1st Things First!
Commit to having a plan. With a plan, you have direction.
With direction, you get more done in less time and are more apt to get results…which makes you want stick with your plan…and repeat it even more…which gets you better quicker…get it?

But…what do I plan?
My summary is to always work on your weak points…but let’s mix the fun stuff in as well. It’s off season, you know it’s important, but this is supposed to be fun… right! 

Here’s a great idea for this time of year:
Try to hit at a home training station with a batting tee or (for more fun) with a soft toss machine and get into a batting cage as often as you can during the cold and off-season months.

Better yet…use your plan to decide what to practice & how to accomplish your goals (again…one of your goals is to accomplish more with less time).

It is a game that we are playing…it’s the game you chose, so why not make up your own practice rules!

Here’s some examples & ideas:
Divide everything you do into 10 swings with a purpose.

1. Round 1 – Begin with hitting to the opposite field…count your successes…out of 10 (this might simulate driving in runners on base) 
2. Round 2 – Take 10 swings up the middle – just for focusing on a target…count your successes…out of 10 
3. Rounds 3, 4 etc. examples
   Make it up… play games best out of 10. Some examples:
   * Hitting a long fly ball to score a runner from 3B (how many runs can you drive in… out of 10)
   * # of hard hit balls… out of 10
   * # of ground balls… out of 10
   * # of sac bunts… out of 10
   * # of clean base hits… all out of 10 swings

Lather, Rinse & Repeat
And, of course, you can have a 2nd round on any of these ideas to see how you improve. Keep your own “scorecard” on a clipboard complete with dates and your results. Add a buddy and compete against each other…make it 9 innings (9 specific “tests” or a World Series best of 7) where the winner of each test chooses the next test.

I’m just making up these examples as I am writing, you do the same…
Just note that the most important points are:

1. Get a plan (one that is fun…so you will want to do it regularly). 
2. Use these games as practice tools. 
3. Compete with yourself or other players…or even Dad. 
4. Make up your own games…and compete, whether it’s against yourself, your Dad or a teammate. Just do it right or not at all.

Remember to plan your work and work your plan…In other words, stay focused! It’s true in school, business, baseball and life in general.