Patience and Composure When Losing
When things aren’t going your way, how do you react?
Do you feel sorry for yourself or let frustration affect your focus and performance?
Bad bounces, poor officiating, silly mistakes or unexpected dips in your performance when it matters most are part of the game.
It is easy to get upset with mistakes, but can you let it go before the next pitch or play?
You want to remember three things when you are losing or making mistakes:
- You play your best when you let go of mistakes.
- You focus your best when you play in the moment.
- You handle adversity best when you know you can bounce back.
How do you stay confident and composed when things aren’t going your way?
You can do this by being patient, trusting your abilities and focusing on what you can do now instead of beating yourself up mentally over the last game.
Patience, trust, and focus will keep you in the game both mentally and physically.
The Chicago Cubs won the National League Championship Series by staying positive despite playing sub-par ball.
Over the course of seven postseason games, the Cubs were hitting .185 as a team.
Four of their best hitters, Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell, Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward had a mere 9 hits out of 95 at-bats.
Yet in Game 4 of the Cubs’ series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, despite losing the previous game 6-0, Cubs Manager Joe Maddon kept his struggling hitters in the lineup.
MADDON: “I can’t get over the top and take a trip to Negative Town today just because we had two tough days. I have a lot of faith and trust in our players. At any moment, they could all break loose, and all of a sudden this turns into an entirely different direction.”
The Cubs’ hitters responded by outscoring the Dodgers 23-6, winning the series and advancing to the World Series.
After the Cubs’ Game 3 loss, Cubs slugger Kris Bryant reiterated Maddon’s positivity and focus on what was ahead.
BRYANT: “Joe always says that anytime you have that pressure, or whatever that word is, attached to things, that means there’s something good at the end of it. We’re embracing it. We’re having fun with it. It’s going to be a challenge, but if we’re able to do it, it’ll make it that much sweeter.”
When you are not hitting or behind in a game, feeling sorry for yourself will only create further frustration, negative thoughts and poor play.
Remaining confident can help you return faster to your winning ways.
It’s normal to be upset after a loss, but prolonged self-critical behavior is counter-productive.
How will you respond? By being patient and staying confident is your best option for getting back on track.
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~Keith Donnell, College Baseball Player
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Mental Game of Baseball Success Stories
“I’ve Been Tearing It Up Lately”
“Dr. Cohn I’ve been tearing it up lately! Every single thing you taught me works perfectly in every situation I’ve been in. In the playoffs I’m 5-7 with 2 home runs and 5 RBIs. I feel great at the plate and focusing is a breeze now. I just wanted to thank you for everything and keep you posted with how everything was going.”
~Jalen Phillips, High School Baseball Player
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“Ty’s in a real good place mentally. The mental game skills you taught him about mental preparation, eliminating expectation, and staying in the moment have been the keys to his success. The thing I have noticed most is his improved consistency. I have been amazed at the change in his mental game. I should have called you earlier to thank you personally.”
~Randy Sullivan, Ty’s Father
“Deal Better With The Pressure of the Game”
“With your help, I have been able to deal with stress and pressure of the game of baseball more efficiently. I have learned what it means to focus on the process to help me keep my focus and disregard negative thoughts and energies. This process focus will keep me from getting my head in the way of my performance, from working against myself. Thanks for your help. I look forward to speaking with you again.”
~Keith Donnell, College Baseball Player.
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