New eBook! Hitting IQ: A smart hitter’s path to a better approach at the plate

Hello! My new book is now available! Learning how to swing at bat is not the same as learning how to hit!  Coach Bob McCreary, founder of BaseballByTheYard.com and a former professional player and coach, delves into the intricacies of mastering the art of hitting, emphasizing that it’s more than just a physical motion – it’s a […]

If your only goal is to have fun then go to the beach

Hanging out with friends is fun.  Attending a birthday party is fun.  Playing on the playground is fun. Playing a team sport can, at times, be fun. However, “fun” should not be the top priority. I understand that statement may raise a few eyebrows.  I also understand that the younger the player is, the more […]

What is your in-season hobby?

I remember standing in front of a mirror practicing my swing in a hotel room in North Carolina.  It was 1991.  I was in the Southern League (AA) at the time and it was a rare off-day on the road.  It was a beautiful day but I spent it largely indoors practicing my swing in […]

It rains on elite players too

A couple weeks ago I spoke to a high school team at their “First Dinner” event to kick off their season.  One of the themes of my talk was about the need to be different in your behaviors and mindset if you want to be elite.   As I write this post in Pennsylvania, it is […]

Marines and baseball players

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to speak at a local high school baseball team’s “First Dinner” to start off their new season.  I talked about a number of things but one of them was a story I was told by someone I had met a couple years ago.  Here is the story … […]

Why too many players avoid their mental game

For the past 20 years I have done coaching clinics (in person and now online too) just about every year. Very often several each year. At least once a year I ask a basic question to the coaches who are in attendance. The question is … “There are two sides to baseball – the physical […]

Four reasons for taking your time when getting into the batter’s box

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”  – Dr. Wayne Dyer I think most (if not all!) baseball people would agree that the finer points of the game are too often neglected in player development.  Today’s post involves several game-like situations where greater awareness is necessary.  Even […]

Ways to practice your mental game in the weight room

It is currently mid-January so, of course, baseball season is right around the corner. Not only is it time for players to adjust their physical workouts as the season approaches, players need to adjust their “mental workouts” while in the weight room as well. The amount of data being collected and utilized in player development […]

Analytics – Are we losing the FEEL for the game?

A while back I wrote a post called “The four levels of competence for players.”  Click on the title if you want the full nuts and bolts of the levels.  When players work their way through the game of baseball, they also work their way up through those levels of competence.  Eventually, some special players […]

Tom Brady and self-discipline

I am by no means a Tom Brady hater. I love watching greatness so if Brady is playing on TV, I am watching. Below is a link to a tremendous article that every aspiring baseball player needs to read. It is long but it explains why Brady has lasted so long at such a high […]

Born to be a baseball player?

In my day job, I teach Sociology and AP Psychology to high school students. Both are social sciences so the Nature v Nurture debate comes up frequently throughout the school year. Some human behavior is predetermined through genetics. That’s “Nature.” Other behaviors and thoughts are determined by how a person is raised. That’s the “Nurture” […]

Napoleon might have been a good pitcher

The quote above is said to originate from Napoleon Bonaparte. Although his 5’6″ height probably would not have generated a high ranking by Perfect Game, his mindset might have made up for it if he took the bump on game day. The message of the quote for military officers, business competitors, and athletes alike is […]

Rip currents and baseball slumps

What are rip currents? If you have ever been to the beach then you probably noticed a sign like the one pictured as you approached the beach entrance.  The sign warns people of the presence and dangers of rip currents. ** Bear with me here.  I’ll get to the baseball connection in a little bit! […]

Your baseball brain wants you to fail

If I asked a room full of baseball players, “Raise your hand if you tend to be your worst enemy and beat yourself up too much inside your head,”  I can guarantee that just about every hand would be up.  That’s because for virtually everyone, the brain is both an asset and an enemy.   […]

What story do you tell yourself? – Part 2

In Part 1 of this post I wrote about something called the Reticular Activation System that all brains have.  In a nutshell, this system allows us to sift through the millions of bits of information we receive from our environment every minute and filter through the bits that are relevant and/or important to us.  I […]

What story do you tell yourself? – Part 1

We all have a story.  And we tell it to ourselves over and over and over …. Sometimes the story is a positive one and sometimes it is not.   Baseball is a game of failure so it is very easy to gravitate towards a negative story. I’m not a very good baseball player. I can’t […]

You don’t play defense on defense

Attack … Get after it … Be aggressive … These words and phrases are often associated with offense. A players “attacks” the ball and should always “be aggressive” when swinging the bat.  Good advice for the offensive player … but also good advice for the defensive player. Whether you are a pitcher or a position […]

Looking v Guessing for pitches

In today’s video tip, the difference between looking for certain pitches and guessing for pitches is explained.  Some don’t see much of a difference between the two.  I do.  I believe looking for pitches has some big advantages over guessing. Monday’s post:  You don’t play defense on defense

Break the glass with every pitch

I heard this tip for throwing more strikes from a coach at a camp.  He heard it from another coach which is pretty much how everything gets passed down. The tip is to “break the glass” with every pitch.  Here is how it works. A pitcher visualizes a narrow rectangular box whose opening is right […]

Root for yourself

Parents root for their kids.  Fans root for the players on their side too.  So do coaches and teammates.  But all their cheering, rooting, and supporting won’t make much of a difference unless a player roots for himself. The game is hard enough.  If your mind is heckling you all the time then you need […]

Do you play or do you compete?

