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Why Baseball and Softball Hitters Stare At The Bat

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If you have been watching any of the NCAA baseball and softball tournaments I am sure you have noticed hitters taking time to stare at the bat before stepping into the box to hit. I first noticed this on a large scale during last years College Baseball World Series. The entire UCLA baseball team made this an important part of their mental preparation before each at bat. Some doing it between each pitch.  They hit the ball  extremely well and won the NCAA Championship.
This year you will see this mental ritual being utilized by most college teams in the playoffs.
Focusing on a specific point on the bat helps the hitter bring their mental and emotional focus to a single point.  This helps the mind eliminate the distractions of the moment like the sound of a loud crowd and the pressure that comes with an important at bat in a key series.
This ritual helps focus the mind on the task at hand. Hitting.  Focusing on a single positive swing thought like “hit the ball hard” sends a message to the conscious and unconscious mind to execute at a high level.

Where the Mind Leads the Body Follows

Focusing on a specific point on the bat is also a reminder to bring their emotional state back in to balance.
If the hitter is thinking pressure producing thoughts then the mind will focus on what not to do.  Negative thoughts like “don’t make an out”, “don’t strike out”, and “I have to get a hit” increase stress and pressure.  Pressure producing thoughts can also create emotional surges that are counter productive to hitting.  Where the hitter aims their mind the body follows.

A Deep Centering Breath

You will also noticed hitters taking a deep breath after they have taken time to stare at the bat.  This deep breath helps the hitter in a several ways.
It reinforces the minds ability to focus on the present moment.
It helps the hitter calm any amped up emotion they might experience during the at bat.
It sends oxygen to the brain.  When the brain realizes it is receiving a surge of oxygen it sends a message to the body to relax.
Hitters are more productive with a relaxed mind and body.

Achieving Their Peak Performance Zone

Each hitter has certain level of intensity, adrenaline, and internal stress that allows their body to perform at its peak.  We call this the “Peak Performance Zone”.
Taking time to focus the mind on a specific place on the bat and take a deep centering breath helps the athlete move into this zone before each pitch.  This increases productivity.

It Works For The Pros

I taught this technique to a Major League player who was struggling at the plate.  He was focusing on the wrong things during his at bats.  His intensity level was way too high.  He was out of his zone when hitting.
He learned how to bring his focus in before each pitch and breath in a way that relaxed his mind and body.  His productivity at the plate soared.  His average increased by over 30 points the last two months of the season and his RBI and HR totals spiked dramatically.
Most importantly baseball was fun.  He learned to enjoy the game again.

Energizing the Mind and Body: Keys to Obtaining Peak Energy Levels and Mental Focus

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Gymnastics Alicia Sacramone practices on Balance BeamAs a sports performance consultant I am keenly aware of the power the mind has on gymnastics performance. I am also aware that physical endurance is vital to competing at your best.

When a gymnast understands the connection between mind and body and integrates this concept into training, scores will increase significantly. Where your mind leads the body follows. What you see in your mind and think about will show up in the way your body performs on the floor.

There are a few key things to consider leading into a competition that will help you to show up for your meet with a clear, fresh mind, and plenty of energy to perform at your best.

By integrating these pre meet rituals you can enhance energy and power, and compete with a clear, fresh mind.

Get plenty of rest the night before the meet.

Many gymnasts have a habit of staying up late. I think this starts early when young gymnast get home from the gym late at night and then eat dinner and stay up late working on homework. They become conditioned to staying up late, and eating late. Get to bed early and give your mind and body time to rest.

Do not spend a lot of time on brain intensive activities.

I won’t win over many young gymnasts with this one but stay away from the television, the computer, and video games as much as possible the night before a meet.  This doesn’t mean stay away completely, but be reasonable with the amount of time you spend in these activities. These are activities that require a tremendous amount of energy from the brain. Spending too much time on these types of activities will create brain fatigue and will affect performance.

Don’t eat after 7:00 p.m. the night before a meet.

Digesting food requires more energy than any other bodily function. If you eat late, your body is burning energy and working all night long to digest that meal. Eat early if possible. Your body will have the meal digested before you go to bed. Your body will have only one task at night, to recharge your energy system. You will wake up feeling refreshed and ready to compete.

Eat low stress foods at night.

Low stress foods are foods that are easily digested. Chicken, fish, cooked vegetables, and light pastas are examples of low stress foods. Red meat, pork, and heavy fat dishes are high stress foods. High stress foods take more energy to digest causing your body to work hard at night to digest the meal.

Give yourself plenty of time in the morning to prepare for the meet.

One of the most stressful things a gymnast can do is rush to the gym late. This can throw off the whole day and lead to tremendous increases in stress and pressure. Get up early enough to allow for a slow, comfortable pace the morning of the meet. Try to arrive a half hour before your warm up even begins. This ease in pace will carry over into the days competition.

Eat a good breakfast.

Eat a balanced breakfast the morning of the meet. This breakfast should include fruit, and some source of protein like a smoothie, eggs or whole grain toast with peanut butter. This will give the body plenty of fuel to break down over time and will not cause a spike in blood sugars. I don’t recommend eating a high sugar breakfast in the morning.

Eat during the meet.

I am amazed at how many gymnasts don’t eat during the competition. Many gymnasts have a fear of feeling heavy the day of competition so they don’t eat during a meet. If you eat breakfast at 7:00 a.m., leave the house and arrive at the gym early for a 9:00 a.m. warm up you won’t eat again until lunch time. That is too long to go without putting more fuel in the body. Towards the end of the meet your energy level and brain power will begin to drop off. Eat small bites of energy bars, bananas, apples or other easy to digest energy sources during the meet and sip low sugar energy drinks. Your energy will stay consistent and your mind will stay focused on your routines during the entire meet.

Each of these suggestions will have a positive impact on performance. When utilized together you can expect more energy and a clearer sharper mind. When the body and mind feel right at the same time we reach peaks in self confidence. It is the confident gymnasts who are usually on the medal podium at the end of the meet.  Download a pdf version of this post

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