Baseball winter training – a practical guide for coaches

The winter season in baseball is the time when the team's playing and physical foundation is built. Without the hustle and bustle of the competition season, the coach can focus on the players' strength, speed, mobility and sports skills. When the winter is done carefully, in the spring they are ready to perform – and not just build fitness.

This guide offers concrete and practical tips for planning winter training for baseball players of different ages and levels.

Who is the guide suitable for?

The guide is aimed at:

• For coaches of junior players (10–18 years old)
• For instructors of adult hobby teams
• For coaching ambitious juniors and competitive juniors
• For clubs that practice indoors

Training for children under 8–9 years old should be playful, and top players need more precise periodization — but the principles of this guide are suitable for almost everyone else.

What should you practice in winter?

1. Strength and basic fitness – the foundation of the winter season

Winter sports (e.g. skiing) and gym training provide an excellent foundation for baseball. Strength training can be built with even small equipment: rubber bands and bodyweight exercises will go a long way.

Practical tips for the coach:

• Start your workout with a short and sharp movement and body control period.
• Build a 20–30 minute “core strength block”: squats, push-ups, core, step-ups, jumps.
• Use fitness circuits sometimes, and calmer ascending strength exercises sometimes.
• Make use of benches, steppers, resistance bands, and body weight – you don't need much equipment.

From a coach's perspective, the most important principle is regularity , not perfection. One quality strength block a week will do wonders by spring.

2. Speed ​​and agility – baseball playing speed is built in the winter

Speed ​​is not just achieved by running fast – it is achieved by training the nervous system, reaction time and rhythm changes.

Good exercises for the gym or the gym:

• 10–20 meter sprints with varying starting angles (from the ground, lying down, side, off balance).
• Quick changes of direction over distances of 3–5 meters.
• “Mirror run”: one player moves sideways and forwards and backwards, the other mirrors next to him.
• Reaction games with colored cones or traffic lights.

Winter agility training can easily be structured as a game, which makes it especially motivating for young people.

3. Indoor sports technique – small space, but lots to develop

Indoors limit the length of your shots, but not the development of your technique. With the right training, the winter season will also be effective from a skill perspective.

Throwing technique :
Do repetitions over short distances. Focus on body rotation and the rhythm of the throw.
Good exercises:

• Throw from knees → standing → with speed.
• Series of throws: 5 fast throws, 5 precision throws, 5 hard throws.

All you need is a paddle and a ball :
➡️ See the selection: Flippers

➡️ See the selection: Balls

Punching technique

Hitting from a rack works well in the gym.

• First, check your stance.
• Give the player 10 controlled repetitions, 10 relaxed strokes, and finally 5 situational executions.
  You can also practice with light balls (soft balls) without a large field.

Tip for coaches: In winter, there is time to break down the stroke into small parts, e.g. weight transfer, hand movement, footwork. This is more difficult to do in the summer season.

➡️ Read more: How to choose the right baseball bat

If a player is thinking about choosing a club:
➡️ Article: Baseball bats and their differences – how to choose the right bat

A batting stand to support training:
➡️ Batting stands

Winter is the time to delve into the details of your hitting technique — there's not always time for this in the summer season.

4. Game understanding and tactics

The winter season is an excellent time to develop players' thinking.

For example, you can practice:

• batting choices in small games,
• placement of the outdoor game (tape lines on the hall floor),
• solving situations (small groups of 2–3 players).

Imagery training also works in the gym:
Players move in roles in short, game-like scenarios.

What is meant by imagery training?

In this context, imagery training refers to game-like scenarios in which players “play through the situation” calmly and focused on their roles.

Examples (from a coach's perspective)

a) Outdoor game placement with scenario

The coach says:
“Situation: 0–1, the batter is a strong second baseman. Where should you be?”
→ Players move to the correct positions.
→ The coach goes through why.

b) Nesting costs in the hall

You can tape the nests into smaller dots in the hall.
The coach gives the scenario:
“A shot for the third extension – how are you doing? When are you leaving?”
→ The player moves according to his role, but without a full run.
→ Practices rhythm and decision-making.

c) Batting options in minor league games

The coach asks:
“Situation: player on three – which shot should you choose?”
→ The player goes through the situation without hitting, only with movement and thought.
→ Understanding of the game develops.

d) Outdoor game roles

For example, the frontcourt plays according to the “imagined shot”:

• the front field moves against
• the firing line reacts to a short or long
• the copper moves to the correct part of the sector
  → Everyone makes the right move based on their imagination .

Why is this useful?

• develop gaming intelligence
• improve reaction patterns
• create a common understanding of the game
• works in a small space, without clubs and balls
• Great for the beginning or end of winter training

5. How to build an effective winter training program?

The trainer doesn't need to create a complicated program. A light, repetitive weekly routine works well:

Example: 90-minute workout at the gym

1. Warm-up + coordination (10 min)
   – low jogs, knee lifts, openings, agility
2. Strength/Speed ​​(20–25 min)
   – jumping exercise + sprints
3. Sports technique (30–40 min)
   – throw–catch + rack breaks
4. Mini games (10–15 min)
   – short situations, reaction games
5. Final warm-up (5 min)

This model is suitable for juniors and adults and can be modified according to skill level.

Also check out these articles that support training

• Baseball bats and their differences – how to choose the right bat
  
  
• How to choose the right baseball - differences between junior, women's and men's baseballs
  
  
• Hobby pool for adults – this is how you get started and find the joy of exercise
  
  

Summary

Winter training is the most important phase of the baseball development season. It allows for the development of physics, technique and game thinking without the hustle and bustle of the playing season. When a coach builds a diverse, regular and motivating team in the winter, the team will be more prepared than ever in the spring.