A proper strength and conditioning program is what every baseball player should be implementing into their training program, both in and out of season. A strength and conditioning program could be the deciding factor for the average athlete making the varsity squad, or the high school stand out becoming a much more of a dominant player. Really, there is no negative to starting a program and it will only allow for the athlete to become much better in their sport.
When it comes down to a Baseball Player joining a program the first main objective is to get them stronger. By becoming Stronger we are accomplishing the following:
1. A pitcher that develops lower body strength will not only have more control over their body and core, but will also have more strength to drive off of the mound, allowing them to have a release point closer to home plate.
2. Lower body strength is crucial in baseball and will allow hitters to have more control through their hips as well as more force through the point of contact.
3. Becoming stronger relative to the athlete's body weight allows for the athlete to become faster and more explosive in their movements.
4. By developing strength in the athlete, we are also developing Power. A baseball player that increases their power in the gym will have a direct correlation to their power on the field.
5. Rotational power through the hips will allow the athlete to generate more force and velocity at the point of contact.
6. Explosive power in the pitcher's lower body will allow for an increase pitch velocity.
7. Increased power will allow for the hitter to force themselves out of the batters box quicker and decrease their time to first base.
8. As the baseball player becomes stronger and more powerful, they are also developing their sprint Speed.
Speed kills, as we saw with the Kansas City Royals, their strength coach worked on their technique and mechanics in order to get their runners in scoring position, which most of us refer to as "Small ball," but it got them to the World Series.
Imagine being able to shed time off of your time from home plate to first, which makes that bang-bang play that happens every game a single at first and not only ups your batting statistics, but gets your team set up for more runs scored and victory.
Being an outfielder, the double in the gap that just missed the glove is now an out because they can cover more ground than they used to.
Speed in baseball is something that is often overlooked, becoming faster will allow for more hits in a game, but it will also allow for more bases to be stolen and runs scored.
Another key area of strength and conditioning that we focus on, is the baseball player's flexibility and mobility. By establishing flexibility and mobility in the athlete we are achieving:
1. In the throwing motion, a greater rage of motion will be achieved in the thoracic and shoulder regions which will allow for more force to be generated.
2. We see it with football players all the time, just by increasing flexibility of their hips we are able to take time off of their 40 yard dash, by increasing the range of motion of baseball player's upper bodies, we are able to limit injuries of the shoulder joint as well as decrease fatigue.
The key to all of this is keeping the baseball player on the field. By engaging in a strength and conditioning program the baseball player is decreasing their chances of injury of their lower and upper body, but also increases the amount of work capacity they can achieve. By increasing the athletes work capacity on the field, they are able to keep their technique the same for a longer time, which allows for a decrease in injury. When our muscles become tired and weak, fatigue follows. When our muscles become fatigued, we overcompensate for it by losing our technique, which sets us up for injury.
Do not wait to become better at your sport!!
By: Kyle Shannon Iron Crush Strength and Conditioning
Ironcrushtraining.com
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