Baseball Training Methods: Articles

Forearm Strength for Baseball

Strong hands, wrists, and forearms can make a huge impact for baseball players. Whether hitting, fielding, or throwing, forearm strength and grip strength are involved in nearly every part of the game. While forearm strength is an afterthought to many coaches and players, think about this for a moment. Baseball speed and power begins with the legs. The core, hips, and trunk help to transfer the strength and power from the legs up through the ballplayer’s body and into his arms and hands. Obviously, the hands hold the bat for hitting, the ball for throwing, and the glove for catching. This is where you see that baseball power being unleashed. So at this point, if the ballplayer is weak at the elbow, wrist, or hands, then he is losing some of the power that was so effectively started by his lower half.

We don’t want all that power losing steam right when it means the most. So, ballplayers need to dedicate some portion of their baseball training to forearm strength and grip work. Training the lower arm (everything from the elbow down through the fingers) will also help in protecting the elbow, wrist, and hands against injury.

Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball

There are many exercises and methods for training grip strength. While consistency is always important in a strength and conditioning program, varying the types of exercises performed can have a positive impact on your success as well. When incorporated into an overall baseball strength training program, forearm and grip exercises are often completed near the end of a training session. Depending on your level of strength and the amount of time it takes you to recover, some grip training exercises can be done 2-4 times a week. Movements that are designed more as pre-hab exercises (injury prevention) should be done nearly every day.

According to Jedd Johnson, the wrists and forearms need to be worked from all directions to develop the most size and strength. Jedd is the creator and author of Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball. It’s safe to say he’s knows a thing or two about grip strength.

When it comes to training the hands and forearms, most baseball players opt for the wrist roller, rice buckets, and barbell wrist curls. But there are literally hundreds of exercises that can be done to enhance the strength and power of the forearms and hands. Depending on your needs and goals, ballplayers can incorporate certain exercises for bat speed, finger pressure on the ball for pitching, or recovery and injury prevention. A solid forearm training program can also help with your fielding ability, specifically catchers, whose hands get beat up on a regular basis behind the plate.

With so much unlocked performance potential in the hands and forearms, it’s time to stop skipping this aspect of your training and dedicate a portion of your strength and conditioning program to grip training. Make sure you get your copy of Jedd’s Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball and begin bulletproofing your elbows, forearms, wrists, hands, and fingers today.

Run a Faster 60 Yard Dash Today

Photo by Charlie Neibergall/AP

Sprinting speed is a priceless attribute to have on the baseball diamond. Speed is so important to baseball scouts and coaches that the 60-yard dash is the first thing evaluated at every showcase and tryout. The “60” can give coaches and scouts a solid idea of a player’s home to first speed, base stealing ability, and running speed from second base to home on scoring plays.

Most tryouts give players two attempts at the 60-yard dash, often running two players at a time. Run a time under seven seconds and coaches will take note. Over seven seconds? Then you’ve got work to do.

So how can you stand out by running a fast 60-yard dash?

Running Technique

One of the first things you can work on is your running form and technique. Better technique translates into more efficient sprinting. And when you are more efficient, you waste less effort and energy to accomplish your task. Here are two key elements in having better sprinting technique.

Arm Swing – Your arms should be bent at the elbow roughly 90 degrees. As you sprint, your arms should move from the shoulder joint and in a straight forward and backward motion keeping the elbows tucked close to the body. Any lateral movement with the arms can cause trunk rotation and will only serve to waste energy and make you less efficient in sprinting straight ahead. As your arm moves forward, think of driving your hand past your hip and up to face level. When your arm moves backward, pretend your hand is the head of a hammer and you are driving a nail down into the ground. Straight forward, straight back.
Knee Drive – Many ballplayers think they need to take short quick steps. Unfortunately, they just end up taking a lot of steps and do not cover much ground. Aggressive knee drive forward (not upward) elongates stride length will help you gain more ground with each step. This will also allow the athlete to apply more power to the ground at foot strike, propelling him forward.

Strength Training for Speed

While running mechanics are a big part of running faster, having a solid strength program can help you build muscle and power that will also translate to speed.

There are many ways to incorporate strength training into a baseball training program, but to really focus on developing speed, baseball players need to perform plyometric exercises and lift heavy.

Plyometric exercises can help train muscles to fire quickly and explosively. Ballplayers can perform 2-3 plyometric movements per training session, 2-4 times per week. Reps are usually kept relatively low to focus on power output and good form.

