How to Improve Your Baseball Skills
How To Improve Your Baseball Skills
The old saying is that "practice makes perfect"; however, you need to go about it the right way for success. The Bownet™ baseball skills guide will help you develop a system to Train Like a Pro. Here are some things to focus on when putting together your training regimen.
1. Work on Hand-Eye Coordination
The five basic skills in baseball (fielding, arm strength, speed, hitting for average and power) all require good hand-eye coordination. Here are a few ways to improve your fine motor skills for everything from swing mechanics to snagging pop-ups:
- Play catch regularly (or bounce a ball against a wall).
- Cross-train with swimming, racquet sports (tennis, pickleball, etc.), shadow boxing and other sports that help with coordination.
- Try brain-exercising hobbies, such as juggling and drawing.
- Visit your eye doctor regularly.
2. Develop Your Skills with Baseball Equipment at Home
To be an elite player, training needs to go beyond team practice and gameday. Bownet baseball training nets allow you to safely work on hitting, pitching and fielding anywhere. Other equipment that is useful for solo training includes baseball tees, training balls, pitching machines, ball caddies and agility ladders. Use them to work on drills from your last practice or target specific areas of improvement.
3. Attend a Baseball Skills Camp
If you're looking for a directed way to elevate your game, consider a skills camp. These training academies consist of weekly or daily classes. Some target specific skills while others offer more all-around formats. In either case, you'll get a chance to work with elite coaches and players while learning drills you can keep doing long after camp is over.
4. Find or Create Baseball Skill Games
Don't forget to have fun as you train. If regular drills are becoming a drag, turn them into a game that adds some excitement to your training. For example, you can create an obstacle course or relay race where you have to complete certain related tasks or award points for successfully fielding hits. Players can have a good time while practicing the skills they need.
5. Work on Functional Strength and Flexibility
Physical fitness can be the difference between crushing a home run or flying out to the warning track. A strength training program builds the power and endurance you need for a long season. Even something as simple as hitting or throwing weighted balls can be beneficial. You should also have a stretching routine to improve flexibility and range of motion while reducing the risk of injury.
6. Don't Forget Your Mentals
Having the right mindset is just as important as physical skills. Spending time on breath control, concentration grids, visualization drills and other mental exercises can help you stay in the moment. When you're mentally sharp, you're more likely to succeed, but if something does go wrong, you'll be better able to move on to the next play.
7. Nutrition & Self-Care
If you only eat junk food and stay up late every night, then you won't perform as well, and you're a lot more likely to get hurt. Eat a balanced diet, drink lots of water and get plenty of sleep so you're always at your peak. And if you do feel a muscle tweak or strain, it's OK to take a few days off. It beats being out for months because you tried to play through an injury and made it worse.