You’re only as good as your preparation

Players often approach training sessions looking for a “feel”: the feel of a certain movement, the feel of connecting a well-struck barrel, the feel of proper ball flight, etc... This type of training has its place, but is this preparation training you for in-game competition? Is this preparation instilling the confidence you need when you’ve seen a pitcher dominate all the hitters before you?

Your preparation needs to encompass all aspects of the game. We have all faced pitchers that seem impossible to hit, and we approach the plate feeling like we have no chance in the world. That is why we need to add difficult drills into our hitting routine–that often make us feel frustrated and overwhelmed. We should be challenged to the point where we experience swings-and-misses in practice because swings-and-misses happen in games. Confidence in your skills is not developed from hitting off the tee, soft thrown balls and barreling every single one. Confidence is found when you overcome difficult tasks.

The key here is “overcome.” To overcome, you first must fail. To improve, you must be challenged. Growth does not come from a place of comfort; this is true in all aspects of life. Feel-good days can be useful, but failure and learning from mistakes should be a part of nearly every training session. Failure should be viewed as a tool to judge how well you're able to make adjustments.

When I am working with athletes I continuously increase the difficulty for each hitter in my session. The more difficult your practice routines, the easier you’ll find it is to adjust to quality pitchers in-game.