Diamond Edge

Slumps are a reality in baseball. But, mentally tough baseball players are able to limit and contain slumps. Mentally tough players have 3 game slumps, other players have 3 week long slumps. We discuss four steps to limiting and containing slumps:

1. Maintain perspective - slumps start and end.

2. Maintain your confidence. If you don't feel confident, then at least act confident.

3. Relax - don't put extra pressure on yourself. Don't try hard, instead try easy.

4. Contain the slump to just one part of the game. If you are in a hitting slump, leave the slump in the batter's box. Don't tale your slump onto the mound, or onto the field with you.

Remember - everyone has slumps. The secret is to make them short and contained.

There is no ignoring it - superstitions are part of baseball culture. In this episode, we discuss the good and bad side of superstitions, and give players some advice on developing good pre-game routines, and preventing superstitions from becoming distractions and excuses.

Visualization is a powerful tool to help you prepare to compete in baseball. It is used at advanced levels of baseball, but is rarely taught to high school and youth players. Visualization is essentially playing baseball in your own mind. Done effectively, it prepares you to step on the field and directly impacts muscle memory and the mind-body connection, which is so important in baseball. There are two types of visualization in baseball. Visualizing a situation - like standing in the batter’s box or on the mound. This is done with as much breadth and detail as possible. The player tries to totally create the entire scene in his head - using all senses, sight, sound, smell, taste and feel. The second type of visualization is performance-based, where the player actually visualizes the act of hitting the ball, throwing the pitch or fielding the ball. This is more narrowly focused visualization that directly links vision with muscles. Both are important tools to help players improve mental toughness.

In this episode we discuss "competing against yourself". To consistently improve and build skills in baseball, you need to compete against yourself.

This is what separates players who excel at the next level, whether that is varsity high school, college or professional baseball, is this pursuit of excellence. The discipline to challenge yourself to get better and better, regardless of the competition.

We discuss FOCUS. Focus is the ability to narrow your mental attention to a specific act or a specific object, like a baseball.

There are two secrets to FOCUS:

First, focus on controllables. Controllables are what you body does, what your mind thinks and how you behave.

Second, focus on now, the exact current moment. Don't be distracted by the past or the future. In baseball. complete focus should be on the next pitch. That is all that matters.

Click here for the concentration grid discussed in the podcast.

We discuss RELAXATION. Baseball is a unique combination of skill, power and rhythm. To succeed, you need a clear mind and relaxed muscles. Three tools for relaxation are discussed in detail:

1. Deep breathing

2. Focusing your eyes

3. Clearing your mind

Each player needs to develop his own personal routine, using these tools to relax and perform at his best.

Mature, mentally tough baseball players need to take RESPONSIBILITY for their own baseball performance. Here are the keys:

1 . Take responsibility for all aspects of your game - mental and physical

2. Control and responsbility go hand in hand. If you want to control your game, you need to take responsibility.

3. Take reponsibility for your relationships and behavior toward teammates, coaches, umpires, opponents and fans.

The only way to learn from mistakes is to take responsibility for them. Don't make excuses. Take responsibility, learn and then move on.

This special edition of the Diamond Edge is a follow up to Episode 10 on Tryouts. This special edition is for players who did not have a successful tryout and did not make the team they wanted to. Some self-reflection help and perspective is offered, along with words of encouragement for passionate baseball players.

This is a special edition of the Diamond Edge. The focus is "Baseball and Academics". Brendan Sullivan, co-founder of Headfirst Baseball, is interviewed. The interview was originally included in the Coaches Corner podcast. But, there are great insights in this interview that every serious select baseball player needs to hear.

In this episode, we discuss how select baseball players can re-define success to go beyond wins & losses and personal stats. Don't let your success be defined by the scorebook. Instead, create your own definition of success based on what you can control and how you play the game. If you focus and get better at the process of playing baseball, your winning percentage and personal stats will naturally improve.

The homework assignment is to develop the metrics that you will use this season to measure your success after every game. It is how you will answer the question "how was the game?"