Advice for preparing your team for a big game

Good morning. We have a big non-district game coming up and I want to hear everyones strategies or techniques that you use in order to get you prepared to play a high-talented team.

I coach varsity high school ball, we're just over .500 right now and doing well in our district. Up next we have a team that has been talented for years and has produced several D-1 players. More than half of their team is batting over .500, so they can obviously hit...

Can you even prepare yourself with a team that is that solid?

Id say more than half of our losses this year are due to 10+ errors in a game, and not producing enough hits at the plate. Our weakness right now is hitting. Im not sure why, but we seem to be in some sort of hitting funk, so iv tried to implement more hitting drills and live pitching this past week to get us ready.....

Love to hear some advice from everyone.

Thanks!

"There are some things that can beat smartness and foresight? Awkwardness and stupidity can. The best swordsman in the world doesn't need to fear the second best swordsman in the world; no, the person for him to be afraid of is some ignorant antagonist who has never had a sword in his hand before; he doesn't do the thing he ought to do, and so the expert isn't prepared for him; he does the thing he ought not to do; and often it catches the expert out and ends him on the spot."

Mark Twain (1835 - 1910) American Author

Always my philosophy, make them go station to station.

If you think you need to switch up your routine to improve your players, then go for it. I wouldn't just do it because you are playing a good team. If they have it in their head that they are going up against
the 1927 Yankees and they will probably end up playing like the 1962 Mets...

soflo said:

10+ errors in a game

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Does my DD play SS for your Team?

Slow and steady wins the race. Whatever improvements you see that your team needs is what you need to do for every game. As an FYI, some things I see every team needs is to improve on both bunt offense and bunt defense. Make sure you always get an out. This can be done by teaching your players to go where the ball takes them. Hit your cutoffs on throws from the OF and make sure the cut knows where to be.

Cannonball said:

As an FYI, some things I see every team needs is to improve on both bunt offense and bunt defense.

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This is always sound advice. One thing I consistently go over my team with regards to defending the bunt is that when teams bunt when they shouldn't (certain out and runners on base situations that have been proven mathematically to be a bad time to be bunting) make sure you punish the other team by getting the out at 1B.

Punish that team defensively and then on offense get the bunts down when you should (again certain outs and runners on base situation) and you have given your team an advantage for that game.

That is something tangible that you as a coach can do for your team during a game.

During games coaches have little impact on the outcome but there are a few situations where you can help your team improve your chances.

You don't practice specifically for a "big game"....I believe you practice each day to beat the best team you will play, let's say Batbusters. You go over situations...bunt coverages, relays, 1st and 3rd situations, etc. things that the Batbusters do and do well to put pressure on the defense. Now the pitching part is a little different because of speed, movement, etc...that can be a game to game thing. Again, this is just my opinion and what I have seen work at a high level....good luck

DD used to play on a team where the coach would always remind them of how tough a certain team would be. I think more often than not the girls went into those games already believing they'd lost. And they would. I think you should prepare for this game the same way you would prepare for any other.

I agree!..