Archive for the ‘Flexibility’ Category

Meet the “Quad Lunge,” one of the best hip flexor and quadricep stretches around. This stretch is especially beneficial to catchers, who have chronically short and tight hip flexors and quads due to squatting all game, every game.

The above video is pretty self-explanatory, but one thing you want to make sure of is that your back knee is behind your back hip.  You’ll find, in addition, that this stretch demands good balance, and using something on which to steady yourself is a good idea. Flexibility is crucial to moving effectively as an athlete, so don’t neglect to stretch regularly!

For rotational athletes like hitters and pitchers, tight hip external rotators can be a limiting factor in swing and pitch velocity.  When swinging or throwing, the body rotates on the lead leg by contraction of the hip internal rotators and relaxation of the external rotators.

So, if your hip external rotators are chronically tight and short, then your body will have to fight this inflexibility as it tries to rotate through.  With proper flexibility and mobility work, loosening up those hips will allow your body to rotate freely over that lead leg, allowing full transfer of power from hip to hip.

This stretch is quick, easy and effective.  2-3 sets of 15 on will help loosen things up and get you that full power transfer that is crucial in baseball.

For more hip stretches read my article Hip Flexibility Problems in Pitchers