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Baseball Teams Succeed with Drills

Baseball drills may not be the most fun part of the game, but they will help when it comes time for serious competition. Anyone who is or ever has been an athlete knows the importance of drills and practice to help make the reaction and movement instinctive. The best players of any game are the ones who know what to do even before their mind can think about it, the ones whose body is trained to react instantly and mindlessly, the ones whose muscles are ready for the stress and strain of the game. Baseball drills prepare the muscles, train the mind, and build confidence. Regardless of how much natural skill and talent someone does or does not have, baseball drills can mean the difference between average performance and truly stellar competition.

Baseball Drills Build Skill

Baseball is a game of speed because everything happens so fast, so baseball drills help players become better prepared to react instantaneously. When the ball is hit, it is immediately put into motion and players have to run, catch, and throw quickly if the play is going to be successful. Many baseball drills focus on teaching this quick reaction, such as scooping up ground balls and throwing them to a baseman as quickly, yet accurately, as possible. With many novice and young players, they are ready to react quickly, but their movements are not directed or controlled. Balls thrown quickly to bases are often wild and out of reach, resulting in not only a missed opportunity but also in more bases gained by the opposing team. Players must repeatedly practice scooping ground balls or catching fly balls and quickly throwing them with careful precision.

Another drill that can be helpful especially for struggling or poor hitters is one-strike pitching. In this drill, the coach should pitch only one ball to batters, forcing them to make contact with the ball, even if it is a bad pitch. This drill can help players focus on how to hit the ball and prepare them for similar situations in a game where they must hit the ball. Another batting drill that focuses on knowing how to hit different pitches is tee-batting. With use of a tee, batters can learn how to identify inside, outside, high and low pitches and figure out how to respond accordingly or when to ignore a pitch without swinging. Although these are only a few of the possible drills that can be used in practice, they show that directed practice can really help teach important skills and build a better team.

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