For Young Pitchers, Lighter Baseballs Equals Better Performance On The Field
![pitcher](https://d.medicaldaily.com/en/full/227303/pitcher.jpg?w=640&f=f8f1269f9e87f70d56f359c8b12c43e4)
It's almost summertime! And for many American kids that means it is time for baseball season. If your little leaguers want to improve their game this season, a new study from Taiwan suggests using lighter baseballs during practice.
After young pitchers -- aged 13 to 15 - were able to increase their arm spped by 2 miles per hour by training with a lighter-than-average ball for two months. Kids who used regular baseballs during the interval showed no improvement.
"That's consistent with past trials showing the benefits of practicing with lighter balls in that age group, said Glenn Fleisig, research director at the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Alabama, told Reuters.
Because children mature at different rates, the repeated stress of pitching can lead to muscle fatigue and ligament damage in kids who are still growing, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
This study suggests that lighter balls would relieve much of this strain, while still improving strength and allowing kids to maintain proper pitching mechanics.