How to Practice in the Preseason

The preseason is the second phase during your training year. If this seems like news to you, you might have missed the first phase: the offseason.

The offseason takes place October through December. Its’ when you add to your pitch repertoire, increase strength, and make big mechanical changes. It’s like gathering the ingredients for a cake, as Cheri Kempf says in her book, The Pitching Edge.

We are currently in the preseason session. It goes from January through March. It’s when we take all the ingredients we’ve gathered and “bake” them, forming them into something edible. A pitcher will work on endurance and accuracy, making minimal changes to her mechanics.

If you’ve skipped the offseason session, you’ve likely missed gains in your mechanics and strength. At this time we focus an the powerful application of the strength you’ve built the months prior. Also, pitchers must not change mechanics too much in the preseason or it will affect accuracy.

To train effectively during the preseason, it’s best to get the correct proportion of each type of practice which include:

Block
Varied
Random

Block practice looks like, for example, 10 or 20 fastballs in a row to the outside corner of the plate. Repetitive practice is great if you are thoughtfully working on a specific fundamental like stride or arm circle. 

Once you get into the preseason you need to prepare like you'll play.  Groups of pitches will be varied. For example, you'll pitch 2 curve balls in a row to three different spots on the plate.  

Lastly, random workouts rarely have two of the same pitches thrown consecutively to the same spot, just like in games.

Below is a sample varied pyramid 10-15 minute workout that we will do in school next week. The number on the left is the number of pitches thrown. The bottom of the sheet is the location. Make up your own workouts or copy this one. 

I recommend writing out a detailed practice plan before you begin for the day. It will keep you motivated to finish your practice and give you a feeling of accomplishment at the end.

Essentially, you’ll have an extremely effective practice without any wasted time.