If you want to become good at baseball, you have to start with the basics. Practice swinging with a baseball bat every day, and eventually, you’ll get there. These simple strategies will help you understand the foundations of a great baseball player.
Since you’re just starting, you only need to focus on the basics of the game. You don’t need to concern yourself with things such as exit speeds, velocity, and launch angles, although a baseball radar gun might come in handy. Reading about those things won’t help you swing better or hit harder. What you need is practice.
Here are some of the things you should do if you’re a beginner at baseball:
1. Learn the basics
You have to start with the fundamentals of baseball. The players you see on TV or at the field making breathtaking catches or hitting long home runs undoubtedly look amazing, but they all started the same way. You can’t do any of those things if you don’t learn the basics. After all, Picasso learned how to draw before he could paint.
Starting with the basics requires a lot of repetitive practice that seems tedious and boring, but this will help you become better. Practice hard and often, and you’ll become more comfortable in the field in no time. You’ll be surprised by how well you’re going to play once you’ve mastered the basics.
2. Control your swing
One common mistake rookies commit is hitting the ball too hard, thinking that it would the ball go farther. Swinging the bat too hard can be counterproductive, however. For one, it forces you to take your eye off the ball. One of the essential batting concepts is following the ball from the pitcher’s hand to the moment you hit it. If you can’t see the ball, you can’t hit it.
Let’s say you do hit the ball. The contact will most likely be weak or substandard. There’s little to zero control involved in a hard swing. More often than not, a softer swing can result in a bigger hit.
3. Don’t throw too hard
The same concept applies to pitchers: throw the ball too hard, and you’ll lose control. If that doesn’t concern you, maybe a broken arm will. Throwing a ball too hard can result in strained muscles and even dislocated shoulders.
Good baseball means you have to make accurate throws, regardless of where you play. Accuracy is especially important for pitchers. While you want to maximize your velocity, something a baseball radar gun can measure, you still need to control where the ball’s direction.
4. Listen to your team
Baseball is a team sport, which means you need to maintain a good relationship with your coach and teammates. And that means listening to them. Excellent communication is essential in baseball, and following your coach’s instructions will help you become a better player. Coaches are seasoned players who have a lot of experience playing the game and assisting other players to become better.
These pointers will help you become a better baseball player in no time. Always try to have fun, and don’t forget that baseball is just a game, whether things are good or bad. And lastly, play well with others. As in any team sport, you need everyone to perform at their best to win.
