February 5, 2012

Use Warm-ups to Focus Your Mind

immersive

All good athletes use a warm-up routine one hour before they play. Besides helping you get loose and limber, a warm-up routine has several psychological advantages. The first is that it helps you get focused to play. A warm-up routine helps click in your concentration and put on your game face. It … [Read more...]

Play Aggressively When in the Lead

joey-votto

Being in the lead can present some mental game challenges. Some players, and even teams, try to protect their lead so they don't make mistakes. This can cause you to over control your performance, try too hard, think about the results and play tentatively. Other players become complacent with the … [Read more...]

Rollins Knows How to Step Up in Big Games

jimmy_rollins

As the hunt for a division championship and playoff spot begins to heat up every game counts for the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies made two consecutive World Series appearances in 2008 and 2009, but currently trail the Atlanta Braves by 2.5 games in the National League East. Philadelphia is … [Read more...]

The Mental Battle: Get Out of Your Own Way

image30

Your mindset can be an asset or a determent to your performance. If you doubt yourself, lose composure after mistakes or over analyze your performance, your mindset can hurt your performance. You can be your own worst enemy. In these situations, it's hard to bounce back with confidence and composure … [Read more...]

Joe Saunders Stays Positive After Loss

image27

You can react to losses positively or negatively. You can beat yourself up, become frustrated with your performance and lose confidence, taking a negative approach to your game. You can also take a more positive look at your performance learning from your losses. The Los Angeles Angels fell 0-6 … [Read more...]

Do You Ride The Confidence Rollercoaster?

image26

Doubt is the number one killer of your baseball confidence. You might think, “Can I get a hit off this pitcher?” or “Don’t walk this batter!” Your doubts cause you to lose confidence, question your ability and get down on yourself. Without confidence and a strong mental game, you crumble … [Read more...]

The Mental Game of Pitching and Trust

image25

Are you able to perform freely and let your performance happen in games? This is a common challenge among all baseball players, including pitchers. You may try to “fix” your pitching technique after a wild pitch. Some players become too mechanical and over think their pitching motion. When … [Read more...]

Lester Draws Confidence From the Save

image24

Some baseball players thrive in crunch time, such as when the bases are loaded. They want to be up to pitch or bat in this situation. These players demonstrate their confidence and trust to perform their best in critical moments. Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester is one of those players who thrives in … [Read more...]

Dotel’s Composure Helps Pirates Win

image21

A baseball player’s ability to stay composed is critical to success. When you’re composed, you can play up to your physical ability. You don’t get rattled by a couple of bad calls. You’re able to stay relaxed after mistakes. You can let go of mistakes or mishaps quickly. Pirates’ relief … [Read more...]

Focusing on the Process Key to Winning

“What was I thinking?” you mutter in frustration after you struck out at bat. You lost your focus temporarily and it cost you the at-bat. Most players at times, lose focus, blank-out, get distracted, or are too stressed to concentrate. Even the greatest players in the world have trouble … [Read more...]