Alright, so I’ve been messing around with this “baseball 50/50” thing, and let me tell you, it’s been a ride. I started by just, you know, hearing about it from some buddies. They were talking about how they practiced and it sounded interesting, So I decided to give it a shot.
First, I grabbed my old glove and a bucket of balls. I went out to the local field, It’s nothing fancy, just a patch of grass and a backstop, but it works.
I marked a spot about, say, 50 feet from the backstop. The whole idea is you throw, try to hit the backstop, and then catch the rebound. Simple, right? Wrong.
My first few throws? Embarrassing. Either I chucked it way too hard and it went sailing over the backstop, or it bounced way short. I spent a good hour just chasing after balls and getting the feel for the distance.
My Practice Process
- Find a field: Any open space with a backstop will do.
- Measure Distance:Started out by pacing off the distance to get a rough estimate.
- Warm-up Throws: Just some easy tosses to get loose.
- The Real Deal: Throw, track, catch (or try to, anyway!).
- Repeat, Repeat, Repeat: Did it over and over, hundreds of times I would estimate.
After a while, I started to get a rhythm. I figured out the right amount of power and the angle to throw at. It’s all about feel, really. You gotta adjust based on how the ball’s coming off the backstop.
It’s not about throwing as hard as you can. It’s about control and consistency. You want the ball to come back to you at a catchable speed and angle. It took some time, I kept working on it, day after day.
I wouldn’t say I’m a pro at it now, not even close. But I can hit the 50/50 maybe… 3 out of 5 times? It’s a fun little challenge, and it definitely helps with hand-eye coordination and throwing accuracy. It’s my own little personal training drill, and it’s pretty satisfying when you nail it!