Chapter 11-Off-season


Preparation

Off-season Goals

The goals for the off-season are simple:
1) Improve technique
2) Get stronger
3) Get faster
4) Get a feel and rhythm for the game


Assuming that you won’t be able to play games or practice with a team, the off-season requires a heavy dose of individual motivation. The trick is to combine interesting diverse activities that aren’t daunting to do on a consistent basis. In short, working in the off-season can in fact be enjoyable, while at the same time, lead to great improvement.

Technique Work

The off-season is the perfect time, actually the only time, to overhaul mechanics. It is also a great time for simple refinement of mechanics. Part of the difficulty is the great amount of self-coaching. This mandates that the player be knowledgeable and self-aware. Video helps, as do pictures, but the most efficient thing is a mirror or window. That’s where a hitter can compare and contrast his technique to images culled from other players, be it seen live, on television, or in magazines or newspapers. Realistic self-analysis is critical, because if you practice poor mechanics an entire off-season, it will be wasted once you begin team practice and must completely change again. So, be certain to get it right first, and be sure to keep it right.
For hitting, 10 quality dry swings each day for the entire off-season would yield great dividends. A great drill which is simple and easy, yet very productive, is taking five controlled swings, then five 100% swings. Using a tee, particularly the step-in drill, can be good as well. There is a danger of over-doing it however, of obsessing over every little mechanical detail. Instead, follow the correct technique, yet focus on doing it rhythmically and smoothly. That can be the greatest thing you can take from off-season work.
For infielders, playing short-hop catch against a wall is great practice – Cal Ripken did it every day in the off-season (Photo 42). This works on improving the quickness of the hands, as well as instills a rhythm for fielding, although you need to move back to get a rhythm for charging the ball and playing the hop.
Outfielders have a tough chore improving on fly balls, although shagging in batting practice is a good way to go.
Catchers have similar difficulty in getting practice, although they should team up with pitchers to work on framing and with a little imagination, proper throwing footwork.
Pitchers should be careful about throwing in the early off-season, relative to how much they threw the season before, and how their arm feels. Generally, pitchers should take a couple months off after the season, begin to play catch after Thanksgiving, and not start seriously throwing until the beginning of the New Year. Throwing to a catcher at 54 feet at 75-percent is a good way to work on rhythm when a pitcher doesn’t really want to throw hard, as well as doing dry throws working in front of a mirror.

Strength/Speed Work
Weightlifting
Weightlifting has become an essential attribute of the successful baseball player, although it should be done cautiously. The cliché not to get too big and lose flexibility is a valid point, and so stretching the arms after workouts is important.
While there are numerous programs to get stronger, it’s important to keep it relatively short and simple, that is, allow you to get good strength work done without it being a daunting task, as well as not take any time that could better be spent working on baseball skills. In fact, weightlifting should never be an excuse or a trade-off for not working on skills in the off-season. Remember, it’s a supplement to your game, not the answer to your game.

Running

Footwork and general speed can be measurably improved in the off-season. Correct running technique can always be improved, particularly with the help of a school’s track coach. Also, footwork and agility drills can really help catchers and infielders.

Rotator Cuff exercises

For all players, not just pitchers, simple rotator cuff exercises should be maintained throughout the off-season (see pitcher’s chapter for detailed exercises). Do not use more than three pounds on rotator cuff exercises or you’ll get a dead arm. You can use a tennis can filled with sand (Photo 41), a two-pound weight, or even a baseball bat. This is in addition to a throwing program that includes long toss.

Off-season Drills

Hitting

Hat Drill
Controlled vs. 100% swings
Step-in drill
Batting practice (preferably with wood bats)
Mirror work

Fielding

Trap Hop Wall
Long Toss
Rotator Cuff exercises

Pitching

Light catch
Short-distance to a catcher
Rotator Cuff exercises
Mirror work

And remember, work on being rhythmic!

A Note on Pre-season

The goal of pre-season is to either make the team and/or to get in shape to play games. There’s a big conflict however, because the throwing arm is usually not ready to handle the stress a normal practice places on it, so it is essential to show up on the first day of practice with your arm already in shape. A player cannot consistently throw hard until he’s been throwing consistently for six weeks, or a month and a half.
Yet, if a player is trying to impress the coach or his teammates, he sometimes feels compelled to throw too hard too soon, despite the knowledge that the season usually doesn’t start for a month. So, to eliminate this conflict, get the arm in shape before-hand, or put your ego aside and don’t throw consistently hard until you’re ready.