Building Confidence To Improve Your Hitting
Do you have difficulty maintaining your confidence during the ups and downs of good and poor hitting?
When you have a few bad at-bats, does your confidence seem to disappear?
It may seem like a catch-22… confidence is essential for good hitting and good hitting leads to confidence.
Is it possible to have a high level of confidence despite having bad at-bats?
Confidence is the belief you can have a successful at-bat (getting a hit, moving a runner into scoring position, batting in a run).
Confidence is a belief that you have a good chance to succeed.
When you believe that you have a limited chance to get a hit, your confidence is shaken, which can turn into a slump.
Brandon Krieg is a starting middle infielder for Purdue University. Krieg, currently in his junior year, possess all qualities of a top lead off hitter (sharp eye, speed, good swing).
That is, Krieg had all the physical tools of a top baseball prospect.
The one major weapon lacking in Krieg’s game was confidence.
Krieg opened his third collegiate season with a month-long slump continuing his batting woes from last season when he hit .227 and spent much of the season at the bottom of the order.
During the first 11 games in the lead off role this season, Krieg only had three hits in his first 38 at-bats. Krieg’s confidence was at an all-time low.
Krieg decided he needed a change to improve his confidence…
Instead of changing his approach or adjusting his mechanics, Krieg focused on remaining positive and repetition in the batting cage.
The result was amazing!
Krieg raised his batting average almost 200 points. Over the course of his next 22 games, Krieg batted .357 with four doubles, a home run, 15 runs scored, 12 RBIs and nine stolen bases.
Krieg credited his new-found confidence for his success.
“It’s [confidence] got to be one of the most important things in the game. Defensive-wise, offensive-wise it can really help you, and if it’s down it can really hurt you.”
Teammate and freshman outfielder Jeff Evak recognized Krieg’s confidence as the key to his hitting success.
“He’s really going up there with the mentality that he can hit anybody, which he can.”
How can you raise your confidence just like Krieg?
By following Krieg’s mental tips to increase confidence, you can improve your success at the plate.
- You must stay positive even when you are not hitting. Your last plate appearance is over! Don’t carry it with you to your next at-bat.
- You should approach your at-bats like your at-bats during practice. During practice, you just hit and don’t over-think outcomes. Take your practice approach to games and just hit.
- You should approach each at-bat knowing that you are a good hitter and have had success.
By working to improve the mental aspects of your hitting, you will have more success at the plate.
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Related Sports Psychology Articles
- Stop Overthinking To Bust a Hitting Slump
- Breaking Free From Hitting Slumps
- Clayton Kershaw’s Secret Weapon for Success
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