Why aren't softball cleats designed more like short-sprint track shoes?

[bucketdad99]

Still new to this forum and probably asking a silly question but will throw it out there.

I have always wondered why softball cleats wouldn't be designed more like the short-sprint spikes (for 100m/200m sprints) that force you to run on the balls of your feet and keep you off your heels? The difference between short-sprints and mid/long spikes is the angled frame that forces the runner forward and off their heels.

It just seems to me that this game is mostly about explosive bursts of speed over short distances, wouldn't shoes designed for that style of running help? Obviously, track spikes are problematic, not suggesting anything wacky like that.

Anyhow, I was just curious because of the many pairs of cleats we've bought over the years (DD is now 14u) they have all been neutral in this regard, just regular running shoes with different traction patterns and sometimes a toe guard.

If someone knows of a softball cleat that works like a short-sprint shoe, I would love to know about it and see if it makes any difference.

 

[MTR]

Maybe because in softball, the runners direction isn't always straight forward.

 

[southwestsoftball]

The biggest reason is because of support. Track spikes do not support your ankles and feet the way normal cleats will. In fact tarck spikes are downright awful for your feet. Most experienced track coaches prefer that their track athletes wear them as little as possible( talking sprinters here). I know many of the track coaches I know prefer their athletes warm up in light tennishoes and put on their spikes only right before a race, then take them off in between a race.

Track spikes dont force you to use the balls of your feet. You can still be flat footed when running and I see it all the time too with HS kids in track. Softball is a game of moving from side to side, stopping and going and changing directions. Track spikes dont offer the support needed for softball and they arent stable enough to last too long in such a sport, They would probably fall apart in a month.

At the end of the day, the type of cleats used arent going to make much difference. If a kid is slow, is weak and has poor technique then running fast will never happen. I would spend my time and money of:
1) making sure my dd had solid running fundamentals.
2) had great lower body strength and explosiveness and great core strentgth
3) Was a savy base runner

As mentioned before, I have worked in D1 programs and here are some tips to help your dd get fatser and make sure her technique is solid.

1) Make sure your daughter runs on her "fore foot" or balls of her feet. Running on your toes is an old and wrong thing many people still beleive. Use your fore foot.
2) Make sure she is using her arms efficiently. The arms should never cross the middle of a runners body. When arms move from side to side and cross the middle of the body, they are working from side to side and against the momentum you want, which is forward. In addition the hands should be swinging from just passed the hip area up to the eyes or nose. Having tiny little arm swing isnt going to help. "Just passed hip pocket, to the eyes socket" is what I always used to tell my runners as an easy to to remember where your hand should be. Make sure she can run loose and not tense up.
3) Make sure your dd's core is VERY strong and conditioned. many times people who injure theitr hamstrings, have hip pointers etc......are deficient in their core or their backside. This leads to injury, so make sure the core of any athlete is very strong and conditioned.
4) Make sure the lower half of a runner is striong and explosive. Squats, Powercleans/hangcleans and dead lifts are the best friend of any athlete, but especially those in sports where fast twitch muscle fibers are important( like softball). Doing olympic lifting and developing lower body strength and explosiveness will help even athletes with poor technique be faster. Have both and you will see marked improvement.
5) Incorporate plyometrics. They are a great way to become more explosive and develop the kind of quickness and burst needed in softball. In fact quickness and burst are far more important in softball than actual speed.

Remember speed is REALLY simple. Speed is Stride length X stride frequency.......thats it! If you can improve those 2 things by workign on the things I mentioned( the right and correct ways) then you will become faster and quicker. Obviously some people will never be fast and some people are just born with speed, but I can promise with a great program and doing things efficently.............speed can be developed even further for everyone.

Hope this helps!

 

[EP Dad]

Awesome posting southwestsoftball. Speed is one thing my DD is concentrating on this offseason. That post should help a lot.

 

[ScottyDont]

Primarily because track sprinters never have to play defense.