Speed and Agility Training for Baseball
Baseball training needs to emphasize speed and agility, which are important for offensive success, and to do so in a way that is applicable to the sport.
In a previous article we covered three speed and agility drills to help with base running: the double drill, stealing second, and getting back to first. In this article, I add one more drill and give you a workout program to improve your speed on the basepaths.
RELATED: Best Exercises for Baseball Speed Training
Outfield Hit Drill
To perform this drill, stand in the batter’s box. Simulate hitting the ball. If you’re a right-handed batter, turn toward first base and step out with your left foot. If you’re a left-handed batter, turn toward the base and step out with your right foot. Sprint to first base. As you near the base, perform a “question mark” by angling out of the base path. Touch the inside corner of first base and keep going. Sprint three steps past first base, chopping your steps and dropping your hips. This allows you to see what’s going on with the ball you hit. At this point, react by continuing to sprint to second or going back to first.
Below is a 12-week program of speed, agility, and strength workouts to make you a better base runner. The first four weeks are meant to get you in shape, after which the program gets more difficult and more baseball-specific.
Weeks 1-4
Monday
Power Cleans: 3×6 @ 60-70%
Back Squats: 3×12-15 @ 60-70%
Lunges: 3×12-15 each leg
Romanian Deadlifts: 3×12-15
Speed/Agility Technique Drills: 10-15 minutes
Sprints, standing start: 3-5×20 yards
Bounds: 3-5×20 yards
Wednesday
Clean Pulls: 3×6 @ 60-70%
Dumbbell Bench Press: 3×12-15
Pull-Ups: 3×12-15
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3×12-15
Bicep Curls/Tricep Extensions: 3×12-15 each arm
Speed/Agility Technique Drills: 10-15 minutes
Sprints, standing start: 3-5×60 yards
Stride Length Drills: 3-5×60 yards
Friday
Dumbbell Power Cleans: 3×6
Dumbbell Clean Pulls: 3×6
Front Squats: 3×6 @ 60-70%
Split Squats: 3×8-12 each leg @ 30% of Back Squat
Good Mornings: 3×12-15
Speed/Agility Technique Drills: 10-15 minutes
Sprints, standing start: 3-5×5 yards
Shuffle right/left three steps, cross-over step, sprint 5 yards: 3-5x
Weeks 5-8
Monday
Back Squats: 3×8-12 @ 70-80%
Romanian Deadlifts: 3×8-12
Dumbbell Bench Press: 3×8-12
Bent-Over Rows: 3×8-12
Dumbbell Shoulders Press: 3×8-12
Speed/Agility Technique Drills: 10-15 minutes
Sprints, standing start: 3×20 yards
Stealing Second Drill: 3-5x
Getting Back to First Drills: 3-5x
Tuesday
Power Cleans: 3×4-6 @ 60-70%
Clean Pulls: 3×4-6 @ 70-80% of Power Clean
Vertical Jumps: 10x
Standing Long Jumps: 10x
Bounds: 3×20 yards
Thursday
Dumbbell Clean Pull + Power Clean: 3×4-6
Front Squats: 3×4-6 @ 60-70%
Lunges: 3×12-15 each leg
Good Mornings: 3×12-15
Reverse Hyperextensions: 3×12-15
Speed/Agility Technique Drills: 10-15 minutes
Stride Length Drills: 3×20-40 yards
Sprints, standing start: 3×60 yards
Double Drill: 3-5x
Friday
Jerk Drives: 3×4-6 @ 60-70% of Power Clean
Dumbbell Incline Press: 3×12-15
Pull-Ups: 3×12-15
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3×12-15
Bicep Curls/Tricep Extensions: 3×12-15 each arm
Medicine Ball Chest Pass: 10x
Medicine Ball Front Toss: 10x
Weeks 9-12
Monday
Back Squats: 3×4-8 @ 80-90%
Romanian Deadlifts: 3×4-8
Dumbbell Bench Press: 3×4-8
Bent-Over Rows: 3×4-8
Dumbbell Shoulders Press: 3×4-8
Speed/Agility Technique Drills: 10-15 minutes
Sprints, standing start: 3×20 yards
Resisted Sprints: 3×5 yards
Stealing Second Drill: 3-5x
Getting Back to First Drills: 3-5x
Tuesday
Power Cleans: 3×4-6 @ 60-70%
Clean Pulls: 3×4-6 @ 70-80% of Power Clean
Vertical Jumps: 10x
Standing Long Jumps: 10x
Bounds: 3×20 yards
Thursday
Dumbbell Clean Pull + Power Clean: 3×4-6
Front Squats: 3×3-4 @ 70-80%
Lunges: 3×8-12 each leg
Good Mornings: 3×8-12
Reverse Hyperextensions: 3×8-12
Speed/Agility Technique Drills: 10-15 minutes
Stride Length Drills: 3×20-40 yards
Sprints, standing start: 3×60 yards
Double Drill: 3-5x
Outfield Hit Drill: 3-5x
Friday
Jerk Drives: 3×3-4 @ 70-80% of Power Clean
Dumbbell Incline Press: 3×8-12
Pull-Ups: 3×8-12
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3×8-12
Bicep Curls/Tricep Extensions: 3×8-12 each arm
Medicine Ball Chest Pass: 10x
Medicine Ball Front Toss: 10x
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Speed and Agility Training for Baseball
Baseball training needs to emphasize speed and agility, which are important for offensive success, and to do so in a way that is applicable to the sport.