A lot of kids across the world play baseball.  Not as many compete.  There is a huge difference between the two. A kid who plays the game: Shows up when the coach tells him to. Practices well if a coach is watching. Is content with going base-to-base. Is ok with losing if he goes 3-4 […]

I have the advantage, not the pitcher

From the time baseball players are little, they hear the following … “Baseball is a game of failure.  You can fail seven out of ten times and get to the Hall of Fame.” “The best hitters only hit .300.” “Batters are ignorant.  The pitcher gets to pick the pitch, the speed, and the location.  The […]

The good news about fear

Fear is one of the basic features of our hard-wiring that has allowed human beings to last as long as we have.  Fear and all the physiological responses to it – increased heart rate, quick shallow breathing, the adrenaline dump, an increase in body temperature, etc. – are all warning signs to us that something […]

Embarrass yourself before someone else does

Ever get called out by a coach or a teammate?  Play long enough and every player will have that happen to them at least once.  It could be a teammate who jumps you for not running hard down the line.  It could be a coach jumping you for not trusting your stuff and becoming timid […]

The importance of being aggressive early at the plate

As all of my readers know, baseball is a very cerebral game.  The difference between winning and losing & succeeding and failing at the game often is more about what is going on between the ears and not in the physical things you can see.  No area of the game is immune to this either. […]

Sometimes you have to pack the parachutes

I recently heard an inspiring true story from a friend/coach.   It goes like this … Captain Charlie Plumb was a fighter pilot in the 60’s during the Vietnam War.  While on a mission, his jet was shot down.  He was able to eject but unfortunately for him, he had to parachute down into enemy […]

Pitchers and the Spotlight Effect

If you ever took a psychology course then you probably know that there are many things that can impact how we perceive the world around us.  Quite often our perceptions are flawed as a result.  Concepts like confirmation bias, the fundamental attribution error, and hindsight bias are just a few of the things that humans […]

Color Coded Mindsets For Baseball

If you have been in the Marines or are in the gun world, you probably have heard of Colonel Jeff Cooper.  Cooper was considered to be one of the world’s top experts on the use and history of small arms (handguns). Among many of his books was one that introduced a color coding system to teach […]

Just “tie your shoes”

This is the last post in a series of recent posts on the importance of creating a routine as a hitter.  The previous posts on the subject are linked here: What is your hitting routine? What are YOUR players doing on deck? A hitter’s routine and muscle memory Why do players choke? Today’s post gives […]

Why do players choke?

Today’s post is in a series of posts dedicated to hitters who can benefit from a routine prior to their at-bats.  The prior three posts related to this topic are linked below.  The final one in the series will be Friday. What is your hitting routine? What are YOUR hitters doing on deck? A hitter’s […]

A hitter’s routine and Muscle Memory

Two of last week’s posts centered around the importance of hitters developing a personalized routine to prepare for at-bats.  If you did not get a chance to see them, you can click on their titles below. What is your hitting routine? What are YOUR players doing on deck? Today’s post sets us up for the […]

FELT goals for baseball success

Baseball is quite possibly the most confidence and esteem crushing sport in existence.  No other sports punishes players for doing everything right.  A batter perfectly approaches a tough slider down and away and smokes a line drive to the opposite field gap.  Since the shift was on, the outfielder takes two steps and catches the […]

Make a deposit every game

Go to any book store and you will see tons of books related to financial success.  Each one claims to have the secret formula to reaching your financial dreams.  I’m no financial wizard but I do know the #1 rule when it comes to money.   “Spend less than you make.” My parents taught me […]

The And-1 mentality

Kyrie Irving takes it down, he’s looking to get it to Lebron.  He dishes it off to Kyle Korver.  Bounce pass to Kevin Love.  Back to Irving.  He get’s it out to Korver at the 3-point line.  Doesn’t have a shot.  Lebron is fighting for position underneath.  Pass over to Irving.  He drives to the […]

Who are you chasing?

We’ve all seen many underdog players or teams overachieve.  On the flip side, we’ve also seen many incredibly talented players and teams underachieve.  Both seem to happen so often that there must be a reason. Of course, there is never just one answer but if I had to pick one that stands out the most […]

Burn the boats!

Some seniors in college know for sure that pro ball is in their future.  Some know that pro ball is definitely not going to be an option.  This post is for players who are stuck in between.  Some of you who know your military history may know what “burn the boats!” means.  If not, “burn […]

Get better through observation

When Tiger Woods was a young child and being watched by his father, he would often be put in a high-chair so dad could practice his golf swing.  For safety reasons, Tiger’s dad didn’t want little Tiger to be walking around while dad was swinging a golf club.  The high-chair kept him safe.  It may have […]

Tips for the showcase circuit

It’s showcase season! The Fall is when many high school players hit the showcase circuit in the attempts to woo a college or pro scout into giving up some money.  If you are already a selfish, “me only” player then you may stop reading and move on to another activity.  You won’t learn anything new […]

Mind your BEE’s

For the last couple years I have coached my young son’s 8u/9u travel baseball team at the end of his rec seasons.  That age group brings many challenges but one of the toughest is trying to get them to move on from the game’s inevitable adversities and stay positive.  Easier said than done because if […]

We’re good, Sir.

Like many guys, I am fascinated by military special forces.  If I see a book about them, I pick it up.  If one is interviewed in a podcast, I download and listen.  It may be the training.  Maybe it’s the mental toughness. Every time I read or listen I pick up something new that I […]

What is your unfair advantage?

