Pre-Game Softball Hitting Warm-Up

I've got a bit of ranting to do today.

There is a key principle that we use extensively in sport-  the principle of specificity.

Basically, it means that the more specific to game conditions your preparation is (in training or in warm-ups), the more you'll be ready to compete at the highest level.

In other words, it's important that your preparation mimics as closely as possible what you'll have to do in competition.

Easy principle to understand.

We all know that softball hitting is difficult and challenging. Therefore, it's even more important that you pay attention at how you prepare for it.

What does a hitter has to do in a game to do well?

It has to track the ball coming from the pitcher's mound and adjust to variable speed, location and movement.

Your preparation MUST reflect that.

Now, I see all kinds of crazy stuff being done by done by teams before game that are far from warming up the tracking and adjusting ability of hitters. Some of these things are:

1) Use of a pitching machine - the worst! It doesn't train your batters to adjust to variable speed, location or movements.

2) Side toss rapid fire swings - how in the hell doing cardio hitting is going  helping a kid prepare to track a ball coming from in front of them?

3) General side toss - I'm definitely not a big fan for 2 reasons: (1) many kids try to jack the ball up in the air as far as they
can and not focusing on proper line-drive mechanics, and (2) the ball doesn't come from the right perspective.

I am not saying you shouldn't do side toss stuff in a pre-game warm-up, I am just saying that because the ball is coming sideways, it doesn't prepare the hitter properly or optimally from a tracking and adjusting to various pitches.

Instead, you should do some form of front toss whether live pitching with a coach, front toss from 20-25 feet from behind a net, or just plain front toss with whiffle balls.

Front toss is specific.  You can use a few other warm-up exercises like tee work, bunting, or even some side toss but make sure you have some form on front toss to help your batters properly.

One more thing:  focus on quality swings, not on the quantity!

Be as specific as possible and your team will be ready to compete.

Who loves ya?

Marc
"Your Softball Peak Performance Coach"