The ever supersensitive reaction to any serious or lighthearted critique of
Ball training by some folk makes one rather suspicious that its supporters
actually are rather insecure about its real value.

While most of us probably have no argument with its many years of well-proven
therapeutic and recreational applications by physical therapists and physical
educators since its earliest use in Germany (not Switzerland), there is still
no scientific or practical evidence that Ball usage makes any unique and
efficient contribution to the training of serious athletes. In this context,
the term "efficient" applies to the actual performance benefits achieved for
a given expenditure of time.

In other words, if Ball training is to be deemed to be efficient, then it has
to be shown that time spent on Ball training is equal or superior to other
forms of supplementary training. This is where a great deal of doubt has
been raised in previous discussions and Ball proponents have so far done
nothing to dispel concerns that time spent on Ball training could be better
devoted elsewhere.

QUO VADIS, BALL?

Now, it is quite amazing that nobody has yet produced any evidence of the
value of Ball training, because it is not at all demanding to set up
experiments to compare the progress of athletes using the Ball and those
using other methods of supplementary training. Why has so much time passed
without any such experimental proof emerging to prove all those claims that
Ball training indeed improves motor control and balance in functional
sporting movements?

Will it ever? So far, the indications are that Ball training, like all those
situp and home gym devices one sees on infomercials, will continue for many
years to offer some trendy movement variations for easily bored clients who
need to do some trunk work or limited dumbbell exercises.

Extrapolating from evidence that is emerging from considerable research into
the nature of motor control (which I summarised ages ago on the rate and
degree of correction of deviations from regions of temporary stability), I
would deduce that it is highly unlikely that Ball training to will ever be
proved to equal that of well-tried traditional methods for enhancing balance
and motor control. This hypothesised role will remain one used predominantly
by the average personal training client and not the elite athlete.

Sure, the Ball has a role to play in more casual exercise and rehabilitation,
as it has for years before the current Ball enthusiasts were even born, but
the claims being made for its role in creating elite athletes will not be
realised if its users persist in trying to apply where other methods are very
well established and far more efficient.

Even if one uses the Ball for a mere 15 minutes in a lifting session, that is
typically the duration of a typical strength training module of many
Bulgarian and Russian programmes and one rarely can afford to lose such
valuable time on adjunct experiments that have attracted no scientific or
high level practical support whatsoever yet.

BALL OF THE FOOT BALANCE ("SIFFIES")

When I offer balancing strategies, one of the very basic methods that I use
actually does involve a special type of 'Ball' training - the Balls of the
feet! What I do is simply have athletes execute weight training movements
while balanced on the balls of the feet (an article on this appears this week
in a popular fitness magazine - its author, rather against my protestations,
has called these methods, "Siffies" - I can provide further details to anyone
who may be interested).

Anyway, I sometimes call this method lightheartedly "Foot-Balling" or BOFFING
(Ball Of Foot balancing). Whatever one may call it, I have found this
technique extremely valuable in teaching the motor skills of weightlifting
and powerlifting, as well as during various phases of lower extremity and
trunk rehabilitation.

So, if one is executing a clean pull, lunge, curls, upright rows, high
pulls, good mornings, overhead snatch squats or conventional squats, etc, one
simply balances on the balls of the feet at crucial stages of the exercise
or during all of the exercise. One can apply this Ball of the Foot balancing
method to a large number of popular exercises from Weightlifting,
Powerlifting and Bodybuilding, so the possibilities are enormous.

I have many variations on this theme, including the use of different
footwear, drills with partners, varying rates of change of action and changes
in apparatus, but this brief overview should suffice to teach you how to
incorporate free, efficient, safe balance training into your normal training
session. Best of all, one carries those Foot-Balls with you everywhere,
they cost nothing and they occupy no storage space!

Dr Mel C Siff
Denver, USA
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