Baseball Coaching Mini-Course: How to Play Raysball
Hail the Mighty Rays!
I had to pass this on to you today — one on line article
is virtually a baseball coaching/mental training program onto itself.
Here’s just a sampling of the quotes:
“We were just trying to put some good at-bats together [in
the eighth] and I think the best example of that was Aki’s
at-bat,” Pena said, admiringly. “Staying within himself,
seeing the ball, working the count to 3-2, then fouling off
a bunch of pitches and finally getting a walk.
“That’s not easy, man. You’ve got to be cold-blooded to be
in that situation and concentrate on only seeing the ball,
and staying in your zone and stuff like that. Needless to
say, it’s not normal for a human being to maintain, stay
poised in a situation like that, and Aki did it
unbelievably. … It takes its toll on a pitcher. … I
think that was the key at-bat in that rally.”
B.J. Upton followed with an RBI single to tie the game at
3, before Pena’s two-run single then put the Rays up, 5-3.
“[My] first reaction was, ‘I want to do something really
big,’” Pena said. “But again, calm yourself down, don’t get
too excited, go back to the basics. ‘I know this guy throws
hard, but what’s the ultimate thing you want to do?’ You
want to see the ball and you want to be relaxed and that’s
going to give you the best chance possible to actually do
something. And I was able to execute my plan, and next
thing you know, base hit to right field.”
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My suggestion: go to the link below and print out the
article, then go through it with a highlighter for the
several great mental game quotes.
FULL BASEBALL COACHING ARTICLE
Post it somewhere for frequent reading.
And pass this email on to your whole team.
Tom
Dr. Tom Hanson
p.s. Baseball coaching bonus: Take your pick of great no charge mental training at
http://www.BaseballConfidence.com
Baseball Training: Lesson from the Olympics
“Focus on me,” said the gold medallist in the 100m women’s
hurdles Dawn Harper.
That’s what she said was the key to her victory.
She got some help when the women with a comfortable lead
tripped over the second to last hurdle.
But the winner can’t control that. She can’t control what
anyone else does.
And THAT was the heart of her success that night.
(Of course major talent and massive training had to be
there too.)
And that “focus on me” advice had come from Coach Kersee, a
long time high level track coach (husband of Jackie
Joyner-Kersee).
And from great Gail Devers.
Think of all the distractions at the Olympics. The people,
the ceremony, the tradition, the Chinese food… plus all
her competitors.
She’d trained a lifetime for this moment. The Olympic
Finals.
“Keep your head in your lane,” is a line I’ve used a lot
with track and swimming athletes.
Stay focused, stay on track. Focus on what you need to do
to give yourself your best chance of being successful.
Harper’s ability to focus on herself made the difference.
For baseball and softball successful players and coaches
develop their Way. Like, The Way.
I was coaching a couple of pro players yesterday fine
tuning their Way.
Think of a great player and you can sense he or she has a
Way.
Clemens had a way of doing things. Jeter has his approach.
Pujols has his approach.
They know they can’t control their outcomes. They can’t
make the other athletes trip over the second to the last
hurdle.
So they don’t waste their energy focusing on that.
Yes, they scout their opponents and strategize, but when
the lights come on (it’s time to throw the pitch or see the
pitch or run the finals), their head is in their lane.
So our challenge is to determine our “Way.” Our *”Here’s
what I do.*
(I’ve got the same thing going with my corporate clients –
what is your routine that puts you in position to win each
day?)
For my pro players, the challenge is to settle in (or
throttle in) to that Way before they get released.
Results thinking is seductive.
And deadly.
Staying focused on your process (your Way) is a path of
mastery few take on passionately.
Coaching, like the 100m hurdle winner, is essential.
My “Zoned In” and “Dominate” dvd programs are my
fundamentals on how to best focus on you. Watch the short
video here:
http://www.baseballconfidence.com/Hit_&_Pitch.html
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You’ve still got time to get in my arm health seminar. If
you aren’t impressed after the first class send and email
and I’ll refund your investment.
If you have pain, stiffness, are recovering from an injury,
are having trouble throwing, want to recover faster, want
to be more consistent, etc., take the course.
Listen to the quite-impressive-I-must-say-but-not-atypical
intro to the class and register here:
http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=3692082
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Congratulations to the hometown Citrus Park team — making
the Final Four in the U.S. is extraordinary.
*******************************
Sincerely,
Tom
Dr. Tom Hanson
www.BaseballConfidence.com/Products.html
Please forward this email to anyone who might be interested.
Thank you.
