But each player is different in how the become and stay confident. Some players gain confidence from practice. Other players gain confidence from past success. Many players gain confidence from other people such as coaches.

You want to understand how your players (or you) gain confidence individually and as a team… For this reason, I posted a new video below. I discuss to top sources of confidence for ball players.

Watch the new video below:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt6LIpRogu0

Our new CD and workbook program for coaches tilted: “Instilling Confidence in Baseball and Softball Players: A 7-Day Play for Coaches” is now available. Click the following link to find out more details:

Instilling Confidence in Baseball and Softball Players

Some teams struggle with closing out the game because of a comfort zone. A comfort zone is based on an expectation about how you think you should perform. You might expect to lose to a certain team or win by a lot of runs. When you are playing better than expected, you start to protect your lead and avoid making mistakes.

The Cincinnati Reds had trouble closing out their lead over the St. Louis Cardinals in a recent game. Joey Votto helped the Red’s close out the game after blowing a four-run lead. Votto homered and had four hits to contribute to the 9-8 win over the Cardinals.

“I wouldn’t use the word nerve-wracking, but I think this year we’ve proven to other people and proven to ourselves that no lead is safe. We have to respect the opposition and play hard all the way through nine innings,” said Votto.

When you have a lead, continue to play aggressively. Set a challenging goal to help you play more aggressively. You might focus on hitting your spots as a pitcher or swinging freely as a batter. The key is not to back up and try to avoid making mistakes. If you think too much about mistakes, you lose focus on what you want to do. Focus on execution rather than the results.

To avoid becoming complacent, go through your routine with full intensity and focus. A common mistake players make is they go through the motions without full focus. You want to keep your intensity and focus at a peak level when you perform. You can always restart your at-bat routine if you feel distracted or not fully engaged.

Your baseball psychology tip is to keep playing hard and playing aggressively. Abandon your expectations and focus on execution instead. Follow your pre-pitch routine with full intensity to avoid becoming complacent.

Phillies Shortstop Jimmy Rollins thrives on the pressure of big games, “When the pressure is on, I definitely show up to play,” said Rollins. “The pressure motivates me to bring my “A” game night after night.” Elite athletes have the ability to raise their level of the performance however, playing in big games can present several mental game challenges for many athletes. Unlike Rollins, players become nervous, distracted, and lose their focus when competing in big games.

To perform at your peak potential in a big game you must embrace the pressure, stay focused, and play with confidence. Rollins and the two-time National League champions do this simply by playing their game and getting every player involved. “Being involved means giving it your all and helping the team win,” said Rollins, “You’ll have to be at the top of your game mentally and physically to compete.”

Rollins uses pregame routine to stay on top of his game mentally. “My pregame routine help me get in the zone before a big game,” said Rollins. To help you cope with the pressures of a big game develop a consistent pregame routine. A pregame routine will help you focus your mind, feel confident, trust in your practice, and maintain the right mindset before competition. During your pregame routine, remind yourself to trust your ability and your confidence in your team.

It is important to focus on your game not your competitors. “When games are competitive and intense we stay focused and play our game, just like any other game,” said Rollins. Focusing on your competitors typically causes you to make negative comparisons, which can undermine your confidence. Instead, you should focus on your strengths, and the process of winning. Before a big game avoid thinking about the outcome or end results. Athletes who focus on the end result lose focus on the process of winning, which limits their performance. Remind yourself that focusing on results will not help you perform your best.

Some athletes lose trust and tighten up in the big game. This can cause you to over control your performance and not play freely. You want your performance to just happen, without thinking too much about “how to” execute your skills. For example, a batter needs to react to the ball instead of think about how to make a good swing. Simplify your thoughts and focus on performance cues that you execute for example feeling balanced in the batter’s box. Avoid thinking too much about your technique trust the skills you learned in practice.

Overall, you want to treat the big game as any other game. You don’t want to place too much importance on one game, which can lead to added pressure, a lack of focus, and trust in your game. Focus on what you do best. The Phillies have won 20 of 25 and moved two games ahead of the Giants in the wild-card race. The Phillies remained 2½ games behind Atlanta in the National League East.

