1. Swinging Too Often in MLB The Show 25 Stubs Practice
The Problem:
In recognition drills, many players can’t resist taking swings. The moment you start swinging, your focus shifts to timing instead of identifying. This means you’re no longer training the skill you’re aiming to improve.

Why It Hurts You:
You’ll reinforce bad habits of chasing pitches because your brain is preparing to hit instead of observe.

Fix:
In dedicated recognition sessions, commit to not swinging at all or swinging only when the drill specifically calls for it. The goal is to identify pitch type and location before deciding to act.

2. Only Practicing Against Fastballs
The Problem:
Fastballs are easier to track and predict because they stay straighter. If you practice against them exclusively, you’ll get crushed when you face breaking balls or off-speed pitches in real games.

Why It Hurts You:
Real opponents mix pitches. If you’re not used to seeing slower velocity or heavy break, you’ll swing too early or chase pitches in the dirt.

Fix:
Mix in sliders, changeups, curveballs, and cutters in practice. Challenge yourself with different speeds and movements so you can adjust to anything.

3. Using Only One Pitcher
The Problem:
If you only train against one pitcher, you’ll start memorizing their release point and pitch patterns rather than learning to truly recognize pitches.

Why It Hurts You:
When you face a new pitcher in an actual game, your “recognition” won’t transfer—you’ll be thrown off by a different motion, arm slot, or velocity mix.

Fix:
Practice against multiple pitchers with different arm angles, handedness, and pitch repertoires. This makes your recognition skill adaptable instead of situational.

4. Ignoring Pitch Spin
The Problem:
Players often focus too much on ball trajectory and ignore the subtle visual cues of spin.

Why It Hurts You:
Pitch spin gives early hints about movement—without this skill, you’ll recognize break too late, leaving no time to react.

Fix:
During practice, lock in on the ball right at release and cheap MLB Stubs note spin patterns (tight backspin for fastballs, tilted red-dot spin for sliders, tumbling spin for curves).