What should I do to improve the quality of practice in amateur baseball?

For someone like me, who has no experience in student baseball, if you start playing amateur baseball after becoming a working adult, there will be many areas where you fall short compared to experienced players.
I practice to try and close that gap, but once you become a working adult, the amount of free time you have is limited.

Therefore, it becomes absolutely necessary to improve the "quality" of practice.
This time, I'd like to summarize my thoughts and experiences on how to improve that "quality."

Elimination of vague practice

First of all, let's stop practicing without a purpose, as it's not very meaningful.
It's good as a warm-up, but if your own goals aren't clear, you won't gain much from it.

Always identify your weaknesses and practice to improve them.
For example, when playing catch, you might say, "My body is opening up too much, so try to be conscious of not opening it up when I throw," or "I don't have a good sense of putting force into my fingers, so I'll focus on that."
If you don't have any specific challenges, first identify what you can't do and make that your challenge.

There are two types of practice.

There are two types of practice.
It's about "practicing changing things you do consciously to do unconsciously" and "practicing to acquire new skills."

The former example would be, for instance, if your stance is too high when receiving a batted ball, consciously lowering your stance when receiving the ball.

The latter might involve trying different body positions after catching the ball, for example, if you're having trouble throwing after catching it.
Confusing these two types of practice is inefficient because they require different ways of thinking.

First, find a method that seems likely to work, and then practice it repeatedly until you can do it unconsciously.

If there are multiple people, do exercises that can only be done with multiple people.

This depends on the team, but I think it's quite difficult to get a large group together for practice once you become a working adult.
Therefore, when people gather, let's do exercises that can only be done with a certain number of people.

For example, a practice session that combines fielding drills with defensive coordination practice is a good idea because it requires a large number of players to perform.

Practice swings, catch, and pitching can be done by one or two people, so when everyone is around, it's best to do these activities with as many people as possible.

Practice for actual combat

Practicing things you won't actually do in a real game isn't very meaningful.
For example, practicing bunting when you'll never actually bunt in a game is a waste of time.
If the intention is to keep a close eye on the ball until the very end, then I think it's not a bad idea.

Also, personally, I think it's best to avoid drills where the ball comes from the side (or diagonally), like toss batting, if possible.
In a real game, it would be great if there were a pitcher who threw with a sideways toss trajectory, but that's not the case.
If they were to do it, I think it would be meaningful if the pitcher threw lightly from the front and it was used as batting practice to prepare for slow curveballs.

It's fine if there's a specific intention behind it, but you need to carefully consider whether the movements in the menu are actually going to be used in a real match.

However, I think there are also teams and members who find enjoyment in the practice itself.
Before eliminating practice drills simply because they're not practical for actual game situations, let's take a moment to remember the team's concept.
If you enjoy toss batting itself, I don't object to doing it as a way to relax.

Review the previous assignment.

This is very important: before doing any practice, make sure to recall the tasks from the previous session.

To put it more precisely, not just during practice, but before starting any play, I try to recall the issues from the previous session and try out countermeasures to improve those issues.
If you can't do this, you'll just stagnate and won't be able to improve.

Always ask yourself, "What am I focusing on during practice right now?"

Similarly, when practicing at a batting cage, always consider what your current challenges are and what you are trying to do to address them.
It's things like, "I'm swinging too late, so I'll try to prepare earlier," or "I'm trying to hit the ball with the image of throwing the bat to center field."

If you don't do this, it becomes just practice for the sake of going through the motions, and its meaning is diminished.
It may seem simple, but it's important to take notes on what you learned during practice and what you want to improve next time, and review them before practicing again.
Those who can consistently do such things tend to improve quickly.

The Recommendation of Observing Practice

When practicing drills like batting practice, don't just focus on your own turn; observe how others play as well.

In particular, there is a lot to learn from the defensive techniques of players you consider to be skilled.
For parts you can't do smoothly, try imitating the form or ask the person for advice.

The most effective way to learn by observation is to judge the trajectory of batted balls during fielding.
When practicing in the outfield, I imagine myself playing that position and think about whether I should run forward or backward.

Also, when playing infield defense, try to visualize yourself in the position, imagining where the ball will bounce before you go to catch it, and how you will approach ground balls.

Observing practice sessions to hone your judgment on batted balls is highly recommended, as it provides valuable experience.
When doing so, try to observe from as far behind the subject as possible.

summary

I've written about a lot of things, but when I think about it, most of them apply to any sport.
Those who are tired of constantly striving and pushing themselves may not need to be conscious of these things.
However, those who want to improve should approach practice thoughtfully, given the limited time available.