Conditioning for Softball With Plyometric Exercises

Softball players often need to generate the maximum amount of force in the blink of an eye. Plyometric training, a technique that uses the stretch-shortening cycle of a muscle's contraction, can help players develop explosive speed and power. As a complement to traditional strength training, players should engage in a plyometric program toward the end of preseason training, twice weekly, according to “Power Plyometrics: The Complete Program” by Edward McNeely and David Sandler.

  1. Lower Body

    • For softball training, the emphasis of plyometric exercises for your lower body, hips and glutes should be on lateral and diagonal movement, acceleration and first-step speed. Exercises can include the lateral jump with both feet, standing long jump, two-foot ankle hop, lateral box jumps and alternate bounding. For example, perform the single-arm alternate-leg bound by starting with a jog. Push off with your left foot to enter the flight phase. Draw your right leg forward, bending your right knee at a 90-degree angle and lifting the right thigh until it is parallel to the ground. Extend your left arm in front of you. In midair, your bound should resemble an exaggerated running stride. When you land on your right leg, immediately push off to perform the next bound.

    Core Musculature

    • Plyometric exercises for your core should focus on abdominal strength and trunk rotation. The ability to swing a bat and rapidly change direction depends largely on rotational strength. Exercises can include plyometric pushups, squat throws with a medicine ball and bar twists. For example, perform torso twists with a bar that weighs anywhere from 20 to 50 pounds. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and knees bent. Place the bar on the shoulders and behind your neck, anchoring it with your hands in the widest grip possible. Your palms should rest on top of the bar. Rotate your upper body to the right as far as you can, using controlled motion. Keep your feet, hips and head facing front. Repeat the twist to your left.

    Upper Body

    • The ability to swing a bat also depends largely on upper-body and also the rotational strength of your trunk. For the upper body, perform medicine ball tosses in which you use different torso movements -- twisting and lateral -- and a variety of throws, including underhand, overhead and power slams. For example, perform a twisting medicine ball situp tosses to a partner. Sit on the ground with knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Have a partner stand a few feet in front of you and throw the ball to your outstretched hands. Catch the ball and rotate your trunk to the left, lowering yourself to the bottom of the situp. Touch the ball to the ground on your left side. Rise back up and toss the ball to your partner. Alternate your trunk rotations left to right on each throw.

    Considerations

    • A plyometrics program should be incorporated in the later stages of strength training because of the demands plyometric exercises place on your body. Test both upper- and lower-body strength to see if you’re ready. For example, you should be able to execute five reps of a squat with 60 percent of your body weight in under six seconds, according to “Strength and Conditioning for All Ages” by Mark Salandra. Also, you should be able to bench press 60 percent of your body weight in fewer than six seconds. Gradually increase the difficulty of plyometric exercises, such as advancing to the one-legged version of two-legged jumps and adding unstable surfaces.