Speed Training for Baseball Players, Essay Example

Playing the sport of baseball requires great speed. Whether a player needs to make it to the next base, or an outfielder needs to catch the ball, running as fast as possible to meet these goals can determine who wins the game. An eight week training routine has been designed to help baseball players improve their speed and footwork on the field.

In the process of training their feet in the sport of baseball, players must practice specific exercises that often involve sprints across the track, and other speed drills to simulate the actual movement during an actual game. The training of the footwork is neither fun nor easy, but all of the elite players practiced these exercises to improve their movement during a game. In order to be a great baseball player, the training of footwork to increase speed must be incorporated into the routine of regular training. (Coleman 2012)

We all know that the mechanics of swinging and catching are essential factors in the development of all players to win a game. But equally important is the need to develop the work of ground speed and to develop appropriate movements. Some players, especially younger players, feel as if you can only rely on natural athletic ability without any need to train in this aspect. There are however, keys to a good training routine to improve the speed, endurance and agility on the field. (Mangine 2013)

Sprints are a basic component in the development of the footwork in baseball. The exercises consisting of sprints tend to follow a few guidelines in a step by step process:

This basic drill sprint is going to improve his speed on the bases, as well as on the field. Take two cones and place them 10 to 20 meters away from each other. In the mark of his coach, sprint from the first cone to the second cone. Go back to the first cone before repeating the sprint. To vary this exercise of speed runs, you can run the tests of speed sideways or backwards. Perform as many sprints as you can before resting.

Intermediate or advanced players should start with 30 meters of sprinting down and back to the starting point.

Repeat the exercise without resting.

Beginners in their first week of training should start with a rate of 50% intensity. As endurance increases over the eight week training course, players can progressively work their way up to 100% intensity with this exercise. As the training progresses, the distance also increases.

The 1st and 2nd sprints are done in forward and reverse. The 3rd and 4th sprints must be done sideways. Go alternating sides to each sprint. The 50 m. sprints are done only in reverse. The 60m. sprints are done in forward and reverse. The 70 m. and 80 m. sprints are done laterally across the legs with every step. The 90 m. sprints are done in reverse only. The 100 m. sprints are done in forward and reverse.

This type of speed training is also frequently used in baseball for training agility on the field. These techniques are often used for speed/agility training in other sports outside of baseball. The sprint starts from the outside corner of the field line and goes diagonal across the field, returning back up to the starting point. Weaving is a constant motion that must be integrated. It is similar to the previous exercises with the difference that the distances are now fixed instead of progressive. Drills like this improve the strength and speed, as well as the footwork. (Coleman 2014)

Jump roping, apart from its advantages and disadvantages for people who are not in the elite leagues, is one of the best exercises to train the footwork. In reality it is useful for almost all the sports that require a large amount of footwork such as boxing, football, basketball or handball, among others. Jump roping allows the player to remain supported while getting accustomed with the tips of their feet. It is also a great cardiovascular exercise, thereby improving the resistance on the baseball field. (Harries 2012)

Strength training develops our leg muscles. The muscles that we need to develop are the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf-muscles. We’ll be able to do extensive work with endurance in working these leg muscles. This will involve developing the legs as a whole with plyometric exercises. We will clarify some exercises appropriate for the optimal development of these muscles and improve the footwork. (McGuigan 2012)

Cycling: We will be able to make biking on the road as part of our training. Another option is to use the exercise bike in the gym or at home. We must ride at a very high rate of intensity for 30 minutes.

Squats: squat exercises will improve strength in all muscles of the legs, as well as the core. This will enhance endurance when running on the baseball field.

Climbing stairs: we will do some sprints while go up and down stairs. Alternatively, we can use a machine, the so-called ‘tread-step’ for about 20 minutes with a resistance 8 out of 10, and at a steady pace. And indaily life, needless to say, we should avoid the elevator when possible.

