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! **

Take a dip in the ocean and you will quickly notice that there often are currents running parallel to the beach.  These are commonly called “undertows” that continually push people left or right while in the water.  Sometimes these currents can be very strong and therefore dangerous but most of the time undertows are just a nuisance.  That is not the case for rip currents.

Rip currents can seemingly appear out of nowhere and will quickly pull anything in its path out to sea.  They are very dangerous which is why most beaches post these signs for visitors.  Some very good swimmers have lost their lives after being caught in rip currents.  

Getting caught in a rip current does not mean, however, that death is certain.  In fact, if you can follow the following four rules, rip currents can be managed quite effectively even if you are not a world class swimmer.

How to survive a rip current.

1. Don’t panic.  It’s easy for sheer terror to kick in when a wall of water starts pulling you out to sea.  However, rip currents typically don’t pull people out all that far.  Stay as calm as you can so that you can follow the next three steps.
2. Don’t fight the current.  What gets a lot of people in deep trouble is that they panic and immediately try to swim against the current to get back to the beach.  It doesn’t work.  The current is much too strong and the person swimming their hardest just continues to get pulled out to sea.  More panic sets in, the swimmer tries even harder, eventually runs out of gas, and sinks.  Like the photo shows, a rip current is actually pretty narrow.  Knowing that, swimmers can move to the next step.
3. Swim parallel to the beach. The rip will continue to pull the swimmer out but eventually the swimmer will get out of the current if they swim to the left or right (parallel to the beach) instead of against the current.  One can even just float with the rip until it stops and then swim parallel to the beach in order to move out of the current’s path.
4. Swim back to the beach.  Once you are out of the rip current, swimming directly back to shore becomes much easier.

Following these steps and the other tips that appear on warning signs can help save your life.

What does this have to do with baseball?

Play the game long enough and you will eventually get into a rut or slump.  The slump can last a couple games, a week, a month, or even an entire season.  It’s just how the game works.  Like a rip current, a slump, no matter if the slump affects your hitting, pitching, or fielding, can seemingly pop up out of nowhere.  Although a slump in baseball is not deadly like a rip current, it sure can cause an enormous amount of stress, anxiety, and emotional turmoil.  I’ve been there.  I know.

However, if you can follow the same basic principles of handling a rip current listed above, you may be able to save yourself a boatload of stress and get out of it more quickly.  

How to survive a baseball slump

1. Don’t panic.  It can be extremely alarming to many good players when they are in a slump because for some, it may be the first time it has ever happened to them.  Like rip currents, the worst thing to do is panic.  Stay as calm as you can.  It happens even to the best players in the world.  You are going to be ok. Keeping your cool will allow you to think straight so you can more quickly move on to the next steps.
2. Don’t fight the current.  Swimming against the current will wear you out and get you killed.  Trying to fight the game of baseball won’t kill you but it sure will wear you out both physically and mentally.  Remember, you are going to be ok.  Go with the game.  Let the game take you.  If you fight it, you will lose every time.  Cursing the game and putting all your focus on how unfair it is only wastes time and prevents a player from moving on to a more productive response. Rip currents are fairly narrow. The whole ocean is not pulling people out to sea. It’s a narrow current. A slump in the area of hitting does not mean your entire game is now worthless. You still can be very productive with your glove on defense. You still can run the bases effectively. You can even be a productive hitter when your hits have all but disappeared. Sacrifice bunt. Base hit bunt. Move runners. Hit and run. You don’t have to always barrel up balls to be productive on offense. Focus on what you can do instead of what you can’t.
3. Swim parallel.  In baseball terms, focus on simple adjustments.  Resist the temptation to make major mechanical overhauls in your game.  Unlike the hard adjustment of swimming against the current, small and simple adjustments in baseball often are the best remedy.  Go back to the basics and simplify things as best you can.  A rip current is fairly narrow.  Swimming just 10 feet left or right can break you free.  Use the same approach with slumps.  Keep it simple.
4. Swim back to the beach.  Follow steps 1-3 and a swimmer can more easily work their way back to the beach in a short period of time.  Following these steps as a player as well can help reduce the length of the slump and more quickly get the player back to where they want to be. 

Slumps and ruts are a natural part of baseball just like rip currents are a natural part of ocean life.  Both will appear no matter what you do or who you are.  However, if you stay calm and focus on the things you DO have control over, you can more effectively respond to both events in a more positive and productive manner.

Thanks for reading!  If you found it helpful, please share!

For more posts on the mental side of baseball, click HERE!