Weighted balls are a fairly common training device, but one that really needs some caution thrown into the mix. As many of your pitchers demonstrate, pitching a regularly weight ball is hard enough so adding more weight can sometimes only compound the problem.

Here are some Tips for Pitching Weighted Balls:

1. Be Careful with Younger Pitchers - With pitchers 12 years old and younger be REALLY careful using any ball heavier than the standard ball. Their shoulder joints are still growing and developing and the extra weight can sometimes cause joint problems so they really shouldn't be used for this age group.
2. Limit Reps and Distance - For pitchers 13 yrs and older that are still developing both physically as well as fundamentally - their limited use can be good. Limit the time you use them to no more than 8 pitches from no farther than ¾ distance.
3. Keep the Fundamentals the Same - If a pitcher has to change her pitching motion even the slightest bit in order to pitch a weighted ball, then it's not doing her any good. Many pitchers will really struggle to pitch a weighted ball and will use more shoulders, head or upper body than in their regular motion - if so then it's only teaching the pitcher how to throw incorrectly. Remember, you never want to work harder to get worse!
4. Go Lighter to Throw Faster - To help increase speed the lighter ball helps a ton! Pitching a lighter ball makes it much easier for a pitcher to speed her hand up at release, thus pitching the ball faster. Try pitching the lighter weighted ball a few times, then the regular ball a few times and continue alternating. Have your pitcher work on keeping her hand speed at release as fast with the regular ball as she does with the lighter ball.
5. Trying to Get Stronger - pitching strength comes from having stronger legs, stomach, back and hands. If you're using weighted balls to try and help your pitcher get stronger then make sure she's also strengthening these other major areas that pitchers use on every single pitching motion.