Exercise Plans for Softball Players

If you play softball, you'll know the amount of work it takes to optimize your performance. Softball workouts don't just focus on batting, catching and throwing. A good program of softball exercises also includes full-body strengthening and cardiovascular conditioning activities.

However, it's essential to address other aspects of fitness for softball players, including agility, power and speed. These activities can be performed virtually anywhere, with little or no equipment. Just be sure to wear proper footwear during these jumping and sprinting exercises to help prevent injuries or falls.

Read more: 10 Essential Fitness Goals and How to Achieve Them

According to article published in the Strength and Conditioning Journal in August 2017, agility, power and speed are key characteristics of a successful softball player. These skills are needed universally, regardless of the position you play. The authors point out that softball players need to have good reactive agility — predicting where the ball is going and positioning themselves appropriately, while also avoiding any obstacles in their path.

Agility drills help develop an athlete's ability to move and change positions quickly, according to the American Council on Exercise. These activities also improve speed and power. Perform these exercises as quickly as you can while maintaining accuracy. If desired, use a stopwatch to track your progress.

Practice these skills three times per week, with at least one day of rest between sessions, as recommended by ExRx.net. To increase blood flow to your muscles and help prevent injury, perform five to 10 minutes of jogging or other low-intensity activity as a warm-up prior to your agility drills.

Move #1: Line Hops

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your toes behind a line.
2. Jump forward and backward over the line 10 times.
3. Turn so that the line is next to one of your feet.
4. Jump side to side over the line 10 times.
5. Face the line and step one foot over the line.
6. Jump up while simultaneously moving the front foot backward over the line and the opposite foot forward over the line.
7. Repeat 10 times.

Move #2: Agility Ladder Drills

1. Stand with your feet together.
2. Jump forward through the series of rungs in the agility ladder.
3. Turn around and repeat.
4. Perform three times.
5. Turn sideways with the first rung of the agility ladder next to your right foot.
6. Jump to the right with both feet, continuing along the agility ladder.
7. Jump to the left on the return pass.
8. Repeat three times.
9. Turn and face the agility ladder.
10. Jump both feet over the first rung.
11. Hop on your right foot into the next square.
12. Jump with two feet over the next rung.
13. Hop on your left foot into the next square.
14. Repeat this pattern three times.

Read more: Five Types of Fitness Training

Move #3: Cone Sprints

1. Place two cones or other markers approximately 10 yards apart.
2. Sprint forward from one cone to the next.
3. Sprint back and repeat 10 times.
4. Run backward from the first cone to the second.
5. Turn around and repeat 10 times.
6. Side shuffle to the right from the first cone to the second.
7. Side shuffle to the left on the way back.
8. Repeat 10 times.
9. Sprint forward from the first cone to the second.
10. Run backward on the return trip.
11. Repeat 10 times.