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THE EFFECT OF “OVERLOAD WARM - UP" ON
THE SPEED OF THROWING

Thesis {or The Degree of M. A.
MICHIGAN STATE WIVERSITY

Randall Lee Hagerman
1956

THE EFFECT OF "OVERLOAD WARM-UP"

ON THE SPEED OF THROWING

RANDALL LEE HAGERMAN

 

AN ABSTRACT

Submitted to the College of Education of Michigan State
University of Agriculture and Applied Science
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation

/ 1956

Approved !>\2§“ng: g Elgagggég

 

l
RANDALL LEE HAGERMAN ABSTRACT

F3

itle 9f the study. The Effect of "Overload Warm—up"

 

 

on the Speed of Throwing.

Statement of the problem. To evaluate the influence

 

 

of a warm-up period, in which a weighted baseball is used,

on the velocity of the baseball throw.

Methodology. Eight subjects were used in this study

 

and each served as his own control Each subject partici-
pated in two tests. T1 was preceded by a warm-up period
using a regulation baseball and T2 was preceded by a warm-
up period using a weighted ball. All subjects were tested
twice on the same day, T1 being administered in the morning
and T2 being given in the afternoon of the same day after a
rest of not less than two hours.

The testing program consisted of the following:
T1--after a subject had warmed-up in his customary manner
with a regulation baseball, the timing device was attached
to the subject's hand and arm. He was then instructed to
pitch the ball as fast as he could at the target provided.
Each subject was allowed three practice throws with the
timer functioning,so as to accustom himself to the device.
The velocity of each of the first fifteen pitches to strike

the target was recorded.

2
WDALL LE3 HAGEREAN ABSTRACT

T2--The same procedure was employed as in T1, except
that during the warm-up period a baseball weighing exactly
eleven ounces was substituted for the regulation baseball.
In both T1 and T2 the regulation pitching distance of sixty

feet six inches was used.

CONS USIONS. l. The results of this study show that

 

there was no significant increase in the speed of throwing
by warming~up with a weighted ball. However, the results
were so near to being significant that more research in the
area is a necessity.

2. Subjects expressed a feeling of relaxation and
ease in throwing hard following "overload warm—up" that
they felt was unique and that they had not previously ex-

perienced.

THE EFFECT OF "OVERLOAD WAiM-UP"

ON THE S BED OF THROWING

by
RANDALL LEE HAGERMAN

A THESIS

Submitted to the College of Education of Michigan State
University of Agriculture and Applied Science
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation

ACKNONLEDGMENTS

The writer wishes to express his grateful acknowl-
edgment to his advisor, Dr. W. D. Van Huss, for his profes-
sional guidance, criticisms, and valuable suggestions ren-
dered in this study. The writer also wishes to express
thanks to Dr. Van Huss for his friendly mcouragement that
was so necessary for the completion of this study.

Thanks are also extended to the subjects who co-
operated in this study to the fullest extent.

The author also wishes to express his appreciation
to Ann, who was always encouraging and cheerful when things

were most discouraging.

R. L. H.

TABLE OF ONTENTS

CHAPTER
I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . .

Statement of problem . . .
Need for the study . . . .
Limitations of the study .
Definitions . . . . . . .
II. RESSALC: METHODS . . . . . .
Source of data . . . . . .
Method . . . . . . . . .
Selection of measures .
The experimental factor
Testing routine . . . .
Testing techniques . . . .
Warm-up period . . . . .
Velocity measures . . .
Statistical technique .
III. PRESENTATION AND AHALYSIS OF
Methodology . . . . . . .
Treatment of data . . . .

Presentation of data . . .

(1) Testing results: Differences between

T and T

1 2 °
(2) Discussion: Trends

DATA

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CHAPTER
IV.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDIX

Summary
Conclusions

Recommendations

SUKMARY, CCNCLUSIOHS, AND RECCXK NDATIONS

iv

PAGE
13
15
15
14
15
l7

Basic Data .

LIST OF TABLES

PAGE
18

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Most baseball players swing a weighted hat or sev—
eral regular bats before stepping to the plate for their
turn at bat. They claim that swinging this extra weight
immediately before batting makes the regular bat feel
lighter than it really is and enables them to swing it
faster. Similarly some pitchers (Spud Chandler, New York
Yankees, and Carl Erskine, Brooklyn Dodgers) have used
weighted baseballs during their warm~up period, feeling
that by so doing they were able to throw the regulation
ball faster.

