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Adaptation becomes visible after recovery, not during training.
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The most valuable skill a young pitcher can develop is recognizing readiness.
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This manifests as consistent arm feel, stable mechanics, and predictable recovery patterns.
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When these elements are present, development progresses steadily and sustainably.
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Readiness indicators include the ability to maintain consistent mechanics, recover predictably between sessions, and maintain velocity without excessive effort.
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Parents and coaches should pay particular attention to feedback signals from young pitchers.
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Lingering soreness, velocity drops, or inconsistent mechanics aren't signs of weakness, they're valuable feedback indicating that the current training approach may need adjustment.
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This feedback should be taken seriously and used to modify training plans accordingly.
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The approach to velocity development needs to show immediate gains throwing ability.
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Velocity should be viewed as a reward for proper training decisions rather than a demand placed on an unprepared system.
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Both weighted balls and long toss have their place in training, but they must be implemented with proper context, patience, and respect for the natural adaptation context, patience, and respect for the natural adaptation process of young arms.
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The key to successful picture development lies in understanding that durability should be prioritized over quick results.
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The process of building a strong, resilient arm matters more than any shortcut to increase velocity.
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Success comes from understanding and respecting how young arms adapt to stress rather than simply choosing between training tools.
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For young pitchers and their support systems, the focus should be on building a foundation that supports long term development.
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This includes proper rest and recovery, consistent mechanics, and gradual progression in training intensity.
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The goal shouldn't be to throw harder this season, but to ensure the athlete can continue throwing well for many seasons to come.
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Effective development programs recognize that velocity is not a skill trained directly, but rather an outcome that emerges when the body can move efficiently, tolerate load, and and recover between exposures.
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This understanding should guide all training decisions ensuring that development proceeds at a pace that matches the athlete's physical readiness and adaptation capacity.
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Thanks for spending part of your day learning with us here on the Velo Reset podcast.
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I know your time matters and choosing to dig into arm health recovery and long term development is not about how seriously you care about doing this the right way.
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If this help bring a little more clarity to the weighted balls versus long toss conversation, consider subscribing and leaving a quick review.
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That's one of the simplest ways to help other parents, pitchers, and coaches find level headed science informed guidance in a space that can feel noisy and confusing.
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And if you know someone wrestling with arm soreness, workload decisions, or mixed messages about velocity training, feel free to share this episode with them.
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These conversations are better when we're not alone.
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For more evidence aware resources and educational content, you can always visit veloreset.com.
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Thanks again for listening, and we'll see you next time.
