Focus On Your At-Bat Routine
Hitting, for many ball players, can equal pressure and thus unorganized thinking.
Batting is not physically demanding; it is 60 feet from the pitcher’s mound with no other players getting in your way.
Being at-bat is just you alone performing a skill you repeated thousands of times in the cage. In fact, you have probably never had a practice where you did not practice hitting.
What makes being at bat so difficult?
You’re alone at the plate, but you are also alone with your thoughts.
You’ll encounter many potential distracting thoughts that can interfere with your performance such as:
- crowd noise
- fans waving their arms
- worrying about striking out
- the score
- teammates
- spectators
- parents
What do the best hitters focus on when standing on the home plate?
The top hitters focus on their at-bat routine.
It is impossible to focus on two thoughts simultaneously… For example, you cannot focus on your statistics and your at-bat routine at the same time.
By having a defined at-bat routine, you can focus well at-bat. You lessen the sense of pressure you feel and take your mind off of that fear of striking out.
By focusing on your at-bat routine, your hitting becomes the same hitting you do in practice.
Well, one of the best hitters in baseball is Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers.
Cabrera has a .338 batting average and is a two-time American League MVP award winner, a four-time AL batting champion, and a ten-time MLB All-Star.
CABRERA: “If I worry about what everybody is saying, there is going to be a lot on my mind. I don’t want that. I want to do everything I can to play baseball.”
CABRERA: “When you’ve got guys on base, you have to hit. I concentrate on getting it done.”
Try this tip to make your at-bat routine:
If you don’t have an at-bat routine, study what top hitters do. Adapt some of their behaviors into your routine. Make your routine simple, consistent and personal to your game. Once you have created your new routine, practice it until it becomes habit.
Remember, the goal is to fobcus on your performance cues for batting, such as seeing the ball early, to enhance your performance and minimize distractions.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- Four Steps to an Efficient At-Bat Routine
- 5 Mental Game Keys of an At-bat Routine
- What Should You Think About During an At-Bat?
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