Game-Like Decision Making in Practices
"Before anything else, preparation is the key to success." - Alexander Graham Bell
There are many times as coaches we will get discouraged at the results on the field when we feel that our players have put in hard work. One of the biggest questions that we must ask ourselves is this one, is what we are doing in practice preparing our players for the game? If your practices aren't preparing your athletes for the game, then you will need to reevaluate practice. It isn't easy when this happens, but it is crucial that at least you as the coach have realized that you may need to shuffle the cards.
Today I will provide a game-like practice setting that will incorporate the whole team in game-like situations. This overall practice will come in handy for two reasons. The first reason is because it will give your players game-like situations, and the second reason is because you can prepare your athletes for your opponents by putting them offensively and defensively in situations that your opponents like to do.
To set up this game-like practice, I suggest that a day or two before you and your staff implement this, that you all explain what the players will do on the day you plan on using this kind of practice setting. Since it is very involved, you will want everyone to understand what to do, so everyone gets the best out of this practice setting. To start off this kind of practice, your players will come to practice and have their regular warm-up and stretching routine. After this routine, your players can start their catch-play routine. I would suggest having your players split up by positions. Pitchers with pitchers, infielders with infielders, outfielders with outfielders, and catchers with catchers. This allows for the next activity, individual fundamental practice. This individual fundamental time in practice allows for all of your players to work on their position and get better at their position before the game-like situations portion of practice begins. For the pitchers, have a set amount of pitchers planning to throw bullpens, but they will throw their bullpens live on the field. The other group of pitchers will get their conditioning in, pick off plays, and ground ball repetitions in. The individual fundamental time can be used to warm up the first pitcher for live situations and for everyone else to get their individual repetitions in.
After the fundamental time is over with, have your first group of hitters ready to hit. The rest of the players will be playing a position on defense. Depending on how many hitters you have in a group, you can have an on-deck hitter getting his timing, one hitter in the bullpen practicing pitch recognition, one hitter on the bases, and one in the batter's box. You can also have two or three base-runners on the bases as well, you would just have to take away some hitting stations. Before I go any further, I do want to explain the pitch recognition station. This station is more than just stepping in and helping the pitcher get warmed up. Each batter that steps in on a pitcher warming up must verbally recognize a fastball. If a hitter recognizes a fastball then he should verbally say, “yes.” Once the hitters get better at this skill through time, then they can go up to the next level. This level of pitch recognition has the hitter verbalize seeing a fastball for a strike as, “yes.” The final level is this, the hitter will verbalize seeing a fastball strike that the hitter will do damage with and a hanging breaking ball by saying, “yes.” The key to telling the difference between a fastball and a curveball is by looking at the wrist of the pitcher out of the hitting window. The wrist on a curveball will look like a skinny wrist.
In between innings, where new pitchers will be coming in and warming up, have two fungo hitters one on the first base side and third base side. The first base side fungo hitter will hit to the first baseman and second baseman. The third base fungo hitter will hit to the third baseman and shortstop. You can have a fungo hitter hit to the outfielders or to have a pitching machine throw fly balls to outfielders. This allows your players to get even more reps during practice.
When having this practice setting, it would be a let down for the players to not play for something. Have a stipulation where the losing team has to do a certain thing to do if they lose. This can be having the losing team pick up most of the equipment or the losing team has to do more exercises. When assigning points have the pitchers score points on specific tasks such as first pitch strikes that end up being outs. Hitters score a point on executing a specific type play that the situation calls for. This allows the players to understand the importance of these tasks and why the coaching staff is telling the players why these tasks are important. In summary, this practice setting is important and can help the whole team get better. Everyone will be involved, learning, and getting better. This is a total win-win situation that will make the game setting seem easier for your players when the umpire says, “play ball.”
Here is an example practice plan for this game-like practice setting:
Warm-up and Team stretch: 15 minutes
Catch-Play Routine: 10 minutes
Individual Fundamental Practice: 30 minutes
Game-Like Practice Situations: Rest of practice time
It is important to note that as a coach you can use whatever format that you'd like to use with this practice setting, this is just an example. As always, I hope this is helpful for you and your team.
In between innings, where new pitchers will be coming in and warming up, have two fungo hitters one on the first base side and third base side. The first base side fungo hitter will hit to the first baseman and second baseman. The third base fungo hitter will hit to the third baseman and shortstop. You can have a fungo hitter hit to the outfielders or to have a pitching machine throw fly balls to outfielders. This allows your players to get even more reps during practice.
When having this practice setting, it would be a let down for the players to not play for something. Have a stipulation where the losing team has to do a certain thing to do if they lose. This can be having the losing team pick up most of the equipment or the losing team has to do more exercises. When assigning points have the pitchers score points on specific tasks such as first pitch strikes that end up being outs. Hitters score a point on executing a specific type play that the situation calls for. This allows the players to understand the importance of these tasks and why the coaching staff is telling the players why these tasks are important. In summary, this practice setting is important and can help the whole team get better. Everyone will be involved, learning, and getting better. This is a total win-win situation that will make the game setting seem easier for your players when the umpire says, “play ball.”
Here is an example practice plan for this game-like practice setting:
Warm-up and Team stretch: 15 minutes
Catch-Play Routine: 10 minutes
Individual Fundamental Practice: 30 minutes
- Pitchers: Bullpen Pitchers- Gameday Prep and warm-up. Non-Bullpen: Conditioning, Pick-off practice, Ground ball PFP off of fungo hitter.
- Catchers: One catcher down in the bullpen, the other two work on fundamentals such as throwing and blocking.
- Infielders: Partner rolls (work on working through the ball), Short hop, Long hop, Fungos
- Outfielders: Ground ball reads, Cut off man practice, Drop step practice, Reads off of the wall.
Game-Like Practice Situations: Rest of practice time
It is important to note that as a coach you can use whatever format that you'd like to use with this practice setting, this is just an example. As always, I hope this is helpful for you and your team.
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