How To Add Power and Velocity [Guest Post]

Posted on 21. Sep, 2010 by bricf13 in Strength, Tools

Complete Grip and Forearm Training

Across the nation, our eyes are fixed on the last 20 or so games of the regular season.  We want to see who is going to step up and take the title in each division and in each Wild Card slot.  It’s always an exciting race to the finish!

As we watch the pro’s fighting for the pennants this fall, it’s important to remember that we are in the off-season now, so we need to begin getting ready for next season.  You can bet that people you are going to be playing against next Spring are hitting the weight room, the track, and attending seminars, looking for the way they can get an edge on you.

Don’t you want to get an edge on them?

Do you want to hit the ball harder, pounding out more base hits and getting more home runs?

Then one thing you need to work on is your Grip and Forearm Strength.

Hi I am Jedd Johnson and I played baseball for years.  These days I am strength coach and work with mostly baseball players and it amazes me that to this day there is very little understanding of proper Grip training.

“What are you doing for Grip?” I ask my guys when they first come to train with me.

“Oh, I carry around this tennis ball and squeeze on it throughout the day.”

This kind of answer burns me like I’m being stabbed through the throat with a hot pitch fork.  I don’t know who started this tennis ball squeezing craze, but it needs to stop.  Squeezing a tennis ball is good for warming your hands up, and that is about it.  Proper Grip and Forearm training involves hitting everything from the elbow joint down to the fingertips from multiple angles – like a SWAT attack on a hostage situation.  Here’s a run-down of what a solid Grip and Forearm Training Program should include.

Crushing – This is the act of squeezing the fingers into the palm.  This is like squeezing a tennis ball.

Pinching – This is where your thumb works in opposition to your fingers.

Supporting – This is where you hold something statically for time.

Crimping / Clamping – Like crushing, these variations are where you pin something against your palm to hold it.

Finger Extension – Opening your hand up

Pronation / Supination – This is where you rotate your forearm.

Deviation – This is where you move your hand back and forth in line with your forearm; the thumb moves toward your radius bone and your pinky moves toward your ulna bone.

Flexion / Extension – This is where you bend your wrist either toward the front of your forearm or the back of your forearm.

All of these movement patterns must be work regularly and in balance in order to get strong and also so you stay injury free.  If you start hitting all of these movement patterns today, then by the time the season rolls around you are going to swinging the bat with better bat speed and you’ll be crushing the ball.

Pitchers need this kind of training as well, so they can add snap on there curve ball and apply pressure more efficiently.

Plus, fielders need to build their lower arms up so they can be resilient against injuries.  You dive, you slide head first.  Crap happens.  Baseball is a sport that includes its share of collision.  You play hard, so you need to make yourself bullet proof and Grip Training is a place to start.

Unfortunately, players, parents, and coaches don’t understand what real Grip and Forearm Training is.  That is why I wrote Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball.  This is packed with literally hundreds of ways to strengthen, stretch, and injury-proof your lower arms so that you are a force to be reckoned with in the Spring.

Or you can go ahead and just squeeze your tennis balls and hope for the best.

Make it a great day.

Jedd Johnson, CSCS

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If you’re ready to lay the ground work to a League leading season, then watch for tomorrow’s post…Jedd is allowing me to give you guys an awesome workout plan…completely free 🙂

Stay tuned…

QUESTION TO ANSWER

Do you think adding real grip and forearm strength will help your hitting power, bat speed, and throwing velocity? Comment Below Now.

Tags: fitness, forearm, grip, workouts