Examples of plyometric exercises include:

Jump Rope
Box Jumps
Squat Jumps
Broad Jumps
Single Leg Bounds (linear and lateral)

When it comes to lifting heavy, baseball players should incorporate squat variations and deadlifts, as well as single leg lifts such as lunges and step-ups. With heavy weight, you should be performing 3-6 sets of 1-5 reps for squats and deadlifts. For exercises such as lunges and step-ups, stick to the 5-8 rep range. Strong hamstrings are also a must and can be strengthened by incorporating RDL’s and glute/ham raises.

Conditioning Drills for Improving Speed

Finally, baseball conditioning is another way to work on speed development. Long distance running will not help you in your pursuit of speed. There is no baseball-specific value in running long distances. Remember, recording a fast 60-yard dash time is about being fast and explosive, not slow and steady. You can check out these three conditioning drills that are better than running poles, and remember to focus on arm swing and knee drive.

60-Yard Dash Secrets

These are only a few tips to help you in pursuit of a faster 60-yard dash time. If you are looking for more ways to help shave a few ticks off your 60, check out 60-Yard Dash Secrets. With this program you’ll learn how to adjust your steal-start technique for improved quickness, why the 60-yard dash is different than other speed tests, how to manipulate the variables in your favor, and how to improve your running mechanics even more for better 60 times, improved base stealing ability, and a faster home to first time.

Good luck!

3 Baseball Conditioning Drills Better than Running Poles

There is still a strong trend among coaches today to stick with long distance running as a form of baseball conditioning. Whether running poles on the warning track, or testing the useless 2-mile time, baseball coaches still believe that their players need an aerobic base to make it through nine innings of baseball.

However, if we really look at the game, we can see that baseball is a power and sprint-based sport. The action on the field occurs quickly, with bursts of acceleration and top speed followed by longer periods of rest. So when considering baseball conditioning, coaches should try to mimic the demands of the sport. Running poles or other long distances does not properly address the needs of the ballplayer. In a long distance run, an athlete will use moderate intensity over a long duration, thereby training his body to operate at a slower pace. The human body is very efficient at adapting to the stimuli placed upon it. So we have to be aware what we are asking the body to do. Do we want it to execute tasks slowly or quickly on the baseball field?

If you want to be quick and explosive, your conditioning needs to involve sprint work, sled pushes, medicine ball circuits, and other power-based movements. The amount of rest taken between various bouts is important too. In a sport where you can achieve nearly full recovery before you make another pitch, take another swing, or advance to the next base, you should be taking nearly full rest between sprints or other conditioning sets.

Here are 3 sample baseball conditioning routines better than running poles. First, complete a solid dynamic warm-up, or do these routines at the end of a good practice.

Build-Up Sprints or Flying Starts

Build-up sprints (or Flying Starts) begin with the baseball player already in motion. In the example below, you will run a total of 60 yards, but only the second 30 yards at 100% effort. Use the foul line as your starting point. Set up cones at 30 and 60 yards. First, perform a couple of light sprints at the end of your dynamic warm-up. When you perform the Build-Up sprints, begin your run at 50 to 75% effort. As you hit the halfway mark, increase your speed to 100% effort.

2 30-yard sprints at 50% effort
8 60-yard Build-Up sprints: first 30 yards at 75% effort, second 30 yards at 100% effort

After each sprint, use your walk back to the starting line as your rest.

Shuttle Runs

Shuttle runs allow you to work on your ability to start and stop and your ability to quickly change direction. Set up two cones anywhere from 10 to 20 yards apart. Begin at the first cone and sprint full speed to the second cone. Slow down, plant your foot and change direction, then sprint back to the start. You complete one rep by performing the total assigned distance between the cones. Here’s a good series where the total distance may is similar from rep to rep, but the distance between the cones varies, allowing for more or less change of direction.

2 x 30 yards – cones 10 yards apart
2 x 60 yards – cones 15 yards apart
2 x 60 yards – cones 20 yards apart
2 x 60 yards – cones 10 yards apart

Rest one to two minutes between sets.

Sled Pushes

Sled pushes are great for working on leg drive. You can load the sled with heavy weight to work more on your leg strength or you can go lighter to focus more on speed. Either way, sled pushes are a challenge. Depending on your current level of conditioning, shoot for three to six sets of 20-30 yards per push.

Basic Baseball Nutrition

Let’s face it. A majority of baseball players and coaches do not have a clue when it comes to baseball nutrition. Skinny players should eat more. Fat players should eat less. That’s all there is to know, right?

Unfortunately, there’s more to baseball nutrition than that. So, let’s take a look at the various roles that protein, carbohydrate, fat, and water can play in your baseball nutrition game plan.

