Constraint Training: The Power of Constructivism at Work

Constraint Training: The Power of Constructivism at Work

"The best teacher is experience." - Ray Searage (Pittsburgh Pirates Pitching Coach)

If we all reflected back on how we learned best, most of our answers would most likely be that we learned best through experience. It is like the old analogy that goes mom or dad tells you as a child to not touch the stove because it is hot, but instead you go and touch the hot stove because you don't believe them. Once you touch the stove you burn your hand. Boom! That's a bad experience because you just burnt your hand and now you're screaming for you mom and dad to come help you, and you learned not to touch the stove when it is hot. We all can think of an experience like that and learn a lesson from that experience. 

This leads me to my next point about the theory of learning that we learn best by. That theory is called constructivism. Constructivism is a learning theory that suggests that humans construct information and knowledge through their meaning of information from their experiences. Sound familiar? The hot stove experience sounds like constructivism at work, and that is because it is. Humans don't just expect coaches or mentors to just instill knowledge on them and it sticks. Sometimes it works, but it is not the best way to teach a concept. The best way for learning to happen is to put those we teach through experiences that will prepare them for what they will be doing. 

Now that we understand that constructivism is the best way to teach, how can we apply constructivism to the baseball diamond? The answer to this question is a form of training called constraint training. The definition of a constraint is a restriction or a limitation. So constraint training is a form of training where there is a restriction or limitation involved with the drill, to teach a favorable skill to our student-athletes. 

Constraint training has been a favorable form of training for coaches and players for a long time. In fact, some of my favorite drills growing up were constraint training drills. The reasons why constraint training is so favorable is because the drill can look quirky, teaches a skill, the athlete learns what works and what doesn't, and is a lot of fun for all involved. With all of this in mind, using constraint training seems like a no-brainer. 

Let's now dive into a few drills that involve constraint training. The most popular drill that I have seen in the baseball realm that involves constraint training is known as, "The Great Wall of L-Screens." Scroll up to see the set up for the drill. This drill involves one L-Screen that has the BP pitcher or the pitching machine. The other screens are around to give the athletes a reference point. The point of this drill is to hit line drives and to drive the baseball in the air. If you hit a groundball you will be penalized. Another drill that I enjoy involves pitchers. You have your standard bullpen session, but this time the pitcher has to do ten burpees, then gets up on the mound and throw 10-15 pitches at a heightened heart beat. This teaches the pitcher to slow down the situation and control himself while pitching in stressful situation. Another drill that you can do with infielders and outfielders is to have their backs turned or have them on their stomachs, and then have a player tell them to either turn around or get up. The fungo hitter will then hit the infielder a ground ball or fly ball to an outfielder. These fielding drills teach trust, communication skills, and to have proper fundamentals. 

With all of this in mind, constraint training creates a valuable lesson for your student-athletes. This kind of training also allows for a ton of fun for your student-athletes. The more constraint drills you involve the more fun your practices will be, and your team will look forward to practice each and every day. An environment that teaches skills in a fun way is an environment that involves fundamentals, teamwork, and experiences that create memories for your team that will live long after their playing careers are over.