All in the timing

Adair, Robert Kemp. The Physics of Baseball. New York: Harper & Row, 1990. Print.

while so many people consider baseball to be boring, slow, and pointless, they don't realize just how much precise calculations and split second decisions the players have to make.

The hardest part of baseball by for is actually hitting the ball. the chance of hitting an MLB fast ball, which travels between 90-100 MILES PER HOUR! Think about it, you're hitting something the size of an apple with a thin wooden stick. The best batters will have a hitting ratio of around 0.4, which means for every 1000 balls pitched, 400 are hit. Keep in mind 0.4 is a very extremely high number, a pretty good batter will have a batting average of 0.35. This is down to facts, "The batter must judge the trajectory of the ball...decide to swing or not...how he will swing... this takes time and judgment - GOOD judgement" (Adair 38). I had no idea, I honestly thought batters just took a swing at it (literally HA get it?) and hoped for the best. But there is actually a lot of thought process that goes into batting. With very limited time, "the time it takes to blink, a fast ball can be half way to the batter" (Adair 39). It takes a fast ball 0.4 seconds to reach home plate, I wonder why the call it a fast ball. Knowing this I want to try and react to something in .4 seconds, to do this I learned in physics a procedure to judging reaction times.

The art of pitching

Adair, Robert Kemp. The Physics of Baseball. New York: Harper & Row, 1990. Print.

Breaking down the most important part of baseball; pitching.

The primary goal of a pitcher is to through a strike, which means throwing the ball as close to center of the strike zone as he can without allowing the batter to get a square shot on the ball. “A ball not swung at will be called a strike if it passes over the plate so as to nick a five-sided box with a cross section the shape of the plate -17’’ wide, 26’’ high, 17’’ deep-that might be suspended with its bottom edge 19’’ above the plate” (Adair 48). With this definition you can picture the strike zone that the pitcher must throw at, it’s not as big as it may seem, and one tiny error with the release of ball from the pitcher’s hand, or the force which the pitcher applies, can drastically change where the ball goes. “The velocity, the placement, and the ball movement, are all part of the art of pitching, and the laws of nature" (Adair, 49). Using what I have learned from this part of the book, I was able to picture the size and shape of the strike zone, thus making a target for me to pitch at. What do you think having to picture a square while pitching? Does it really help?

The Winning Way

Everyone wants to win. However, some want to win more than others. The extent to which a person wants to win is subjective, but there will always be someone that wants victory just as bad as you do. This means that it is up to you to work harder than your competition.This is easier said than done. The authors of  The Mental Game of Baseball, Dorfman and Kuehl say that "There are plenty of excuses, certainly, but none that should be accepted by the player- by you. If you want success, you prepare for success. You expect success. And in your pursuit, you are winning!" (262) I have also learned from this that failing is wanting without working. In other words, you can't lose unless you expect results without putting in the proper amount of training and preparation.
o which a person wants to win is subjective, but there will always be someone that wants victory just as bad as you do. This means that it is up to you to work harder than your competition. This is easier said than done. Authors of

Framed pledge to work harder on my goals

Winners are always ready to learn from experiences, good or bad. They intentionally want to create an environment that allows them to learn as much as possible (269) This portion of the chapter has inspired me the most. It makes me want to set myself up for success no matter how difficult it will be. This will mean that I will train even harder and prepare myself to be the best player that I can be. I have been putting in extra work at practice and even attended when I was sick, despite not being able to participate fully. This is not just going to be a change of heart, but a lifestyle change for me as well.

In conclusion, the winning way is about learning from your failures and applying it to your own strengths and weaknesses.

Do you agree with the authors that a winning mentality will create a winning player? Or do you believe that you can win regardless?

 Dorfman, H. A., and Karl Kuehl. The Mental Game of Baseball: A Guide to Peak Performance. Lanham, MD: Diamond Communications, 2002. Print.

Staying Calm While Hitting Under Pressure

Learning to stay relaxed under pressure or stress while playing baseball is crucial for having a successful performance while either hitting or fielding. Being able to stay calm while you are the bridge between a win or a loss for your team is pretty challenging to do. I have personal experience of doing the exact opposite of this. I noticed some things that I do when I'm under pressure while hitting. My hands become sweaty, my grip on my bat is tighter than usual, and I start thinking too much. "What if I screw up?...What if I don't score the run?... What if I let down my team?...". According to Dorfman and Kuehl, the authors of the Mental Game of Baseball, "A relaxed player is a confident player. Confidence and a positive attitude result in the lowering of anxiety, and thus lessens interference due to antagonistic muscle tension or the loss of the ability to direct and control attention" (249) They say that the anxiety from stress is normal and that it causes muscle contractions and stiff movements (which is exactly what happens to me).

Dorfman and Kuehl offer some guidance to lessen the anxiety caused from stress:
1. Get away from the source of the pressure

2. Talk to yourself outloud
3. Use movement
4. Stretch
5. Visualize (previous blog topic)
6. Muscle contractions
7. Focus your eyes on an object in the distance
8. Relax the face muscles
9. Control your breathing
(256)

I have not been able to try these tactics out in game because the 2016 season hasn't started yet. However, I have made a list of these stress relieving ideas on paper so that I am able to try them while under real pressure. I have not performed my best many times due to anxiety from game situations. I hope that I am able to successfully use these tactics in the future and ultimately create a better baseball player out of myself.