When I was 12 years old, I remember pitching in a game with the winning run on third base with the game all tied up.  There were less than two outs and if the runner scored, the other team would win in walk off fashion.  I decided to go from the wind-up thinking that if the […]

Add some problem solving to your drills

“I am so sick and tired of my players not being able to think for themselves.  They sit back and just wait for me to tell them what to do all the time.” Sound familiar? I’m sure it does.  Every coach deals with that dilemma.  So how can a coach address it rather than just […]

World Series insights – Game 3 & 4

BONUS SUNDAY POST! These insights from Game 3 and 4 of the current World Series between the Mets and the Royals are in no particular order.  Once again, I provide links to posts and videos I’ve previously done that expand on these ideas.  Enjoy! Game 3: The Met’s catcher made a big mistake and let […]

Why won’t he talk to me? Advice for baseball moms

How many of you baseball moms out there have experienced something like the following … Your son comes home from a game.  It is obvious that he is upset.  Maybe an 0-4 with three strikeouts.  Maybe got pulled from the mound in the 1st inning.  Maybe a crucial base running mistake in the last inning.  Who […]

The three opponents you face every game

Three years ago I wrote a very popular post called The game is your toughest opponent.  It’s worth reading if you haven’t already because it’s a good message to players about what they should be focussing on during games. But I have to confess that I think I was wrong.  The game is not your […]

Talk to yourself but don’t listen

How many times have you heard that little voice in your head say things like “You suck!” or “How could you not throw a strike?” or “0 for 4… You’ll never be any good at this game.” or “How did you miss that pitch?”   I don’t know about you but that inner demon inside my […]

There is no top of the ladder

A lot of people out there would like to climb the “ladder of success.”  Here’s a little secret … There is no ladder. A ladder implies vertical movement.  Up or down.  That’s not how the game works.  Although the levels of the game do appear to be like a ladder, a player’s progress (and many […]

A baseball lesson from election day

HEADS UP!!  A special offer for subscribers of the site is coming within a week!  Become a subscriber if you haven’t already!  Scroll under my photo on the right to subscribe! Now, back to today’s post! As a social studies teacher I take a keen interest in the political process.  When I see the percentage […]

Are you an Infantry player or Special Ops?

There are many different roles in the military and all are necessary for a fighting force to be at its best.  Infantry and special operations are two of them.  Infantry has been called the “tip of the spear” since they are often the first sent into battle.  They frequently are sent out to search for […]

I hate this vs I don’t want to be here

How do you know when you are burnout and had enough with baseball? It doesn’t matter whether you are a player or a coach, there are some days that will drive you to say “What am I doing?”  I think Crash Davis put it best when he said “F— this F-ing game.  I quit.” after […]

Great from pitch #1

 Game #1 of the World Series has come and gone but hopefully the lesson learned has not.  James Shields, the starter for the Royals, gave up three quick runs in the first inning.  The Giants cruised from there to a 7-1 victory.  As I write this, they are one game away from winning the World […]

Giving 110%

Everyone has their pet-peeves.  As a social studies teacher, my pet-peeve is when people screw up their geography.  Someone from Philadelphia says “This weekend I’m going down to New York City.”  No, Sparky.  NYC is north and therefore “UP” not “DOWN.” Of course, English teachers have about a gazillion pet-peeves when people write and talk. […]

Drills to prevent reflexive looks

In my psychology classes, there is an activity I do to teach about reflexes.  I have the students line up with their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them.  I give a signal to the last person in line and they lightly squeeze the shoulders of the person in front of […]

How important is the right gear?

To answer that question, let me put it this way …. If you want to excel at anything, you have to have these four things: Mindset Tactics Skills Gear And most importantly, they stay in that order of importance! Let’s take each one individually and apply it to baseball. Mindset.  Baseball is a very tough […]

The most annoying thing about private lessons

For many years I gave quite a few private lessons to players of all age groups every week.  In fact, I look back on my daily schedule of teaching all day and giving private lessons four weeknights per week, all day Saturday, and most of the day on Sunday and can’t understand how I did […]

Your imaginary opponent

If you are a player who has average to below-average ability then deciding who your opponent is is fairly easy.  It’s the guy playing ahead of you or that good pitcher on the other team you are about to play.  Every time you take a rep in practice or in your own backyard you clearly […]

Awareness pays off for one MLB player

The MLB regular season is fast coming to a close and several teams are battling it out for the last playoff spots.  One such fight is between the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals.  As I write this, the Tigers have a 1.5 game lead over the Royals in the American League Central Division.  […]

Awareness Game #3

My past two posts have been about two games that players and coaches can play during games to improve field awareness.  Today is Part 3 of a three part series and involves another game that players can play in their minds while watching a game.  I guess it could be called the announcer game. Being […]

Awareness Game #1

I live in Pennsylvania but a growing number of people are moving to our country’s 51st state – the State of Oblivion.  For a variety of reasons, people seem to be less aware of what is going on around them.  I think the cell phone is the biggest culprit.  Everyday in school, hundreds of teenagers […]

Baseball and the OODA Loop

September 1st of last week was the anniversary of the start of World War II.  After the war officially ended, a young man by the name of John Boyd enlisted into the Army out of high school and later entered the Air Force after college.  Little did people know that Boyd would go on to […]

Improve your practices with “Contextual Interference”

Psychologists have long wondered how people learn and remember things.  Teachers as well as coaches also have an incentive to find those answers.  Often what we do in the classroom and on the field is geared towards teaching new information with the goal of long-term retention.  Unfortunately, lots of psychological studies seem to indicate that […]

Teach the wall how to play baseball

If you ever took a psychology class you probably did a unit on learning and maybe another on memory.  I cover both in my AP Psych classes.     There are many concepts within both units that could help baseball players learn the game quicker but I’ll focus on just one – use as many […]

Baseball Hardware vs Baseball Software

The 2014 MLB Amateur Draft has ended and hundreds of young men are probably thrilled beyond belief.  I know I was back in 1989.  When I got the call from the Twins organization that they had selected me, I hung up the phone after the conversation and just stood there in silence for a few […]

Recognize abnormal

When a coach or player is said to have good instincts, there are many things one can point to as proof.  In my opinion, most of it involves good “situational awareness.”  In other words, a good sense of what is happening around them.  A mother “with eyes on the back of her head” is an […]

Assessing a rough season

As the high school/community season ends and the summer season starts, it’s important to assess how things have gone so far and decide how to precede the rest of the way.  Hopefully things have gone well up until now.  If that’s the case, keep doing what you are doing!  If not, you really should do […]

