Top 10 Tips for Baseball Practice

Baseball tryouts are coming up! Tryouts are tough, and you will probably feel a lot of pressure, but you want to do your best with all those coaches watching and evaluating the different aspects of your game.

1. Be on time: If you’re not 15 minutes early you’re 15 minutes late!
2. First impressions are everything: Dress in a full uniform. Be prepared with all the equipment (socks, baseball pants, belt, uniform top, and baseball cap). Have a great attitude. Show you’re willing to learn. Show the coach it’s fun to work hard!!!
3. Introduce yourself: If you have never met the coach before, make sure you go out of your way to say hello and shake his hand introducing yourself. This will show the coach you are mature with a professional attitude and strong self-confidence. The type of confidence needed to lead a team, or get a game winning hit.
4. Always on Stage: During warm ups make sure you look like an athlete, taking each exercise serious, no talking with other players even if they try to talk to you. Coaches are judging you from the second they see you, don’t think they are waiting for your bullpen or batting practice session to make a decision.
5. Don’t be a warm up hero: Warming up is NOT the time to show off your arm. Coaches are looking for a player’s ability to play CATCH, save your arm for the defensive part of the tryout, or your bullpen if you’re a pitcher.
6. Eyes on the prize: Any time the coach is speaking, keep your eyes locked on his. Show the utmost attention. Do not be distracted by other players, you are there for one reason, to impress the coach enough to make the team.
7. Stay moving: When it is time for defensive drills, take a deep breath and hustle out to your position. Jump three times up into the air to release some tension and keep your feet moving. Look excited, look ready, look like defense is your favorite part of the game and you are ready and willing to showcase your talents.
8. Hustle around the field: When its time to hit, hustle in from your position grab your bat and helmet and line up ready to hit. Try to take some swings off a tee or even just take some imaginary swings before it is your turn to hit for the coach.
9. Time the Pitcher: Time your load and swing behind the cage while others are hitting, each batting practice pitcher will have a different delivery and speed to their pitches. Notice the pitcher’s arm slot, where does the ball come from, over the top or more side arm? This type of mental preparation will give you an advantage over the player who jumps into the cage blindly without any clue how the pitcher is throwing.
10. Keep your head up: (players strike out sometimes in their first at bat of the game, if the player puts his head between his legs and sulks it will bring the moral of the team down) coaches need players that can rebound from failure and keep the team spirits up.