At any level of baseball, the question often comes up – how often should you take batting practice? While you might be expecting us to save every day, this might not be ideal for everyone. The true answer will vary for each individual, but we can give you general guidelines that will work for most.
Little League Batting Practice
While just getting started in baseball, it can be tough to not want to jump in the cage every chance you get, but it might not be for the best. Early on, it is crucial to get your mechanics perfected before you start taking batting practice every day. The reason being is that if you have poor mechanics constantly jumping into the cage can actually cause you to compound these bad habits. It will be tough to break those bad habits later on.
Generally speaking, most little leaguers will practice with their teams about 2-3 times a week. With this being said, it is important to not overdue it. Kids at this level don’t necessarily need batting practice every single day. Focus on your stance, form, and mechanics, and develop a love for the game.
With that being said, if your kid shows that drive and passion really early on don’t hold them back. It really can’t hurt unless they are overdoing it with poor mechanics. So be mindful of that, and encourage them the best you can.
High School Batting Practice
High School is where the stakes begin to raise and it becomes a heck of a lot more serious. This doesn’t mean the little league isn’t serious, it just means there is a step up in the competitive nature of the game at this stage.
The players who are very serious about their craft should be doing some form of batting practice 5-7 days a week. Now, that might seem like a lot to some of you, but the reality is someone is out there hitting 7 days a week and improving their game.
While this may seem unattainable to some, given their high school workload and trying to maintain somewhat of a social life, it is doable. Whether you come into the cages or you work on your swing with some soft toss, repetition is key when trying to obtain the perfect swing. 5-7 days of hitting will surely have you closer to your goal.
College and Professional Batting Practice
You could probably guess the answer to this one, but we’ll still give you some of our theory. At the college and professional levels, you should be hitting every chance you get. Also, getting your reps in means something very different at this stage. Little leaguers and high schools should take somewhere between 50-150 reps per session. For the pros, that number should be in the 4-500 range.
Of course, at these stages players usually have dedicated a major portion of their life to the game so it might be more obtainable for them rather than someone who has to go home and do their algebra homework while also having to wake up for school the next day. Hitting 6-7 times a week sums up what is necessary to be at the top of your game at these levels.
In Conclusion
All in all, you have to consider your goals and consider your body when answering the question of how often should you take batting practice. You have to feel it out and see what works for you. If you’re someone who is super passionate and want to achieve at the highest level do not hold yourself back!
Also, while you’re here be sure to check out our other posts here. He’s till next time!
