In a recent Yankees game broadcast on July 22, 2010, there was mention of an outfielder not being able to hold onto a ball he was trying to catch when the commentator, Paul O'neill said, "If you don't have strong hands as a hitter or as a fielder, the baseball field is not the place to be."
That is a direct quote and Paul's point is well taken. Strong hands and forearms are extremely important in baseball. The hands are involved in almost every facet of the game: hitting, throwing, diving (landing on the ground), pitching, catching, tagging, etc.
The hands and forearms are what allow you to project all of the strength and power that your legs, core and torso generate so that you can swing the bat faster and hit the ball farther. The hands are what allows all that power to be transfered from your body and into the ball so you can pack 90 MPH heat.
Although often seen as a non-contact sport, the game of baseball involves quite a bite of collision, especially when you think along the lines of diving to catch a fly ball, sliding head first into second base during a steal, applying a tag when the runner is trying to knock the ball out of your glove, and catchers can get whacked hard guarding the plate when a runner is coming home.
For all these reasons it is important to train the lower arms right both for increasing your power output and for preventing season-shortening injuries from the collisions the game brings.
The following are just a few Grip Exercises you can start doing now to start building the Hand and Forearm Strength you need for baseball.
Hammer Rotations
When swinging the bat, if you want to maximize your power, you have to have serious forearm strength to turn the bat. So for this one, we will traget the muscles that rotate the forearm: the supinator, pronator, and others that support this movement.
For this one, you'll need either a sledge hammer, axe, or some other long device to create leverage. Grip the hammer about half way down the handle. Start with the hammer head veritcal and from there, slowly rotate the hammer under control in both directions.
This video shows you a couple of variations of Sledge Hammer Rotations:
Plate Clamp Press
When squeezing the glove, the fingers do not ball up like a fist, they actually do a motion that is called clamping where the finger tips move toward the base of the palm. It is important to include this type of Grip training in your routine in order strengthen this movement correctly.
In order to strengthen your Clamping Grip, you will need four ten pound plates. Put them together in pairs with the smooth sides out. Wrap your fingers over the top of the plates and clamp them tightly into your palm. Now, perform a pressing movement overhead until you can feel the plates want to fall out. At that point, terminate the set, rest the hands for 30 seconds to a minute and then hit more reps.
Two tens is generally the thickness that works best for most people. To increase the weight by adding another dime can make it too large to fit in your hand, so if two tens is too light, try adding a chain through the center of the plates in order to add more resistance.
A couple ways to perform the Plate Clamp Press:
Pony Clamp Pinching
The thumb is an often neglected part of the hand, but it is very important to include it in your Grip training. One of the best ways is using a Pony Clamp. These are available at many hardware stores and even some dollar stores. I like the ones with flat handles the best.
Grip the Pony Clamp with one handle on the ifnger side and one on the thumb side and try to touch the handles together. You can perform this exercise for maximum reps, speed reps, holds for time, and if the resistance is too light for you, just wrap rubber bands around the clamp end to increase the resistance.
Here are a few variations you can do with the Pony Clamp:
Extensor Bucket Lift
No Grip Training program is complete if it doesn't feature some sort of extensor work. If you neglect your extensors, you not only can create an imbalance that could turn into an injury down the road, but you can also hold your strength development back. By strengthening the extensors you will also be able to further strength then flexors of the lower arms.
One way to do this is with an extensor bucket. I like to use an empty cheese ball loaded with steel and iron for the resistance. You can also use a pretzel container if cheese balls are "not your bag."
Once you fill the container, stick the finger and thumb tips in and extend them out forcefully against the rim of the opening and then lift the container up. Once lifted, you can make the back of the forearm work even more intensely by flexing and extending the wrist.
Here is the Extensor Bucket in action:
These are just four great ways to train the hands for increased performance in baseball. For more information on why Grip training is important and how to get there, check out Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball. With 200+ exercises to choose from, by next season you can have big forearms that will launch the ball off the bat and fire it to the catcher with serious velocity.
In fact, after just a couple of the workouts I have already planned for you, you will start to feel a major difference in your hands and forearms on the diamond.
