Pregame Routines to Get Psyched Up
Most baseball players have a practice routine to improve your skills and build confidence.
Most top athletes have specific routines they follow each day in practice to help them improve.
Baseball players can also follow a specific routine before a game. They may eat the same pregame meal, arrive an hour before the game and go through the exact same warm-up for each game. Some players might prefer to skip the pregame warm-up and just go out and compete.
A baseball routine helps you warm up your body physically, but also helps you prepare mentally for the upcoming game. A routine can help you focus on the right things, build confidence and maintain the right level of intensity.
Former MLB player, Kevin Appier uses a consistent routine to get into the right mindset before the game.
“Just preparing the same exact way. I mean, you don’t have to worry about, like, building adrenaline or anything because it’s obviously going to be there. As far as concentrating on not getting too pumped up, that type of thing, the first time I was in the playoffs, I really had to concentrate on that, on settling myself down. This time around, I haven’t had that issue. I’ve been at real good levels like that.”
“But anyway, my preparation stays exactly the same. I stay with the same routine. I won’t go into the whole thing, but it’s identical to what I do during the season. That’s one of the things, like we’ve been saying, it’s, ‘Same old game.’ Games mean more, but you’re doing everything you could during the regular season, so you shouldn’t change now.”
A consistent routine is important, but it is best not to judge your pregame warm-up.
A warm-up routine is simply to prepare your mind and body to compete. You don’t need to win warm-ups. Players who focus too much on performing perfectly in their warm-up might tend to doubt their ability, try to fix their mistakes and start to panic before the game.
As you go through your physical warm-up, you’ll also want to prepare your mind.
You’ll want to develop a routine that helps you stay focused, confident and in a trusting mindset before competition.
You must park other life distractions, rehearse your performance and review your game plan before the game.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- Mental Strategies Of A Pregame Routine
- 4 Mental Skills for Pregame Mental Preparation for Baseball
- Pregame Jitters: Are They Helpful?
*Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on iTunes
*Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on Spotify
Get the Mental Edge – With Mental Toughness Coaching
Mental toughness coaching helps serious athletes like you uncover the beliefs and attitudes that keep you from performing to your potential. You’ll learn mental game strategies to perform confidently in competition and how to overcome performance barriers.
You can improve your mental game with Mental Game Coaches, Dr. Patrick Cohn and Jaclyn Ellis, M.S. You can opt for one-on-one sessions with Dr. Cohn in Orlando, Florida, or you can stay where you are and get coaching from anywhere in the world via telephone, Skype, Zoom, or FaceTime.
One-on-one mental coaching is the fastest and most effective method to improve your mental game, boost your performance, and make lasting changes. We have a variety of mental coaching programs to choose from.
Please call us at 888-742-7225 with your questions.
Well, see when i pitch on the mound i am very confident until i throw a bad pitch.. i shake it off and the next few are bad i ask myself what i do wrong and i try to fix it and i see no improvment and it gets me very upset and i just get real discouraged. i dont know what to do??!!
You can’t fix your pitching in the middle of a game. You save that for practice. Don’t analyze what’s wrong. Instead focus on the target and trust your throw.
Patrick Cohn
When I play baseball, before the game i always visulize every inning and every pitch. i see what iam goin to do and when Iam going to do it. but sometimes when these things dont come true i freak and play horrible for the rest of the game. what should i do?
Let go of the expectation that everything has to go just right to play well. You have to deal better with mistakes. You have to keep your confidence no matter what happens during the game.
I’m not hitting like I should be, and I don’t know why.
I still use the exact same pregame warm ups.
Everytime when I feel like it’s going to be a great game I let everyone down..