Winter Programs, Staying Fit In The Off Season

That sad time of year is here in the northeast. It's the time when we bid a seasonal farwell to the smell of cut grass and the baseball diamond. Time to think about how to keep baseball fit in the offseason.

Many young players fail to realize the importance of maintaining muscle memory for hitting and throwing during the offseason. It takes lots of practice to learn how to hit and throw, and lots of practice to stay in the groove. If you let 4 or 5 months go by without picking up a bat or throwing a baseball make no mistake, you're going to get rusty. If you're a more competitive player, your competition is probably working hard and will gain ground during the off season.

Here are a few recommendations...

Take some time off... especially if your a player who has played alot of games during the spring, summer and fall seasons. You should give you body a month of rest from throwing at a minimum. But during this time it's ok to swing the bat a few times a week.

Swing 4 times a week... whether it's BP at an indoor cage or hitting off a tee in your garage. It's important to swing the bat at least 4 times a week. The number of swings per session will depend on your age but at least 25 and no more than 60 per session.

Learn something new... the offseason is the time to work on those little things you felt in your swing, or to learn a new pitch. Either professional coaching or your Dad... learn new things that will help improve your game.

Strenghen your arm... after the initial month off you should throw at least once per week. if you can rent an indoor cage for 1/2 hour break it into 15 minutes of throwing and 15 minutes of hitting that's perfect.

Practice position specific... work on drills in your garage or basement that will help you play your position. do a few google searches and you will find many things you can do to help you improve.

Indoor camps and programs... in most communities you can find indoor baseball camps or programs that can help kids improve. these are great for younger kids. older players might want or need more specific programs.

Stay fit... baseball players should have a daily program of excersise which should include pushups, situps, pullups and running. Doing this 4-5 times a week will keep you spring training ready all year round.

Coach Bob