I am happy to announce another new mini-series that I will work through for my weekly blog posts. In “Balling on a Budget,” I will discuss inexpensive solutions I have used to create innovative and effective training devices without damaging my wallet. With uses ranging from hitting/offensive play, pitching, and defensive play, as well as performance training, I will provide information of how and when to properly implement the different solutions. I can guarantee that many other coaches have also come up with some fantastic solutions to low budgets or solving a problem with no apparent solution, but hopefully this opens a discussion for the DIY coaches to provide even more for their programs.
I will open my “Balling on a Budget” series with a look into fish scales. I am not referring to the scales of a fish, but rather the hanging scales used to weigh fish. I am a little ashamed I didn’t implement this into my training sooner, but with one fish ever caught to my name, I wouldn’t exactly say I am experienced fisherman. Not until until my partner and I at FlexPro Grip were looking for solutions to measure force output did I think to utilize a fish scale for anything in athletic performance.
Incorporating a fish scale to daily training can play an integral part in gauging force outputs for peak performance, as well as gauging readiness to play. Much how I detailed utilizing a hand grip dynamometer to gauge upper body explosiveness and and forearm strength in one of my previous articles, a fish scale has become a part of our daily routines within our voluntary summer workout group. I use it amongst all of our guys no matter their position to measure isometric strength for rotational power, lower body (standing hip thrust), and the throwing shoulder/arm.
A video provided below will show a few of the different exercises we utilize.
Although not perfect, if we cannot get the scale reading to level out on a given “pull” or rep, we take the average (the number we see the most/the longest) on the scale. Generally, our reps range between pulls of 3 and 5 seconds. While focusing on maximum effort isometric strength, I believe that anything shorter than 3 seconds does not allow for the athlete to get fully into the exercise as they can either use a bounce or a momentous lean to cheat the reading. On the other hand, anything greater than 5 seconds will begin to cause fatigue or even unnecessary strain that some athletes may not be ready to withstand.
I will adjust repetition schemes based on the purpose of the exercise. When measuring readiness, I will have my guys only perform one to two reps of a movement. If we are doing an exercise with a goal of producing maximum isometric force, our repetition scheme will typically range between 3 and 6 reps and anywhere from 2 to 5 sets. However, as I said, it will differ with the exercise and the goal.
Utilizing these exercises has become a key piece of our off-season training with the guys as we cannot get back into gyms. That being said, these will certainly become staple exercises in our program throughout the season, especially the arm/shoulder movements and the rotational pulls.
The arm/shoulder movements are to be performed regularly to gauge the readiness and/or fatigue of the shoulder musculature before and after throwing. Paired with what we are already doing with the hand grip dynamometer and the vertical jump mat, we should have a great idea of how our guys are feeling prior to getting on the mound and after each outing. As we gather more data throughout the fall, we can potentially use these outputs to make pitching schedule decisions throughout the spring season. As we begin to identify trends and intra-player averages, we can potentially prevent overuse injuries by monitoring any dips or changes.
The rotational pull has become a staple of our core work, and is highly effective for both hitters and pitchers in measuring power over the transverse plane. Although it is a small sample size, (5 positions players and 3 pitchers), I have found that those with higher rotational power numbers throw harder (pulldowns, sample size of 6) and have higher exit velocity (front toss with a wood bat, sample size of 5). As I continue to collect data, I will be sure to publish official correlations once I have significant data points; however, in the meantime our small sample size shows that higher rotational power numbers point towards higher throwing velocity and exit velocity numbers.
The hip thrust metric is good for lower body power, but in my opinion isn’t the best because of external variables. The readings vary with better/worse footing as well as amount of forward lean during the exercise. To manage this variability, I instruct the guys to attempt to perform it the same way every time. Also, although not shown in the video, we generally perform the exercise in cleats on grass. That will standardize footing a little, but it is not perfect. In an ideal world, I would have an eye hook or J hook in the ground that I could attach the scale/rope to and pull straight up from there. This would allow us to test more of a deadlift or rack pull style movement. By taking body lean and footing out of the equation, I believe this could be a much more consistent and meaningful measurement.
In addition to the exercises shown, we have also experimented with seated toe pulls, single leg standing leg extension, push up position knee drives, standing single arm and two arm rows, and standing single arm and two arm press, among a few others. I encourage you to try your own, and if you find something you like, please let me know so I can implement it as well. A little creativity and collaboration never hurt anyone.
So, if the fish scale is something you wish to implement in your own training, there are plenty of relatively inexpensive yet reliable options available online. The model I use is the Klau Mini Crane Scale (portable), which is rated up to 300lbs. With everything I have tested, it has worked very well. The most force we have put on it so far is 186 lbs so we have had zero fear of it breaking. In addition to the scale, you will need a rope or ratchet strap. Handles on those are ropes are an added bonus.
In closing, fish scales are an inexpensive yet versatile and durable tool to use to measure force of the isometric components of various athletic movements. Used for performance, readiness, and rehab, the scales serve multiple roles and can be used in some form for just about any exercise. Measuring these movements provides useful data in analyzing correlations and possibly identifying performance metrics that can be carried over to the field or even prevent injury. This inexpensive training tool should run you no more than $30 (most are less) for a single unit and can be used by everyone in the program. I highly recommend the fish scale, and there is no question that these things will have you balling on a budget.
Adam Moreau, MBA, CSCS
Director of Player Development and Recruiting Coordinator
Eckerd College
419-250-7243
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