Becoming A Crunch Time Player

What is a pressure situation?  In baseball a pressure situation can be any possible turning point in a game, or perhaps any time a player feels an urgency or a necessity to perform in the “right now” as if the game was on the line.  Pressure situations rarely announce themselves.  Pressure situations can be the bottom of the 9th in the final game of the World Series, or a clutch at bat in the first inning of a Little League game.

Nobody wants to choke in a pressure situation, but the greatest athletes an the greatest competitors have all choked at some point in their lives and/or careers.  When athletes choke, people say they have no guts, no courage, and they view the “chokers” as not mentally tough.  But, atletes who choke deserve a pat on the back because of their GREAT DESIRE.  Desire creates pressure.  No desire = no pressure; it is that simple.

Choking-up is trying too hard; it has nothing to do with guts.  Athletes who are said to be chokers compete as hard as they can… to the point of self-destruction; they go “over the edge” to the point of losing their emotional control and self-discipline.  Great desire and competitiveness are attributes that every elite athlete must have, but strong emotions can easily take control, which is when choking occurs.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Ball

Question:

I coach Little League (coach pitch) and seem to have problems with hitting. At practices most everyone hits. However, in the games most step toward 3rd base and miss the ball. Also, they seem to forget their form and swing.

Any suggestions on fundamentals of stance, swing and position of arms along with drills to help proper step and swing?

Answer:
When kids step in the bucket it deals with one of two areas.

• Wanting to pull the ball too much.
• A fear of the ball.

With the first area, pulling too much, start the kids in practice, have them hit the ball to the opposite field. This will help them to keep their front side in. Emphasize to them the importance of staying square to the plate as long as possible. If their stride is too long (more than 4-5 inches) have them widen their stance some. Keep their stride easy and short.

If some of the kids have a fear of the ball, first teach them how to react the proper way. When they know how to get out of the way, they will have more confidence to stand in.

Teach the kids to have an aggressive approach by hitting the ball right back up the middle. If you’re the pitcher and you’re over 40, you better get a glove. It can be dangerous!!!

Could Aristotle Have Been a Great Athlete?

This genius believed that the mind’s only function was to be a cooling mechanism for the circulatory system.  Bet you know someone like that.  Well, according to humorist Will Rogers, everyone is ignorant, just on different subjects, and Mr. Aristotle was at least deficient in one area.  However, had he been right, at least that would have eliminated the problem of TOO MUCH THINKING, which is usually an athlete’s Achilles heel.  I am constantly amazed and dismayed at those in any sport who teach  mechanics excessively and little or nothing on the mental aspect.  The number one theory seems to be If there is a problem, it’s got to be mechanics, right?

If  that were  true, then each and every athlete that I work with, even by telephone, would not be making immediate improvement.  I know mechanics, but by telephone I do not have the luxury of analyzing and advising in this area.   I am not minimizing the necessity of teaching sound mechanics, which requires thinking, but once the skill(s) are learned, right brain play, which eliminates thinking, is absolutely essential.  Proper breathing and focusing solves the problems of  worry, doubts and fears and allows for peak performance.

Positive Communication Will Enhance Performance

The University of  California, L. A., in an extensive study,  came to the following conclusions regarding believability of communication:

1. Tone of voice & facial expressions account for 38%.

2. Body language, 55%.

3. The words, only 7%.  (Facial expressions are also body language, so the 55% should be even higher.)

It is only when all three are synchronized, or in harmony, will a person believe the words.   This study is another confirmation that regardless of the verbal message, if the body language conflicts, the person will believe the non verbal.  So, managers, coaches and parents, please be careful in the way you communicate with their athletes so as not to adversely affect performance.  Keep your total language positive, for maximum benefit on and off the field.

Take Your Practice Swings into the Game

Question:

My 11 year old son hits much better in the more competitive AAU than in LL. In AAU, he really drives the ball. Line drive extra base hits. His mechanics are good. quick hands, uses legs, stays down on the ball. In LL, he doesn’t use his legs, swings at bad pitches, doesn’t drive the ball. I know its a mental thing. He says he is tense. I think its a holdover from last year. His first year in LL majors, he did not hit well then either. (partly because he got hit on the elbow.) He works really hard, takes extra BP. But this is primarily mental. How can I help him overcome this psychological barrier.

Answer:

It’s true when people say that this game is more mental then physical. You talked about him taking extra batting practice, which is very good, however how muck time is he spending creating good mental habits. As much time as he spends in the cage he should spend visualising himself having success. Let him go over mentally all the success he has had in his AAU league. Have him go up to the plate with nothing on his mind except him knowing that he going to have success in that at bat. With this attitude he will always dominate.

Playing with the Right Attitude

Approach attitudes include a player’s plan (what he is going to do) and his approach (how he is going to do it).  Players have approach attitudes about everything that they do in the game.  These attitudes can change from pitch to pitch, just as their job and the situation in the game changes.  Approach attitudes direct the player; they are his guidance system.

