Aaron Wilkens

Don't Take 100 Swings When 30 Will Do As a player, you never stay the same. Every day you're either getting a little better or getting a little worse. But here's the mistake a lot of players make: They assume more work = more development. It doesn't. Taking 100 mindless swings is worse than taking 30 great ones. I'd rather see a hitter take 30 swings where he's completely engaged, has a plan, pays attention to what the ball is telling him, gets feedback, and makes adjustments from swing to swing. That's actual development. Taking 100 swings just so you can say you hit today might make you feel like you worked hard, but work and improvement aren't always the same thing. Every rep is teaching your body something. The question is: What are you teaching it? If you're tired, going through the motions, losing focus, or repeating poor movement patterns, more reps can actually move you in the wrong direction. Volume does matter. There are times when you need a lot of reps. But volume without intent is just volume. Don't count your reps. Make your reps count.