To learn how to prepare for the big game, visit Peaksports Online Mental Training program for more baseball psychology articles and videos

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHJNBGmN4aY

On July 26, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Matt Garza stepped up to the challenge throwing the first no-hitter in franchise history and the fifth in the major leagues this season, beating the Detroit Tigers 5-0. Ever since the All-star break the Rays performance began to slump. The team was struggling, and their confidence level was low. “We needed one. I don’t care who it came from. We just needed one for our own confidence. The guys are just as excited as I am. It’s fun,” Garza said.

Your baseball or softball team’s confidence is crucial for success. Garza came into the game confident and ready to perform. As the game progressed, Garza’s performance on the mound infected his teammates. His confidence spread throughout the Ray’s dugout.

His teammates became focused and determined to help their pitcher finish what he started. “I recognized it and didn’t want to look up. I was like, ‘Just keep looking down and stay focused and get ready for the next inning,” Garza said. By focusing on the process of performing his best on each pitch Garza was able to stay in the zone late in the game. “That ninth inning, I kept telling myself, ‘Just finish it, just finish it, just battle, battle. If it’s meant to happen, it’s going to happen.”

The pressure was on, but he kept his composure and stayed relaxed on the mound focusing on each pitch. When hitters made contact, the Rays defense was prepared to backup the pitcher. “It was one of those days where everything lined up,” Garza said. “The defense made great plays. I really can’t say enough about them.” Thus, your inner belief and confidence in your team can spread to other members of the team and spark momentum. Garza finished the game facing the minimum 27 batters, allowing only one walk in the second inning.

To improve your team’s confidence, visit Peaksports Online Mental Training program for more baseball psychology articles and videos.

Many baseball players struggle with these mental game challenges. Cleveland pitcher, Justin Masterson is aware of the mental battle with himself. Masterson helped the Indians beat the Red Sox 11-0 last Wednesday night.

“You get a little excited, but once you get on the field, it is game time. Half the time, the battle for me is with myself,” Masterson said.

Half of the battle is fighting with your own mind. Many ball players sabotage their performance; they can’t get out of their own way. They set high expectations for their performance. If you expect to perform perfectly or not make any mistakes you are setting yourself up for failure. When you don’t achieve those expectations, you become frustrated with your performance.

You can also sabotage yourself by adopting negative self-labels. Negative self-labels are confidence-busting names you use to describe yourself. You might tell yourself you’re a streaky hitter, for example.

Even though you may engage in self-sabotage, you can improve your mindset. First, let go of any expectations you have for your performance. Instead, focus on what you need to do in the moment to execute, such as seeing the ball well. Next, change your negative self-labels into positive ones. Instead of calling yourself a streaky hitter, tell yourself you’re a consistent hitter.

If you feel like you’re losing the mental battle, stay patient–you can improve your mental game with practice. Take time to become aware of your mental shortcomings and work to improve your mindset. A strong mental game can only benefit your performance.

The Los Angeles Angels fell 0-6 to the Toronto Blue Jays Monday night. Angels pitcher, Joe Saunders, didn’t perform his best allowing three runs, four hits and five walks over 6 1-3 innings.

“It’s not really frustrating. It’s a good positive for me, knowing that I’m starting to get back to what I know I can do. But team-wise, it’s frustrating that we can’t pull out more wins. We just need to stay positive, and we need to execute better. We need to play the way we’re capable of playing. We just haven’t been doing that consistently this year,” said Saunders.

Confident athletes stay positive after losses, benefiting their performance. Positive thinking will help you bounce back from losses quickly. Instead of losing confidence after a poor performance, notice what you did well. You might have reacted quickly to a fly out or had a good strategy when you were down in the count. Then, take a look at what you didn’t do as well. Use that information to work on your weaknesses in practice and improve as a player. Above all, look at your weaknesses as opportunities for improvement rather than a sign of inadequacy.

Confident athletes are also patient. Many players tend to expect results too quickly. When you become impatient with your performance, you can speed through your routine, lose confidence and focus on the wrong things. Patient players are focused on execution and trust that a good performance will eventually come. Their confidence isn’t thrashed around by results. Patient players are focused on gaining their confidence from more stable sources, such as their preparation and practice.

Your baseball psychology tip is to bounce back quickly from losses by staying positive and patient about your performance. Take an objective look at your game after your performances and work to improve your weaknesses. Stay patient with your results and eventually things will fall into place.

