Speed training

http://www.perfectgame.org/Art...ew.aspx?article=1300

If he is a big, powerful kid don't let it bother you. Continue to work on it but try to highlight the tools that he does possess. It's always a plus if a big kid is athletic but the scouts are probably more interested in seeing him hit bombs. 

If he can hit it far,  he doesn't need to be fast.  Coaches love power it seems as much as anything. 

OMG...  Just woke up and somebody changed my screen name to fourkids!   My 2020 is 6'4" 210.  Kind of athletic and kind of not grown into his body yet.  Football all over him.  Being told by football guys including one college that saw him at a pre season camp that he should be focusing on football not baseball as his main sport and that he is scholarship material (their words old timers not mine so spare me the chastisement).  But he is slow.  Almost exactly the numbers you are talking.  Depending on the day from 5.8 to 6 on the 40.  And he really still wants to be a baseball player.   I feel your pain.  Hang in there my kindred spirit!!  Hoping when growth stops and coordination sets in some speed gain will occur.  Best wishes for the same for you!  

Couple of FWIWs from our experience...

1. Lower body strength training is a contributor to speed...
2. ...as are hip exercises.
3. The start is where you can gain/lose time. Research start techniques.
4. Sometimes there are physiological issues that need to be overcome. A diagnosis from a sports-centric physical therapist will help.
5. Nothing can substitute for a personal trainer who does strength, conditioning and speed.

Unfortunately for joemktgson, we discovered #4 after all the showcases, et al. With that change, he dropped his 60 down by .3 during his last HS season.

Thanks for the article links, tips, and commiserations! We will start working on the running techniques but keep up the BP! Best of luck to all the big kids out there   including yours 2020Dad! Thanks

The first thing is to be in shape, especially lower body. Then players can be taught to run more efficiently and balanced. It will make them faster. I sent my kids to speed camp after their major growth spurts. My son's was geared specifically to baseball. They were both fast to begin with. Speed camp made them faster.

The best at teaching speed are Track coaches because they know exercises and running form. Get him to work with a track coach. 

As JOEMKtG mentioned, there is quite a bit to be gained in strength and conditioning as well as the start.  There was an article posted by PG about the start, a while back.  I can't seem to find it but maybe someone else can resurrect it.  It certainly helped my son.

[Edit: I see that Go44dad posted the article.]

Best of luck! 

Generally (very generally) speaking, an overall strength program combined with running should work well. Going for a conditioning run 2-3 times per week, as in working up to a 2 mile distance, is o.k. as long as it is combined with more specific running such as 30-60 yard sprints on the other days.

Interval runs, overspeed training, and other speed specific work are good and can be added but the single greatest physical change that will assist with speed is lowering body fat. And a general weight program combined with the running I mentioned in the first paragraph is a good start.

Four kids: Welcome to the site. Track coaches can be valuable as another poster noted. My son also used a weighted vest and weighted pants in some workouts.

Stafford posted:

Generally (very generally) speaking, an overall strength program combined with running should work well.

Agree with this.  Speed and agility drills have their place, but if you add 40 lbs. to your back squat, and do that in parallel with sprints/intervals (not distance runs), then you are going to get faster.  You need to develop the strength to apply force to the ground, and this trumps other methods to improve sprinting speed.

Improved strength, especially developed through squatting and deadlifting, will carryover to other aspects of your game as well - power at the plate, changing directions quicker in the field, stronger throws from the outfield, etc.