Alright, so today was all about diving back into some serious baseball work. I’ve been calling my little solo training sessions “AJ Camp Baseball” – kind of a personal challenge, you know? Just me, the gear, and the field. Figured I’d share how it all went down.
Getting Started: The Setup
First thing this morning, I made sure all my equipment was ready. Grabbed my favorite glove – the one that’s perfectly broken in – a couple of well-used baseballs, and my trusty old bat. The weather was looking decent, not too hot, so I headed out to the local park. Found a quiet corner of the field, which is always a plus when you’re trying to focus.
My main goal for today was to get a feel for everything again. It’s been a little while, and you lose that sharpness if you don’t keep at it. So, a bit of an all-around session was the plan.
Warm-ups and Getting Loose
I always start with a good warm-up. Can’t stress this enough. Kicked things off with some light jogging around the perimeter of the outfield, just to get the blood pumping. Then, I moved into dynamic stretches – arm circles, leg swings, torso twists. Spent a good 10-15 minutes on this. I really focused on my shoulders and legs, getting them ready for the work ahead.
Throwing Drills: Finding the Groove
Once I felt loose, I started my throwing progression. Began with short, easy tosses against a backstop. Really concentrated on my grip, my four-seam, and just feeling the release. Slowly, I started to increase the distance, moving further back. I didn’t have a partner, so the backstop was my best friend today. I focused on my footwork, trying to get a good crow hop and follow-through. It took a few throws to shake off the rust, a couple sailed on me, but eventually, I started hitting my spots more consistently. Felt pretty good to hear that ball smack into the fence with some accuracy.
Hitting Session: Tee Work and Soft Toss
Next up was hitting. I brought my portable tee, which is a lifesaver for solo practice.
- Set the tee up at different heights and locations over the imaginary plate.
- Really focused on my stance, keeping my hands back, and driving through the ball.
- I took about 50 swings off the tee, just working on making solid contact and line drives.
After the tee work, I did some self soft-toss. This is always a bit tricky by yourself, but you make it work. Toss the ball up with one hand, quick swing with the other. It’s great for hand-eye coordination. I wasn’t trying to kill the ball, just make consistent, hard contact. My timing was a little off at first, lots of pop-ups or grounders, but I started to get the hang of it after a dozen or so swings. It’s all about repetition, right?
Fielding Practice (Solo Edition)
Fielding by yourself is always a creative challenge. For grounders, I’d roll the ball out in front of me, then quickly get into position, field it, and simulate a throw to first. Not perfect, but it helps with the footwork and getting the glove down. For fly balls, I’d toss the ball high up in the air and work on tracking it, getting underneath, and making the catch. Misjudged a couple in the sun, which is always humbling!
Wrapping Up: Cool Down and Thoughts
Finally, after about an hour and a half, I called it a day. Did some static stretching to cool down – held each stretch for about 30 seconds. My arm felt good, a little tired, but no pain, which is key. My legs definitely felt the work from the explosive movements in hitting and fielding.
Overall, it was a really productive “AJ Camp Baseball” session. I identified a few things to keep working on – especially my consistency with throwing accuracy at longer distances and getting more power from my legs in my swing. But it felt great to be out there, putting in the work. That’s the most important part. Just showing up and doing it. Looking forward to the next one!