In a previous article we covered three speed and agility drills to help with base running: the double drill, stealing second, and getting back to first. In this article, I add one more drill and give you a workout program to improve your speed on the basepaths.
RELATED: Best Exercises for Baseball Speed Training
Outfield Hit Drill
To perform this drill, stand in the batter’s box. Simulate hitting the ball. If you’re a right-handed batter, turn toward first base and step out with your left foot. If you’re a left-handed batter, turn toward the base and step out with your right foot. Sprint to first base. As you near the base, perform a “question mark” by angling out of the base path. Touch the inside corner of first base and keep going. Sprint three steps past first base, chopping your steps and dropping your hips. This allows you to see what’s going on with the ball you hit. At this point, react by continuing to sprint to second or going back to first.
Below is a 12-week program of speed, agility, and strength workouts to make you a better base runner. The first four weeks are meant to get you in shape, after which the program gets more difficult and more baseball-specific.
Weeks 1-4
Monday
Power Cleans: 3×6 @ 60-70%
Back Squats: 3×12-15 @ 60-70%
Lunges: 3×12-15 each leg
Romanian Deadlifts: 3×12-15
Speed/Agility Technique Drills: 10-15 minutes
Sprints, standing start: 3-5×20 yards
Bounds: 3-5×20 yards
Wednesday
Clean Pulls: 3×6 @ 60-70%
Dumbbell Bench Press: 3×12-15
Pull-Ups: 3×12-15
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3×12-15
Bicep Curls/Tricep Extensions: 3×12-15 each arm
Speed/Agility Technique Drills: 10-15 minutes
Sprints, standing start: 3-5×60 yards
Stride Length Drills: 3-5×60 yards
Friday
Dumbbell Power Cleans: 3×6
Dumbbell Clean Pulls: 3×6
Front Squats: 3×6 @ 60-70%
Split Squats: 3×8-12 each leg @ 30% of Back Squat
Good Mornings: 3×12-15
Speed/Agility Technique Drills: 10-15 minutes
Sprints, standing start: 3-5×5 yards
Shuffle right/left three steps, cross-over step, sprint 5 yards: 3-5x
Weeks 5-8
Monday
Back Squats: 3×8-12 @ 70-80%
Romanian Deadlifts: 3×8-12
Dumbbell Bench Press: 3×8-12
Bent-Over Rows: 3×8-12
Dumbbell Shoulders Press: 3×8-12
Speed/Agility Technique Drills: 10-15 minutes
Sprints, standing start: 3×20 yards
Stealing Second Drill: 3-5x
Getting Back to First Drills: 3-5x
Tuesday
Power Cleans: 3×4-6 @ 60-70%
Clean Pulls: 3×4-6 @ 70-80% of Power Clean
Vertical Jumps: 10x
Standing Long Jumps: 10x
Bounds: 3×20 yards
Thursday
Dumbbell Clean Pull + Power Clean: 3×4-6
Front Squats: 3×4-6 @ 60-70%
Lunges: 3×12-15 each leg
Good Mornings: 3×12-15
Reverse Hyperextensions: 3×12-15
Speed/Agility Technique Drills: 10-15 minutes
Stride Length Drills: 3×20-40 yards
Sprints, standing start: 3×60 yards
Double Drill: 3-5x
Friday
Jerk Drives: 3×4-6 @ 60-70% of Power Clean
Dumbbell Incline Press: 3×12-15
Pull-Ups: 3×12-15
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3×12-15
Bicep Curls/Tricep Extensions: 3×12-15 each arm
Medicine Ball Chest Pass: 10x
Medicine Ball Front Toss: 10x
Weeks 9-12
Monday
Back Squats: 3×4-8 @ 80-90%
Romanian Deadlifts: 3×4-8
Dumbbell Bench Press: 3×4-8
Bent-Over Rows: 3×4-8
Dumbbell Shoulders Press: 3×4-8
Speed/Agility Technique Drills: 10-15 minutes
Sprints, standing start: 3×20 yards
Resisted Sprints: 3×5 yards
Stealing Second Drill: 3-5x
Getting Back to First Drills: 3-5x
Tuesday
Power Cleans: 3×4-6 @ 60-70%
Clean Pulls: 3×4-6 @ 70-80% of Power Clean
Vertical Jumps: 10x
Standing Long Jumps: 10x
Bounds: 3×20 yards
Thursday
Dumbbell Clean Pull + Power Clean: 3×4-6
Front Squats: 3×3-4 @ 70-80%
Lunges: 3×8-12 each leg
Good Mornings: 3×8-12
Reverse Hyperextensions: 3×8-12
Speed/Agility Technique Drills: 10-15 minutes
Stride Length Drills: 3×20-40 yards
Sprints, standing start: 3×60 yards
Double Drill: 3-5x
Outfield Hit Drill: 3-5x
Friday
Jerk Drives: 3×3-4 @ 70-80% of Power Clean
Dumbbell Incline Press: 3×8-12
Pull-Ups: 3×8-12
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3×8-12
Bicep Curls/Tricep Extensions: 3×8-12 each arm
Medicine Ball Chest Pass: 10x
Medicine Ball Front Toss: 10x
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