What Is Agility Training For Softball? | Softball Sport Ladder Modified In And Out
Agility is defined as one’s ability to be quick and graceful. This is the perfect definition for a softball player when it comes to hitting, fielding, and throwing. A softball players’ ability to swing their bat quickly through the strike zone, while maintaining balance and coordination, is key to being a successful softball player. A pitchers ability to smoothly work through their windup and produce a powerful pitch, while maintaining balance, is just as important as a third baseman who must field the ball, under control, and then quickly release a strong, accurate throw.
The balance, control, and quickness aspects of agility must all work in unison to create positive outcomes while fielding, pitching, or hitting.
Using the Sport Ladder In A Sprint Training Program
The Sport Ladder is a great tool to use when training to improve agility. Developing a sprint training program which actively utilizes Sport Ladder Drills like the Icky Shuffle, Lateral Bounds, and other Sport Ladder Drills found in the 1-2-3 Reaction Pro are a great way for softball players to improve on foot speed, agility, and vertical sprinting ability.
The Sport Ladder is also a highly effective tool to use during group or team training as individuals can compete on repetition on the Sport Ladder in a short amount of time. For more Sport Ladder Drills that softball players and coaches can add to an agility or sprint training program go to the Sports Training Section.
Softball Sport Ladder Modified In And Out
Softball players and coaches need to implement a wide variety of agility drills to perform with the Sport Ladder. Softball players should continually alternate the agility drills performed on the Sport Ladder to increase overall body awareness and foot speed. Different patterns performed on the Sport Ladder force softball players to continually think about the positioning and movements of their feet, increasing neurological activity and increased muscle activation in the muscles responsible for performing these movements.
The inclusion of the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands into Sport Ladder training will further increase the muscle activation in the hip flexors helping softball players to generate greater force when they make contact with the ground.
To perform the Softball Sport Ladder Modified In And Out softball players will need a set of Kbands Leg Resistance Bands and a Sport Ladder. Softball players should choose an appropriate amount of resistance before securely attaching the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands just above the knees. To review the different levels of resistance that can be used with the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands softball players and coaches can go to the Shop Section.
Softball players will begin the Softball Sport Ladder Modified In And Out by standing at one end of the Sport Ladder. Softball players will first jump and tap both feet just outside of the first Sport Ladder box. Softball players will then slightly jump, tap one foot inside of the Sport Ladder box while flexing the opposite knee and bringing the heel of the flexed leg toward their butt. At the next Sport Ladder square softball players will tap both feet outside of the Sport Ladder square then alternate their feet motions, tapping inside of the Sport Ladder box with the opposite foot (from the first Sport Ladder box), while raising the opposite heel into the air. Softball players will continue this alternating sequence all the way down the Sport Ladder, and back to the starting position for one repetition of the Softball Sport Ladder Modified In And Out.
Softball players will perform 4-6 resisted sets of the Softball Sport Ladder Modified In And Out before removing the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands and performing 2-4 unresisted sets of the Sport Ladder exercise. Allow 30-45 seconds of rest between sets of the Softball Sport Ladder Modified In And Out. If softball players are performing the Sport Ladder exercise in a group or team setting then softball players will simply fall back in line and use their teammates active sets on the Sport Ladder as their recovery time. Recovery time is important so softball players can keep their repetitions on the Sport Ladder quick and make for much more effective repetitions.
What Is Agility Training? Can It Be Effectively Used To Create A Sprint Training Program?
Agility is an important aspect of any athletes skill set. In many cases agility training is a great compliment to a sprint training program. Softball players, just like athletes in many other sports, do not simply move in on direction (forward and backward). Instead athletes are most often required to move in multiple directions or required to quickly change directions. Where an effective sprint training program will help a softball player develop great linear speed, agility training must also be implemented to translate that great speed into quick and effective movements in all directions. If an athlete is only effective at running in one direction they will not be able to effectively and efficiently manage their position and contribute to the success of their team.
In softball both base runners and fielders must posses great linear speed, but must compliment that speed with great agility training. This will allow a base runner to get their hips and body in good position to grab that extra base, or for an infielder to make a great adjustment to snag a line drive.
Although the Sport Ladder is a great tool to increase agility, the use of other sport training equipment will benefit athletes in many ways. The use of tools like the Sport Ladder, Reactive Stretch Cord, Kbands Leg Resistance Bands, and Running Parachute will help athletes to increase speed, agility, and quickness. Training tools like the Victory Ropes, KB PowerBands, and Stability Ball will help to increase strength, balance, and stability. All of these training tools, used together, will help softball players and coaches develop great agility and sprint training programs which will help athletes advance in their sports training and performance.