WRIST STRONG: 5-Week Strength Program

Imagine how your son or the players on your team could perform on the diamond with stronger hands, wrist, and forearms.   Are you interested in finding an edge on the competition for the upcoming season?  Baseball, like no other sport, demands strength in this area.  Whether it is for increased bat speed in hitting or for extra spin in the development of various pitches on the mound, a wrist strengthening program can make a huge difference for up-and-coming athletes.

The information which follows is a hand, wrist, and forearm exercise program targeted for players ages 9 to 18.  For best results, the program should be started at least 5 weeks before the next season starts (whether it be fall or spring).  Each week will involve three workouts – preferably on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (there needs to be at least one day’s rest in between workouts).  After the 5 weeks are completed, the program goes into a maintenance phase which calls for two workouts a week repeating the sets and reps of Week 5 (more on that later).

Tools Needed

1.  Hand Grips – Can be found in department or sporting goods stores for under $10.

2.  Bat – Use current game or practice bat.

3.  Wrist Roller – Make one using 1″ wide dowel and rope long enough to extend from shoulder height to ground.  You will also need 2.5 lb. and/or 5 lb. weight plates.

3 Exercises

Watch the following video to see the correct form to be used in each exercise:

1.  “Grips” –  Squeeze rapidly so that handles touch each other in the center.  Work both hands at the same time.

2.  “Wipers” –  Make a windshield wiper motion going a full 180 degree arc back and forth.   Hold bat all the way to knob with one hand, then switch to other hand.  If proper technique cannot be used, “choke up” on bat to make it lighter for correct form.

3.  “Rollers” –  With weight lying on the ground, roll wrists forward to make the weight rise to the hands.  Once the weight reaches the hands, release dowel just enough for weight to return to the ground.  Once the weight reaches the ground, roll wrists in backward motion until the weight returns to hands.  When the weight goes up and down forward, then up and down backward, one repetition is complete.

PROGRAMS ACCORDING TO AGE GROUP:

High School Varsity Level – Ages 17 & 18

	Grips	Wipers	Rollers / 5 lbs.
Week 1 – M/W/F	3 x 20	1 x 10	1 rep
Week 2 – M/W/F	3 X 40	2 x 10	2 reps
Week 3 – M/W/F	3 x 60	2 x 15	3 reps
Week 4 – M/W/F	3 x 80	3 x 12	4 reps
Week 5 – M/W/F	3 X 100	3 X 15	5 reps

High School JV Level – Ages 15 & 16

	Grips	Wipers	Rollers/2.5 or 5 lbs.
Week 1 – M/W/F	3 x 15	1 x 10	1 rep (2.5 lbs.)
Week 2 – M/W/F	3 x 30	1 x 15	1 rep (5 lbs.)
Week 3 – M/W/F	3 X 45	2 x 10	2 reps (5 lbs.)
Week 4 – M/W/F	3 x 60	2 x 15	3 reps (5 lbs.)
Week 5 – M/W/F	3 x 80	3 x 12	4 reps (5 lbs.)

Middle School Level – Ages 13 & 14

	Grips	Wipers	Rollers/2.5 or 5 lbs.
Week 1 – M/W/F	3 x 12	1 x 8	1 rep (2.5 lbs.)
Week 2 – M/W/F	3 x 25	1 x 10	2 reps (2.5 lbs.)
Week 3 – M/W/F	3 x 40	1 x 15	1 rep (5 lbs.)
Week 4 – M/W/F	3 X 50	2 x 10	2 reps (5 lbs.)
Week 5 – M/W/F	3 x 60	2 x 15	3 reps (5 lbs.)

Intermediate Level – Ages 11 & 12

	Grips	Wipers	Rollers/2.5 lbs.
Week 1 – M/W/F	3 x 10	1 x 5	1 rep
Week 2 – M/W/F	3 X 15	1 x 8	2 reps
Week 3 – M/W/F	3 x 20	1 x 10	3 reps
Week 4 – M/W/F	3 x 30	1 x 15	4 reps
Week 5 – M/W/F	3 x 40	2 x 10	5 reps

Beginner Level – Ages 9 & 10

	Grips	Wipers	Rollers/2.5 lbs.
Week 1 – M/W/F	2 x 10	1 x 3	1 rep
Week 2 – M/W/F	2 x 15	1 x 5	1 rep
Week 3 – M/W/F	2 x 20	1 x 8	2 reps
Week 4 – M/W/F	3 x 15	1 x 10	2 reps
Week 5 – M/W/F	3 x 20	2 x 8	3 reps

IN-SEASON MAINTENANCE PROGRAM:

Once the 5-week program is complete and the upcoming season begins, don’t stop the workouts!  Simply reduce the number of workouts to twice a week and do the “week 5” number of reps and sets.  The best way to remember to workout is to schedule the two workouts with 3 to 4 days of rest in-between  (i.e. Sunday and Thursday or Monday and Friday).

FREE DOWNLOAD:  Click on the program level that best applies to your player!

