Here's the problem.
You step in the batter's box.
The pitcher throws the ball and you hit it right on the screws, but it's right at someone.
You're out.
You beat the pitcher.
The pitcher's mom knows you beat him, but you walk back to the dug-out with your head held down because you didn't get a hit.
As a result, you go into a funk at the plate because you're not getting hits. This is a mind-screw.
This can't happen. We have to change what we think success is from getting hits to having Quality At-Bats.
This game is way to mental to not have a great mental game.
There's a reason why you see a first-rounder never make it out of A Ball while a 50th rounder plays 10 years in the big leagues. It's because this game is so mental it's mind-blowing.
First - let's talk about what a Quality At-Bat is.
A Quality At-Bat is any plate appearance that ends with a:
- Hard hit ball
- Walk or Hit by pitch
- Moving the runner over with less than two outs
- 8 pitch at-bat
- Sacrifice Bunt of Fly
- Base hit
Did you notice how I put "base hit" at the bottom?
Here's why. If your goal is to get a hit, or if your definition of success is whether you get a hit or not, you're screwed.
In other words, you can't have a goal where you do everything right and still go 0-4-. This is why I say the Batting Average is the biggest trap in baseball.
Above all, get rid of the batting average if you want to quickly build confidence.
Yes, stats are important, but we have to prioritize things we can control.
Daily attainable goals.
When I was the performance coach for the Toronto Blue-Jays, we would give the hitter a $100 Best Buy gift card every time they lead the week in Quality At-Bats.
Think about that.
Imagine playing for a team where you don't have to get a hit to be in the line-up.
Now, this doesn't mean you don't have to perform. It means, knowing that if you hit the ball hard YOU win.
Now you're able to play with freedom!
You can walk up to the plate with calmness, toughness and focus instead of pressure, tension and anxiety because you're not trying to get a hit.
You're trying to hit the ball hard.
If you get a hit, it's a bonus.
There's freedom in this way of thinking!