Sponsored Links

Featured Links

Other Topics
Sponsored Links



Quote of the Day

"Never feel remorse for what you have thought about your wife; she has thought much worse things about you."

Jean Rostand

FEATURED
OUTDOORS
PRODUCTS
 
A Beginners Guide To Solar Panels - Solar...
 
Energy - Guide To Building Home Wind Turbines...
 
Solar Power Formula - Ultimate Solar Power...
 
Solar Power Design Manual
 
Diy Home Solar Power - Make Solar Power...
 




 


Google

 
Featured Baseball Articles

Modern Technology has Given us a Wonderful Range of Sports Sunglasses
Modern technology has given us a wonderful range of sports sunglasses frames and sports sunglasses lenses made to both enhance and stand up to the demands of the sports enthusiast with lightweight, flexible, durable materials, no-slip frames and a wide ...

Softball: Olympic Sport No Longer?
Softball has been around since a man named George Hancock first invented the game in 1887 in Chicago. It took over 100 years, but women's fast pitch softball became an Olympic event in 1996. Fast pitch is different from the looping, relaxed pitch often ...

Three Ways to Destroy Your Ability To Compete-Quickly!
If you want to become the kind of athlete that people always talk about in terms of "potential" rather than results, following the following formula:1. Focus on that which you are scared of In the world outside of sports, a common principle is that we get ...





Strength Training Develops Solid Softball Players
 
Lynn VanDyke delivers a strength training article for any athlete, but specifically geared towards softball and baseball players. It provides general guidelines and sample exercises for sport specific situations.

Softball is a popular sport these days. Corporations, adult leagues and inner-city competitions are fueling the demand for skilled and competitive players. While softball may be experiencing a surge of interest, the basic techniques to improve your game and gain a competitive edge have remained the same.
Many do not realize that basic softball movements such as batting and throwing are not a directly related to arm strength. The movement begins in the legs. The power is then transferred into the hips, the torso, the upper back, the chest, the shoulders and then the arms.
A proper softball strength training routine will include an exercise for each muscle group. During the off-season, athletes will be able to strength train 2-3 times per week. Training should be reduced to 1-2 times per week during the season. Each exercise should be performed 8-12 times for 1-3 sets.
Quickness, speed, agility, balance, explosiveness, and power will be enhanced as the strength training program progresses. Below is a list of sample exercises


for the commonly used muscles in softball. There are many other exercises you could perform, but this will provide a starting point.
Quadriceps- Squats, One-Legged Squats, Jump SquatsHams & Glutes- Lunges, Explosive Lunges, Bridge on BallHip Adductors/Abductors- Lying Side Leg Raises, Ball SqueezeObliques- Oblique Crunch on BallRectus Abdominis- Ball Crunch, 180 Ball CrunchErector Spinae- Plank PoseDeltoids- Shoulder Press, Military PressPectoralis Major- Chest Fly, Chest Press, Push upsLatissimus Dorsi- Bent Over Row, Reverse FlyTriceps- Overhead Extensions, Skull crushersBiceps- Bicep Curl, Hammer CurlA powerful softball strength training program will produce powerful players. Use a full ROM (range of motion) for each exercise. Generally free weights provide a better ROM than machines, but use which ever feels best to you. The ultimate goal is to create a solid program that will deliver a well-rounded athlete.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynn VanDyke is the proud owner of http://strength-training-woman.com . Her expertise in strength training and fitness is quickly becoming recognized by industry leaders. You may grab your free strength training log by visiting her site.




Baseball News



USA TODAY

Baseball IPOs: Who would raise the most money?
USA TODAY
It could be just as interesting, if not monetarily rewarding, to speculate on the IPO price of some of baseball's hottest commodities. Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals: The must-see rookie is all projection and scant production at this point – he's ...

and more »

Palm Beach Post

Brandon Beachy, baseball's underrated ace
ESPN (blog)
By David Schoenfield | ESPN.com Baseball lore is full of great scouting stories, like the tale of the scout who was driving through rural Maryland one day and stopped to ask a kid working in a field for directions. The kid -- future Hall of Fame Jimmie ...
Nolasco, Marlins fall to Beachy, Braves 7-0Houston Chronicle
Atlanta Braves' Brandon Beachy baffles Miami Marlins with first career shutoutPalm Beach Post

all 769 news articles »

CBC.ca

Baseball needs to get tougher on outbursts
Scranton Times-Tribune
That happened Monday, and Tuesday, he received a four-game suspension from major league baseball discipline czar Joe Torre. On Wednesday, Lawrie appealed the suspension, and he started at third base for the Blue Jays, standing for nine innings just ...
Lawrie drops appeal of suspensionBoston.com
Blue Jays beat New York Yankees 4-1Toronto Star

all 529 news articles »

USA TODAY

Baseball notebook: Selig raises possibility of A's moving
Columbus Dispatch
Baseball commissioner Bud Selig says it's up to Oakland owner Lew Wolff to decide whether to consider additional sites for a new ballpark for the Athletics, leaving open the possibility of a move outside the Bay Area. Speaking yesterday after a ...
Selig: Oakland move might be consideredThe Associated Press
Given an out, A's only have eyes for San JoseSan Francisco Chronicle
Selig: A's move might be consideredBend Bulletin
KTXL
all 291 news articles »

Globe and Mail

Baseball-Phillies hold on to give Halladay the win
Chicago Tribune
May 17 (Reuters) - Two-time Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay finally got some run support from his Philadelphia team mates and won for the first time in more than a month on Thursday as the Phillies eked an 8-7 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
Phillies over .500 for 1st time since Opening DaySeattle Post Intelligencer

all 515 news articles »