Should physical strength be measured

[4Martini]

It's not even in the top 10 attributes for a softball player. Lifting or not lifting weights will not have a meaningful full impact on runs scored or allowed.

Most players are sufficient in terms of strength to play this skill-based game.

You can verify this at your next tryout. Look at the attributes they are concerned about/test for.

A lot of what my 14yo pitcher is doing looks like strength training to me. Pitching short distance after sitting on a box and standing up with one leg. Pitching drills on a bosu ball for core strength. Scap pulls.

It’s different from what I did as a swimmer - but it’s very much strength training and it very much has impacted runs allowed in her case.

 

[steve1244]

It's not even in the top 10 attributes for a softball player. Lifting or not lifting weights will not have a meaningful full impact on runs scored or allowed.

Most players are sufficient in terms of strength to play this skill-based game.

You can verify this at your next tryout. Look at the attributes they are concerned about/test for.

This was the prevalent belief in most sports back in the 1970s and 80s. Some back then felt that weight training was detrimental in that it could make one muscle-bound and less athletic.

If you look at the professional teams that have very significant resources to spend on performance and winning, all of them prioritize developing and maintaining strength and spend a lot of time and money on that. This isn’t random. Armoring players to make them stronger, more explosive, and faster makes them better, and protects them from injury and a decline in performance over the course of the season. And, it facilitates winning. Before Steph Curry started a serious S&C program he couldn’t stay on the floor for an entire season because of chronic ankle issues. Once he started lifting (I believe he deadlifts 400+ lbs), those problems largely resolved and multiple NBA championships were won. Pretty sure he and the GSW would disagree with your premise.


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[JayW]

What's with all the crap analogies this week?

 

[GunnerShotgun]

This was the prevalent belief in most sports back in the 1970s and 80s. Some back then felt that weight training was detrimental in that it could make one muscle-bound and less athletic.

If you look at the professional teams that have very significant resources to spend on performance and winning, all of them prioritize developing and maintaining strength and spend a lot of time and money on that. This isn’t random. Armoring players to make them stronger, more explosive, and faster makes them better, and protects them from injury and a decline in performance over the course of the season. And, it facilitates winning. Before Steph Curry started a serious S&C program he couldn’t stay on the floor for an entire season because of chronic ankle issues. Once he started lifting (I believe he deadlifts 400+ lbs), those problems largely resolved and multiple NBA championships were won. Pretty sure he and the GSW would disagree with your premise.


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Absolutely none of that applies to 99% of softball players who play the game of softball at all levels.

We already know the truth about this subject. Go to any tryout and look at what they measure. Are they measuring strength? The answer is no, not directly. Coaches aren't stupid. If it had an impact they would be doing pushups, pullups, grip strength, and one rep maxes.

What about college and high school players, they lift weights. A lot do, you are on the coach's time who is getting paid so I guess it's better than sitting on the couch. At the highest level, which 99% of softball players never reach, you do anything you can do to get an advantage.

Most kids that I see come through travel are strong enough. They are playing other sports, and doing other activities. Rarely is there a meaningful strength deficit.

I guess if you were building a softball player from scratch. For someone who wasn't athletic and had never played any sport, you would see benefits to lifting weights.

Lifting weights is great, get after it. Will it impact the boxscore, not so much.

 

[Tatonka]

I don't get on here as much as the old days but this was interesting. Same old Gunner, steadfast in his beliefs. Which is great..to a point.

Measurables/Metrics are important and crucial for individual improvement and benchmarking. Strength (overall) as a performance metric for SB is not readily available. S & C for the health and longevity of both an individual player or a team is indisputable (to me). A well conditioned (and yes, stronger) player/team is more likely to survive intact a season (or 4 or 5 seasons in College) and as a result of this, with all other things being equal the performance of the team will be better. Less injuries/better results. Will they hit the ball harder, run the bases better/faster, make better defensive plays, pitch harder? I think so but without specific measureble data it's just an opinion...and we all know what they say about opinions.

ps. Today, one of my DD's (5th year Grad Student) DIII College team is doing an hour or so of Vision Training then a full practice followed by a team lift (usually held in the very early am) and then a bit of fun/team bonding going to an apple orchard and goofing around. As an MBA candidate she's stoked to have a day of softball and no academic classes!

 

[Orange Socks]

No college coach has ever asked about a prospect's Bench press max, Dead lift max, push up max, etc. They are inclined to pay closer attention to Attitude and Effort and of course skill set. The next thing they do is turn their eyes toward the stands observing their parents. LOL.

 

[Chilixa]

While I don’t think there is a single strength metric that would catch a college coaches attention on its own. I do believe being stronger makes all the skills a player has better. Hitting further, throwing harder, etc… can all be accomplished by being stronger. Elite players have elite skills and strength.


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[RADcatchers]

I don't get on here as much as the old days but this was interesting. Same old Gunner, steadfast in his beliefs. Which is great..to a point.

Measurables/Metrics are important and crucial for individual improvement and benchmarking. Strength (overall) as a performance metric for SB is not readily available. S & C for the health and longevity of both an individual player or a team is indisputable (to me). A well conditioned (and yes, stronger) player/team is more likely to survive intact a season (or 4 or 5 seasons in College) and as a result of this, with all other things being equal the performance of the team will be better. Less injuries/better results. Will they hit the ball harder, run the bases better/faster, make better defensive plays, pitch harder? I think so but without specific measureble data it's just an opinion...and we all know what they say about opinions.

ps. Today, one of my DD's (5th year Grad Student) DIII College team is doing an hour or so of Vision Training then a full practice followed by a team lift (usually held in the very early am) and then a bit of fun/team bonding going to an apple orchard and goofing around. As an MBA candidate she's stoked to have a day of softball and no academic classes!

Ohhh Vision Training
interested in feedback on what that is and how it went.

 

[RADcatchers]

Here is more detailed information about torso/trunk muscles in regards with hitting.

Relationships between Bat Swing Speed and Muscle Thickness and Asymmetry in Collegiate Baseball Players

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships between bat swing speed (BSS), muscle thickness, and muscle thickness asymmetry in collegiate baseball players. Twenty-four collegiate baseball players participated in this study. Maximum ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Yes, we measure bat speed at tryouts. Fun fact, we have found no correlation between overall bat speed and batting average.

Bat speed is a piece of the puzzle but on its own, it doesn't mean a whole lot.