my school's softball tryouts aren't until august, but i want to start getting in shape now. i haven't played for about three years, and i would like to play this year. i can throw straight, but i need to work on distance. i can run and slide fairly well, but i could be faster. the thing that needs most work is batting. does anyone have any good exercises/drills i can do to help me improve my skills, and to increase my endurance?
2007-02-13 04:11:32 · 8 answers · asked by kenzie 2 in Sports ➔ Baseball
lots of answers please! thanks!
2007-02-13 06:07:54 · update #1
Here's the system I've always used for baseball, it works really well and it is a three-month process to get you in the best shape of your life. You have way more than three months so if you start now you can start out really light and easy and work your way up...
During the winter and whatnot you can let the whole staying in shape thing slide as long as you're still hitting in the cage and off tees and playing catch at least three times a week.
But at about three months out it's time to get the body back into shape.
I usually start off by implementing a lot of the basics you already mentioned. Running is good to build up the stamina and endurance. I start off light with a few miles of light jogging about three times a week and mix that in with lifting weights once every other day. I try to do a lot of weights and other workouts that focus on the core and the legs. It's important to build up arm-strength but getting too bulky can limit your movement, so it's better to build good lean muscle than trying to get huge.
After a few weeks, I step up the running to a few more miles and I try to mix in some sprints. If you've ever played basketball and done one those line-to-line sprints with the push-ups at each line...that's a great exercise to shift in at this point. If the weather permits, I also try to get onto the field and do some running of the bases. I know it doesn't seem like a good workout, but just to get your body in sync with the feeling of running the bases early helps...I'd also put a lot of emphasis on strengthening the legs at this point. Strong legs are very important no matter what position you play.
After awhile of that I really get intense with the throwing. Lots of long-toss and lots of hitting off the tee and soft-toss for the hand-eye coordination. Tons of sit-ups and crunches and that type of stuff to continue toning the core and getting yourself in the best playing shape possible. It's also important, if you can, to increase your mobility and flexibility at this time. You've been working out solidly for about two months and you know what your body can and cannot do. Now is when you implement something like yoga. I'm not talking about putting your legs behind your head or anything, just some beginner stuff. If you can increase your range of motion and flexibility it will help prevent injury as the season drags on. It doesn't have to be a big part of your workout, but I'd at least consider it. It's prevented plenty of injuries.
Finally, with about a three weeks before practices start, I really kick it up. Running should be everyday at this point, not necessarily as far...b/c your stamina should be built way up...but at a faster pace and with more intensity. The long-toss and live hitting should be going full-tilt. If you're an infielder this is a good time to implement both basketball and football exercises for foot-work. It will get you shuffling your feet so that you can move quickly to the ball. If you're an outfielder this is the time when you need to be practicing shagging balls in different directions and acclimating yourself to the outfield grass...unless your school has tons of money, the outfield is going to be different every year...new bumps and holes and whatnot.
If you stick with this routine and combine it with a relatively healthy diet you'll be well on your way to getting into great playing shape.
As everyone suggested, always stretch before and after every workout, it gets the muscles used to what's going on and saves you a lot of wear and tear down the road.
Also, if you have a couple of buddies who are into getting into shape as much as you are...set up a plan together. It's a lot easier to do this if you have a bunch of guys who are committed. I used to have two friends who would join me and every year once February hit, we went into our "Baseball Boot-Camp" mode to get ready and it worked out pretty well every year.
The hardest part is doing it and staying at it.
Good luck and I hope it works.
2007-02-13 05:33:13 · answer #1 · answered by tkatt00 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
tkatt00's answer is great. just remember when you are going to do those long throws that you need to take the time to warm up adequately, especially when you first get out there.
If you have a track coach at your school and a lifting coach, turn to them for some quick-twitch muscle exercises that you can do in combination with your strength (not bulking up, just strengthening those muscles that complement softball) and endurance (i.e., running a couple of miles before each workout)training . Those coaches should be educated enough to build a program for you that will develop your core strengths if you are really committed. Good luck!
2007-02-13 15:14:01 · answer #2 · answered by Julie C 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Run, run, and run some more. Sprints and distance. As far as your throwing, do a lot of long tosses, it's the best way to strengthen your arm. And for your batting, start with the basics and do a lot of tee drills and soft tossing so you can work on your mechanics. You'll need some time in the cage though too, and if possible you should try some live b.p. Camps are great too if you can get to any. Good luck!
2007-02-19 13:52:53 · answer #3 · answered by i_play_6 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you can go to some local batting cages. Or sprit. Eat healthy food like fruit veggies some meat and protien lots of protien. Yoga will help belive it or not because you foces and you need to foces on the ball. Throw a ball around when you have good weather.
2007-02-21 00:07:46 · answer #4 · answered by ? 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would practice with a friend that can do some soft toss with you... Soft toss is a drill where you are facing a fence with the bat in your hands. Another person tosses a ball to you and you hit it into the fence. this will develope your eye/hand/bat contact to the ball.
play some pepper also... Pepper is a drill where you toss the ball to a batter and they hit the ball to you lightly. this is a drill that works on hitting and fielding.
Good luck in your tryouts!
2007-02-13 04:24:07 · answer #5 · answered by gonger 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The best to get in shape is definetly work throw a lot and do a lot of sprints and work on your core strength
2007-02-13 04:20:09 · answer #6 · answered by Emily 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
you can bye something like dambels that you wear it around your foot thats like band but its in sevral weight 1,2,3,4,...you can buy it frome some where that sells fizio tapi facilitis its a bout your foot for your arms and hands: you can buy dambels start from low to hight weight1,2,3.another thing eat food like milk meat,and some fat enouph ,just eat protein that are in food dont eat kind of protein that stors sell and dont use steroid thats dangerous.i tried this way thats use full.
2007-02-13 04:33:44 · answer #7 · answered by Rain 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
run a couple of miles
2007-02-17 12:50:49 · answer #8 · answered by Austyn N 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
just go play and practice hittin ad catchin
2007-02-13 05:51:14 · answer #9 · answered by swamp606887 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