From reading my blogs most people would assume that all I do is play games. But that is not the case. I practice softball in some way each and every day to continue to improve and get better.
I use various equipment when I practice that includes balls, bats, gloves, all of the basics, and technology. I am going to share what an individual hitting practice is like for me.
Last Monday I met one of my teammates Cait Hughes and Coach Tim Husted at the Byron fields for a workout. We started out hitting off a tee. I did several reps and then Tim asked, why isnt it going over the fence? Hit it over the fence please. He videotaped a couple of swings and had me watch them. We discussed what needed to happen to achieve the goal. I needed to stay linear longer to get my weight going forward. I also needed more connection because my bottom was releasing too early causing me to swing with only my arms resulting in a loss of power. Next we moved to one armed drills. We worked my bottom hand to make sure I was releasing in the correct order, hands elbow then shoulder. He challenged me to hit it out of the infield. After a few attempts I accomplished the goal and was getting it correct every time. The next drill was my top hand. This drill was much harder to do and without knowing what you are doing, it is very easy to do incorrectly. Next we flipped my top hand so instead of having one pull and one push hand I had two push. When done correctly you feel an explosion of power off of the bat because you are able to create more bat speed. It was super awkward at first but once I got the feel of it, I started to excel in the drill. Next I hit front toss working on staying connected, being late with my hips, and getting as much linear as possible. We again used video to break down the swing and see what to improve upon.
After I earned a break and helped warm Cait up for her pitching lesson. I learned a lot about catching and how to frame. I also learned about the river on either side of the plate. I will say im not envious of catchers having to squat all of that time, but am glad to do it to help my teammate improve. Catching also gave me an opportunity to work on short hops that I would normally get in a game. Once she completed her workout, she pitched about 20 live balls to me as Tim watched and videod to see how everything came together live.
Being able to use video is a huge advantage forbour generation. We can break swings down into slow mo and see exactly what we need to fix. 10 years ago we did not have the technology as readily available as we do now. As a player I love to take advantage of it to help me improve.
On a normal day my dad and I will go to the field either in the morning or at night to have a hitting practice and do some defensive work. At home mid day I convince my brother to take a break from soccer to play catch with me and work throwing mechanics. Along with drill work 3-4 times a week I have strength and conditioning classes to help me get faster and stronger. On opposite days of workouts I try to fit in a yoga class or swim laps.
My ability to practice and improve every day is due to the people around me who give me the opportunity and the help to do so. I thank them each time for their help because it means the world to me as I work to achieve my goals.
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