Reducing
Distractions and Training Concentration in Youth League Baseball Players
Al Figone, Ph.D.
Al Figone, Ph.D.
Baseball
execution is a motor skill that requires precise coordination by the nervous system
(brain and spinal cord) and muscles. These skills must be remembered by a complex
process mislabeled muscle memory. The memory is in the brain rather than the
muscles. Players can improve this memory process by adopting certain mental
strategies that repeatedly reinforce the impulses sent from the brain to the
muscles and the ones returned to the brain from the muscles as feedback.
In competition, 0.04% of the time is active
or requires an adequate level of concentration.
In a two and a half hour game (i.e.9000 seconds), about six minutes
(i.e.360 seconds) require a hard focus or concentration by all
players, except the pitcher and catcher. A critical aspect of coaching is
to reduce distractions and train the mind to concentrate similar to reading for
comprehension. Distractions occur overwhelmingly between pitches before players
engage in some form of physical execution: hitting, bunting, base running, base
stealing, team offense, catching and pitching, infield and outfield play, and
team offense.
Causes of distractions are as varied as
each player’s personality. Nature of outcomes such as a strikeout, error in
fielding, or picked off a base are some examples of events that may interfere
with future performance when they inhibit activating concentration when needed.
Less than positive outcomes are inevitable, what matters is how players react
to them.
Concentration
Applied to Hitting.
Lack of hitting success is a typical
frustration in baseball. Imagine not succeeding at a task seven out of ten
times. In baseball, a consistent success ratio or batting average of .300 is
the benchmark used to label players as “good hitters.” Consider a scenario
where a player strikes out swinging with R’s in scoring position, repeatedly
misses inside fastballs, and 35% of hit balls are pop flies or fly ball outs.
The probability of becoming a paralysis by analysis hitter (PBAH)
by this player is high. Before, during, and after at-bats, unchecked
self-thoughts perpetuate the continuation of inaccurate and self-defeating
thoughts. An effective and suggested corrective process follows in the next
section and includes training concentration combined with
technical execution practiced perfectly over time.
Successful
hitters are disciplined in terms of not swinging at balls out of the strike
zone and pitches labeled as STR-balls (a pitch that may be a strike or ball).
They create favorable hitter’s counts of:
1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 2-1, 3-1, 1-1 and 3-2.
Mental and technical changes in baseball
will not occur when general terms are given such as: “swing at strikes,” “put
the ball in play,” and “good swing” because they contain nonapplicable content.
What’s critical is that players understand the application of selected mental
aspects of baseball. Baseball execution at its core is a motor skill. “Motor”
infers that the skill by its nature requires precise coordination by the
nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and muscles. The higher the level, the
more consistently executed are specific baseball skills such as pitching and
hitting and the converse takes place at the lower levels or less consistent
performance. The reasons for the above are complex and attributable to the more
precise coordination and development of the nervous system and specific muscles
required at the highest levels of the game.
Players can assist the memory process by
adopting mental strategies that facilitate the coordination of the brain and
muscles. In hitting, fear of striking out and losing the one-on-one battle with
the pitcher by not scoring a R in scoring position can adversely affect level
of relaxation needed for the quick activation. Tense muscles react slower to
impulses from the brain.
An
appropriate relaxation level for hitting a line drive is achieved with a clear
mind combined with efficient breathing. If one faces a wild pitcher who throws
the ball 95 M.P.H. or one who throws soft, but with pinpoint control, what was
the primary difference? Most of us would respond by saying “fear of injury.” A
normal protective mechanism that is part is part of our survival instincts.
Hence, players need to learn how to successfully achieve an optimal relaxed
state when batting. One such method is to repeatedly say before, during, and
after the at bat: See the ball!
Repeating, this simple axiom can produce a clear mind. Also, deep,
rhythmic breathing needs to be practiced and mastered between pitches.
Technically, this means while at bat,
maintain a relaxed or soft focus by looking at the
pitcher’s cap until the pitcher begins to windup or stretch, and then change to
a hard
focus that automatically triggers concentration.
Seeing the ball at the release point
initiates the swing mechanics the ball will arrive to the contact point in less
0.50 of a second. The ball is followed all the way to the catcher’s glove if
not swung at... Between pitches, repetition of see the ball is the only
necessary self-talk. Repeating the above thought is designed to ignore
less than positive negative thoughts and external elements such as: spectators’
noise, umpire calls, or weather conditions. The goal in the above process is to
eliminate thoughts that are interfering with concentration. Teaching players
and practicing what to see is also a vital part of successful performance.
Strike zone discipline is also achieved
by going to bat with a sequential predetermined mental strategy and designed
readiness to hit sweet spot pitches when delivered. A suggested
strategy follows:
1.
Up to
two strikes, “any ball above the waist let it go.”
2.
A
pitcher will throw on average of “two sweet spot pitches at least twice every
at bat.” Be ready to rip on any pitch!
3.
Up to
two strikes, look for “sweet spot” pitches, if not seen, take the pitch.
4.
With one
strike expand the “sweet spot” a little--allow flexibility here as a little
has different connotations for each player.
5.
