Jim Abbott’s Mental Rehearsal
Do you ever wonder what the pros do to prepare for a game?
I’ve been reading Jim Abbott’s new book, “Imperfect: An Improbable Life.”
If you don’t know Abbott, his career is a great story…
Jim Abbott was born without a right hand but never let this get in the way of chasing his dreams. He had a successful career pitching for the Angels and later for the Yankees in the late 80s and early 90s.
In the past, I’ve told you about Hank Aaron’s use of visualization to mentally prepare for pitchers…
In Jim’s new book, he talks about his pregame rehearsal he uses in the locker room. He was a big believer in mental preparation.
I know Abbott worked with Ken Ravizza, one of my mentors, when Abbott played for the Angels because Ken would talk about his work with the Angels and Abbott at that time.
I can see Ken’s work shinning through when I read the way Abbott visualizes prior to the game. He’d do a relaxation exercise, something I know Ken taught at the time.
“My [pregame] routine was about visualization. I’d lay a towel over my eyes and begin the sequence, gently flexing and relaxing my feet, working upward until I reached my shoulders and neck. I saw only darkness and felt only awareness. So few times would players actually focus on how, say their calves felt, unless one hurt” (Imperfect, 2012).
Ken was all about awareness and tuning into how your body felt. He’d ask you to breath tension away if you did any of his relaxation exercises.
After his short relaxation, Abbott then progressed to rehearsing his pitching next. He’d focus on the positive images he’d want to feel on the mound and of course mastering his fastball:
“I’d see my warm-up in the bullpen, my fastball hitting the corners, staying down, the baseball jumping out of my hand, the ball pulled towards the catcher’s mitt.”
He’d also rehearse himself walking from the dugout to the mound and what he would feel from the crowd:
“I’d experience the walk from beneath the dugout roof to the mound, something loud on the stadiums speakers, the crowd getting excited, breathing strength” (Imperfect, 2012).
When I was reading this section of the Abbott’s book, I couldn’t help but think about how Ravizza taught athletes to relax, be aware, and take in the experience of playing.
Every player I think needs a pregame mental routine. And that routine should include a mental rehearsal of your role in the game andseeing yourself succeed.
It worked for Hank Aaron, Jim Abbott, and many other great players.
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