1 at Indiana

A. T. Slater—Hammel and E. H. Andres
University compared the speeds of fastballs and curve

balls. The timing mechanism utilized is of interest.

I ' '0

So that the grasp and release of the ball would act
as a switch, a ball was partially coated with DuPont's con—
ducting silver #4817 and small c0pper electrodes were de-
signed for the last phalanx of the index and adjacent fin-

gers. When the ball was held with electrodes across the

 

1"Velocity Measures of Fastballs and Curve Balls,"
A. T. Slater—Hammel and E. H. Andres, Research Quarterly,
Vol. 25, No. 1, March, 1952.

 

 

coated area of the ball it affected a closed switch. Re—
lease of the ball activated the timer. A speaker unit
placed within two feet of home base and the sound waves
created in catching the ball were used to stop the timer.
Duration of ball flight was recorded in l/lOO's of a sec-

ond.

Statement 9f the problem. To evaluate the influence

 

 

of a warm-up period, in which a weighted baseball is used,

on the velocity of the baseball throw.

Need for the study. The effect of a warm-up period

 

 

with a weighted bass has not been established. The ques-
tion of how to get the most speed on a baseball has been a
constant problem to coaches and pitchers. Many different
styles of pitching have been deveIOped in an attempt to
discover some way of throwing faster. Some major league
pitchers have warmed-up with weighted balls hOping that
this would improve their throwing Speed, yet no study has

ever been made of the effects of such a warm-up period.

Limitations 9; the study. 1. Psychological factor.

 

 

It is impossible to know if the subjects are performing at
their maximum. The wire attached to the subject's arm and
the electrodes on the finger tips may have had some effect

on the speed of throwing.

2. Fatigue factor. Since each subject performed
twice on the same day, there may have been a tendency to

throw slower at the time of the second test.

Definitions. The following are defined briefly for

 

use in this study.

Warm-up Period. For use in this study warm—up peri—
od refers to the amount of time each pitcher will take to
prepare himself to throw a baseball at maximum speed. It
is an individual matter and length of time required will
vary with each subject.

Overload Warm-up. In this study overload warm-up
period refers to the warm-up period in which the weighted

ball is thrown instead of the regulation baseball.

CHAPTER II
RESEARCH METHODS

This study is designed to determine the effect of a
warm-up period with a weighted baseball on the velocity of

the baseball throw.
Source of Data

Method. The experimental method of research was
used. Subjects were their own controls, performing both
after a warm-up period with a regulation baseball and after
a warm-up period with a weighted baseball.

Selection pf measures. It was decided that record

 

should be kept of the velocities of fifteen pitches, since
observation showed that this was the average number of
pitches thrown in one inning of a baseball game. The ve-
locities of fifteen pitches were recorded in the morning
after warm-up with a regulation ball. In the afternoon the
velocities of fifteen more pitches, by the same subject,
were recorded after warm-up with the weighted ball. The
fegulation pitching distance of sixty feet six inches was

used.

Selection 9: subject . The subjects were physical

 

education majors enrolled for the summer session of 1956 at
Michigan State University. Half of the subjects were grad-

uate students and half were undergraduates.

The experimental factor. A weighted baseball was

 

used by each subject for his warm-up period preceding the
second test. Each man was allowed all the time he desired
for the warm-up period./ The weighted ball was made from a
regulation ball by drilling two large holes through it and
filling the holes with lead. The weighted ball weighed ex-
actly eleven ounces.

As a control each man used a regulation baseball for

his warm-up exercise prior to the first test.

Testing routine. All subjects met in the morning

 

and warmed up using a regulation baseball. Immediately
after the subject's customary warm-up period the electrodes
were attached to the fingers and the wire attached to his
arm. Each subject was then allowed three practice throws
to accustom himself to the wire. He then was instructed to
throw as fast as possible at the target. Velocities of the
first fifteen pitches to strike the target were recorded.
Subjects were allowed to take all the time they wanted be-
tween pitches. All subjects met again in the afternoon and

warmed up with the weighted ball. Each subject was allowed

 

to warm up for as long as thought necessary. Immediately
after the over load warm—up period the eleCtrodes and wire
were attached to the subject. Subjects were allowed three
practice throws to accustom themselves to the wires. Then
with a regulation ball each subject was instructed to throw
as fast as he could at the target. Velocities of the first

fifteen pitches to strike the target were recorded.
Testing Techniques

Warm-up period. All subjects were allowed to warm-

 

‘up in their customary manner and for the length of time
each subject felt necessary to prepare himself to pitch at

maximum speed.