With two
strikes, any pitch in the strike zone is ripped by not choking up, just
putting the ball in play, etc. A line drive or groundball is the goal. Strike
zone expansion is the only change.
Adopting
individual variations of the above strategies to achieve hitter’s counts is
encouraged. The“proof of the pudding” is success percentage in achieving counts
favorable to batters. If an individual strategy does not result in attaining
deep or hitter’s counts, then it’s time to adopt the five-step strategy
identified above. Forcing a thought process may cause tension, but lack of
batting success will create even more tension.
The next step is to set up drills to gradually reduce and ultimately
eliminate any dysfunctional hitting thought processes. They include:
1.
The
showing of Pete Rose’s style in taking a pitch visually to reinforce tracking.
2.
As P’s
and C’s bullpen workout, practice tracking as in a game situation. Assists the
catchers, pitcher and batters.
3.
To
eliminate the tendency to miss a specific type or location of pitches, set up
stations for all hitters in BP with different machines delivering selected
pitches at different locations (i.e. fastballs in and out and up and down).
4.
To
develop RBI confidence, set a drill during BP where batters execute with R’s in
different scoring situations. Include pitchers who can throw game conditions
strikes 80% of the time, to different locations, and include selected
counts.
5.
Film
steps #2-#4.
6.
Objectively
assess hitting by utilizing a computer spreadsheet-based evaluative system.
7.
Film
practice and game hitting and compare results.
Concentration Applied to Fielding A
Groundball
Reaction
time is considered to be an inherited and trainable trait involving the eyes,
the brain in processing information from the eyes for decision-making, and the
nerves transmitting the brain’s signals to the muscles needed to execute the
most efficient first move in moving to a groundball. How can a coach assist a
player in decreasing reaction time in moving to a ball? Simply fungoing a lot of groundballs to
infielders will not assist in improvement. How many times have you seen an
infielder miss a groundball to his side by a step? And, if his first movements
are replayed, more than likely a number of incorrect movements may have been
executed that made him a step slow to the ball, one of the drawbacks of
fungoing groundballs in isolation or non-competitive-like conditions.
Combining
appropriate mental and technical drills may decrease reaction time with
repetitive practicing the correct first movements for a groundball to an
infielder’s sides. The mental processing leading to quicker first step
movements include picking up a pitched ball 10’ feet in front of HP and
following the ball into the contact point. The next step is to read the
horizontal angle of the bat which determines to what part of the field the ball
will be hit. A RHB, whose bat contacts the ball at about 45 degrees in front of
the hip nearest the plate, will hit a ball from 2B and to the right of that
base (left side of field). A ball contacted approximately four inches in front
the hip furthest from HP will direct the ball from 2B and the left of 2B (right
side of field).. Any in-between contact points from the above two points will
put the ball in play between the two points.
The Mental Aspects of
Baseball: Necessary Concentration
“Baseball is impossible without psychology:
impossible to play, and impossible to appreciate fully as a fan,” stated Mike
Stadler, author of The Psychology of Baseball, psychologist, and
University of Missouri professor. “Watch any game and most of what you see is
thinking. Most other sports apply specific amounts of psychology to improve
performance, but baseball is different because it gives players a lot more time
to think before each action,” continued Stadler. “Some of the major leaguers’
extraordinary abilities to coordinate physical and mental processes include:
faster reaction times, focus, and high visual acuity,” according to Stadler. “A
player has to be one of out of two million that possesses the total package of
physical and psychological skills to succeed at the highest levels of the
game,” he concluded.
The Psychology of Baseball
includes a significant amount of researched material, including several
interviews with successful major leaguers and others who were drafted in the
same rounds as those players who reached the majors, but for a variety of
mental and physical reasons did not reach the highest level of competition.
Stadler’s findings also have important implications for the future training of
players’ mental thought processes as they relate to performance in all levels
of the game.
Hence,
specific mental adjustments must be mastered by players at all levels of the
game as they progress to each higher level. Consider a batter who hits 8 out 10
balls hard to all parts of the field in 12 at-bats, but only 2 fall in safely
with runners in scoring position. He has a meaningless batting average of .200,
including 3 RBIs, 1 stolen base, and 2 successful hit and runs; four outs that
advanced runners 90 feet; and 7 at bats involving long counts and two bases on
balls. But his team won three consecutive games. For this play, the batting
average reveals almost nothing about a player’s offensive and defensive
contributions to the team’s success. The point: Constructive interpretation of the
above events will motivate. Demotivation will occur if the focus is only on BA.
For
players at the lowest levels in the developmental stage of hitting,
self-confidence can be taught to redefine hitting success that should become
stronger as they move to the higher levels of competition. Major leaguers have
undoubtedly mastered successful adjustments to events perhaps mislabeled as
failures, such as a strikeout with no outs in the sixth inning and nobody on
base in a tied game; or a strikeout with one out in the ninth inning with
runners on second and third, and the batter’s
team behind by two runs. The implications related to a player’s self-confidence in each situation
are numerous, but clearly the end result has to be the constructive
self-interpretation of each event, allowing the mind to quickly become ready
for the next pitch, at-bat, or game.