Baseball and Wall Street

When it comes to investing, some people are long-term investors.  They continually put money in the market and don’t worry so much about the daily, weekly, or even yearly ups and downs and just focus on where they want to be in 20-40 years down the road.  When looking at the following picture, long-term investors focus […]

Poor weather practices

I remember playing a AA game way back in 1992 in Huntsville, AL.  It was early April and it was very cold in Huntsville.  The temperature was in the mid-40’s around game time.  After spending a month in spring training in warm temperatures, that series in Huntsville was not a picnic. I remember seeing teammates […]

Breaking games up into sets

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!! The other day I was watching a spring training game on TV.  Orel Hershiser and the other announcer were talking about how the pitcher in the game had a history of giving up runs early before settling down.  The other announcer asked Hershiser how he personally dealt with giving up a […]

Adrenaline dumps

In stressful situations, the body dumps adrenaline and noradrenaline into the bloodstream.  Both are extremely powerful hormones that basically get our body ready to fight.  Our heart rate increases, our blood pressure goes up, our breathing becomes more rapid, our analytical mind is less effective, etc.     The problem is that the body does […]

No dimmer switches

In my house, like many houses, I have several dimmer switches that regulate how much light I want turned on.  These are great for homes but not so good for a player’s mentality on the field.  Unfortunately, many players play the game with a “dimmer switch” mentality.  In short, they are constantly stuck in between.  […]

Injuries: One week or one month?

About 10 days ago one of my daughters got a horrible gash on her leg that required an emergency room visit and five stitches.  She is fine but her experience since then has caused her a lot grief.  Because of her injury and the stitches, she has been unable to start up her new dance […]

Because you just never know

Here is a story about a former player of mine that should be a lesson for all young players.  This player had a good high school career but even though he went to a Division I college, it certainly was not a top-teir one.  That’s because he wasn’t the 6’3″ blue chipper with the 90+ […]

Happily ever after

One of the hardest things when you get to the top is staying there.  Winning a championship as a team or a player getting to the level they’ve always dreamed of can be thrilling but it’s not without challenges.   First of all, a team that becomes a champion is not going to sneak up […]

Changing course

When a pilot takes off at an airport in Philadelphia en route to Los Angeles, they understand that a change in course along the way may be necessary.  Changing wind patterns, storms, and mechanical issues can force a pilot to change course to get to their destination safely.  When this happens, the pilot doesn’t get […]

Make someone pay

At an early age, my father taught me to make someone pay for bad games,
 slumps, and losing streaks.  It is good advice for individual
 players and teams alike. 
 Baseball has a way of mentally wearing you down over time.  When it 
does, it becomes very easy to lash out at yourself, teammates, and/or
 coaches.  […]

Earning the right to fail

A student of mine had a rough pitching start the other day.  He lasted 1/3 of an inning before being pulled from the game.  Pitch long enough and it will happen to you too.  It certainly has happened to me. For players at the high school level and above, outings like this can be devastating.  […]

Lottery mentality

The lottery is said to be “a tax on people who can’t do math.”  That’s
 because you probably have better odds of getting hit by a bolt of lightning while
 doing cartwheels then winning the lottery.  Unfortunately, some people
 keep putting their future prosperity in the hands of five or six ping
 pong balls.  Not […]

The power of defeat

The game of baseball is designed to wear you down mentally.  It takes special people to handle all the failure that is inherent in the game.  Special people with grit.  Below is a link to a non-baseball article that is right on the money when it comes to the importance of developing grit in children. […]

Roy Halladay, slumps, and flailing at the bird

No matter how good you are, slumps up at bat, on the mound, and out on the field are going to occur.  It’s part of the game.  Roy Halladay is currently going through such a time.  Click on the link below to hear his post-game interview.  It’s a gem for anyone who gets into a […]

When baseball is your identity

For many young kids who play the game from an early age, their lives look like the following graphic.  We’ll call this kid Player A. Even though setbacks occur for them in the game (0 for 4, 3k’s, 2 errors, .240 batting average, cut from the team, etc.) other parts of their life help to […]

Pay attention to your breathing

Ever notice that when you stand in on pitchers who are throwing bullpens that all the pitches coming in look like watermelons?  Hitters often see the ball great out of the pitcher’s hand and clearly track the ball into the catcher’s mitt.  In the batter’s mind, each pitch is often followed by the thought, “I […]

Are you afraid of success?

As a teacher of mostly high school seniors, I will occasionally run into a bright student who really has no interest in graduating.  It can be very frustrating for me and infuriating for the kid’s parents because the student seems to sabotage their own progress at every turn.  I’m sure psychologists can have a field day […]

Teaching toughness

Can you teach toughness?  I think the answer is YES.  I will admit that it is very hard, though.  The reason why I say yes is that the military does it every day.  They routinely turn average kids into warriors.  Warriors with a higher tolerance for pain, better drive, assertiveness, and self-discipline as well. I think […]

Use your voice to focus the mind

How many of you can listen to someone talk and be thinking of something totally different than what the person is talking about?  If you are a guy, you better have your hand up because I think men are hard wired to do this.  Now … While you are talking about something, how many of […]

Don’t forget the mental side

With Hurricane Sandy rolling through and colder temperatures settling in, it looks like most of the Fall programs in my area are all but finished.  Thus begins the official off-season for most baseball players.  With all the focus normally placed on the physical side of the game this time of year, I wanted to remind […]

Baseball “acculturation”

In my high school sociology classes, we recently discussed the concept
 of acculturation.  By definition, acculturation is when a culture
 identifies aspects (common behaviors, values, beliefs, etc.) of their
 culture that are holding them back in terms of success and replaces them 
with behaviors that will allow them to succeed.  Often, those new
 behaviors adopted […]

