For every baseball player, agility is the most sought after attribute. This is a game where swift movements are extremely essential for winning the game. Every player strives to achieve agility. A player’s fitness is reflected by the way he accelerates, decelerates and changes directions in a swift manner. Several baseball athletes have been able to gain superior athletic abilities by being by showing dedication towards the sport during their baseball agility drills. The correct drills for baseball agility add to athlete performance and resilience besides greatly reducing the chances of injury. In their baseball agility drills, the major league baseball stars focus on building on their strength, agility and speed. Baseball agility drills aids the ability of the players to enhance their speed, ability to switch directions and reduced response times. The result of these carefully chalked out baseball agility drills is the ability of the player to achieve greater infield coverage, a quicker break to run down a fly ball and to be able to field a ball of the mound as swiftly as possible. Read more on baseball training.
Types of Baseball Agility Drills
The following drills for baseball agility have been recommended by master baseball coaches.
Lateral Bounds
This agility drill aids in lateral speed. It is of tremendous help in hitting, planting and cutting. To practice a lateral bound, stand on your right foot and jump as high and as far as possible to your left and land on your left foot. Repeat the same this time with your left leg. Perform around two to three sets of three to five bounds with a minute’s worth of rest between sets. Read more on indoor baseball drills.
Base Rotations
For this baseball agility drill, think of a large X on the ground. Place your feet at the terminals of one leg of the X. Square up your shoulders and rotate the hips 45 degrees. Try to rotate the hips so that the feet move from one leg of the X to the other. Sweat the abs and core to ensure the rotation of the lower body. The shoulders should be square and then proceed to pump your arms in the opposite direction of the legs. This baseball agility drill should be practiced for two sets of around five seconds and then work it up to a level of two sets of six to eight seconds. If this comes easily then try to perform three sets of five seconds and work it up to six to eight second sets. Rest for only a minute between the sets.
The Three-Hurdle Drill
This baseball agility drill enables a more rapid response by quickening the feet. This enhances the fielding range and greatly reduces the reaction time and pushes the speed and quickness for base running of the players. To perform this drill for baseball agility, you should setup three six-inch high obstacles with each one being yard apart. Straddle the first hurdle with the left foot on the outside of the hurdle. Then try to dash laterally over the hurdles to the right. While stepping over the last hurdle, plant the right foot and try to hold this position for at least three seconds. Repeat this baseball agility drill while sprinting laterally to the left now. Hold this position on the left foot as you step over the last hurdle. Perform at least two to three sets of four to six repetitions. You should rest for a minute between sets of this drill for baseball agility.
