Top-level baseball players are always looking for ways to improve their abilities, whether that is to be able to slug a ball further than the opposition, or rocket down a pitch that a batter can’t even see.
Of course, the main way of getting better is through practice and rigorous training. However, with there only being so many hours in the day that an athlete can train, and bodies also requiring some downtime to recover, what other ways can baseball pros improve their respective games?
That is what we endeavor to find out here, as we go in search of some of the ways in which baseball players can bolster their technique by playing classic games, most of which have since shifted online to web providers and app stores.
Baseball players and coaches are always on the lookout for ways to get better at what they do, and it is possible that some of the solutions they seek exist within the realm of online gaming.
Improved Concentration
A skill that baseball players of all levels are encouraged to improve is their concentration. After all, standing in the outfield or on a base can become monotonous work after a while.
Unfortunately though, Murphy’s law often decrees that as soon as a player’s concentration dips they will be called upon to make a crucial play. This sort of situation arises all the time in many classic online games such as chess, poker, and scrabble, where the respective games can be proceed steadily, only for a sudden shift in momentum to take a player completely off guard. Top performers in each of these online games abide by a certain set of rules that optimize concentration for better performance, and which baseball players can definitely benefit from themselves. These include things like prioritizing a healthy diet to promote the type of brain function that facilitates concentration and focus. Even getting a better night’s sleep is a sure-fire way to improve concentration out on the ballpark, poker table, or online gaming lobby.
Long-Term Thinking
Strategizing is something that many baseball players incorrectly believe is the sole purview of their head coach. In fact, players of all varieties need to be thinking about long-term tactics, especially when they come up against tricky opponents.
This is most obvious in the position of pitcher, who must always be thinking about the best ways to strike a batter out, or whether it’s worth just giving a dangerous batter a walk. Such thinking is far more prevalent in classic online games like chess, where being able to think ahead of your foes is a crucial component in effective gameplay.
Reaction Speeds
Reaction speeds are the lifeblood of any pro baseball player, with everyone from batters to fielders needing to have rapid reactions to either hit or catch a ball that’s coming at incredible speed.
So many classic online games also require similar levels of reaction time, with some of the most obvious examples being those arcade button bashers of the past, such as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. Another online game genre good for honing this skill is racing games.
Who would have known that picking up a controller or tapping away at a gaming keyboard and mouse could deliver such incredible gains for baseball stars?
Learning from Mistakes and Setbacks
Competitive sport is all about ensuring you are the best you can be so that victory comes naturally on a daily or weekly basis. However, losses and setbacks are an inevitable part of any baseball player’s journey, with the vagaries of the sport making it virtually impossible to win one hundred percent of the time. Of course, it is how a player bounces back and learns from these defeats that ultimately sets them apart from the rest of the crowd.
Online games are great arenas in which to practice this method, with some games going by in the blink of an eye – requiring players to learn on the fly and adapt quickly so they can get back to winning ways.
