Conditioning

Conditioning the athlete for softball is not hard to do if you know what to do. Several topics here will help you to understand what they are and how to work it into your practice plans. Fastpitch is a physical game and our athletes need to be prepared for the demands of the game.


The importance of warming up before any physical activity should be understood. Several changes takes place in your body once physical activity is started. There is an increase in respiratory rate, blood flow, and oxygen and nutrient levels delivered to the cells.

 Dynamic stretching should be done as a team after a warm up jog and prior to starting practice or before a game. Dynamic stretching is good for preparing the body for action.

Static stretching should be done after a game or practice. Following a game or practice, you usually have a short team meeting. This is a good time to have the players stretch while they listen to you.

Speed makes a huge difference in every softball game. What is half a second? It is the difference between being out by 10 feet or being safe by 10 feet at first base or in softball terms, out by a mile or safe by a mile.

Agility is being able to quickly change directions without the loss of speed, balance, or body control. The nice thing about softball practice is that so many drills that work on specific skills also work on agility.

Core muscle training pertain to the muscles found at the obliques, abdominals, lower back, and the glutes. These four areas of the body are the ones that usually frame the posture of a person. Therefore, a good posture reflects the good condition of these muscle areas.


Strength training for women has come a long way. Even though the 1950's are fifty plus years ago now, it seems like there are still a lot of hang ups when it comes to women and weight training.