Table of Contents
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What’s the difference between a decent baseball player and a great one?
Skill.
In baseball, there are 5 vital skills that all players should try to get if they’re serious about a sports career. These skills are also known as the “5 Tools of Baseball” and learning what they are is the first step towards success.
This concept refers to the 5 core athletic skills that scouts look for in all baseball player, but they’re also used to categorize players in a way that shows their skills and weaknesses.
It’s not necessary for all major league players to have all 5 skills. In fact, players that have all 5 skills are few and far between and they’re regarded as the best of the best.
What Are These 5 Tools Of Baseball?
Via: mensfitness.com
As you can imagine, speed refers to player’s ability to run between bases and track balls in the outfield.
This is one of the most important skills, as fast players are necessary to make things happen in the game and to play both in an offensive and defensive way.
Some skills are acquired, others you’re born with and speed is one of the later.
Sure, there are plenty of ways to increase a player’s speed but, ultimately, the results depend a lot on the athlete’s innate abilities.
Via: Stack.com
This skill is often considered the ‘least important’ but that’s a huge mistake. If anything, this is an underrated tool that should never be ignored.
Pitchers know this, as they need their arm strength and endurance to be able to throw pitches over and over again, which is why they value this tool tremendously.
However, this skill can be important for other positions too, such as the shortstop and the outfielder so it should always be considered by scouts, trainers and players alike. After all, if you’re planning on throwing a player out of the field by catching him between bases you need to throw hard and fast.
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There’s no doubt that home-runs are one of the best things about baseball and players who are powerful are often regarded with a lot of admiration.
A power hitter can be a decisive factor between victory and defeat as well as an intimidation factor for any team.
Power hitters recognize the importance of strength and endurance and they’re also one of the best paid in the MLB, as their ability to hit balls off the wall are always a people’s favorite.
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This is one of the most valued skills, as players who can hit for average are often in the starting line-up.
This is also one of the hardest skills to train, if not the hardest as it takes not only skill but thousands of hours of training.
Good players might hit for power but great players hit for average as doing this requires the ability to make good decisions right at the plate.
The ability to know when to hit, when to bunt and when to avoid doing anything is decisive for a good player which is why this is the skill you should focus on the most when you’re training.
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They say the best defense is a good offense but the opposite is also true.
A good defense can win a game and is often vital to do so.
Good defensive players, such as short stops and outfielders need not only to be athletic and consistent but also need to know how to read hits in order to move quickly and get in position before it’s too late.
Having a solid defensive player can improve the quality of an entire team, which is why scouts love players with good fielding abilities.
Sharpen 5 Tools Of Baseball
Innate talent may be impossible to get but hard work can match it.If you want to become one of the few five tool players out there you need to train and you need to do it hard. Don’t wait until a scout ‘finds you’ and don’t wait until you ‘get better’. The longer you take the less time you’ll have to practice so practice and do it now.
In fact, if you can get one-on-one training do it. Find someone with plenty of experience, someone who has played in the majors or even a scout. Someone who will train you the right way.
You might have to dedicate countless hours to your training. You might have to skip all kinds of parties and reunions.
You might even have to leave your hometown to get proper training, but if you want to become a five tool player you have to take some risks.
That said, this is what you can do on your own to improve your skills.
Via: baseballfactory.com
Increase your lower body strength by lifting weight and focusing in areas such as glutes and hamstrings.
Work on sprinting routines and improving your speed, as well as reducing your recovery time.
Keep in mind that overweight players are slow players so make sure to work on that.
Via: lineupforms.com
Work on your upper body strength and focus on increasing your mobility and reaction times.
More important, work on accuracy and on increasing the distance of your toss.
Always aim for consistency even over power.
The best way to improve this is through batting practice as long as you treat it like in-game situations. Practice can be fun but if you treat every practice as a real game you’ll be more than ready for the big day.
Field as many balls as you can. Get help from a team mate and take turns hitting ground and fly balls.
Practice your plays, practice your tricks.
Have fun!
They say the best defense is a good offense but the opposite is also true.
A good defense can win a game and is often vital to do so.
Good defensive players, such as short stops and outfielders need not only to be athletic and consistent but also need to know how to read hits in order to move quickly and get in position before it’s too late.
Having a solid defensive player can improve the quality of an entire team, which is why scouts love players with good fielding abilities.
Do you have any questions about The 5 Tools? Do you want to know how to improve something in particular?
Let us know by leaving a comment.
