To get better at baseball, you have to work on the fundamentals of the game -- batting, catching, fielding, running and throwing -- consistently and repetitively. If you don't have a team, a group or a partner to join you, you can still practice effectively on your own. This is especially important during the off-season, when your team does not hold formal practice sessions and your friends are focusing on other activities. Working hard on your own will pay off when the baseball season begins again.
Step 1
Hit baseballs off a batting tee into a net, trying to hit line drives each time. Move the tee around randomly to practice hitting balls in different parts of the strike zone -- inside, outside, high and low. Focus on making perfect swings, since you don't have to worry about swinging at the right time.
Step 2
Throw racquetballs or tennis balls off a wall from about 30 feet away so they roll back to you. Practice fielding ground balls straight at you and to your left and right, using both backhand and forehand techniques. Use proper footwork as you move to each ball, then fake a throw to first base.
Step 3
Toss a baseball in the air repeatedly, straight above your head, to practice catching fly balls. Catch each ball above your forehead with two hands. Make a crow hop after each catch as if you are going to throw the ball back to the infield after catching it in the outfield.
Step 4
Assume your batting stance at home plate, take a swing, then run around the bases. Start with a home run, followed by a triple, double and single. Move to first base and run from first to second, first to third and first to home plate. Next, start at second base and run from second to third and second to home. Finally, sprint from third base to home plate.
Step 5
Set up a target on a fence, net, tree or wall and practice throwing balls at it. Start 10 feet away and back up gradually. Keep track of how many times you hit the target at each distance and try to improve your accuracy over time. If you're a pitcher, measure the distance of the pitching rubber and practice pitching balls at the target, using your entire repertoire of pitches.
Things You'll Need
- Batting tee
References
- "The Baseball Coaching Bible"; Jerry Kindall and John Winkin; 2000
- "The Baseball Drill Book"; Bob Bennett; 2004
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