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Pitching Success: Mental Pitching
Every team has a couple goofy pitchers, and if you watch closely it doesn’t take a long time to figure out who they are. I haven’t solved the mystery as to why there are more goofy pitchers compared to hitters. It must have to do with all of the emotional stress pitching can cause or something. I’ve seen some jump over the third and first base lines every time they enter or exit the field, others brush their teeth between innings. But it’s not just superstitions, as a lot of ball players are. It has to do with a certain amount of care freeness combined with a dosage of competitiveness that has a way to produce success on the mound.

We always hear that pitching is a mental sport. So why do many “goofy” pitchers experience success? The reason is they simply don’t think! It is not meant to be a negative in this context. Pitchers who don’t allow negative results to affect how they go about their business tend to last longer, remain in control of their emotions, and can bounce back from failures quickly.

If you haven’t been blessed with the “goofy” gene, it’s alright. Here are some things all ball players can learn from these guys.

3 Ways to Increase your “Goofiness” Factor

It’s alright to take breaks while performing

Baseball is a sport that depends greatly on momentum and rhythm. There are brief periods of high focus and intensity followed by mental vacations that sometimes last quite a while. The key is to learn how to balance the two. Do you know any athletes who play on one speed, FAST? They all suffer from system failure at some point during the season and perform inconsistently. A baseball game is like a good movie, there is plot development early, build up, and then an apex. Keep your attitude right with the flow of the game and you’ll find yourself mentally invested when you need to be.

Learn to fail, learn, and forget

Everyone fails in this sport. Get over it, you’re not immune. Hall of Fame hitters fail seven out of ten times. Hall of Fame Pitchers win half of the time. Learn from your mistakes, work hard at changing, then move on. I know this sounds simplistic, and it is. It’s emotionally freeing to never be wrapped up in past performances. Remember Nolan Ryan's remark of not letting the failure of your last pitch dictate the success of your next pitch?

Find your outlet

This last point is directed to those of you who have a hard time letting down after a tough performance. If you can’t let go of a game an hour after the performance, this is for you. Discover what takes you out of reality for awhile. Play video games, watch an inspiring movie, listen to music, or hang around some friends who know nothing about baseball. Once you find what takes your mind off of your frustrations, use it as a tool to help you achieve relaxation and freshness of mind so you can perform free of baggage next time.

Written by Nate Barnett of BMI Baseball
 

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