Do you think this would work instead of long tossing?

Question

Hey i'm 14, i'm an outfielder and I want to improve my arm strength for baseball. I know the best way to improve arm strength is long toss but I don't have any wan that would long toss with me. Do you think instead of long tossing I could just get a bucket of balls and throw them into a net? I could only stand about 60-70 feet away from the net so I couldn't get as far away as I would need to. Do you think it would work if I just started gradually throwing harder (like I would in long toss when I back up) do you think this would be as good as long tossing? Also if you think this would work can you give me a program for it like how many days a week I should do it and how long I should do it for. Also do you think I should start working out to help improve my arm strength? And if I do should I workout on different days than I long toss or something? Please help me out here I really want to be really good next year in baseball..i'm really good at catching fly balls and i'm really fast so all thats missing from my outfielding is a strong arm.

Thanks

Answer 1

In short, no.  Throwing balls into a net from 60 feet away would not be a good replacement for long toss.  That sounds more like a bullpen.  You're still young and are still growing, so lifting weights too hard just yet would do more harm than good.  I would recommend investing in some Jaeger bands as an alternative to lifting weights.  

The best thing for you to do at your age is to get some Jaeger bands to keep your arm healthy and strong, stretch well, and find some way to throw 3-4 times a week with someone.  

You're 14, you're still going to grow a lot and add strength naturally, so don't worry too much about it.

Answer 2

In short no. But what you could do is take all those balls to a park and or dirt lot and throw them as far as you can then go pick them up. This is how billy wagner for the mets did it. He didnt have anyone to play catch with.

Answer 3

what i do is i sit down and watch tv while eating pixie stix. it really helps my arm. i suggest you try it.

Answer 4

If you can't find a partner for catch, go someplace where you can throw the long balls and then run to get them.  This will improve your stamina as well.

I'm strong as an ox--almost--and cannot throw long because I never did long toss as a kid.