Softball Tips – 5 Reasons Why You Need Softball Specific Training

There was a time in the past that all you needed to be a good athlete was to be in good physical shape. However, with the development of more sports-specific exercises, being in shape simply doesn't cut it anymore.

Today, you need to undergo a softball specific program if you want to get an edge over your opponents. Being fit for playing softball means you will be able to compete even at the highest levels of the game where things are a lot more demanding.

But what are the benefits of going through a softball-specific training? There are tons of them, all of which help to improve the way you perform on the field. Here are some of them to start with:

1.1. Pitch faster and throw harder. Obviously, this is something you cannot realistically achieve if you only use conventional training methods. A softball-centered approach will do more than just develop muscles in your body. Rather, it will focus on specific muscle groups that you use for pitching and throwing. This of course gets you exactly the results that you wanted.

2.2. React faster. A lot of decisions made on the softball field are made in less than a second. It applies to when you're deciding whether to hit the ball or not, or to steal a base or stay in your position. Sure, you can improve your reaction in a number of ways, but nothing beats training on the field. It enables you to embed the knowledge better, so you'll know what to do next time you play – without even thinking about it.

3.3. Recover faster between innings and games. Endurance is also important in softball. But it's not the type of endurance that basketball players or marathon runners need. When you're playing softball, you only need to sprint occasionally, but you also have to deal with the weather especially during summer. If you go through softball-specific training, your body will be a lot more tuned to staying in the game longer. But more than that, your recovery time will also be a lot quicker.

4.4. Be mentally tougher. Since softball is a non-contact sport, you go to war against your opponents using not just your skills but also your understanding of the psychology of your opponents. And you can only achieve this if you are a mentally tough player. This is something that gym trainers will never be able to teach you – only softball coaches and trainers can.

5.5. Stay healthy and avoid injuries. The physical demands of softball are a lot different from other sports. In softball, you don't need to run often, and you don't do a lot of jumping. But the wear and tear on your body happens in muscles that you use often for swinging or throwing the ball. Getting softball-specific training will give you the exact exercises that will help you strengthen and avoid injuries in these areas.

Marc Dagenais, MHK, CSCS, is a Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players and teams hit with more power, run faster, throw harder, become mentally tougher and be more dominant on the softball field.

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