Successful
coaches and players repeatedly need to work on improvement. Success is normally
follows and is easier to adjust to than failure. Stated differently, we feel
better after success in a highly valued task as opposed to failure, especially
if we work as hard as possible to master the task. Realistic goals established
at the lower levels can lead to realistic self-confidence in specific aspects
of baseball that should become stronger in small increments as a player moves
to higher levels.
Often,
external sources such as parents, friends and others can assist this process by
praising effort and not judging outcomes. In turn, the process will develop the
inner drive or intrinsic motivation that leads a youngster to practicing and
playing the game for enjoyment. This is in contrast to a long-term goal, like
playing in the majors, which often produces negative consequences such as
indifference to academics. Feedback designed to improve leads to a series of
improvements that become efficient motor patterns.
Teamwork: Training Concentration
Teamwork involves the interpersonal
interactions that occur between teammates on and off the field. Few motivators
surpass the respect one receives from his peers when a task such as driving in
a run or advancing a man 90’ is accomplished.
Inherent in this process is unselfishness and that
characteristic is the mark of a winning player
But, offensive and defensive
performances in baseball are measured individually such as E.R.A. and fielding
percentage. Team statistics are also available and provide another objective
measure. One measure does not include statistics used by agents when
negotiating contracts for players that show ways a player’s team play has been
instrumental in a team’s success. Coaches are encouraged to establish their own
team statistics that are based on multiple performances on offense and defense
that are instrumental to success.
An example is a catcher who’s
studied the opposing batters, knows his pitcher’s idiosyncrasies, and calls
pitches that produce a lot of outs. And, his receiving skills create confidence
in the pitcher throwing a few balls in the dirt because missing low is better
than missing high? Or, who spends time in the bullpen with pitchers as both
complete specific drills. A team’s
awareness of a catcher’s contribution to the game’s outcome can be shared with
the rest of the team by posting a score that illustrate his
overall contribution to team’s success.
Players can
wrongly interpret Labels. In a talent-rich
program, sitting a player is assumed to be a motivator when in reality most of
what the player needed was a precise understanding of which aspect of
performance needed improvement. Attending only to a player’s physical execution
is in essence ignoring mental processes and reinforcing incorrect habits. And,
the longer the habit is repeated, the longer and more resistant to change the
process becomes. Ask anyone who’s attempted to stop smoking. Apply mental approaches
that economize explanation or reduce explanations. See more and talk less. A
last example of this axiom is presented next.
Conventional wisdom in baseball
used to be that “mental errors are excusable, but physical ones are not.” Most
errors are the result of inattention to some mental aspect of execution. The
ball was not seen into the glove, the pitcher was told to throw strikes with a
four run lead instead of pitching the way he did when the game was tied; hence
walks the bases loaded. Or, a batter with a runner on third is reminded to put
the ball in the air to score the runner. Instead, the swing changes from what
he’s repeatedly practiced (i.e. hit
the ball hard) and pops up. All situations where mental thoughts
interfered with effortless performance.
Patience is a behavior to master.
One did not learn to walk in a day, week, or month. Be patient, but stay with
the mental program without letting it get in the way of enjoying the game. Use
available online assessments provided for each skill executed for obtaining a
comprehensive and systematic progress of hard work. Successful adjustments leads to more self-confidence
that less than positive outcomes will be viewed as challenges to master. Fun in
baseball is synonymous with hard work and success.
Fortunately
for today’s players and coaches, technology has advanced at almost light speed
quickness in all areas that relate to baseball—and to our lives as well.
Youngsters today as young as five are increasingly using technology for a
variety of reasons. Similarly, coaches today are increasingly challenged by
computer-literate players in year-round youth league programs that focus
primarily on playing and less on mental and technical improvement, which
encourages many dysfunctional and injury-related executions, such as reacting
to an inside pitch and headfirst sliding. The results of these trends have
redefined the roles of coaches in schools and other settings that require
changes by dedicated coaches at all levels of the game.
Successful
coaches in baseball have already begun the necessary transitions by creatively
adopting programs that address the mental and technical needs of players at all
levels of the sport. Psychological or mental improvement programs proliferate,
and technology-based products increase as this article is written. Two of
today’s challenges for coaches are the control of training for players who use
outside sources, even traveling in some cases to foreign countries, and the
application of video technology to remove the guesswork when comparing
successful and unsuccessful mental and technical execution.
The
“traveling team mentality” ignores the fact that science has trumped the
conventional wisdom of playing a lot of games to learn the game. Science-based
off-season programs today include academic counseling and tracking of diploma
or degree process, psychological services, functional strength training, conditioning,
development of healthy nutritional practices, skill-specific drills, vision
training, and the use of video analysis. When to begin each of these processes
with youth league is a science-based decision.
Today,
the need to receive external coaching is greater than ever regardless of the
level of competition. Well-taught, self-confident, self-coached baseball
players recognize their analytical limitations and seek out expert assistance
before a slump kicks in. They know that preventing a slump is hard work, but
working through one is even harder, as well as emotionally exhausting. Seeking
science-based knowledge and applying the most
updated technology will mark the nature of successful baseball coaching in the
very near future.
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