About you v concern you

Every person in this world is going to hear criticism.  In the world of baseball, players and coaches often get it from all directions.  Other players, other coaches, fans, parents, reporters, etc. all are quick to criticize others.  Like it or not, it is the nature of sports. Some people are not affected at all […]

“Calm”

The last relaxation technique of this series involves what some people would consider a little bit of meditation.  To look at the previous three posts on helping players relax in the moment are HERE, HERE, and HERE.  Like the other techniques mentioned in this series, this one can be adjusted for lengthy sessions on down […]

A good sigh

This is the second post in a series dedicated to helping players relax in the moment.  The previous posts on the subject are HERE and HERE. Another breathing technique that can help a player relax in the moment is a good “sigh” on the exhale.  To do this one, a player breathes in normally through […]

Three part breathing

In yesterday’s post, I explained how athletes need to develop the ability to relax and withdraw either temporarily or completely depending on the situation.  Today’s post starts a series of posts dedicated to techniques that can help athletes accomplish all this. In stressful situations, whether they know it or not, most people’s breathing undergoes some […]

Relax and withdraw

For an athlete to be at his best, he will need to develop the ability to relax and withdraw from his environment completely as well as temporarily.      Although John Kruk once said “I’m not an athlete, I’m a ballplayer”, baseball players certainly need it too.  The ability to withdraw from all the distractions […]

Josh Hamilton is human after all

The story of Josh Hamilton and his rise to stardom is a remarkable story that still inspires me whenever I see him play.  But Josh is struggling at the plate these days.  After receiving Player of the Month honors for May and June, his production has dropped considerably.  Nobody is as frustrated as he is […]

Music and the mind

Last night I took my kids to a local American Legion playoff game.  Prior to the game starting, the National Anthem was played.   It’s been a long time since I’ve played in a game where the National Anthem was played/sung (15 years?).  However, my body still has the same reaction.  I start to sway […]

Hang with ’em

John Papelbon had a tough blown save last night that if you didn’t watch the game, you’d think he just pitched poorly.  The Phillies closer entered the game to pitch the ninth with the Phillies winning 3-1.  He gave up 4 hits that led to the Dodgers tying the game, sending it to extra innings. […]

The danger of superstition

As you probably already know, baseball players are some of the most superstitious people on earth.  I read a sociological study one time that discussed cultures and their likelihood of being superstitious as a people.  It basically comes down to how much “luck” or “chance” the people believe is involved in their success.  In light […]

How to add some fun to a line-up

My hometown Phillies are currently in last place and 14 games back in their division.  It has been a tough summer for Phillies fans who have not seen a last place team in some time now.  By the looks of the players in the dugout, it’s been a tougher summer for them. Play the game […]

Bad body language

When I watch games on TV, it is not unusual for the volume to be off.  Often my wife will be reading close by or the kids will be playing in the room making it hard to hear anyway.  It’s actually a good way to watch the game because it forces you to pay attention […]

Are you in a motivation slump?

Slumps are not just for hitters.  There are slumps on defense, slumps in baserunning, slumps on the mound, and slumps in the coaching box.  Slumps aflict everyone in the game at some point.  Motivation is a target for slumps as well.  It would be nice if our motivation levels remained at a high level all […]

I belong at this level (an update)

Last season I wrote a post on the importance of a player believing that he belongs at a particular level.  The entire post is reprinted here … Close your eyes and think back to the month of July when you were 19 years old.  What were you doing?  For many people, much of what they […]

Build in some focus breaks

Ever stare at something long enough that what you are looking at begins to blur?   Ever think/read/study something over a long period of time and just kind of blank out?  You’ve probably had both happen to you.  At some point the brain fades out and performance (comprehension, analysis, critical thinking, etc.)  suffers.  When this happens, […]

Playoff baseball: Part 3 – The mental side

“Don’t ever bet on kids.” That quote comes from an Old School baseball friend of mine.  I believe it to be good advice.  On any given day, there is no telling which team is going to show up.  Will it be the team that is focused, energetic, driven to win, and united or will it be […]

Killer instinct: Time, Place, and Manner

One of the benefits of living in America is the high standard of living we enjoy compared to the rest of the world.  Most Americans don’t know what it is truly like to scrape, claw, and fight for what you need to survive.  With this high standard of living comes a civility where aggressiveness towards […]

Fight or Flight

“Fight or Flight” is the human body’s instinctive process of doing everything it can to prepare itself for a conflict.  It can also be a baseball players worst enemy.  This 20 minute video explains why and what players and coaches can do to harness the power of this process.          

Achievers and Non-achievers

“Achievers” in the game of baseball know that there will be times when they will go backwards in terms of their success in a particular area of the game.  Tweaking a swing, learning new pitches, and moving up a level often bring about setbacks until adjustments are made.  However, “achievers” recognize all this as part […]

The importance of pre-game

The other day I mentioned in a post that I am coaching my son and daughter’s coach-pitch team with a guy who is an area scout for the Seattle Mariners.  His son plays on the team as well.  While at our practice the other day, I asked what game he was scouting this weekend.  He […]

Everyday is opening day!

Today is the official start to the major league season.  Opening day.  There is nothing like it in baseball. If you listened to my podcast interview with Toronto Blue Jays Performance Coach Steve Springer, you heard him talk about the value of not focusing on stats.  In his words … “the batting average is Satan!”  […]

How to handle negative self-talk

If there is a game that is more mental than baseball, I don’t know what it is.  What bothers me is that many people in the game approach the mental side of the game as something a player either has or doesn’t have as if it’s written in stone.  We all know that there are […]

Do we need more discipline?

I think discipline is misunderstood. 
How many times have you heard someone say something like this:
   If I had more discipline, I would _______.
 What that kid/player needs is more discipline!
 To lose weight, you need discipline.
 You have to be disciplined at the plate.
   All these comments and the million others that use […]

Do you see yourself succeed?

