What are people's opinions on kettlebells?

Do they work well for softballers?

Last year we had an old friend of mine, who is also the strength/conditioning coach for a woman’s national team, design an agility/stretching/strength program for our 14-U softball team. He incorporated many ideas and training devices which included kettle bells. The girls really liked them. Of all the benefits that come with the kettle bells (Increased power and flexibility), IMO the added strength that you also get in your hands and forearms will help in all aspects of softball.

Yep. love them. Pretty much what Coach D'E said. With a little thought and education a few excercises properly executed can strengthen all the important areas in a small amount of time. I'd recommend seeking out a KB training professional and getting a consult to lay out goals, let them develop the program and teach you the proper way to do the lifts they think will be best for your goals. I could help in the location of one if you go that route. I could also point you to some self learning resources if you want.

Yes - they are great. Added benefit of grip strength!

I love them!!!

I LOVE KETTLEBELLS! They improve grip and wrist strength which is critical to a pitcher and players. Doing swings are great for all players for cardio and strength training. Several other exercises are great for upper body strength and conditioning. When I came out of retirement to pitch again I trained with kettlebells and increased my mph. Felt like I could throw the ball through a wall. It is also the only thing that has NEVER injured me too.
HOWEVER: Swings can cause major back injuries if not done correctly so can many other kettlebell exercises especially when using heavy weights. I strongly recommend taking a class with someone who has been trained by RKC; most people have no clue what they are doing. I send all my players to an instructor who is certified and has experience working with softball players.

Start with a very light weight. I have 7 pounds, but I bet they come lighter.

I was at Sports Authority a while back and they had sets of 3 (5 lb, 7.5 lb, 10 lb) with a storage rack for about $40. I really felt it after the first time I did some swings with them; it doesn't seem hard at all, but you're using more muscles than you'd think.

We do stations at the end of practice. I use them for squats & some of the girls have said they feel more power when they push off the bases. The pitchers have more power on the mound. When we first started this I had to watch them to make sure they was using the legs & not using their backs. a very good tool to use if done right.

TGU=Turkish Get Up.

Turkish Get-Up at Crossfit NRG, SLC Utah - YouTube

Learn it, use it, love it.

As as strength and conditioning coach AND softball coach who has worked with thousands of players over my career - I can only say one thing: Kettlebells are excellent for softball players and athletes. I have used them quite a bit and there are too many benefits to list them all here.

Coach Marc