Practice vs. Warm Up: Is there a difference?

Is there a difference between practicing and warming up?  Do you warm up the same way that you practice and do you practice the same way you warm up?

This is really  a trick question.  Although some may use the terms interchangeably, there actually is a big difference between warm up and practice.  Both are essential to optimal athletic performance.

Warm ups
All athletes  must prepare their bodies to work.  Warming up your body is similar to warming up a car.  As you slowly rev the engine the oil  heats up lubricating the moving parts of the engine, allowing the car to run smoothly without mechanical breakdown.

Warming up your body for intense physical activity like catching or  windmill pitching requires the same sort of flow and lubrication, except  what is flowing here is blood (not oil) and what is lubricated are muscles, tendons, and ligaments (not pistons and transmissions).

Blood flow to your moving parts is the objective of a proper warm up.  Your routine should be slow, methodical, and long enough in duration to break a sweat.  It may consist of anything from a slow jog to calisthenics, to dynamic stretching (stretching with movement as opposed to static stretching).  Follow Joe Bonyai on Fastpitchpower.com for greater details on these routines.

Practice

Some of the essential elements of practice are:

• Intensity (quality over quantity).
• Immediate feedback.
• A focus on something technical.

• A practice plan.

In the next couple of weeks I will be doing video posts which present some of my favorite drills for extremely productive practices.  In the meantime, let’s take a quick look at the four essential elements mentioned above.

1. Intensity:  It is better to practice for 20 minutes with enthusiasm and commitment, taking 50 great swings or throwing 50quality pitches, than one hour of half-hearted, unfocused, mediocrity. Quality in practice always trumps quantity.
2. Immediate feedback:  Whether from a coach who is watching and correcting, or a useful piece of training equipment, getting instant feedback during your practice session is extremely important.  A simple example of a useful training aid which would provide immediate feedback for a hitter or pitcher would be a working against a fence. If  the player’s mechanics are not correct, the bat or pitcher’s body will hit the fence, thus providing immediate feedback on technique and body position.
3. A focus on something technical:  Technical elements for any athletic movement, be it golf, tennis, skiing or softball, are what go into producing solid mechanics.  For a pitcher it may be working on posture, balance, tracking or arm slot.  For a hitter it may be working on swing path, bat head speed or acceleration and extension after contact. Whatever your particular issues, you cannot build a solid house on a weak foundation.  Working on the technical aspects of your skill will give you a strong foundation.
4. A practice plan:   In my opinion one should never go into a practice session without a specific plan.  What technical aspects/fundamentals will I be working on today?  How much time will I spend on each component?  What result am I looking for and how will I measure what I’ve accomplished? Lack of  focus is a waste of time and energy.  Always have a plan.

Warm ups prepare you to practice. Practice prepares you for optimal performance.  So practice with intensity and purpose…but don’t forget to warm up first.