I spoke the other night to a great hitter who opened the season 1 or 2 for 15 or so.

Nothing tragic, but not what he was looking for.

It’s the classic case of a player trying to impress or prove himself; of wanting so badly to have a great season that he tries too hard.

We’ve all seen it, and we all know what to tell the guy….

“Relax.”

“Just see the ball, let it come to you.”

“Take it easy, you’re trying too hard, trying to hit a 5-run homer with no one on…”

That kind of stuff.

And it is all correct.   I agree and even say some of that stuff.

But his response should be “how?”

“How do I relax?”  “How do I just trust myself?”  “How do I forget about the scouts and my stats?”

————————

Mental Skills are Just Like Physical Skills

————————

Here’s what few people get: That being able to relax and “forget” about past failures are skills.

They are developed through practice and conditioning.

Just like the ability to bunt or keep your hands inside the ball.

Just like varying your finger pressure on your fast ball.

They take practice.

Would you go out and tell a pitcher in the middle of an inning: “Hey, I know you don’t throw a slider, but this batter can’t hit a slider, so throw him 2 or 3 nasty sliders.” ?

Of course not. Because you know throwing a slider takes practice.

Well, mental skills, like being confident, focused and poised under pressure are skills that take focused and deliberate practice.

Just like any physical skill, and just like physical conditioning.

So there’s a good chance that the hitter I mentioned at the start of this article is now facing significant challenges from his own thoughts and emotions… but he has received zero training on how to deal with those challenges.

In this column I’ll be sharing insights and tools I’ve acquired in about 25 years of studying the often poorly (or not) taught mental game of baseball.

I’ve coached for 17 years, including stints as a college head coach and DI hitting coach.

I would most like to respond to questions from you.

So, what questions do you have about the mental game of baseball?

What would you like to learn to do?