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Introduction
The development of progressive programs that meet the individualized needs of athletes
is important in the human performance profession. This paper will outline a comprehensive
performance and fitness assessment, it will also include a 6-week progressive training program
for a high school baseball player that is looking to improve his bat speed, overall explosiveness,
and change of direction speed. The baseball athlete is a switch-hitting third baseman who thinks
of himself as a power hitter. And while this athlete has already been following a resistance
training program, he is lacking some training that is specific. He needs help in improving his
speed, plyometric and agility, he has an above average strength and traditional fitness
assessments, but below average on power, speed, and agility assessments. As mentioned, the
athlete is wanting to improve his bat speed; by focusing on the rotational power, the bat speed
will fall into line.
Background/Testing
Baseball is a sport that requires rotational power, quick accelerations, and rapid changes
of direction, especially in the position that this athlete plays in, 3rd base and as a power hitter.
This athlete current training regimen has developed his overall strength and fitness, but he has
not adequately addressed the specific demands that his sport requires of him. To improve his bat
speed, explosiveness, and change of direction speed, a targeted program needs to focus on
plyometrics, rotational power, and agility is necessary.
The first thing that needs to take place is a performance and fitness assessment to gage
where the athlete is at, in the beginning of his program. The following assessments is what will
be used to evaluate the athlete’s current performance level and to track his progress throughout
the training program. The first is a rotational medicine ball throw, secondly a vertical jump test, a
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5-10-5 pro agility test and lastly a bat speed measurement exam. When taking a closer look at the
assessments, an explanation for each one is needed. We will start with the first, rotational
medicine ball throw. This test will specifically measure rotational power, which is crucial for bat
speed in baseball (Szymanski, et al., 2020). It mimics the rotational movement of swinging a bat
and it will provide insight into the athletes’ ability to generate power through the core and upper
body. To measure this exercise, it will be measured in distance with a specific weighted ball. The
next test to be taken is the Vertical Jump Test, this one is not specific to baseball, but it is still a
very reliable test of lower body explosiveness and power (Kohmura et al., 2019). Improved
lower body power will contribute to better bat speed and change of direction ability which will
benefit the athlete in their specific baseball position. The third test to be measured is the 5-10-5
Pro Agility test, this test will assess the athlete’s ability to change direction quickly, which is
crucial for a fielding position, and base running as they make sharp turns around the bases
(Nimiphius et al., 2018). This test can measure both linear speed and the ability to decelerate,
change direction, and then accelerate again. The fourth and final assessment is Bat Speed
Measurement, this test will directly measure bat speed, and it will provide a baseline and allow
us to track the athlete’s improvement in their primary goal (Szymanski et al., 2020) of a faster
bat swing.
When examining the athlete, their goals, and the overall case study and the information
that was provided. It would be expected that the athlete’s performance on the given tests would
be below average in comparison to normative data for high school baseball players. While
normal high school baseball athletes are throwing a medicine ball around 50-60 feed, we can
expect our athlete to maybe be around 40-45 feet. With a vertical jump the average high school
male is about 20-22 inches, while the athlete we are looking at could be around 16-18 inches. On
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the 5-10-5 Pro Agility test, the average time for high school athletes is about 4.8-5.0 seconds,
while our athlete might be completing it in 5.2-5.4 seconds. On Bat Speed, the average for high
school athletes is around 65-70 mph, while the athlete we are helping may only be swinging at
60-65 mph.
Training Program
The following program is designed to be performed for about 10-15 minutes prior to each
of the athlete’s weekly resistance training sessions. This program will focus on plyometric
exercises, rotational power development, and agility drills to address the athletes’ specific needs
and where they want to improve in their sport. During the first two weeks, we will introduce
some exercises and really hammer down the techniques so that the athlete can progress in their
program while reducing the risk of injury. During weeks three and four, the volume and intensity
will increase, we will add in some different exercises to help the athlete reach their goals. In the
final two weeks of the exercise program, it will be known as peak intensity and sport-specific
movements, during this program we will introduce some new exercises such as depth jumps,
medicine ball rotational throws with step, plyometric lunge to lateral bound, and baseball
specific-agility drill.
