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Why Baseball and Softball Hitters Stare At The Bat

June 15, 2014 by Robert Andrews 4 Comments

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.

Filed Under: Sports Shut Down and the Mental and Emotional Impact on Athletes Tagged With: baseball, Focus, Hitters, Mental Focus, peak performance zone, Performance Pressure, softball, World Series

Hitting Slumps and Coaching Errors

March 19, 2013 by Robert Andrews 5 Comments

Galen great handsIt is spring time and that means that baseball and softball are in full swing. It also means that my phone is ringing and my email box is full with players and their parents wanting help to end a hitting slump.

When these players walk into my office most are dejected, down, and frustrated with little confidence. Many of these hitters were “tearing it up” earlier in the season and then hit a slump that has lasted a while.

The sad thing to me is that a 2 for 12 slump is catastrophic in the eyes of many coaches so they start tweaking and changing the hitting mechanics of a good hitter. These changes take a hitter who is only struggling mentally and creates a physical struggle too. Frustration heightens, players and coaches become more and more impatient. The hitting slump usually worsens meaning a drop in the hitting order from 3 or 4 to 7, 8 or 9. Some end up out of the line up all together.

If coaches and players could recognize that this approach only increases the ‘get it right” mindset of the hitter they would understand that this increases pressure, tension in the body, and in most cases erodes self confidence. Stressed out, tense hitters with low belief and low self confidence rarely hit the ball well.

Instead of altering mechanics try creating a relaxed atmosphere in the cages and games. Teach your players how to relax during each hitting rep or at bat. By learning how to get in their “zone” before each pitch hitters approach each at bat with a consistent mental and emotional temperament. They are focused and relaxed. They leave behind the “get it right” mindset and return to loving the game.

I worked with a major leaguer who was hitting .248 for the season in late July. He had lost the love of the game and was focused on the changes his coaches were making to his swing, scouting reports, videos and all the other interventions to try to get him to reach his potential. He was locked in to trying to get it right and please his coaches. By learning how to breath the right way, get in his peak  performance zone before each pitch, reconnect with his love of the game he ended the season hitting .281 and hit 17 HR’s and 36 RBI’s during this time.

His slump wasn’t physical in nature is only required a mental adjustment.  He reached his potential and has continued this upward trend for the last three seasons.

Hitting slumps are rarely physical in nature. The mental and emotional pressures that coaches put on players and players put upon themselves can make the best hitters in the game struggle.

Where the mind leads the body follows. Wherever you point your mind as a hitter will determine how well you hit the ball. Become mindful of your mental approach, how you handle your emotions during the game, and learn how to breath in a way that creates a calm mind and body.

The game becomes fun again, confidence soars, and hitters move back up in the batting order.

Filed Under: Sports Shut Down and the Mental and Emotional Impact on Athletes Tagged With: baseball, coaching errors, Hitting slumps, peak performance zone, softball

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2500 East T.C. Jester
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Houston, TX 77008
Find us

713.522.2200

robertandrews@tinssp.com
kierstincollins@tinssp.com
michaelheck@tinssp.com
andreaestrada@tinssp.com
galenandrews@tinssp.com

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