By Garrett Wolforth –
Every fall, I hear some version of the same plan from athletes walking into The Ranch:
“I’m going to lift four days a week.”
“I’m going to throw more.”
“I’m going to get after it this offseason and hope I’m where I want to be in the spring.”
There’s nothing wrong with the effort behind that plan. The problem is the last part: hope I’m where I want to be.
One of our favorite sayings at The Ranch is, “Hope is not a plan.” When our athletes adopt that mindset, they start today, work hard, and hope the work adds up to something by the time the season starts.
Sometimes it does, but a lot of times it doesn’t. And they don’t find out until the first scrimmage in February, when it’s too late to make adjustments.
The best performers I’ve been around, both as a player and as a coach, do it the other way: They plan backward.
Begin With the End in Mind
Stephen Covey made this idea famous in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Habit #2 is simple: begin with the end in mind.
Before you take the first step, become crystal clear on where you’re trying to end up. Then let that picture determine what you do today.
It sounds obvious, but almost nobody does it.
Most pitchers can tell you they want to “throw harder” or “be better.” Very few can tell you exactly what being ready looks like, by what date they need to be ready, and what they need to have checked off by Thanksgiving to stay on track.
Without that clarity, every workout is a guess. With it, every workout has a specific role to play in helping you get there.
How to Plan Your Offseason Backward
Here’s a process we walk athletes through. It takes a little bit of time and something to write on.
- Pick the date
The end needs a date. Not “spring.” A real day: your first high school tryout, your first college start, a showcase, a scrimmage, etc. Write it at the top of the page.
A date makes it real. Count the weeks from today to that day. For most high school pitchers reading this, it’s somewhere between 14 and 18 weeks. That’s less time than it feels like.
- Define what “ready” looks like
Now describe the pitcher who shows up on that date. Be specific. For example:
- Completing a heavy throwing day with no soreness the next day
- Landing off-speed pitches for 60% strikes
- Sitting ____ mph on my fastball
- Showing up physically stronger than I finished last season
If you can’t measure it or see it, keep refining it until you can. “Better command” is vague hope, but “60% strikes” is a measurable target you can work toward.
- Work backward in checkpoints
This is where the plan actually gets built. Start at the end date and work backward one month at a time. Ask yourself: Where do I need to be four weeks before that? Eight weeks? Twelve?
You’ll quickly see things you’d miss when planning forward. If you want to be fully ready by the first week of February, you can’t wait until January to start building your throwing volume. If you want to move better by spring, your preparation needs to start now, not after the holidays.
Each checkpoint gives you a chance to honestly evaluate where you are and adjust while there’s still time to do something about it.
Do This Tonight
Don’t let this be another article you agree with and forget. Grab a sheet of paper and write down three things:
- Your date: The day you need to be ready.
- Your “ready”: Three or four specific things that should be true about you on that date.
- Your first checkpoint: Where you need to be four weeks from today to stay on track.
Put it somewhere you will see it every day. Look at it before every workout and ask yourself one question: Does what I’m about to do move me toward those goals?
If you’d like help building that plan, that’s exactly what we do with every athlete at The Ranch. We start with where you want to go and build the path backward from there.
Start with the end in mind. Then go do the work.
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Important TBR Updates
- Today is the deadline! Early Bird savings for our Pitching Coaches Workshop ends tonight at midnight. The workshop takes place December 4th & 5th. For more information or to register go to www.CoachesBootcamp.com or email info@texasbaseballranch.com.
- Attention Catchers! Our annual Elite Catcher’s Boot Camp will be held December 11th – 13th. Registration is now open. CLICK HERE to learn more and reserve your spot. $500 Early Bird savings available through Oct 31.
- Registration for our Advanced Alumni Camp on January 2 & 3 is now open! Save $500 with Early Bird registration through November 10th. Space is limited to 32 pitchers and half of those spots have been taken. You must have attended a previous Ranch event to participate in this camp. CLICK HERE to register.
- Join us for a Fall/Winter Elite Pitchers Boot Camp!
November 21-23 (Sat-Mon) Spots Limited
December 28-30 (Mon-Wed)
January 16-18 (Sat-Mon)
February 13-15 (Sat-Mon)
To register or learn more CLICK HERE
- Have you been considering attending one of our 3-Day Elite Pitchers Bootcamp but haven’t yet pulled the trigger? To help, we have a detailed mailing package entitled “What Makes This Boot Camp Different”. If you’d like to receive this package and start making plans for the summer, email Info@TexasBaseballRanch.com and request a copy.
- Our October classes are underway but you can still join us! Classes are held Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM, and you can choose to attend one or both days each week. Spots are limited. Email Info@TexasBaseballRanch.com or call our office at (936) 588-6762 to secure a spot or ask any questions.
- Coach Wolforth is hosting a special 90 minute webinar – “The Velocity Code: 3 Secrets to Improving Velocity and Staying Healthy” on Thursdays at 7pm CST. If you’d like to attend the next webinar, CLICK HERE to register.