 The title may sound like a strange question to ask a player but the answer can be very revealing about why a player may not be reaching his full potential.  I’m probably not going out on a limb here when I say all baseball players lie in their bed and dream of being in the […]

Change your focus by changing your clothes

Your locker doesn’t have to be aselaborate as Ryan Howard’s to getthe benefits of some mental work. When people come home from a rough day at work or school, what’s the first thing many of them do?  They change their clothes.  Why?  One reason is simply to put on clothes that are more comfortable.  Another […]

Don’t get lost in your statistics

Any player who says they have no idea what their statistics are is probably lying.  A player may not know to the decimal point what the numbers are but he certainly will be able to “ball-park it” if pressed for a number.  When a player says “I don’t know what my batting average is,” what […]

The effects of tension

Much of sports psychology is meant to calm players down during competition so that they are better able to focus on whatever task they need to perform.  Tension and anxiety can reek havoc for any player and should be carefully monitored and manipulated so that players can play to the best of their ability. Tension […]

Training the mental side

As we enter November and the leaves come down in my neck of the country, baseball players begin to come indoors to start their off-season training.  Getting stronger, quicker, and more flexible is usually the goal of most players heading into the gym.  But if you have been a reader of this blog for any […]

Psychological warfare

Most people have heard of the saying, “All is fair in love and war.”  In some peoples’ minds, it applies to baseball as well.  I have to admit that I succumbed to that opinion every once in awhile during my playing days.  As players get older, the mental side of the game gets more important […]

Concentration grids

Many players suffer from a poor ability to concentrate.  Concentration is quite a broad term.  It is obviously tied to the concept of focus.  I’ve done a number of posts about focus and what causes players to be distracted away from the thoughts and activities that truly matter on the field.  The point of this […]

How to hit a 100mph fastball

Justin Verlander is a no-brainer for this year’s AL Cy Young award.  His stats for the regular season were ridiculous.  He won 24 games, threw 251 innings, and had 250 strikeouts with only 57 walks.  Batters hit a measly .192 against him as well.  But did you know he gave up 24 homeruns this year? Verlander, along with a couple other major […]

Watching Roy Halladay

If you are a fan of good baseball, you have to be in heaven every time Roy Halliday takes the mound.  If I had to point to one guy young pitchers should pay close attention to, it’s him.  There is so much to say about his competitiveness, the movement he gets on his pitches, and […]

Dallas Green and scouting "Head and Heart"

Old school baseball people in the Philadelphia area certainly know the name Dallas Green.  The manager of the 1980 World Champion Phillies was a no nonsense, hard nose kind of manager that demanded a lot from his players.  I guarantee the phrase “players’ manager” was never used in connection with his name.  He also managed […]

Flipping the switch

Nine days ago the Philadelphia Phillies clinched the National League East pennant for the fifth straight year.  In those nine days, they had eight straight loses before finally winning one.  Prior to that eight game losing streak, the Phils had not lost more than four in a row all season.  Baseball is a crazy game. […]

Focus inward – Focus outward

I have done many posts on the mental side of playing baseball.  If you are a fan of sports psychology, you probably know that much of what is done in the field is based on trying to get players to avoid distractions in order to focus on only those things that are important to the […]

Tampa Bay Rays: Talented and having fun!

At the time of this post, the Tampa Bay Rays have won 7 of their last 10 games and sit two games behind the Boston Red Sox in the American League wild-card standings.  The Red Sox, on the other hand, have lost 7 of their last 10 games and I think are starting to look […]

APPROACH – result – RESPONSE

In yesterday’s post I talked about the importance of staying in the “NOW.”   That, of course, is easier said than done.  In the future, I’ll write about some actual techniques to help players improve in this area but today I wanted to add something to the concept of focus.  Our culture is very results […]

Focus on the NOW

The mental side of the game has always fascinated me.  The number of posts that have been about or connected to that concept is surely indicative of that.  There are many areas within the field of sports psychology but I do believe there is one central message that is at the core in all that […]

Vance Worley, Phillies Rookie

9-1, 2.65 ERA (As of 8-29-11)  “I was confident in my stuff,” he said. “That’s the only way to pitch in this game. If you’re not confident on the mound, you’re going to get shelled. You have to look like you’re not going to get beat.”– Vance Worley, Phillies rookie starterThat about covers it.

AJ Burnett needs to "trust his stuff"

It’s safe to say that Yankees starter AJ Burnett is having a rough season and more specifically, a rough month.  His stats for the month of August are as follows: STATS IP H R ER BB SO WHIP ERA August                                […]

The flaw in 1st pitch hitting stats

The other night I’m watching a game on TV and a stat appeared on the screen regarding the batter.  It indicated that he had a higher than normal batting average on the first pitch of his at-bats.  The announcers discussed it for a little bit and, not surprisingly, warned that opposing pitchers better be very […]

There’s more to pro ball then just playing baseball

Over the past few years there have been some very high level baseball talent to come out of the high schools in my area (Philadelphia).  Jesse Biddle and Sean Coyle were two high round picks that are currently playing in the minor league systems of the Phillies and Red Sox respectively.  When you add Mike […]

The game shows no mercy

At the time of this post, the Seattle Mariners are mired in a 17 game losing streak.  Play the game long enough and your team will go through some kind of losing spell.  Hopefully not 17 games though.  It’s not fun to been caught in a rut like that and it can turn ugly very […]

I belong at this level

Close your eyes and think back to the month of July when you were 19 years old.  What were you doing?  For many people, much of what they remember might not be fit for print.  For baseball players it probably meant plugging away in the heat and humidity on a less than ideal field in […]