Doubt isn’t the only challenge for baseball players though. Many players have fragile self-confidence. When you have fragile self-confidence, your confidence varies widely based on what’s happening during a game. When you get a hit, your confidence goes up. On the other hand, when you make a mistake, your confidence drops. We call this the confidence rollercoaster. Your confidence changes from moment to moment depending on your immediate performance.

Monday night’s game with the L.A. Dodgers and Houston Astros is a prime example of how self-confidence can benefit your game. Dodgers’ pitcher, John Ely, in his fourth career start, gave up one run and five hits striking out eight batters. Ely contributed to the 6-2 Dodgers win over the Astros.

“I’m just out here doing what I have always done. I just have complete confidence in what I bring to the table and the fact that if I execute my pitches the way I want to, I feel like I have the advantage. That is the way you have to feel every time out. If you doubt yourself, you’re going to give up hits,” said Ely.

Every time you go to the field, you want to have confidence in your game. Your confidence must not waver because of your opponent or the quality of your practice that week. A stable level of confidence is developed over years of practice and training.

Use your practice, training and preparation to develop the foundation of your confidence. After mistakes, you’ll want to remind yourself of why you deserve to feel confident. Is it your work ethic, your improved curve ball or your ability to come back after mistakes? Remember your strengths to help you feel confident.

“Ely’s going to make you hit it; he’s going to make them do the work. He changes speeds so well, I think that’s really the biggest reason why he’s had the success early on. He’s not afraid to throw the fastball any time. And behind in the count, he’s not afraid to take a little off,” said Dodgers’ manager Joe Torre.

Your mental game of baseball tip is to base your confidence over years of practice and play. Don’t wait until something good happens in the first inning to feel confident. Likewise, don’t allow a single mistake to shake your confidence. Rely on what you can control, such as your practice and preparation to keep your confidence when things don’t go according to plan.

Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester is one of those players who thrives in crunch time. Lester pitched his way out of a bases loaded scenario to help the Sox beat the Angels 5-1.

“It’s nice to be able to fight out off that and get the ‘W. When you’re able to get out of those jams, it just builds confidence. So when you get into games that really matter, you can draw back and say, ‘I’ve been here before,”’ said Lester.

Some players tend to freeze under pressure when the team depends on them. You might over think your performance and analyze too much, which leads to tight and tentative play.

How can you perform your best under pressure?

Pressure is really self-induced and comes from within yourself, not the situation itself. It’s best not to put pressure on yourself to get a hit or pitch a strike. Try to avoid thinking about the consequences of the game or your actions. Don’t think about “what-if” scenarios, which doesn’t help you perform in the moment. Instead, think about your strategy or the little things that help you perform in the moment. A batter may think about standing tall. A pitcher may think about his target.

You also want to draw on your confidence in those moments. Remind yourself of the times when you performed your best, just like Lester suggests. Replay those good performances in your mind to help you feel confident as you go up to bat or pitch to the next batter.

You can also rely on having an effective at-bat or pre-pitch routine. Use your routine to help you get into a confident and focused mindset, and stay in the moment. By focusing on what you need to do, you shut out distractions, and can focus on one pitch at a time. But keep it simple: plan it, see it, and do it!

You can also check out The Focused Athlete  to help you shut out distractions or The Relaxed Athlete to help you develop a pregame routine.

A relevant story that illustrates the choices that confront you is a question that came up when I was working a high school hitter. He said the following: “I’m standing in the batters box at 0 for 3 so far in the game, and I wonder if I can get a hit! I started to get frustrated that I’m not hitting well. What should I think when this happens?”

My first response to this player was that he has two choices. The reality is that his last at-bats did not lead to a hit. I said the first choice and the wrong way to think is that you’re not hitting well today, the gods are not on your side. Every at-bat is a failure. This choice only causes you to become frustrated with your hitting and you blame yourself for not getting a hit, and think that you will continue to do the same!

I suggested to this player that the better choice is to know that you are putting in quality at-bats, but the outcome is not what you want. You’ll get a hit. You’ve got to stay patient and wait for it to happen, but nothing is happening YET.

You, too, have to stay confident, patient, and believe that you will get a hit if you stick to one at-bat at a time! Let go of the past. You must make this simple choice. Do you want to give yourself a chance of getting a hit in the later innings? Of course you do. Then you’d better make the right choice to give yourself a chance to get a hit! Forget about your past at-bats and stay confident with each new at-bat.