Preparing for Softball Season

For the last 3 springs/summers, I've played on a men's softball team. I love the camaraderie and excitement of the game. I play on a competitive team; we take winning seriously. Because of this, I make sure I'm prepared each season.

Every year around mid February Winter gives way to some sunny days, I'm reminded that softball season is quickly approaching. It's around this time that I start doing some softball specific training.

Of course I spend some time at the batting cages getting my swing back and my core muscles in tune. However, hitting isn't my main focus. I have a solid hitting record, so I spend most of my time concentrating on my in-fielding skills.

I would rather go 0-4 hitting than make 2 or 3 fielding errors. There's nothing worse than committing an error that leads to a game loss. In order to avoid this I follow a simple in-field training regimen.

I start my February training by playing a simple game of catch. As I get older I find my arm takes longer to get in shape for the long throw from third base to first base. I'll only throw for 15 minutes to start with and I won't make any hard throws. After a week I start increasing the space between my throwing partner and start throwing a bit harder.

Once my arm feels OK, I'll start throwing the softball against a flat wall and start doing some grounder practice. Aiming for a spot on the wall helps with accuracy and control. There's nothing more frustrating than throwing a ball away after making a nice fielding play.

At first I'll throw the ball against the wall so it bounces directly back to me. Once I get used to that, I'll start angling the throw so the softball bounces to one side. I'll have to move from side to side and bend over in order to field the ball cleanly. I find that bending isn't as natural as it once was when I was younger. My most common fielding error is when I don't get my glove all the way on the ground because I'm not bending enough.

In order to avoid this I'll practice it quite a bit. I'm right handed so if I throw the ball so it bounces to my right I'll need to backhand the ball. This takes a lot of timing and practice. The wall-throwing workout helps with this maneuver because you can do it over and over until you get it right.

I also start stretching my legs and core in February. Stretching is key to being able to make these plays well. Bending down to the side enough to get the glove on the ground takes some limber muscles. I don't do anything fancy, just basic leg and side stretches. I've found that stretching just 3 days a week increases my flexibility greatly.

Stretching also helps with the running aspect of softball. It lessens the chance of a hamstring pull when running down to first base.

In March and April I add some sprinting to my workouts. I don't enjoy jogging, but I do it most of the year because it's a quick way to stay in decent shape. However, jogging isn't sprinting. No matter how much you jog during the off-season the day after your first softball game, your legs will be sore. You're using different muscles and you'll feel it the next day.

By doing some short sprints and even hill sprints you can avoid the soreness and the possible injury of untrained legs. There's nothing better than blazing around the bases on strong legs. Speed and quickness around the bases change the way the defense plays you, and will lead to scoring.

Starting a low key training regimen in mid February assures that you're ready for the coming softball season. If you don't do some prep work you'll make errors and possibly injure yourself ending your season early.