Practice vs "Deliberate" Practice

Batter #1: 100 swings off a tee (1 hour total)60 swings on a ball set up down the middle, waist high20 swings with the ball set up thigh-high inside20 swings with the ball set up thigh-high outside. Josh Hamilton and a batting tee. Batter #2: 60 swings off a tee (40 minutes total)5 free swings […]

Most players …

It’s the end of June and most players have been working out, practicing, and/or playing since the fall.  The “dog days of summer” are approaching.  Some thoughts about this time of year: Most players are starting to feel the physical drain of a long season. Most players are starting to feel the mental drain of […]

The Power of the Bench

Still one of the best motivational tools known to man. “I didn’t like his attitude.  The inning before there were a couple of plays he didn’t make, but he gave the effort. There are going to be plays that you can’t make. On that play, there wasn’t energy. Elvis is better than that. I didn’t chew […]

Labeling

As a sociology teacher, one concept I teach is called labeling.  One aspect of labeling is similar to having a reputation.  A reputation can be good or bad, fair or unfair.  If a person has been labeled a good kid by most of the people around him, that kid will usually receive the benefit of […]

Act as if …

The “Gentleman of baseball” isn’tso gentle once the game starts,especially in his own mind. To piggy-back off of a recent post on Fear and Arrogance, a problem sometimes arrives with regards to arrogance.  Some players find it difficult or even might reject the idea of a need to be more arrogant.  Many have been taught to […]

The forbidden conversation

Having pitched at the college and professional levels, I think I have a pretty good idea as to what makes a pitcher successful enough to pitch at those levels.  Although I did not make it to the major leagues, I played with and against many pitchers who did.  We have had many conversations with our […]

Fear and Arrogance

Given the number of times I have referred to the film Bull Durham, you can probably guess by now that I’m a fan of the movie.  Even though there are some exaggerations in the film, just about every scene has some element of truth to it when it comes to the game of baseball.  In […]

Game face

(Photo by Tameisha1) I was watching a game on TV recently between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants.  It was the top of the ninth inning with the home team Giants winning by a couple runs.  Yadier Molina was up with two outs and an 0-2 count and nobody on base.  The […]

Danger of treating every player equally

You’ve probably heard this before.  “My coach hates me” or “My coach plays favorites.”  Common statements like those directed at coaches come from young players and their parents all the time.  It’s a tricky situation for a coach because I believe a good coach does not and cannot treat all his players equally.  Every player […]

Quiz – Attentional Focus

I mentioned before in a previous post about a tremendous book I recommend for coaches.  It’s called The Psychology of Coaching Team Sports by Larry Leith.  It is very readable and includes a number of activities for coaches and their players to gauge their mental strengths and weaknesses in a variety of ways. One of […]

Two strike adjustments (Part 2)

Yesterday’s post dealt with the physical adjustments a batter should make when he is in a two strike situation.  Today, I list the mental adjustments all hitters should consider making. Mental adjustments: Expand your strike zone.  This adjustment goes back to the saying “never allow the umpire to take the bat out of your hands.”  A hitter […]

Good v Great

Although there are a lot of Yankee haters out there, most baseball fans would concede that Derek Jeter has been a great player.  His longevity and career stats prove it.  But what makes him great?  Does he have a great arm?  No.  He has a good arm.  Does he have great speed?  No. He has good speed.  Does he have great […]

Exhale

Here is a quick tip for any player who recognizes that their nerves are getting the better of them in pressure situations.  Correctly time your exhale.  The human body reacts differently when we inhale versus when we exhale.  When someone is startled or frightened they usually gasp which means they inhale quickly and tense up.  […]

Compounding errors

“Winning is contagious.”  Hitting is as well.  Unfortunately, so is making errors. Errors are always going to be part of the game.  Even the best defenders are going to drop a ball or make a bad throw every once in a while.  What good teams and individual players need to prevent is what I call […]

Managing your emotion

Below is what sports psychologists call an Inverted-U Graph.  The inverted-U’s show the relationship between performance and emotional arousal.  Emotional arousal is a combination of things like blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate.  Here is what the chart is showing.  Whether you are golfing or weight lifting, if your emotional arousal level is too […]

Separating yourself vs Standing out

We all have words we live by.  I’ve turned a few into posts. “Show up, Suit up, Shut up, and Play hard“ is one of them.  Another one for me is …  It is better to separate yourself from the crowd then to stand out from one. A clown stands out in a crowd.  Your eyes […]

The mentality of a thief

When a normal person walks into your home for the first time, they will walk around and compliment you on your decorations, your new flat screen TV, your stereo system, and your brand new iMac computer.  When a person who is really a thief walks into a house, they will say the same thing but […]

The Stubborn Hitter – a short story

Once upon a time on a field far, far away there was a hitter who was very stubborn.  The boy hit mile-high pop-ups.  One after another. They soared high up into the clouds … and always landed for outs. The coaches all tried to intervene.  The boy wanted nothing of it. They searched far and […]

Perfect hitting speed

At any level of baseball, there is going to be a pitching speed that most of the hitters at that level are comfortable hitting.  It’s that speed that is not too fast and not too slow – the Perfect Hitting Speed (PHS).  Your game-plan as a pitcher depends largely on knowing where you are on the […]

The game is your toughest opponent

Any player that has been with me for at least one season has heard me say many times the following: “The game of baseball is a much tougher opponent then any team you will ever face.” What does this mean?   It means that sometimes a team or an individual player will place too much […]

Focus on your weaknesses?