Velocity measures. A special electronic device as

 

described by Liontoye2 was constructed to measure the ve-

locity of a pitched ball. The device was designed so that

the Opening of a switch started a standard electric clock,

and the closing of a micro switch stopped the clock. g
In order that the grasp and release of a ball would

act as a switch, a regulation baseball was partially coated

with an electrical conducting paint. A very thin, flexible

two-strand cable, attached to the timer, was taped to the

 

2Montoye, H. J., gt al., "An Electric Track and Re-
action Timer," FIEP Bulletin, 2:1-16, 1954.

 

pitcher's arm and across the palm of his hand. Enough
slack was left in the wire to allow freedom of movement in
the pitching motion. One strand of the cable extended from
the palm of the hand to the tip of the index finger and the
other strand extended from the palm of the hand to the tip
of the adjacent finger. The last one inch of the wire on
either finger had the insulation removed so that the bare
wire could act as an electrode. When a pitcher held the
exposed ends of the cable across the coated portion of the
ball the electrical action was that of a closed switch.
Release of the ball served to Open the switch and trigger
the timing device. A wooden target the size of the strike y
zone was attached to a larger piece of plywood with four
micro switches suspended between the two pieces of wood.
The micro switches were balanced so that ball striking any
portion of the strike zone area would stOp the clock. When.
testing the apparatus it was discovered that a ball strik-
ing any portion of either piece of wood would trigger the
micro switches and stop the clock, making it unnecessary to
throw a strike to get a good recording.

Accuracy of the timing device was checked by drOpping
a ball 15.5 feet twelve times and computing the time lapse
that should occur by the mathematical formula:

vvwz‘l

_ S
t-Z—jg'

 

The drop times recorded were 1.00 seconds for the first
three drops and 0.99 seconds for the next nine drOps. When
comparing the two figures, the theoretical figure was com—
pared to that recorded on the timing device. Per cent

error was found to be 0.9%.

Statistical technique. The difference between the

 

experimental and control groups was evaluated using the

small sample "t".

CHAPTER III
PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

Preceding chapters discuss the statement of the
problem, needs for the study, related studies, and the
methods to be used in the collection of data. This chapter
will give the results of the study indicated in the proce-
dure described in Chapter II.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influ-
ence of a warm-up period using a weighted ball on velocity

of the baseball throw.

Methodology. The eight subjects used in this study

 

served as their own controls. Each subject participated in
two tests. T1 was preceded by a warm—up period using a
regulation baseball and T2 was preceded by a warm—up period
using a weighted baseball. All subjects were tested twice g
on the same day, Tl being administered in the morning and '
T2 being administered in the afternoon after a rest of not
less than two hours.
The testing program consisted of the following:
Tl—-after a subject had warmed up in his customary manner

with a regulation baseball, the timing device was attached

to the subject's hand and arm. He was then instructed to

lO
pitch the ball as fast as he was able at the target provid-
ed. anh subject was allowed three practice throws with
the timer functioning so as to accustom himself to the de-
vice. The velocity of each of the first fifteen pitches to
strike the target was recorded. T2-—the same procedure was
employed as in T1, except that during the warm-up period a
baseball weighing exactly eleven ounces was substituted for
the regulation baseball, which weighs not less than five
nor more than five and one quarter ounces.5 In both T1 and
T2 the regulation pitching distance of sixty feet six

inches was used.

Treatment 9f the data. All results were tabulated

 

and means of T1 and T2 were evaluated using Student's "t".

Presentation gf data. The data will be presented in

 

tabular form and discussed as findings and statistical sig—
nificance. The presentation will be divided into two cate-

gories: (l) the testing results, and (2) discussion.

 

 

(1) Testing results: Differences between Tl and 22'
Seven of the eight subjects tested had lower mean scores for

T than for T The differences in mean scores for indi-

2 l'
viduals varied from 0.007 seconds to 0.102 seconds.4 The

 

3Official Baseball Guide, Rule 1.13.
4

 

Basic data will be found in Appendix.

