Before we get into the main topic of this post I should briefly explain what plyocare balls are and how they are used in regards to throwing.
Plyocare balls are soft sand-filled balls with a rubberized textured. They are very durable and can be thrown into a wide variety of surfaces without being damaged. These balls are typically used in constrained throwing drills prior to long-toss or bullpens.
For the last year, I have been using plyocare balls extensively - in my own training - and using them with the players I coach. As I transitioned to becoming a pitcher I followed a Driveline Baseball throwing program where I would use plyocare balls for every day throwing work. In regards to coaching, last year I implemented Driveline's protocols into a team setting with the Guelph Royals 14u AAA team (now 15u).
I get questions all the time about why I love using plyocare balls (plyo balls for short) and what some of the key benefits they have compared to just using regular baseballs for every day throwing work.
Let's dive into it then.
Benefit #1: Flexibility of Use
As durable sand-filled balls that can be thrown at many different surfaces - including concrete walls, plyos enable the user to get their throwing work done in many environments, including ones with limited space.
For many youth teams here in Ontario we practice in Gymnasiums during the winter. This is the perfect space to utilize plyo balls. Practicing indoors no longer has to be limiting - investing in plyo balls and building constraint-based throwing programs can bring huge developmental value to your teams.
Use plyocare balls for warm-up drills, recovery, or any number of the regular throwing drills you do with baseballs - in limited space and without having to pick up dozens of balls.
The possibilities with these balls really are endless. You could even throw an entire bullpen with a 5oz plyo with one ball in the corner of your school gym.
Benefit #2: Different "Feel"
When you pick up a plyocare ball it immediately feels different than a baseball - it is soft and rubbery, there is a certain amount of "give" when squeezing the ball. Neuroscience studies of the brain suggest that this triggers the athlete to disassociate the ball from a baseball (at least to a degree) which opens up new possibilities for teaching.
I'll put it this way: baseball players are incredibly used to a baseball - this limits their ability to think and feel the throwing motion. Athletes can become resistant to change when using baseballs because of how many throws they have logged over the years in the same repetitive ways (most of which came using a standard 5oz baseball).
By changing the feel of the ball both the athlete and instructor can begin to disassociate this type of throwing from their regular throwing. We can tear down some of the walls and begin focusing on improving the movements of the thrower.
This is really important when it comes to stereotypes and preconceived ideas about the throwing motion. Basically, if an athlete has always been taught X when using a baseball - it may be easier to teach a new skill - Y - using a plyocare ball instead of a baseball.
Benefit #3: Overload/Underload Training
Plyocare balls come in a wide range of weights allowing you to program throws with both an overload or underload implement. As we know this type of constraint training is valuable when learning motor skills.
Once again the different weights allow you to get a different type of feel with the plyo ball. Sometimes, athletes required an underload or overload constraint to begin to feel their movements more vividly.
When throwing a 5oz ball it is pretty common for the athlete to not be able to feel much of their arm action (the way they bring the ball out of the glove and up into a throwing motion) – but when an overload implement is added many athletes immediately “feel” their arm moving through space with the help of the added weight of the ball.
With regular use of a variety of weights, the athletes will begin to develop what we call Proprioception. This is a fancy way of saying that they will gain an increased amount of body awareness.
Benefit #4: Intent
Plyo balls often help athletes develop better intent. Normally we see athletes become more relaxed and eager to throw hard when using these types of implements.
Here's why:
A: No "Target"
Typically we throw the balls into a wall and the athletes have a general idea of where they are trying to throw (often times guys will use a piece of tape to guide themselves) but there is never an arbitrary target (like a strike zone) for them to hit. This allows the guys that are scared of being "wild" a comfortable environment to up their intensity.
B: Immediate Feedback
When you throw the balls against the wall you will notice that it makes a relatively pleasing sound - a large "thump".
Subconsciously our mind begins to crave that feedback and wants that sound to get louder. This becomes an easy external cue to use as a coach and the foundation of a velocity throwing program's culture.
Who doesn't love being a dude throwing balls against a wall, screaming, grunting and trying to make the loudest sound they can?
C: Overload/Underload
Again, the variable weights encourage the body to recruit more efficient ways of moving, and subconsciously, the overload will help athletes recruit more strength, whereas underload will recruit more speed.
Combining these elements gives you a pretty clear recipe for increased intent.
Concluding Thoughts
By using plyocare balls we can: condense our throwing work into a limited space, promote good training protocols with overload/underload constraints, and arguably most important, we can distance ourselves from the stereotypes and biases established in the athlete's mind when it comes to using a traditional baseball.
For those looking to purchase plyocare balls, I will leave links below to a couple of different companies. I am partial towards Driveline and will continue to support them because of how much free content they put out - but there are some equally suitable products produced by others.
For Canadian readers, Baseball Development Group Plyos