Here’s a question.If your child came home with a report card with the following grades …Math = AComputer Science = BSocial Studies = BEnglish = C Physics = FWhich grade would you focus the most attention on?  The F is usually the popular answer. The same thing goes in baseball.  A player asks the coach […]

How to hit (take!) a curve ball

I get a lot of questions related to hitting asking for tips on how to hit a curve ball.  As players get older, pitchers certainly are going to throw more than just a fastball so all hitters have to be prepared – physically and mentally – to handle curve balls and other breaking pitches. That […]

Hitting: "Looking" vs "Guessing"

After a big home run, you have probably heard a Major League hitter interviewed and say “I was looking for a fastball and got one.”  You may have also heard an announcer say after a bad swing/miss or a called third strike, “it appeared the batter was guessing on that pitch.”    Good hitters occasionally will “look” […]

Grind it out

Below is a link to an article that I think has a good message.  It’s written by a former major leaguer (Todd Jones) for The Sporting News.  He was still pitching when he wrote it.  It’s a bit old but it has a good message for players of any age.  This time of year there […]

Hitting: Five stages of focus

In a couple posts this week titled “Don’t think, you’ll hurt the ballclub!” (Part 1 and Part 2) I wrote about the fact that many players think about the wrong things at the wrong time for the wrong amount of time.  I then offered some tips or strategies to allow players to improve in these […]

Don’t let their best hitter beat you!

Walk him! … or at least don’t give him much to hit.(Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) Growing up, I heard many great “baseball sayings” from my father and grandfather.  Some sayings or cliches are meant to be funny but most are also instructive.  On a mile high pop-up to the catcher, my dad would say […]

"Don’t think, you’ll hurt the ballclub!" (Part 2)

Yesterday’s post talked about a player’s need to compartmentalize their thoughts in order to focus on the right things, at the right time, for the right amount of time.  We all know some people who just seem to never let things get to them.  They’re level headed and can transition between multiple tasks seamlessly.  Other […]

"Don’t think, you’ll hurt the ballclub!"

Ever hear the phrase “don’t think, you’ll hurt the ballclub!“?  Although I understood the point of the phrase, it never truly made much sense to me.  Have any of you ever tried to stop thinking?  Let’s try.  DO NOT think of a purple elephant.  I bet the image of a purple elephant entered your mind.My […]

Positive deviance

Cows are boring.  A purple cow gets noticed.  What are youdoing to get noticed? One of my favorite topics to teach in my sociology classes is the concept of positive deviance.  Most people think of deviance in the negative sense but deviance has enormous value to individuals and our society.  Deviance simply means “different from […]

Anatomy of a control problem

I found this article the other day and thought I’d share it with everyone.  It’s for any player who has experienced control issues and how aspects of sports psychology can be applied to address the problem.  Great for coaches and parents as well! Anatomy of a control problem I confirm the subscription of this blog […]

The power of a routine

Most players at the major league level have rituals or some sort of routine they go through prior to games.  Some might put on their uniform the same way everyday.  Others might eat at the same times on game days.  Hall of Famer Wade Boggs was famous for his pre-game rituals.  Although some might scoff […]

Hitting and making adjustments

Yesterday (Feb. 18) in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley was interviewed and asked a number of questions about last season as well as the one that’s approaching.  A few things he said can be very informative to hitters.  In my opinion, what he said especially applies to those who work with private instructors.  […]

Baseball Instincts

Before we begin, can I trouble you with an experiment?  Watch the clip below and do the following: When the teams start to run around, count how many times the team in WHITE passes the ball.  Did you see the Bear?  I didn’t either!  Nobody does if they are focusing.  That’s the point.  So why do I share this experiment?  […]

Pitching – Making the switch to the bullpen

On a high school baseball message board I check every now and then, a college player asked what he needs to know now that he has gone from a starting pitcher in high school to a reliever in college.  It’s a common switch that many high school pitchers have to go through early on in […]

Mental Toughness – Cliff Lee

About a year ago I conducted a seminar for teachers about how concepts and strategies within sports psychology can help underachieving students in the classroom.  One thing I talked about was mental toughness.  To give an example of mental toughness, I used an ESPN clip of Cliff Lee speaking after his phenomenal 1-0 win over […]

Don’t be this kid.

Best mound conversation ever

The other day a friend asked me “what do coaches tell pitchers when they go to the mound?”  It reminded me of the best mound conversation I ever heard.  First, here’s some background on the story.I was playing shortstop at the time but because I had pitched in college as well, I always was interested […]

How to throw more strikes

How many kids have heard their coach, parent, etc say “Come on Johnny, throw strikes!” while on the mound?  The body language of the kid shouts “Gee Coach, I didn’t know that.  All this time I was out here trying to throw balls until now.  Thanks for the advice!”The point is, every pitcher tries to throw […]

The mental side of the game

Happy New Year!I think it was Jack Nicklaus who said that 90% of golf was mental.So the question for baseball players and coaches is …How much of baseball success is mental? My guess is that your answer is probably anywhere from 75% – 90%.So here is the next question to ponder …If baseball is (insert […]

Show up, suit up, shut up, and play hard!

The motto “Show up, suit up, shut up, and play hard” is a good guide for success on and off the field.  I first saw this motto on the blackboard of my father’s high school wrestling room.  He was a longtime teacher and coached baseball and wrestling at the high school and college levels.  I […]

What is meant by a player’s "make up?"

 Ask any scout and they will tell you that a player’s “make-up” is extremely important.  So what is it and why do they care about it so much? How a scout answers the following questions will go a long way in determining a player’s “make-up.” 1.    How does he handle adversity like striking out, making […]

Bench Player Mistakes

Possibly the hardest job in baseball. The final post in the common mistakes players make series.Failure to accept their role.  I have never met a baseball player who was happy that they were not playing in the game.  As you move up in levels, the game gets tougher and the players get more competitive.  Telling […]

Hitting Mistakes

A wide, strong foundationby Albert Pujols. The 10th of 12 posts related to common mistakes players make by position. Poor foundation. When instructing hitters, many coaches take a “ground up” approach.  This means nothing is worked on until a batter has created a good, strong foundation with his feet.  In sports, the “athletic position” is […]