Need for Speed

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Mar 29, 2009
4
0
Any tips or drills on how to generate more running speed. We didn't get much offseason training, and our team is quite slow. I'm looking for something for pregame warmups which by the end of the season will help with speed.
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,133
113
Dallas, Texas
The simplest way to teach a person to run faster is to have the person run faster. Sounds a little strange, but you can do this by having races where the kids run down hill. Since they are going down hill, they will run faster than usual, so that will build up some fast twitch muscles.

One way to get the kids to look faster without actually being faster is to work on all the little stuff. Work on base running so every kid does it perfectly. Work on stealing so the kids leave as early as legally possible. Work on anticipating where the fly ball will go so the outfielders get a better jump.

Ray
 
Jan 15, 2009
585
0
Every practice and pre game we run starts with a dymanic warm up that includes

High Knees 60' (2 times)
Butt Kicks 60' (2 times)
Carioca 60' (2 times)
slight rest
Sprint 60' (2 times)
slight rest
Sprint 60' (2 times)

Gets the blood pumping to help protect the muscles during practice and a game and Sluggers is right. The best way to get faster is to run fast more often. Jogging 200 miles doesn't make you sprint 60' faster, in fact jogging trains the muscles to go at that pace which has to be overcome to sprint. When do we jog during a game? Never!! It's all sprints. The above warm up ensures that every time we meet as a team we're getting in at least 4 reps of sprinting 60' even if we do no other baserunning drills or the kid doesn't get the opportunity to run the bases that game.
 

FastpitchFan

Softball fan
Feb 28, 2008
465
0
Montreal, Canada
Hi Richez,

The two gentleman above pointed out two great things:

1) Do competitive drills (forces them to really push themselves)
2) Use warm-up period to refine running form and work on speed and agility.

My biggest advice would be - do a lot of softball baserunning drills.

At this time of the year, you don't have that much time to get them to work on getting time faster but getting them to run well and make good decisions on the bases will make your team ''faster'' on the bases.

Baserunning skills can be improved quickly. That's what I would do most at this time of the year.

Marc
 
Apr 20, 2009
88
0
Philippines
Emphasize on proper running form. Tell your players that running fast entails fast leg movement with minimal ground support. Arm swing will help as well. You can also tell them to run on the balls of their feet.

Add also straightleg shuffles to the high knee and carioca warm-up

Ladder drills well help as well, tell them to challenge themselves to run faster everytime.
 

WARRIORMIKE

Pro-Staff Everything
Oct 5, 2009
2,815
48
At the Jewel in San Diego
Resistance,Resistance,Resistance!!

Get a small parachute or have a strap and hold the kid back and have them run hard sprints. After they have done that for a minute, have them run a sprint or two without the added weight. This helps out a lot!!
 
Jan 6, 2009
165
0
Texas
This started at a church retreat in the hill country. The older dd had always been very fast, in fact, from start to finish, she was delivered in 7 minutes. The younger had a strange running style, her nickname in those days was 'Ewok'. Late one night, the girls (5 and 2 at the time) and I are walking along the guadalupe with a flashlight, looking down in that clear water for fish, frogs, etc. We surprised a large moccasin who reared up cobra style, opening that nasty fanged mouth, I swept my arm at the girls to push them away, but dropped the flashlight. I felt one of the girls on my arm but couldnt find the younger. Found the flashlight, looked around for missing daughter, then the remaining daughter says 'Dad - look' and points up this hill. In the moon light and a porch light we see what looked like a two legged gazelle racing up this hill - one of the cabins door opens up and little daughter jumps right into this old ladies lap. Little daughter had a bad lisp at the time and the lady couldnt make out what the jabbering was. It took us a while but we hiked up the hill and retrieved the daughter, thanked the old lady, and spent the next morning watching the little daughter bound around the retreat. The idea about the water moccasin and the dvd still sounds like a winner.
 

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