Softball jump training · Apex, NC
Softball jump training: the power test behind every first step
A softball player doesn't win games by jumping. She wins them with the leg power a jump reveals.
Why test a jump in a sprint-and-swing sport
Outfielders leave their feet at the fence, and infielders go up for line drives. But that is not the main reason we measure it.
A jump is the cleanest way to see how much force her legs can produce, and how fast. That same force drives her out of the box, off the bag on a steal and into the ground at the start of a swing.
So the jump is a window. What we train is the engine behind it.
What we measure
- Countermovement jump — a two-foot jump in inches, our best single read on lower-body power.
- Single-leg jump, left and right — softball is one-sided by design, from the batting stance to the pitcher's drive leg. A gap between sides can hide inside a normal two-leg number.
- Landing and braking quality — knees, hips and trunk on video, because how girls land and plant is where knee risk lives.
Testing uses Output Sports technology, and we pair it with first-step speed and strength so you see the whole picture.
A softball result from our testing
Measured on the same tests before and after training:
Every athlete responds differently. This is one real result, not a promise — see all measured results.
How training works
- Build the strength. Squats, hinges and single-leg work, loaded gradually. More force in the legs is where a better jump and a faster start both come from.
- Turn it into power. Jumps, bounds and medicine ball throws, done fresh and at full effort, with rest between sets.
- Coach the landing. Every session includes landing and stopping work, so the power she adds comes with the control to absorb it.
- Fit it around the season. Fewer jumps and throws in a heavy tournament stretch, more in the off-season, planned around what a showcase summer already asks of her.
Where we train
Sessions run in small groups of 3–5 at The Performance Academy, 1010 Classic Rd, Apex, a short drive from Cary, Holly Springs, Morrisville, Fuquay-Varina and Raleigh. Directions.
If your family is near Pittsboro or Wendell, the same program can be followed online through the Athlete Academy app, with her testing done in Apex.
Start with an Evaluation DayQuestions parents ask
Why does a softball player need jump training?
Mostly for what it builds, not for jumping itself. The leg power measured by a jump is the same power behind her first steps out of the box, a steal and the start of her swing. Training it, and the landing control that goes with it, helps on every part of the field.
How much can her jump improve?
It depends on her age, training history and starting strength, which is why we test first. As one real example, Lilly, a catcher, went from 12.88 to 15.75 inches on the two-foot jump over nine months. That is her result, not a typical one.
She is a catcher. Is this still relevant?
Very. Catchers spend games in a deep squat and then have to pop up and throw. Leg strength and power on both sides, plus knees that handle all that squatting, are central to the position.
Is jump training safe while she is still growing?
Coached, progressive jump and landing work is how young athletes learn to handle forces the sport already places on them when they plant, slide and stop. Volume is kept modest and quality comes first. Any current pain goes to a medical professional before training.
Where is the gym?
The Performance Academy, 1010 Classic Rd, Apex, NC 27539. We train in person with families from Apex, Cary, Raleigh, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina and Morrisville. Athletes in Pittsboro, Wendell and beyond train online, with testing in Apex.