The exercise program listed below, starts with basic plyometric and rotational exercises
to build a foundation and ensure that proper technique is being utilized. As the athlete progresses
throughout the program, the intensity and complexity of the exercises will increase. The
exercises were chosen specifically to accomplish the athletes’ goals: Jump Rope and squat jumps
improve lower body explosiveness, medicine ball throws will enhance rotational power and core
strength, directly contributing to bat speed (DeRenne et al., 2018). The lateral bounds and box
jumps develop multi-directional power, and agility drills like the T-drill and 5-10-5 Pro Agility
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Drill themselves improve the change of direction speed. This progression throughout the
program follows the principle of progressive overload, the demands on the athlete’s
neuromuscular system are gradually increased throughout the program and the approach will
allow for adaptations while minimizing their risk of injury (Kohmura et al., 2019). At the
conclusion of the 6-week program we are going to ask the athlete to retest his assessment tests to
gage the improvement that he made throughout the training program.
Weeks 1-2: Introduction and Technique Focus
Exercise Sets Reps/
Duration
Intensity
Jump Rope 2 30 Seconds Moderate
Medicine Ball Rotational Throws 2 5 each side Light (2-3 kg ball)
Lateral Bounds 2 3 each side Bodyweight
T-Drill 2 1 repetition 75% effort
Week 3-4: Increasing Volume and Intensity
Exercise Sets Reps/Duration Intensity
Squat Jumps 3 5 Bodyweight
Medicine Ball Rotational Slams 3 6 each side Moderate (4-5 kg ball)
Box Jumps 3 4 12–18-inch box
5-10-5 Pro Agility Drill 3 1 repetition 85% effort
Weeks 5-6: Peak Intensity and Sport-Specific Movement
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Exercise Sets Reps/
Duration
Intensity
Depth Jumps 3 4 18–24-inch box
Medicine Ball Rotational Throws with Step 3 8 each side Heavy (6-8 kg ball)
Plyometric lunge to Lateral Bound 3 3 each side Bodyweight
5-10-5 Pro Agility Drill 3 2 repetitions 95% effort
Results
From the design of this training program, the following results can be expected from the
athlete. An improved bat speed, the focus on rotational power exercises, especially the medicine
ball throws should lead to a 5-10% increase in bat speed over the course of the training program
(Szymanski et al., 2020). Because of all the rotational work the athlete did over the course of the
training program, he should experience 15-20% improvement in the distance of the Rotational
Medicine Ball throw (DeRenne et al., 2018). The baseball player should experience enhance
explosiveness, the combination of lower body plyometrics and rotational exercises should
improve the athlete’s overall explosiveness, with a potential increase of 10-15% in the vertical
jump test (Kohmura et al., 2019). The athlete should experience a faster change of direction
speed, because of the agility-specific drills and multi-directional plyometrics should lead to a 5-
8% improvement in the 5-10-5 Pro Agility Test time (Nimphius et al., 2019). These expected
improvements from the athlete are based only on him consistently following the program and
maintaining the proper form throughout each of the exercises. If he does not follow the program
specifically, he may not achieve results. Individual results may also vary based on factors such as
genetics, nutrition and the athlete’s recovery practices.
Conclusion
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The provided 6-week program is designed to specific needs of the high school baseball
player, the focus was on improving bat speed, overall explosiveness, and change of direction
speed. From incorporating plyometric exercises, rotational power training, and agility drills, the
program targets key physical improvements that are required for success in baseball. Regular
assessment using the selected tests will help to track the progress and potential adjustments to the
program as needed. The program is designed to allow adjustments to the program, if they are
needed.
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References:
DeRenne, C., Buxton, B. P., Hetzler, R. K., & Ho, K. W. (2018). Effects of under- and over
weighted implement training on pitching velocity. Journal of Strength and Conditioning
Research, 32(5), 1378-1385.
Kohmura, Y., Aoki, K., Yoshigi, H., Sakuraba, K., & Yanagiya, T. (2019). Development of a
baseball-specific battery of tests and a testing protocol for college baseball players. Journal of
Strength and Conditioning Research, 33(10), 2684-2692.
Nimphius, S., Callaghan, S. J., Bezodis, N. E., & Lockie, R. G. (2018). Change of direction and
agility tests: Challenging our current measures of performance. Strength & Conditioning Journal,
40(1), 26-38.
Szymanski, D. J., Beiser, E. J., Bassett, K. E., Till, M. E., & Medlin, G. L. (2020). Effect of
various warm-up devices on bat velocity of intercollegiate baseball players. Journal of Strength
and Conditioning Research, 34(7), 2032-2038.
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