Hitting: A Mentality Switch

I want to start this off by reminding you that however you have been feeling lately about things, that it is ok. Frustrated, depressed, unmotivated, angry, sad, excited, hopeful, optimistic, etc. There is no right or wrong way to feel right now. Please know that I too have had my ups and downs, my really good days, and my really bad days, and I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but we are all in this together. We all want to get back on the field, we are all sick of this, and we all wouldn’t mind some sense of getting back to normal again.

May is mental health awareness month, and I just want you to know that I am here for you in whatever way I can be. Lean on me, reach out to me, set my workouts to the side for the week because you aren’t feeling them, or do them 3 times in the course of the week, because you were bored and just felt like it. If there is anything you need from me, or that I can do for you, know that I am willing to do anything in my power to make it happen.

With that said, I wanted to talk to you about some of the struggles that have been going around regarding practicing/putting in work these days, and mostly I want to let you know that you are not alone. I have had this conversation with a couple of hitters, but I believe this can be applied to any aspect of the sport.

This break, this time right now, might be the only time in your entire career that you won’t have a handful of coaches telling you what you should adjust, what you should be looking like, what you should be doing in your swing, in your pitches, in your throws, in your attitude, in your what-have-yous.

What I’m ultimately asking of you is to feel what was best for you, and for your body. What produces the most powerful swing? What feels right to you?

Have you put in enough work to know the differences?

And can you mesh the physical and the mental side together so that there is no gap in your mind holding you back?

You are your coach right now, yes I am here for you to point out or remind, but this is your time, this is your teaching time to not only your body, but to your mind. You are the one in charge of making the adjustments and feeling what is best. Use this time to be really in tune with where your body is positioned and what you are looking like in your swing, or in your pitch.

If you know me at all, you know that I am a HUGE fan of this little thing we all like to call the tee.

The tee, in my eyes, is the only hitting tool you need (besides a bat and a ball) to work on the largest array of very important hitting mechanics. It is your best friend, and simple work on the tee can produce some amazing results…especially right now.

For pitchers, the mirror should be a good friend of yours. Put a physical image into your mental memory. Does that look right? Does that feel right? What can I adjust to get better? Do I look confident in my movements?

I am also asking you to slow down your movements, so that your body can feel what it needs to feel. PLEASE!! Do less reps, or only do reps that have true meaning and heart behind them. The rest is just clouding your memory and fighting against your body to repeat the right movements.

This is your time to build up your confidence and remove any doubt, so that when the time comes to play again, the goal is to have your mind take over your physical ability, and you will be ready to rumble.