Okay, here’s my personal journey on how I tried to get better at baseball, told in a casual, blog-style format:
So, I’ve always loved baseball, but let’s be real, I wasn’t exactly destined for the major leagues. I could hit the ball… sometimes. My throws were… unpredictable. And fielding? Let’s just say I spent a lot of time chasing after balls. But I wanted to get better, just for my own satisfaction, you know?
First Steps: Getting the Gear (and Looking the Part)
First, I figured I needed to look like I knew what I was doing. A new baseball glove is the first thing I got. It’s really good. I found a used bat and glove off of some marketplace. I Spent about a hundred on a helmet, after my credit card rewards, not too bad. I’m sure I will use it often. I already had the shoes.
Hitting Practice: Swing and Miss… A Lot
Next up, hitting. I started by just swinging the bat in my backyard. Felt pretty silly, but hey, gotta start somewhere. Then I got a friend to pitch to me. Emphasis on pitch, not throw. I Whiffed a LOT. It’s harder than you think, I realized my posture and my grip was all wrong. I watched a few videos on how to stand. It helped slightly.
My friend, bless his heart, was patient. We did this a few times a week. Gradually, I started making contact more often. Still not great, still lots of pop-ups and grounders, but contact. Progress!
Throwing: Aiming for… Somewhere Near the Target
Throwing was a whole other beast. I used to just chuck the ball as hard as I could, which usually resulted in it going way off course. So, I worked on my form. Shorter arm motion, stepping into the throw, aiming for the, uh, general vicinity of my friend. I watched another video on throwing, it talked about something called “mechanics” or something. It was confusing.
We practiced throwing back and forth. A lot. Over and over. My arm got sore, but slowly, my throws became a little straighter, a little more consistent. Still not perfect, but better.
Fielding: The Art of Chasing Balls
Fielding… yeah, this was tough. I’m not the most agile person. I started with simple ground balls. My friend would roll them to me, and I’d try to scoop them up. Lots of bobbles, lots of missed catches. I felt like a clumsy bear.
Then we moved on to pop flies. Even harder. I’d run around, arms flailing, usually ending up nowhere near the ball. But, like with everything else, repetition helped. I got a little better at judging where the ball was going to land. A little.
The Results (So Far)
So, am I a baseball star now? Absolutely not. But am I better than I was? Definitely. I can hit the ball more consistently. My throws are (somewhat) more accurate. And I can field a ground ball without tripping over my own feet (most of the time).
The key, I found, was just doing it. Over and over. It’s not glamorous, it’s not always fun, but it works. Just have to keep practicing, keep making a fool of myself, and keep having a good time doing it. Maybe I’ll check out those local baseball leagues next year…