The words hope, need, not, and won’t are negative.  Keep them out of your self talk vocabulary.

As a starting point, examine your attitudes concerning the following:

• Seeing the ball
• Where the best point o contact is for pitches inside, middle, outside, etc.
• Hitting pitches to the opposite field, up the middle and to the pull field
• Bunting for a hit, sacrifice and squeeze
• Hit and run
• Hitting mechanics
• Your strike zone

A Short Path to the Ball

Let’s examine the path the hands will take through the swing.  The goal of the swing is to keep the barrel of the bat in the strike zone for as long as possible:

• Get the barrel of the bat in the strike zone with the shortest possible angle
• Keep the barrel of the bat in the strike zone for as long as possible
• Finish with the extension out front and with a good follow through

If you do this, you will have an efficient swing, one that will be consistent and repeatable.

It is very important to take a proper and consistent angle to the ball; the lower half of your body is what allows you to take this angle.  If the feet and hips are not working correctly, the hands and arms will not be able to take the correct path tot he ball.

Hitting Through the Ball

Question:

My son consistently makes contact, however he does not hit through the ball and his bat angle at contact continues on a downward plane instead of a even plane. He always hits grounders and never/seldom line drives. Other than telling him whats happening and demonstrating the proper technique, I can’t seem to get him to adapt the proper mechanics (I think this is where I was going with the Dad thing!) Anyway, are there some drills you can recommend that might creat a muscle memory for the proper mechanics in hitting through the ball and the proper swing plane?

Answer:

Your son sounds like he has the correct idea of starting at a downward angle. In his toss drills, and off the tee, have him start finishing his swing shoulder high. As you stated the swing should level off, if you work on the finish, he should level the swing off. Make sure he is not rolling his top hand too soon, the top hand should not roll until well after contact. Do some tee work, move the tee about 5-7 inches in front of where he would normally make contact. If he continues his downward angle he will not be able to make good contact. He will have to level his swing in order to make contact. Have him try to drive the ball back up the middle, keeping his hands going through the contact plane.

Getting Back to the Basics

What is the ‘batter’s box’ in baseball?
The batter’s box in baseball is designed to keep the batter in a certain space. So he doesn’t gain an advantage. So it’s basically made up of a chalk and it’s for the right handed side of the batter and for the left handed side of the batter. And again it’s just to keep them in a certain space that they are not allowed to go beyond that boundary.

What is the ‘on-deck circle’ in baseball?
The on-deck circle is designed for the next hitter coming to the plate. It’s close to the dugout, for safety reasons, so the on-deck hitter is not vulnerable to getting hit, obviously. And a second reason why the on-deck circle is near the dugout is so that the batter doesn’t get an unfair advantage by getting too close to the plate and actually getting a better look at what the pitcher’s throwing.

What is the ‘batting cage’ in baseball?
The ‘batting cage’ in baseball is set up for the hitters before the game so that more or less the balls stay in one area, so that they’re not chasing the balls around. When a batter hits, it’s nice because the balls will be held by the netting of the cage and the third thing is that the coaches can get very close to the hitter and watch from behind and maybe help them work on technique.

What is ‘pine tar’ and how is it used in baseball?
Pine tar is a sticky substance that is used in baseball really to give a header a great grip on the bat. This is so the bat doesn’t flat your hands, or the bat doesn’t feel loose in your hands, or they don’t feel as good as a grip on the bat.

What is the right way to grip a baseball bat?
The appropriate way to grip a baseball bat is to keep your hands relatively loose, the looser your hands are, the looser your muscles are and the better that they fire, the better that they operate. So I would say generally speaking “loose” there is a technical way to do it so where your knuckles, your first knuckle on each finger line up your right hand with your left hand, but generally speaking the idea is that your hands should be relatively comfortable and it should not be really tight when you grip a baseball bat.

What does it mean to ‘choke up’ on a baseball bat?
Choking up on a bat is really done in situations where you feel you’re overmatched by the pitcher. He’s throwing very hard or you have two strikes on you, so you’re really in a protective mode where you don’t want. You want to keep your swing a little shorter and you want to have a little more control at the bat. So, by choking up you’re actually getting a little more control, and you’re less vulnerable to someone overpowering you.

What is the right way to hold and position a baseball bat when preparing to hit?
The appropriate way to hold a bat when you’re positioning yourself to hit the ball is really, varied. There’s many schools of how you hit. But generally speaking, your hands should be pretty much placed somewhere towards your back shoulder. Your hands should be about the height of your shoulder, and again, they should be in a pretty relaxed position. How you hold the bat forward or backward really depends on your hitting coach.

