Kettlebells, Speed, and the Baseball Player – 2 Major Speed Building Drills For the Baseball Player!

Baseball players not only have to be skillful in hitting, throwing, and catching, but they also have to work on building tremendous athleticism to be the best! Speed is a MUST when it comes down to an athlete being dominant in his or her sport. I have included 2 great kettlebell drills that the baseball player can implement in order to build tremendous speed and leg power! Check it out.

1. The Double-Arm Kettlebell Swing: This is the base lift of kettlebell training. To start this lift you will want to stand on a flat surface with your feet about shoulder width distance apart in length. Next, perform a proper squat and reach down to pick up the bell with both hands. Stand up and allow the bell to hang at your groin. Next, you will want to perform what is known as the hip snap in order to build up momentum in order to efficiently swing the bell back and forth from between your legs all the way up to your chest level.

The hip snap is executed by you consistently and fluently flexing and extending your hips and knees in a continuous motion back and forth. As you do this allow the kettlebell to build momentum and swing in an arc from between your legs up to your chest level. Perform about 30 to 50 of these in a row with a moderately heavy bell and you will see where you can develop tremendous conditioning and leg power for speed!

2. Kettlebell Squat Jumps: Kettlebell training for baseball players is definitely something that is going to take some time to become more commonly accepted. Baseball players, in my experience, tend to have been mislead and falsely educated about the effects of strength training on their game. This particular drill will have an effect alright and it will be a good one! For this drill you will need a set of medium resistance kettlebells of equal weight. Start this lift on an open flat surface.

To begin, simply hold a bell in each hand allowing them to hang down by your sides. Keep your shoulders back and perform a proper squat while holding the bells in each hand. Once you begin in the ascending phase of the squat you will want to forcefully explode up to elevate your feet off of the ground. As you land immediately transition right back into the next jump! Perform up to about 15 or 20 of these in continuous succession to achieve optimal athleticism and conditioning! Your speed will develop quickly with this drill.