What a Great Practice Environment Looks Like To Me

One of the biggest lessons I have learned through both playing and coaching is that the environment players are training in matters. You can have the perfect cue, the perfect explanation, and the perfect breakdown, but if the environment does not challenge the athlete in the right way, the learning will not stick.

The best practice environments feel competitive, fun, and purposeful. Players should feel like they are being pushed, but not overwhelmed. They should feel like the environment forces them to solve problems, not perform rehearsed movements. When players start to think, adapt, and compete inside their training sessions, development accelerates.

My belief in this type of environment comes from years of trial and error. I have seen players take great practice swings that never show up in games. I have also seen players who are not perfect in training but are incredibly game-ready because their practice demands decision-making, timing, and adjustability.

At its best, a strong practice environment includes movement prep, routines the player can rely on, and competitive drills that increase focus. I like to mix in practice designs that target specific skills such as swing decisions, timing, bat-to-ball skills, and adjustability. Examples include mixed BP, mixed flips from different angles, Trajekt (if you have it) sessions, double machine work, and simulated at-bat rounds. The three-plate drill is another favorite because it challenges timing, spacing, and pattern stability.

When training mirrors the conditions of the game, players learn more efficiently. They get exposed to variability, pressure, and speed, and those elements force the movement to become more durable. That is what development is: building movements and decisions that hold up when it matters.

A good environment does not just make a player better mechanically. It builds the skills that transfer.