Strength vs. Performance Training: Expert Advice from Jacob Billingsley at BASE

Strength vs. Performance Training: Expert Advice from Jacob Billingsley at BASE Sports Performance

When it comes to sports like fastpitch softball, athletes and coaches are always looking for ways to improve their game. One critical aspect that often gets overlooked, especially for female athletes, is understanding the difference between strength training and performance training. To shed light on this important distinction, Jacob Billingsley from BASE Sports Performance provides his expert insight. Extra Inning Softball is excited to collaborate with BASE Sports Performance to bring you weekly articles and videos on these essential topics—stay tuned!

Strength Training: Building a Foundation

Strength training is often what comes to mind when athletes think of hitting the gym. Traditionally, it has been viewed as lifting heavy weights to improve overall body strength. In small-town environments, like the ones Jacob Billingsley has seen in Mississippi, this type of training has been more commonly associated with male athletes. For many female athletes, strength training has been underutilized, with a lack of access and encouragement to train in the same way. This gap, however, is beginning to close.

“Strength training is important for female athletes, especially in sports like softball,” Billingsley explains. “It’s not just about getting bigger or stronger; it’s about developing your body in a way that will help you on the field.”

The strength gained through targeted training helps athletes produce more force, leading to harder swings, faster pitches, and quicker movements. As female athletes in Mississippi and beyond have embraced strength training, they’ve seen substantial improvements in their athletic performance.

Performance Training: More Than Just Strength

However, Billingsley emphasizes that strength training alone is not enough to excel at the highest level.

“At BASE Sports Performance, we focus on performance training, which goes beyond just building strength,” he says.

Performance training incorporates power, speed, mobility, and sports-specific skills into an athlete’s regimen. The goal is not to be the strongest weightlifter but the best performer on the field.

In performance training, athletes work on the aspects of their game that directly translate to better on-field performance. While strength plays a role in this, Billingsley explains that it’s not the only factor.

“For example, increasing your squat from 215 lbs to 235 lbs might not drastically improve your performance on the field. But working on power, speed, and mobility will.”

Why Performance Training is Crucial for Softball Players

For softball players, this distinction is particularly important. The game requires quick bursts of power, whether it’s sprinting from home to first base, fielding a ground ball, or hitting a pitch. Performance training focuses on improving those movements through exercises that build not just strength, but also speed and agility.

“Power and speed training, along with mobility work, should make up a big part of an athlete’s regimen, especially for female athletes who are often overlooked in this area,” says Billingsley.

At BASE Sports Performance, a typical 60-minute session might spend the first half focusing on power, speed, and mobility before transitioning to strength work. This balanced approach ensures that athletes are improving in all areas critical to performance.

Empowering Female Athletes

One of the most important takeaways from Billingsley’s insight is the impact that both strength and performance training can have on female athletes. Historically, many female athletes have missed out on opportunities to train in the same way their male counterparts do.

“It’s time for things to change,” Billingsley says. “Female athletes deserve the same opportunities in the weight room, especially when it comes to performance and development.”

By combining strength with performance training, athletes can push their abilities to the next level.

“When our female athletes start to see the connection between their work in the gym and their results on the field, it all starts to click for them. They realize they can swing harder, throw faster, and move more efficiently,” he adds.

Collaboration with BASE Sports Performance

Extra Inning Softball is proud to collaborate with BASE Sports Performance to provide readers with weekly content designed to help athletes reach their full potential. Whether you’re a player looking to compete at the next level or a coach seeking to help your athletes excel, stay tuned for expert articles and videos that break down everything from strength training techniques to performance-enhancing exercises.

The difference between strength training and performance training is critical for female softball players to understand. Strength is essential, but to truly excel on the field, athletes must focus on developing power, speed, mobility, and skills that will enhance their overall performance. With the right combination of both, female athletes can break new ground in their sport, and we’re excited to bring you all the tools you need to get there.

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