Tiptoe: in this exercise we must rely only on the tips of the feet and keep them high about 30 seconds. Repeat this exercise about 15 times without a break. It is a simple exercise that we’ll be able to do any time of day and place. This exercise is allowed to be repeated several times per day.

Resistance: we can run a couple of times per week for 2 kilometers in each output at a steady pace. In addition to this resistance exercise, the player may also run across the field and then backwards after they hit a ball to the opposite field. that The ball must be pitched by an assistant or head coach. This will help to increase the resistance as well as reaction time in real game situations. By week 8, the player should have maximized their output. (Harries 2012)

The most important thing that a baseball player must achieve is that, after they hit the ball, they have to make it to the 1^st base as soon as possible. An running sequenceused in order to achieve good agility is an exercise executed in the following orders between the home and 1^st base.

Sprint forward then sprint backwards. Sprint toward the right side then sprint toward the left side.Sprint diagonally backwards and left.Sprint diagonally backwards and right.Sprint diagonally forward and left.Sprint diagonally forward and right. Finally, duck and jump.

When a player spends time training in this manner, they will notice how their footwork is activated in a natural and efficient manner, and it now allows them to reach the bases quicker than before with a disconcerting ease. Their feet will feel better synchronized with the field, resulting in quicker sprints in their career. Once the movement of footwork becomes something subconscious then we will be ready to work strategies and tactics more for thorough manner, as well as improve the hit and dropping of the bat in baseball. This exercise should be done each week at a minimum of 5x per week. (Coleman 2014)

The improvement of footwork not only will help us to reach bases quicker, but also improve endurance that can carry players through an entire game without getting exhausted. The footwork in baseball is one of the keys to an amateur player become a great player.

Speed and agility techniques in baseball are used to improve the speed and cardio of players as well as their ability to react quickly to the ball on defense. For the offensive players, these exercises are designed to improve reaction time in the dish. Speed and agility exercises range from short sprints to mock parachutes of resistance. (Coleman 2014)

Drills consisting of hurdles, will improve foot speed, as well as improving indirectly the player’s reaction time in the range of field. This drill is to be done as follows.

Place three hurdles from six inches to a meter away from each other. Starting from the first hurdle; run laterally towards the right side while leading with the left foot. Leap over each hurdle as you move toward the right side. Once you have left over every hurdle, plant the right foot on the floor and keep this for a count of three seconds. Repeat this exercise in both directions. Every week, another hurdle should be added.

The drill of the random ball is designed to improve your agility and footwork as a pitcher. Stand five feet away from the coach or assistant. They must have the baseball in their hand. On the mark of your coach, run as fast as you can toward your coach. Your coach will toss the ball to either your right or left side. Sprint towards the ball and return it to the coach. Repeat until fatigued. This should be repeated 3x in the first week, and an addition time each week after.

The outfield drill will improve speed and reaction times. Have your coach grabs two balls and let them sit for a few meters in front of him. In your brand, run in a straight line away from the coach; have a baseball thrown to the right side of the field. Catch the first ball from your coach before turning toward the starting point. Catch the next ball fromthe left side of the field. After catching of the third ball, stop running and return to its starting position. This should also be done 3x in the first week, and an addition time each week after. (Lehman 2013)

On the field the most important factor is the frequency of movement. This frequency is influenced (largely) by the frequency of superior training which we should be able to reach and maintain. The achievement of a high frequency in the upper body training (the arms and shoulders) is not a problem, since those muscled extremities are of a fairly symmetrical mode in the vertical plane perpendicular to the direction of movement. (Harries 2012)

In a nutshell: you can move the arms as fast as the legs in running motion.However, the legs do not carry the same abilities if only the arms are trained. This is because the muscles that make up the legs are much more developed in the forward (push) of running than the arms. (Lehman 2013)

This is clearly seen in the race, which is nothing more than a succession of jumps forward chained and synchronized.Then we arrived at the start, and here comes the problem.The power in forward of the sprintingis always going to be sufficient, since with the legs you only need to push the body forward and raise them to propel through the air (running technique). (Triplett 2012)

