When I was playing Division I baseball, I could put on a show in batting practice.
I was strong. I had good hand-eye coordination. Throw me a forty-mile-an-hour fastball and I could launch it.
My teammates would watch some of my rounds in awe.
I loved it.
There was only one problem.
I wasn't a very good hitter when the game started.
Batting practice had become a driving range. I was trying to win the long-drive competition every day.
How far could I hit it? Could I hit it farther than yesterday? Could I impress the guys watching?
I was getting really good at something that wasn't necessarily making me better at the game.
My swing got long. I could crush off-speed pitches, but I struggled to consistently hit good fastballs.
And here's the frustrating part.
I knew a better way.
One summer, I was an All-Star pitcher and hit over .300. in the Northwoods League. I was playing nearly every day, sometimes pitching and hitting in the same game.
I wasn't trying to hit home runs.
I was trying to find barrels.
I controlled my swing. I competed. I made adjustments.
And I got results.
Then I'd go back to college and start trying to hit home runs again.
I had confused looking good in practice with getting better.
Now, as a coach, I think about that experience constantly.
There's nothing wrong with hitting a baseball 400 feet in batting practice. But if you can't hit a good fastball when the game starts, your swing needs to be shorter into the zone.
Sometimes the most impressive-looking work isn't the most productive.
Don't practice to impress people. Practice to improve.
Play the game.