High School Varsity Level – Ages 17 & 18

High School JV Level – Ages 15 & 16

Middle School Level – Ages 13 & 14

Intermediate Level – Ages 11 & 12

Beginner Level – Ages 9 & 10

QUALITY AT-BATS: The Truest Measure of a Hitter

Baseball is a game of statistics.  Whether it is hitting, pitching, baserunning, or even fielding; the game has always been based on numbers that determine the success of individual players and teams.

Traditionally, the measure of a good hitter has been based on his batting average – the number of hits divided by the number of at-bats.  So if a hitter has 3 hits in 10 at-bats, his batting average would be .300.

Once the “moneyball” concepts of Billy Beane and Oakland A’s became credible as an offensive strategy, on-base percentage (the number of hits + walks + hit by pitch divided by at-bats + walks + hit by pitch + sacrifice flies) became a big gauge for evaluating a hitter’s effectiveness.  The hitter reaching base safely 4 times in 10 plate appearances would have an on-base % of .400.

Although batting average and on-base % are certainly important in assessing a hitter’s performance, a coach has to take into consideration the player’s ability to create “quality at-bats” in measuring that player’s value in the team’s line-up.

First of all, there needs to be a numerical way to calculate this type of quality at-bat statistic.  In order to do this, there has to be a definition for what it is.  The following is a list of eight items that forms criteria for a “quality at-bat”:

1.  Base hit

2.  Walk

3.  Hit by pitch

4.  Reach base on error

5.  6 or more pitch at-bat (regardless of getting out)

6.  Sacrifice fly or bunt

7.  Any contact to advance a runner

8.  Any contact resulting in an RBI

Let’s say that a hitter takes 10 turns at the plate and the outcome is something like the following:

1^st at-bat:  Reached base on error

2^nd at-bat:  Struck out (7 pitch at-bat)

3^rd at-bat:  Walked

4^th at-bat:  Sacrifice bunt

5^th at-bat:  Doubled

6^th at-bat:  Grounded out to SS, but runner scored from 3B

7^th at-bat:  Hit by pitch

8^th at-bat:  Lined out to 3B (2 pitch at-bat)

9^th at-bat:  Sacrifice fly

10^th at-bat:  Grounded out to 2B, but moved runner from 2B to 3B

In this scenario, his batting average would be .167 and his on-base % would be .375.  Not the best numbers, and certainly not high enough to be considered a great success offensively when using just those stats.  However when looking at his “quality at-bats” as defined by the above criteria and dividing by the number of plate appearances, this same batter hit .900!  He also placed his team in the best position offensively to score runs which obviously leads to a better likelihood winning more games…

Thus proving his true worth in the team’s line-up.

BASERUNNING: Phase 3 of the DPB Practice System

BASERUNNING

10 Minutes

Now that players are mentally and physically ready to go, have them put helmets on and go right into BASERUNNING stations.  Most youth to high school level coaches will focus most of their time on hitting, fielding, and pitching (usually in that order).  Very little time, if any, is spent on baserunning – unless it’s conditioning at the end of practice.  Solid baserunning is the means of scoring runs, and the way to beat the opponent is scoring more runs than they do, right?  Right.  So jump on baserunning at the beginning of each practice to emphasize its importance.

Since the basic rule of being on base and having two outs is to “go on contact” (unless there is no force), create most baserunning situations in which there are less than two outs.  In this situation baserunners have to react to the 3 possible ways that the ball may come off the bat. They are as follows:

1.  Grounder

2.  Line drive

3.  Fly ball

If a runner is on 1^st base with less than 2 outs, he must know the different ways to respond to each possibility.  If the batter hits a grounder, the runner has “got to go” to second on the force.  If the batter hits a line drive, the runner must “freeze and be able to get back” until he knows that the ball has hit the ground so that he can advance.  And if the batter hits a fly ball, the runner will get off 1^st base “as far as he can and still be able to get back.”  Once a runner gets to 2^nd base, it becomes even more complex (especially if there is no runner on 1^st base).  So it is imperative to spend time practicing good baserunning. It must become instinctual.

To accomplish this, divide the team into 3 groups with a coach at each spot.  Each station will concentrate on a particular base and different reactions necessary at each base.  For example, players at each spot will form a line and take turns reacting to grounders, line drives, or fly balls that are being hit by a fungo hitter (or pitching machine) at home plate.  Instruct players at each base that they have less than two outs and that they are the ONLY runners on base.  They are expected to react according to the situation and how the ball was hit.  Coaches need to be able to give immediate feedback to each reaction so that the correct response becomes second nature.  Players will rotate to the next base after 3 minutes of work at each spot.

Keep in mind that there are many other situations that need to be created so that your players are familiar with how to respond on the base paths.  Here are just a few areas to consider:

Steals

Reading pick-off moves

Reacting to bunts

Double steal situations

Reading pitches in the dirt

As previously stated, sound baserunning ultimately scores runs that make the difference between wins and losses.  Incorpoarate drills for the running the base paths early and throughout each practice so that players get a sense of its value.  The more game-like, the better!

Next blog:  THROWING: Phase 4 of the DPB Practice System