Protein

Protein seems to get most of the hype when it comes to nutrition discussions for athletes. Even people who do not play sports understand that protein is an important part of any diet. For baseball players though, protein can help enhance on-field performance. But, how much protein should be a part of a baseball player’s nutrition plan?

Athletes require a higher amount of protein in their daily diets because they place a greater demand on their body when training or performing. So, while the average adult should consume about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, baseball players should eat 1.5-2.0 grams/kg of bodyweight. High-quality sources of protein include eggs, meat, fish, and chicken.

Remember, this is just a general guideline and every baseball player should evaluate his own nutrition plan and goals to determine the right amount of protein to include in his diet plan.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates provide the body with fuel and energy, making them a huge player in performance as well. Carbohydrates can be found in a variety of foods including pasta, breads, cereal, fruits, and vegetables.

Baseball players usually don’t think about the amount of carbohydrates they eat. However, a solid variety of carbohydrate, protein, and fat is important in any baseball nutrition plan to support training and performance. Different athletes will have different needs when it comes to carbohydrates, but a general guideline for baseball players is about 5-6 g/kg of bodyweight.

Remember, baseball is a power and sprint-based sport. So baseball players do not typically train aerobically. This means that ballplayers do not deplete their carbohydrate stores as quickly as an endurance athlete. So, carbohydrate intake should be individualized based on sport, training program, and personal dietary needs.

Fat

Fats play an important role in building a solid baseball nutrition plan. Although fats are often perceived negatively, there is no valid reason to avoid fats altogether in your diet.

Fats serve many purposes in the human body, including but not limited to:

A source for energy
As insulation and protection of organs
Help regulate the uptake and excretion of nutrients
The formation of healthy cell membranes

So how does fat play a role in athletic performance? The biggest benefit of fat comes as an energy source during low-intensity exercise. As intensities increase, the body begins to gradually use more carbohydrate instead of fat as its main source of energy. So, as an energy source, carbohydrates are more beneficial to baseball players than fats. However, having a diet that is too non-fat or low fat can have negative effects on an athlete’s performance because it can lead to the under-consumption of various meats and dairy sources that provide athletes with excellent sources of protein and other essential vitamins and minerals.

With this information in mind, you should seek to have an adequate amount of fat in your baseball nutrition plan. After reviewing the total number of calories you need, you should plan on eating between 15-35% of your calories from fat. The higher percentage should be considered during longer periods of heavy training or higher intensity training. A lower percentage of fat should only be considered for athletes who need to lose weight in order to increase their performance. In rare cases, athletes who need to decrease high cholesterol levels should consider eating a lower fat diet, but this should be reviewed by a knowledgeable registered dietitian. Athletes that eat less that 15% of calories from fat run the risk of lowering their metabolism and decreasing their potential for increasing muscular strength and development.

Water

Water is the most abundant resource on the planet. Despite its great quantity, most baseball players do not drink enough of it. It can be argued that water affects baseball performance more than any other nutrient. If dehydrated, the athlete’s body cannot adapt as every physiological function will be impaired.

The human body can survive without food for about 30 days. Without water, the body can survive approximately one week. What does that say about the importance of water?

Staying hydrated plays a vital role in regulating cellular function and body temperature. Most athletes only replace about 50-60% of water lost during training or competition. Many baseball players only drink fluids when they are thirsty, but thirst is not a reliable indicator of hydration needs. In order to stay hydrated, you should consider drinking fluids before, during, and after exercise. Here are some basic guidelines:

Pre-training or pre-game – Drink about 16 fluid ounces two hours before activity. In warmer weather, this amount should be increased.

During activity – Drink fluids consistently and frequently. About 6-8 fl. oz. every 15 minutes should be consumed. When activity is less than an hour in length (i.e. a short training session), water should be the main source of hydration. However, if activity goes beyond 60 minutes, a sports drink (Gatorade) can be considered as it will help replace fluid as well as electrolytes and muscle-glycogen stores. (Most sports drinks contain tons of sugar which can rapidly raise blood sugar levels and can contribute to increased body fat. Drink them sparingly unless training is very intense or the session is extended longer than an hour.)

Post-training or Post-game – The baseball player’s goal should be to completely rehydrate prior to the next training session or competition. He should drink about 20 fl. oz. for every pound of body weight lost during activity.

Big League Nutrition

If you are looking for a baseball nutrition plan that can be individualized for you, then you need to check out Big League Nutrition. Not only will this resource go more in depth regarding protein, carbohydrates, and fats, it will also help you learn how much of each nutrient you need based on your body type. Furthermore, you will learn how to time your eating around baseball games, tournaments, and workouts to maximize performance in the gym and on the field.