What is the most pressure you've ever felt from a sporting event?
Dorfman, H. A., and Karl Kuehl. The Mental Game of Baseball: A Guide to Peak Performance. Lanham, MD: Diamond Communications, 2002. Print.

Having a Successful Attitude in Baseball

Great talent is nothing if not accompanied by a greater attitude. However, a great attitude is more than just staying positive. The authors of the book The Mental Game of Baseball, Dorfman and Kuuehl, say that you are in full control of your attitude all of the time. You can choose to be bitter about failure, or stay optimistic about future successes. (77-78) I am now a firm believer in this idea. I have always had a concept of this idea of attitude in the back of my mind, but it had never really materialized until reading this book. I don't have a history of being "that" player with the nasty attitude, but I know that I can always improve my attitude and overall outlook on the game. "They influence our appearance to others, the words we speak, the actions we take. Attitudes influence the way we feel, both physically and mentally. They influence the degree to which we're successful in achieving our purposes" (77) This quote from the book has probably been the most influential on my actions while playing so far. It has been made apparent to me as well that many great players have had short-lived careers due to attitude problems. However, I also learned that attitudes always have room for improvement.

The three main types of attitude are identified by Dorfman and Kuehl as:

Writing down my "baseball beliefs"

The need to survive- you play for your paycheck
The need to be wanted- you play for attention
The need to thrive- you play because you want to be successful/enjoy yourself

By identifying which of these attitudes you have while playing, you create a new sense of awareness of not only yourself, but the great game of baseball itself. A good way to identify your own attitude towards baseball is to write down what you find most important about the game and either change those ideals or stick with them. A crucial part of finding yourself, is
being able to identify the attitudes of other people as mentioned by Dorfman and Kuehl.
In conclusion, your attitude is a representation of not only who you are as a baseball player, but also your personal character as well.

Do you believe that you have full control over your attitude?

 Dorfman, H. A., and Karl Kuehl. The Mental Game of Baseball: A Guide to Peak Performance. Lanham, MD: Diamond Communications, 2002. Print.

Setting Achievable Goals in Baseball

Like most sports, the first step of achieving success in baseball is to establish proper and reasonable goals. These goals are meant to serve as guidelines for tracking progress and player development. The authors of the book The Mental Game of Baseball, Dorfman and Kuehl, say that before any real progress can be made, you need to be able not only track your goals but follow them with undying determination. (5)  I was a firm believer in setting goals for baseball before reading book however, this chapter gave me new insight regarding the importance of seeing my goals through to the end and also how I should go about setting reasonable goals. "The successful player sets goals in order to stimulate himself to act in a way to achieve his objectives. He focuses his attention and energies. In other words, the more aware he is of what he wants, the more likely he is to do what is necessary to get it."(5)

Goals can be classified into three different types:

Physically writing your goals down is very important

Long range

Intermediate range

Short-term goals

By setting a fair amount of each type of goal, one can expect great results if the goals are achieved. However, " You cant allow yourself to forget that you possess the goal; the goal should not possess you." (8) Keeping this in mind, I was able to create several of each type of goal. I was also able to maintain my freedom by making diverse goals that cover all aspects of baseball. One even pertained to the visualization aspect of baseball that was covered in my last post. Another idea mentioned in the book was writing your goals down, so that they "set in stone". This way you can refer directly to the goal and also make notes about your progress.

In conclusion, setting proper goals is a big part of finding success in baseball. I was able to write several of each type of goal that according to the book, will ultimately lead me to finding more success in baseball.


How important do you think setting goals is?
Dorfman, H. A., and Karl Kuehl. The Mental Game of Baseball: A Guide to Peak Performance. Lanham, MD: Diamond Communications, 2002. Print.

Aspects of Mental Fortitude in Baseball

Baseball along with all other sports, demands not only physical strength, but mental strength as well. Building confidence is one main aspects of being successful in baseball. This can be done using numerous tactics. The particular section that I focused on in "The Mental Game of Baseball" had to do with visualization techniques.

By practicing with visualization techniques, you form good habits

Typically, visualization is not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about baseball. This was especially true for me. I never really thought of visualization as an important aspect of the game and treated it as a strange and taboo gimmick more than a real, working practice. I also believed that I didn't possess the time and energy to practice a new skill because of school work and other activities, especially when I thought it was going to be a waste of time. Dorfman and Kuehl would say the opposite of me. They claim that visualization is an actual method of practicing successful baseball habits and will improve performance. Both authors say that if you see and feel yourself playing the way that you want to, it can be as rewarding as it is relaxing and can be practiced anywhere at anytime. (148) I tend to have trouble locating problems in my swing. Dorfman and Kuehl's writing has really helped me so far by allowing me to visualize my swing the right way before actually performing it. Using

Success in games is a result of practicing visualization

One of the many techniques for successful visualization is replaying past effective performances. By replaying the right things that you have done, you can make these successful attributes of your playing habitual and repeat the right things, as well as dismiss the wrong things. "See and feel yourself performing just the way that you wish to. Do it again-and again. Keep your attention directed to this practice as you would want to keep your attention during the real practice." (148) In my practices, I keep the mental images of me doing things the right way in mind, so I can successfully perform in games and strengthen my skills as a baseball player.

Would you agree with Dorfman and Kuehl that visualization is more than just a gimmick?

Dorfman, H. A., and Karl Kuehl. The Mental Game of Baseball: A Guide to Peak Performance. Lanham, MD: Diamond Communications, 2002. Print.