11
remaining subject had a mean score of 0.590 for T1 and a
mean score of 0.596 seconds for T2.

Individual means for T1 ranged from 0.590 to 0.822
seconds and means for T2 ranged from 0.596 to 0.792 sec-
onds.

A mean of 0.692 seconds was obtained for T1, while a
mean of 0.666 was computed for T2. The mean difference is
.026 seconds, indicating that the group threw faster on the
second series of throws. These data, however, when analyzed
yielded a "t" of 2.06, which is not statistically signifi-
cant. To be significant at the 5% level of confidence a

"t" of 2.565 is necessary.

(2) Discussion: Trends. Although all subjects were

J

 

tested twice in the same day, seven of the eight subjects
tested showed a definite tendency toward throwing faster on
the second test. It would seem that fatigue would enter in
and cause subjects to throw slower on the second test. The
eighth subject recorded at approximatelytflmesame mean ve—
locity with a difference of only 0.006 seconds in the mean
for his fifteen throws. It can safely be stated that there
was a definite trend to hold the same velocity or to in—
crease it slightly on the second test, even though subjects
were tested twice on the same day.

Another factor that cannot be tested here is of in-

terest. The psychological implications have not been ex-

l2
plored. Each subject expressed a feeling of relaxation and
ease of movement following the overload warm-up which they
had never before experienced in their pitching motion. All
felt that they could throw as hard as they wished with no

feeling of strain.

CHAPTER IV
S’MKARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary. The purpose of this study was to evaluate
the influence of a warm-up period with a weighted ball on
the velocity of the baseball throw.

Eight subjects were tested. Subjects were physical
education majors at Michigan State University. Each sub-
ject acted as his own control in the experiment.

T1 was administered in the morning after the subject
had thoroughly warmed-up in his customary manner with a
regulation baseball. T1 consisted of measuring the veloci-
ty of each of the first fifteen pitches after warm-up to
strike the target area.

T2 was administered in the afternoon of the same day.
Subjects warmed-up with a ball weighing eleven ounces for
as long as they felt necessary. Then the velocity of each
of the first fifteen pitches to strike the target area were
recorded. A mean was computed for T1 and T2 and the dif-

ference in means was compared by using Student's "t".

Conclusions. The results of this study show that'

 

there was no significant increase in the speed of throwing

by warming—up with a weighted ball. Subjects expressed a

l4
feeling of relaxation and ease in throwing hard, following
"overload warm-up", that they felt was unique and that they

had not previously experienced.

Recommendations. 1. It is recommended that this

 

study be repeated using experienced baseball pitchers for
subjects. There should be several tests for each subject
for each type of warm-up period. Work could be done using
different weights of balls for warm-up purposes.

2. It is also recommended that a sound pickeup be
used to stOp the timer. The sound of catching the ball
would act as the switch closing that stOps the clock. This
would eliminate the control factor and make it possible to
record the speed of every pitch instead of recording only
those that strike the target area.

5. Further research is needed into the effects of
"overload warm-up." There are many other effects from this
type of warm—up period, some of which may be advantageous
and some of which may be deleterious to pitchers. Explora-

tion of these should yield interesting results.

BIBLI CGRAPHY

16

Montoya, H. J., et al., "An Electric Track and Reaction

Timer, " FTEP Bull tin, 2:1-16, 1954.

 

Ouellette, R. 0., "Effect of Quadriceps Development on

Scott,

Sprint Running Time," Master’s Thesis, Michigan State
University, 1955.

Gladys, Analysis of Human Motion, New York City:
F. S. Crofts and Co., 1945

 

Slater- Hammel, A. T., and E. H. Andres, "Velocity Lieasures

of Fastballs and Curveballs," Research uarterly,
Vol. 25, No. 1, March, 1952.

 

Spink, J. G., Official Baseball Guide, St. Louis: The

 

Sporting News, 1955.

APPENDIX

18

 

 

 

 

TABLE I
BASIC DATA
Subject Mean Tl* Mean T2**

J. S. 0.822 0.792
S. A. 0.697 0.685
L. M. 0.764 0.662
D. M. 0.654 0.644
G. J. 0.651 0.644
R. H. 0.708 0.650
D. N. 0.671 0.662
R. L. H. 0.590 0.596

‘Mean Tl . 0.692

HMean T . . 0.666

2

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