Baseball and softball don’t get much recognition for being endurance sports. They don’t require the amount of running that other sports do, and over the years there have been countless ballplayers who have performed well with “boilers” (a.k.a.,not the most chiseled physique). After all, the most famous player in baseball history, Babe Ruth, is renowned for his diet of beer and hot dogs; however, as Bob Dylan once put it so eloquently, “The times they are a changin'.”
When tuning into a ball game in the year 2019 you won’t find many athletes who are out of shape, and those who do, are often at odds with management. With all the new data available in today’s game the new standard is for players to be physically fit. If they’re not, it’s easy to lay blame for a “Texas Leaguer” that could have been caught or a double play that should have been beaten out. Analytics are not kind to players who are inconsistent and/or out of shape. This is especially true in the “Dog Days of Summer” when the temperature rises and players are worn down.
From Little League diamonds throughout the world all the way to big league ballparks, players can be seen lacking stamina as temperatures hit 90 degrees and up, which results in a loss of bat speed. So what can a player do to remedy this common issue plaguing ballplayers of all ages? First and foremost, it’s important for athletes to take care of their bodies - eat healthy foods, get plenty of sleep and exercise. Of equal importance to an aspiring ballplayer is to develop a proper training regimen, preferably with MaxBP.
MaxBP offers a variety of pitch speeds, types and feeder times to make even the most impressive physical specimen break a sweat. And the best part, once an athlete has a MaxBP pitching machine in their possession, the training opportunities are endless. But, there is one drill in particular that is ideal for building stamina and bat speed. The idea is to get the max number of reps in only 20 minutes!
In this particular drill the athlete should set their MaxBP to soft toss, feeder speed set to fast and triple drop for owners of the MaxBP Pro. The pitching machine should be placed in the exact direction of where the pitch would normal come from and batter should hit the ball where it’s pitched as best as possible. This may seem counterproductive, because so much of successful hitting can be tied to “perfect practice” and proper mechanics, but the thinking behind this drill is that the high frequency of swings at a quicker pace will increases bat speed by helping the pupil stay quick to the ball. It's perfectly normal during this drill to disregard the strike zone and swing at everything. With that being said an advanced hitters should be capable of recognizing balls (non-strikes) from strikes and most of the batted balls should be hit up the middle (left-center field - right-center field).
A hitter should incorporate this exercise into their regimen three times a week and it is ideal for athletes 13 years and older. An athlete should do the majority of the drill with a BetterBat Skinny Barrel Training Bat and/or a BetterBat Heavy Handle Bat; however, it’s important for a hitter to finish the drill with swings from their game bat. Don't forget to really clear those hands on the belt high and inside pitch. After all, this is a quick hands drill, and you're going to need those strong hands to rip that inside pitch.
Sorry Babe, hot dogs and beers don’t cut it in today’s game. Athletes who take care of their bodies and have specific training methods in mind hold a distinct advantage over their peers. Take pride in your training. Build your stamina and bat speed with MaxBP!