How to Create a Practice Plan in 6 Simple Steps
/Your team coach and pitching coaches always come prepared with a plan to your practices and lessons. So, why not do the same for yourself? As we learned last week in pitching school, the equation for luck is:
Luck = Preparation + Opportunity.
Without proper preparation, you won't be able to capitalize on the opportunities that come your way during games.
By pre-planning your solo pitching practices, you can turn them into a more engaging experience. You'll be more likely to follow through, feel a sense of accomplishment upon completion, improve your time-management skills, and most importantly, expedite your progress. The more organized you are, the fewer wasted pitches there will be, the less time wasted on distractions, and the less monotonous your practices will become.
I've had the privilege of working with several students in developing practice plans while recovering from injuries. Practice Pro also conducted a zoom mental game session, where I taught our pitchers how to create personalized plans. Today, I'd like to share this valuable information with you. Together, we'll create a three-month plan.
To begin, make a list of all the drills and pitches you are familiar with, including ones you enjoy and those your instructor previously recommended for practice. Add in bullpens, like “hit/miss game” or “around the world” to get gamified reps.
After you’ve completed the list, let's establish a one-week calendar, which we will use as a template for the remaining weeks. Determine how many days per week you need to allocate for pitching practice. In this plan, we will assume a seven-day practice schedule, in line with the "something for 7 days" concept we discussed in pitching school. We’ll also use a model of pitching to your catcher/parent 4 days per week, then dedicate the remaining two days to visualization exercises, spins, or watching games on YouTube.
Label each of the four days as follows: accuracy, power, spinning pitches, and an additional accuracy day.
Now, list all of the accuracy-related drills from your main list into the accuracy day, and do the same for power and spinning pitches. Since you have two accuracy days, ensure they feature different drills to provide variety.
Next, determine the number of repetitions you will perform for each drill. I suggest starting with 5-15 repetitions per drill, aiming for a total of 50-100 pitches. For students in or below the eighth grade, reaching 500 pitches per week is appropriate. As a reference, our pitching lessons typically involve around 100 pitches. Experienced high school pitchers engaged in weightlifting and injury prevention programs can handle up to 700 pitches. Remember, the rule of thumb is to stop pitching when you feel fatigued. It's crucial to gather more information on these numbers, as pitchers' capabilities and needs vary significantly, and we must prioritize injury prevention.
With the additional 3 days you have nothing for, add the word “something”. This gives you the freedom to choose what to do three days per week, as opposed to being structured like you are the other four. These “off” days should not have full pitching motions with a ball, which means over your head, but should include spins, watching softball, or lifting weights.
Once you've planned your one-week schedule, replicate it for each subsequent week. If your initial list of drills was extensive and cannot be completed every week, add them to the second week and alternate between them every other week. Variety is beneficial for practice.
Every fourth week, replace all drills and pitches with shadow pitches and opposite hand pitches. Shadow pitches allow you to focus on perfecting your mechanics without the distraction of hitting a target. While opposite hand pitches may seem silly, they actually develop neural pathways on your non-dominant side and promote balanced muscle development, reducing the risk of injury. Tiger Woods, for example, takes swings with his non-dominant hand equal to the number of swings he takes right-handed.
If you struggle to remember the drills taught in pitching school, it's essential to take notes during class and refer to your CoachNow app. We provide recaps and specific notes on areas you need to work on. Being a good pitcher requires conscientious learning and taking responsibility for remembering what you've been taught.
If you follow this plan, you will have a pitch count for the week, which is invaluable information for both injury prevention and pushing yourself to improve. After the three months, look back and ask yourself how you did. What can you adjust? What did you like or dislike? Remember, this is your plan so you can change it if you want!
While you can delve into more complex and detailed aspects like seasonal training and block/varied/random practices, it's best to start with a simple plan to avoid feeling overwhelmed and unmotivated when designing it. If you're interested in learning more about pitch counts, arm safety, and the sources of the numbers I mentioned above, I encourage you to check out the blog I wrote on the subject.