Therefore, these exercises are designed to improve the power base to the forward thrusts and are only going to improve the speed slightly. The legs get more pushing power, but the main issue of running to increase your running speed is not so much their power but their frequency of legs. And here we come to the crux of the matter. The limitation of the frequency of legs in running is focusing on the movement of the leg forward and the muscles that this implies (mainly psoas and hips). (Triplett 2012)

As can be seen easily in an atlas of human anatomy, the muscles that bring the leg back are very big and strong, but the same muscles that are responsible for boosting the leg straight out in front and are very small in comparison with the work they must perform multiplied by the moment of inertia that represents the length of the leg. (Triplett 2012)

This is normal, because running is more geared for this movement of launching the leg forward.  When you need to sprint very quickly, the player changes into the race and is no longer focused on the frequency of collecting the momentum but rather the power to boost strides chained up for a quick moment of running.(Triplett 2012)

The marching motion, which is a type of technique in travel totally artificial, is useful if you require a collection of leg flexibility very fast, as the mechanical movement is virtually symmetrical as running through the same angle at the back; taking the center axis of the body. This can be executed in a drill often referred to as “high knees”. (Carter 2013)

Thus we have the result that the frequency limit of legs of a runner will always be determined by the degree of training and development of the muscles responsible for collecting and launching forward to the legs (mainly psoas and hips); and these are precisely the muscles to prepare and train for optimal performance on the baseball field.(Coleman 2012)

Conclusion: if we want to win in a speed race in baseball, we must obtain leg strength. It is precisely the opposite of what is normally done. There is no need to work on thrusts but rather the frequency and post launching of a sprint.

This explains why there are a few benefits so immediate and substantial in the training carried out with anklet weights.The benefit of the anklets does not consist in the greater weight or load that has to move the runner and their momentum of power forward; but in the empowerment that generates in the muscles of the legs and launches them by multiplying the momentum of inertia to the extremity. (Carter 2013)

These exercises will eventually have the baseball player accustomed to the acclimatization of speed on the field.  And this is so because we are not looking for greater horsepower of the runner, but greater efficiency in the legs moving forward; keeping the base frequency, which will result in an improvement of the frequency to maximize running speed in short bursts. This is necessary for a baseball player to maximize their performance on the field and will give them an edge over their competition. (Coleman 2012)

References

Carter, J. G., Fluckey, J., Brooks, K. A., & Greenwood, M. (2013). Metabolism and Supplementation: A Systematic Review on Anaerobic Energy Metabolism and Supplementation to Improve Performance by Limiting the Effects of Blood Lactate. Journal of Sport and Human Performance, 1(3).

Coleman, A. E., &Amonette, W. E. (2012). Pure acceleration is the primary determinant of speed to first-base in major-league baseball game situations.The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 26(6), 1455-1460.

Coleman, A. E., &Amonette, W. E. (2014). Sprint Accelerations to First base among Major League Baseball Players with Different Years of Career Experience. Journal of strength and conditioning research/National Strength & Conditioning Association.

Harries, S. K., Lubans, D. R., & Callister, R. (2012). Resistance training to improve power and sports performance in adolescent athletes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 15(6), 532-540.

Lehman, G., Drinkwater, E. J., &Behm, D. G. (2013). Correlation of throwing velocity to the results of lower-body field tests in male college baseball players.The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(4), 902-908.

Mangine, G. T., Hoffman, J. R., Vazquez, J., Pichardo, N.,Fragala, M. S., & Stout, J. R.(2013). Predictors of Fielding Performance in Professional Baseball Players. Int J Sports Physiol Perform.

McGuigan, M. R., Wright, G. A., & Fleck, S. J. (2012). Strength training for athletes: does it really help sports performance. Int J Sports Physiol Perform,7(1), 2-5.

Triplett, N. T., Erickson, T. M., & McBride, J. M. (2012). Power Associations With Running Speed. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 34(6), 29-33.