Assuming you already have access to plyocare balls and space to throw them the next step is learning how to implement the balls into your training. In this post, I will share some tips with you that I learned when using the plyocare balls in my own training and coaching.
The biggest question I get from people when starting out with plyocare balls is when and what do you actually do with them so let's check that off the list first.
When:
Plyocare balls are used as a pre or post throwing weighted implement alongside constraint drills that will help throwers of all ages learn better movements, throw with more intent, prep the central nervous system and muscles needed for high-intent throwing and teach proper training habits (ie. Sets/reps/weights).
What:
As I previously alluded to - plyocare balls are done in conjunction with a variety of constraint drills. These drills have been popularized by Driveline Baseball and as a beginner, I would start by following one of their programs best suited for you.
Now that that is out of the way, let's get into some tips to help you guys get the most benefit out of using plyocare balls in your throwing programs.
Tip #1: Ball Weight
When I first started the Driveline program myself I followed their recommendations to a tee and this was an oversight in my opinion. The biggest reason I say this is because the ball weights they recommend for your age group do not necessarily correlate to your current individual athleticism and strength.
For example, Driveline recommends high-school aged athletes (15+) to use their Black plyo (4.4lbs) for one of their constraint drills called Pivot Pickoffs.
I find this ball is significantly too heavy to be used with this drill for the majority of this cohort.
I caution you to use a lighter ball to instill good movements first before graduating to a heavier ball.
The biggest thing we want to avoid when using Plyocare balls is risking injury by performing the drills poorly because the weight is not suited to the athlete's strength and/or athleticism. Also, if you use a ball weight that is too heavy for a certain drill you are likely to form some bad habits and movements (ie. pushing the ball, tensing up in the arm action, etc).
When performing the drills always be on the lookout for the characteristics mentioned above - and I strongly encourage you to experiment with different ball weights for each drill.
Tip #2: Simplified Variations
When first beginning your throwing program, learning all the drills will be challenging. To grasp the basics of the drills I recommend taking the first couple of days of your program to work through all the drills at low RPE (rate of perceived effort) with high reps - and most importantly play with the ball weight to get a better sense of what weight feels best for you.
For some of the more complicated drills, it may be a good idea to start with a simplified variation before progressing into the regular versions.
Pivot Pickoffs
For pivot pickoffs, I like to start with a simplified variation of the drill. I simply refer to this as a Simplified Pivot Pickoff. This variation utilizes a constrained arm action where the athlete stops the arm at a similar position to stride-foot-contact. The elbow should be aligned with the shoulder, ball facing away from the body (facing 3rd base if RHP), and the arm at roughly a 90-degree angle.
By simplifying the arm action it allows the athlete to focus more on learning how to counter rotate their trunk away from their lower half while maintaining a good throwing arm position.
Start in a position where your throwing side shoulder is facing your target (opposite of the "stretch position"). Grab the ball with a neutral grip (form a "C") - hold it right under your chin towards your throwing shoulder. Initiate the movement by rotating around your trunk (it is ok if your feet swivel a bit) and bring the elbow up over your head and driving it down (think about creating an arc with the elbow). When done right the arm will float into a strong throwing position. At this point throw normally.
In the standard (albeit advanced) Pivot Pickoff, I teach my athletes to throw with a less constrained arm action and allow the hand/elbow to drop below shoulder height. With this change the athlete can start to blend the drill more closely to their actual throwing motion - and train more of the pickup phase (when the forearm and wrist begin to move upward to the high-cock position seen at stride-foot-contact) and specifically, the elbow spiral, which is the path the hand takes as it moves from a retracted position (horizontal abduction) to external rotation. The path the elbow takes during this resembles a winding staircase.
By starting with a more constrained variation, the athlete can first learn some of the finer details of the drill and the mechanics of a throw - before freeing them up to blend these movements into a more free arm action.
Roll-Ins
Roll-ins are also another drill many struggle with when first starting out. Often, athletes will lose the trunk stack as they move forward in the Roll-in and try to create hip-to-shoulder separation.
My go-to variation is called the Step-Back Roll-in. We use the same starting position the difference though, instead of walking into the drill you take a step back with your throwing-side leg. Gather your weight onto your back leg and allow your front leg to lift off the ground briefly. Let your front leg float through the air - counter-rotate your trunk from your legs (don't let the hips move with you) and when you have reached your maximum counter-rotation slam your foot into the ground and throw.
Rocker Throws
The last variation I find very helpful is in regards to Rocker Throws. When first learning this drills athletes can struggle to utilize their lower half. Specifically, their lead leg blocking can be compromised because they let their trunk get too extended before releasing the ball.
The Step-Back can help the athlete keep their trunk stacked and not let their center-of-mass drift forward during the stride - this will allow their body to sequence better and should improve their lead leg blocking.
Start in the same position, hands at the center of your chest. Start the movement by taking an aggressive step backward, land onto your foot (allow your front foot to come off the ground slightly) and gather your weight back into your rear hip - after a brief pause explode into a normal throw.
Tip #3: Progressions in place of Sets
In Driveline's programming, you will notice that they program their ballistic drills (the roll-in, rocker throws, walking windup) as sets of 1 throw with a few different ball weights. This can sometimes cause players to fly through their reps and not improve their mechanics/intent with each rep throughout the given set.
For the more ballistic drills like the Rocker throws, Step-backs, and Walking Windup, I sometimes prefer to program athletes with a progression - where they throw 2 or maybe 3 consecutive throws with the same ball weight before moving to a lighter ball weight.
For example:
Perform Step-back Roll-ins with this progression.
1 set = 5 throws with a 1lb ball, 4 throws with a 7oz ball, 3 throws with a 5oz ball.
Depending on the day the athlete may do 1-2 sets of that progression. By using a ball progression it allows the athlete to chunk down the set into smaller increments and focus on their movements better while also incorporating more overload/underload training.
Often, the first throw of a certain weight could be thrown with lower than the prescribed intensity. By utilizing progressions we allow the athlete to get a feel for the weight and the drill on the first throw and then amp the intensity up.
I also find this helps an athlete achieve a better flow or deep practice state. In these states, the athlete is fully immersed in both the feeling and focus of what they are doing. They are practicing smaller chunks of a bigger action (ie. constraint drills - working on one area of throwing mechanics) while learning from poor reps in order to make the next rep incrementally better.
Instead of only performing one throw of each ball weight where athletes tend to fly through the sets - they can take their time and go through one submaximal intent throw before proceeding with the rest of the prescribed reps.
As always guys if you have any questions regarding this article, or are looking for more information regarding Plyocare balls, feel free to reach out to me at lennon@richardsbaseball.com