Baseball Speed...What is it?
First, in my opinion, let me tell you what it shouldn't be. It shouldnt be testing for the 60 yard dash -because a ball player will rarely sprint 60 yards (54.9m) in a straight line during game situations. However, I dont see things changing anytime soon so "The 60" will continue to be baseball's scouting standard to evaluate speed. But what about testing for speed that could actually mean something. Speed that translates to the field - speed that I refer to as functional speed. I break it down into two categories:
1) Functional 60 yard speed:
The traditional, linear 60 yard sprint will only predict what you might be able to do in game situations. Whereas "The Functional 60" test such as home-to-second, first-to-third, or even second-to-home can provide speed times for real baseball situations. AND lets not forget the non-tangables such as getting good jumps/reads on base hits, and recognition of defense all can influence the ability to take that extra base.
2) Functional 30 yard speed:
Top baseball speed is achieved around 30m-40m; and since the distance between bases is 27.4m (30 yards) it would be difficult for a player to reach top speed between bases (unless rounding one base to advance to the next). That being said, I still believe that a 30 yard sprint test, such as home-to-first represents game speed better than the 60 yard sprint. However, the 30 yard sprint test such as first-to-second or second-to-third may not make as much sense because of lead-offs & sliding zones reducing the 30 yard distance between bases.
There's no doubt that speed - offensively & defensively - is an asset. But it's much more than just running fast. Reaction, 1st step quickness, acceleration, deceleration under control and agility (ability to start, stop & change of direction) are pivotal to game speed. And when combined with the athlete's knowledge of different game situations and the ability to "READ" those situations you can overcome any lack of raw speed. So you may not be the fastest guy on the team, but you can train to be the smartest and quickest. And above all, run hard all the time. You may get into a hitting slump, or even a throwing slump but there's never an excuse to be in a running slump.
So when it comes to baseball speed, becoming a student of the game and practicing for various game situations cannot be overlooked. All the while your strength & conditioining program should include, but limited to, 1 leg exercises, resisted & assisted sprints, truck/sled pushes, jumping rope, variety of jumps/hops.
Out train the game...and run hard.
1 comment:
Adam - Great Post and I absolutely agree that the 60 is not a very good assessment for baseball speed. However, you're right in that the 60 will probably continue to be the test of choice for scouts. With that being said then, players need to continue to work on their 60 since this is what might be the determining factor in getting them to the next level. This is a shame because it takes away practice time where they can actually be working on improving their game speed.
To me, baseball speed is all about focus. It's very dificult to mentally transition into a sprinter with perfect technique after immediately hitting a ground ball to the second baseman. Usually the first few strides out of the box are wasted because the runner has a negative emotional moment where he is still thinking about the at-bat. As you know, proper technique on the first few strides to any sprint are critical because this is where acceleration takes place.
My ebook (60 Yard Dash Secrets) goes into depth about improving not only your 60 yard dash, but also other forms of baseball speed as well. Players interested should check out http://www.60yarddash.com
Post a Comment