What is the right way to position my body when preparing to hit a baseball?
The most appropriate way to prepare your stance before hitting a baseball, first of all, is that there’s very different ways. There’s the option of opening your front foot, which is called an open stance, so that you can actually see the ball a little bit better, and your front side, or your front shoulder, is more open or toward third base. There’s a closed stance where your front shoulder is actually pointing more towards first base – this being a right-handed hitter. Some players like to crouch a little bit more because it keeps them more compact. Some players like to get more upright, because it actually keeps your head more still, and you tend to see the ball better.

Where should I stand in the batter’s box when preparing to hit a baseball?
The place you should stand in a batter’s box will vary. If the pitcher is throwing very hard, hitters tend to move towards the back of the box, and towards the catcher, so they have more time to react and see the ball. If the pitcher is not throwing very hard or he is throwing a lot of off speed pitches like curve balls or changeups, hitters tend to move forward, because they want to catch the ball before it dies or before it breaks on them.

What type of pitch should I expect from the pitcher in baseball?
The type of pitch you should be expecting from a pitcher is a fastball. Fastballs are thrown approximately 70% of the time in a game, and probably even more at the lower levels. So you really should expect a fastball. And for the most part, you want to hit a fastball because that’s what hitters are trained to swing at more than any other pitch in batting practice.

What should I focus on as I prepare to hit a baseball?
The key things you should be focusing on when you prepare to hit a baseball are, number one, to see the ball well. If you see the ball well, it’s the single most important ingredient to having success at the plate. Number two is to be relaxed. Take a deep breath before you get in the batter’s box. Number three, again, keep the body loose, and keep the hands loose.

Where should I be trying to hit the ball during a baseball game?
The place you want to hit the baseball during a baseball game really depends on the situation. For the most part, you want to hit the ball where it’s pitched. If it’s pitched away from you, you want to hit it to the right side if you’re right-handed. If it’s pitched in toward you, you want to pull it to the left side if you’re right-handed. However, there are certain situations in a game when you’re supposed to hit the ball to the right side of the field, or you’re supposed to try to drive the ball to the outfield to maybe score a run from third base.

What is the ‘sweet spot’ on a baseball bat?
The ‘sweet spot’ on a baseball bat is considered that area which is only about maybe four inches long, just above the label of the bat, which is the center of the bat and just below the top of the bat. It’s more towards the top of the bat and is about four inches long, and it’s where the ball tends to have the most power or force behind it from the bat itself.

What is the batter’s ‘wheelhouse’ in baseball lingo?
The batter’s wheelhouse is a term that is really based on the hitter being able to develop the maximum amount of power, usually that means a ball that’s on the inside part of the plate and usually about waist height. For some reason that seems to be the area where a hitter can hit the ball the furthest or pull the ball the furthest to left field if they’re right handed. They call it a wheelhouse because he can get the most amount of power from that area where the ball is pitched at.

What is a ‘designated hitter’ or ‘DH’ in baseball?
A designated hitter in baseball is actually something that was made popular in the 1970s. And what happened is, in baseball, you started getting players who no longer were able to play defence as they got older, but they were still great hitters. So they decided, instead of having the pitcher hit, they would replace the pitcher with what was called the designated hitter. So he’s actually the designated hitter, meaning he’s hitting for the pitcher, and his job is to simply hit when the pitcher’s spot would come up. He doesn’t play defence.

What is a ‘switch-hitter’ in baseball?
A switch-hitter in baseball is someone who can hit both left handed and right handed. Most baseball players either hit right handed or left handed, but the switch-hitter can do both.

What is a ‘pinch hitter’ in baseball?
A pinch hitter is a player that comes up at some point in the game and hits for a player that is already in the game. His job is to come off the bench, when he’s not necessarily that warmed up, but he’s got to find a way to pinch hit for the player that’s already in the game.

3 Keys to Success

Once you do have your hitting fundamentally correct, to set yourself above your competition, not merely resting on your laurels and thinking that your current success will be enough, you need to concentrate on the other factors, here are three of the most important below:

Work ethic

What is your work ethic like? Are you the first to come and the last to leave? If you are not doing more than your coach asks, it’s not enough.

Ability to make adjustments

Don’t wait 2 weeks to make an adjustment. Adjustments should be made game to game – at bat to at bat-pitch to pitch. I used Jordan’s at bats as an example. Learn to make the adjustments necessary to get you past your present difficulties. Believe me, the difficulties will come. The sooner you make the adjustment the shorter the duration and severity of the difficulty.

Not being afraid to fail

Sorry but I have to jump to another sport to illustrate this point. Tiger Woods will possibly go down in history as the greatest golfer ever. What did he do after he had so much success including winning the Masters at his young age, something no one had ever done before? He changed his swing. His critics thought he was crazy. Having had so much success, why would he change? We frequently hear the saying, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” I disagree. Just because it’s not broken, doesn’t mean you can’t make it better. Tiger obviously agrees. He wasn’t afraid to change – to make himself better. He wasn’t afraid to fail. The results speak for themselves. You will only improve when change takes place. You’ve heard me say this before, you either will get better or worse, you won’t stay the same.

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