From: jimdean@bnr.ca (Jim Dean)
Subject: Re: Tom House 
Originator: jimdean@bcrks81
Reply-To: jimdean@bnr.ca
Organization: Bell-Northern Research
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 17:05:03 GMT


rsmith@strobe.ATC.Olivetti.Com (Russ Smith) writes:
> psg+@pitt.edu (Paul S Galvanek) writes:

> > I vaguely remember some announcers talking not long ago about a
> > program that the Rangers pitching coaches were using that involved
> > the use of a football.
> > 
> > From what I was able to gather the coaches were having the players
> > "pitch" a football as they would a baseball, the idea being to
> > increase wind resistance and by doing so increase arm strength.
> > The broadcasters, and I wish I could remember who they were, were
> > extremely critical of this idea.  They pointed to it as the
> > primary fiactor in the generally porr condition of the arms of the
> > Ranger pitchers.  They also quoted some of the Ranger pitchers as
> > saying they felt the program a horrible idea and a threat to their
> > careers.

> House uses the football for mechanics. He claims that in order to make
> a football spiral, you have to use essentially the same mechanics necessary
> to properly throw a baseball, so he uses footballs as a practice method.
> From what I've read the pitchers actually like it because they have fun
> with it and almost forget its training.

I asked House about this, right after "Sports Illustrious" reported
that the front office had canned the footballs.  He said that the
pitchers do enjoy it, but it became a real distraction especially when
there were so many reporters bugging them about it.  Speaking from
personal experience, I'd say that warming up with the football
definitely helps you concentrate on the spiral, which is exactly what
you want for a slider. Also, it does "overload" your arm, so the
baseball feels lighter.

> I think what you were thinking was House's short term experiment with what
> he referred to as "underloading". He got a regulation size and shape baseball
> that weighed LESS than a standard ball. He had pitchers throw this instead
> of a real ball. The theory was that the lighter ball would increase arm 
> speed and that through muscle memory, his pitchers arm speed would increase
> even when they switched back to the normal ball. This is of course directly 
> opposite of standard training where you add weight(like donuts on bats in
> the on deck circle) to make the real item feel lighter.

You have quoted the theory correctly, but there is more.

I have two baseballs labelled "Tom House Velocity Improvement Plan".
One is one-half ounce too light, the other is one-half ounce too
heavy.  His instructions call for 1/3 of your throwing session (say 15
of 45 pitches) to be with a regular ball, 1/3 with the light ball, and
1/3 with the heavy ball. I think that is the correct order, but please
don't quote me here.

> Apparently the pitchers didn't like underloading at all, and some complained
> that it hurt their arms so House dropped the idea. I'm not sure how much
> lighter the ball was, but anybody who has ever tried throwing a tennis 
> ball really hard will understand the pitchers feelings. You keep throwing
> harder, but the ball is too light to go as fast as you want, and you hurt
> your arm in the process.

I'm afraid I have to agree with the pitchers on this one. It just felt
wierd.

-- 
Jim Dean (Internet: jimdean@bnr.ca) +-----+    National Capital Baseball League
mild-mannered computer scientist -->|Phone|--> President. Pitcher. My knuckler?
Bell-Northern Research, Ottawa,Ont. |Booth|    Not too legit to hit!  6-0, 1.99
Phone: (613) 763-2135 Fax: 763-7241 +-----+    Phone: (613) 723-1580
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