Stop Trying So Hard in Baseball
Summary: “Pressing” at the plate — demanding yourself get a hit or drive in a run — is a mental habit that causes overanxious, forced at-bats and poor decision-making. This article explains what causes pressing and how to stay relaxed and stick to your approach instead of trying to force results.
How many times have you stepped in the batter’s box preoccupied with the thought, “I have to get a hit” or “I must drive in the baserunners,” but instead you struck out on pitches outside the strike zone?
When you demand that you get a hit, drive in the base runners, break out of a slump, hit a walk-off homerun, often leads to pressing at the plate.
Pressing at the plate is a mental process that affects your physical game. Pressing is when you try too hard to make something happen, leading to unproductive at-bats.
A player who is “pressing” becomes overanxious, swinging at bad pitches, overthinking, over analyzing the situation, or trying to force hits instead of staying relaxed and sticking to their approach.
Pressing leads to mechanical issues, poor pitch recognition, bad decision-making, lack of plate discipline, and worse performances.
What contributes to pressing?
- Low Confidence – Struggling players step into the batter’s box already doubting their ability. They have difficulty getting out of their own way.
However, their fear of striking out works against them, causing them to bring the very thing they fear into fruition.
- Lack of Focus – Players who press at the plate, overthink their circumstances. They feel an overwhelming burden to “prove” themselves. Production will elude you if you are not fully immersed in the moment and locked in on your approach.
- Difficulty Relaxing – When players become STRESSED at the plate, their mind and body experience tension. The more stress you feel, the more your body tightens, throwing off your mechanics.
- Inability to Manage Pressure – When a player is not productive at the plate, every at-bat feels like the bottom of the ninth inning in a tied game.
When you overemphasize the importance of an at-bat, your stress level increases and becomes overwhelming.
You can’t force yourself to get a hit or hit the ball out of the park. However, you have the power to control your approach at the plate, focus one pitch at a time, reduce your muscle tension, and maintain a performance-enhancing mindset.
The process of hitting a baseball starts before you step into the batter’s box by clearing your mind and relaxing your body. After you step into the batter’s box, performing your pre-pitch routine immerses yourself in the moment and narrows your focus on the upcoming approach.
This process prevents pressing at the plate, allowing you to swing your bat freely.
Washington Guardians center fielder Tyler Freeman recognized he was pressing at the plate, during the 2024 MLB season, causing a drop of 33 points in his batting average from the previous year.
For the 2025 season, Freeman is getting back to basics to relax in the batter’s box, minimize distractions, make quicker decisions, and swing the bat freely.
FREEMAN: “I feel like the past few years, I kind of got away from myself trying to be someone I wasn’t. I know part of this game is to hit the ball harder, to try to hit more homers. But I think that kind of got to me a little bit the last few years — changing my approach and, honestly, just trying to do way too much with my swing… Trying to get on base, letting guys [drive] me in. I think just being shorter to the ball has helped me be back who I was before.”
Ultimately, the best hitters combine mental clarity, patience, trust their preparation, and immerse themselves in the process. In other words, elite players don’t just rely on talent—they master the mental game.
Instead of trying to get a hit, shift your mindset to having a quality at-bat. you do this by focusing on your on-deck work, getting set up, and trusting your eyes to see your pitch.By prioritizing process over results, you take pressure off yourself and allow yourself to have productive at-bats.
FAQ
What does “pressing” at the plate mean?
Pressing is trying too hard to force a result — a hit, an RBI, breaking a slump — which leads to overanxious swings, overthinking, and forced at-bats.
What causes players to press at the plate?
Low confidence, lack of focus, and demanding a specific outcome from an at-bat instead of trusting your approach all contribute to pressing.
How did Tyler Freeman address pressing at the plate?
After his batting average dropped 33 points in 2024 due to pressing, Freeman focused on getting back to basics, relaxing in the box, and minimizing distractions for 2025.
How do you stop pressing at the plate?
Use a pre-pitch routine to clear your mind and narrow your focus one pitch at a time, rather than demanding a specific outcome from the at-bat.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- How to Stop Pressing at the Plate
- How this Yankee Manages Losses in the World Series
- How to Get Over a Loss After a Game
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