How to Trust in your Skills
“Try to do less” sounds like a phrase for the lazy.
In baseball, athletes are always trying harder in training… spending more time in the batting cages, taking extra fielding practice, expanding pitching repertoires improving accuracy on throws, working on their conditioning, increasing strength and flexibility, etc.
Trying harder pays off, doesn’t it? In most cases, working harder to improve absolutely pays dividends but, sometimes, trying harder is counterproductive.
When trying too hard or trying to do too much in games, performance is actually impeded.
This counter-productive effect happens for two main reasons:
- You focus on outcomes more. For example, instead of focusing on a pitch and making contact, you are focused on hitting a homerun. This slight change in focus can alter your mechanics just enough, causing you to chase pitches or swing late.
- You begin to over-think rather than trust your ability to perform. When you have trust in your game, you see the ball and instinctively react. When you over-think, you think… see the ball… think… then try to react. When you overthink, your judgment is impaired and so is your play on the field.
For example, the Philadelphia Phillies made a huge splash in the off-season acquiring some big-name talent through trades and free agency. Expectations were high for the Phillies. It seemed the Phillies were all in for 2019. The attitude of the organization appeared to be “World Series or Bust”.
To the organization’s dismay, the team has under performed throughout the season. Heading into the last third of the season, the Phillies are battling to make the playoffs.
With expectations so high, the pressure to perform has impeded play on the field. Many of the Phillies players are trying too hard or pressing. Hitters are going for the fences. Pitchers are trying to throw a little harder. Trying too hard has caused the Phillies players to tighten up, play anxious and has thrown off their focus. The result is under-performance.
Phillies All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto admitted his hitting woes have been caused by trying to do too much at the plate. Realmuto decided to change his approach at the plate and his production increased as a result.
REALMUTO: “I’m honestly just trying to do less up there [at the plate], not trying to do too much, get better pitches to hit, try not to chase out of the zone. For me, when I get in trouble is when I try to do too much, try to hit for power. When I just let it come to me and feel a little more relaxed at the plate, it works out better for me.”
Trying to do too much not only leads to extra tension, it causes you to try to exert too much control over what you are attempting to do.
Trust is the opposite. Trust is switching your mind to autopilot and allowing you body to do want you trained it to do.
When you learn to compete with trust, your results will be outstanding.
How to Play with Trust
- Work on your game in practice and switch to trust mode when you play. Remind yourself that all your practice is complete.
- Think about playing on autopilot, not by technique. Let go of thinking too much about your work in the cage or bullpen.
- Staying present and focus on the pitch itself and not on the results. Remember that you don’t need to be perfect, just effective.
- Get the job done. Don’t stress about how it looks or feels to you. Save that for the next practice.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- How Successful Softball and Baseball Teams Deal with Key Injuries
- How to Best Focus to Help Your Team Win
- How to Contribute to a Positive Team Mindset
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Instilling Confidence in Baseball And Softball Players
Confidence, more than any other mental game attribute, is vital for your team’s success. If your players have it and know how to keep it, they maximize their success. Your team cannot reach their full potential unless each player can harness the power of stable and enduring self-confidence–so your team can perform as a confident team.
Your players might possess a ton of physical talent, have great coaching, and train harder or practice more than anyone else in your league, but if they do not have the self-confidence to match, your team can’t utilize this talent.
“Instilling Confidence in Baseball and Softball Players” program consists of one 72-minute audio CD that includes 7 days of confidence-fueling exercises. You’ll also receive a simple-to-follow 74-page coaches’ manual that guides you through the 7 team session you’ll conduct!