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The Mental Game Of Softball
Focus, Toughness And Mental Preparation
Win
Bill Cole, MS, MA
How would you rate yourself on mental toughness among your
softball peers? Is your mental game helping you, or hurting
you? What are you doing to improve your mental approach to
softball?
I've been the mental game coach to local and national level
and State Championship softball players, and to players on
NCAA Division I collegiate softball programs. I've done this
mental game coaching in over 75 sports. I have noticed a few
common mental areas where many softball players need help.
Softball players tend to be great team players, but sometimes
they need assistance on specific individual mental factors.
Here are four mental strategies you can use that will show
you just how strong your mind can become.
- Know What To Focus On, And What To Avoid: When
you are fielding, what are the visual cues you utilize just
as the pitch is about to be released? Are you watching the
pitcher? Her arm? The ball? The catcher? The batter? Are
you trying to figure out whether the pitch will be a ball,
a strike, or if the batter will swing? Are you rehearsing
in your mind what to do once the ball is hit? I'm sure you
don't do what some players do—hope the ball is not
hit to them! As homework, take some time to figure out exactly
where your eyes should be at every stage of the pitcher's
actions. Consult your coach and determine the exact visual
sequence you will use to be a great fielder.
- Loose Hands Are Fast Hands: Too many softball
players lose bat speed in a game as compared to practice
because they tense up. All coaches know this. But why does
it happen? There are mental reasons. Perhaps the player
thinks her usual swing speed won't be good enough in a game.
Maybe the player is trying to hit a homer every time up.
Maybe the player is afraid, and she is unaware that her
grip has tightened. Regardless of the reason, you want to
calibrate your proper grip tension in practice. Take some
swings that you deem to be excellent. Are they tight, more
toward a 7, 8, 9 or 10? Or are they looser, more like a
4, 3, 2 or 1? Once you determine the ideal number for you,
dial that number in at game time. Then swing away!
- Own The Plate: Having strong, confident body language
at the plate is important for a number of reasons. First,
you will send the message out that you are a batter to be
respected. Perhaps the pitcher and fielders will react accordingly.
Next, your breath control will be better. A tall stance
allows the lungs to operate more freely as compared to a
crouched over position. Finally, you will feel more confident.
An aggressive, athletic posture gives you a feeling of being
in control. Stand tall and your mental powers will rise.
- Know Your Rituals: You want to have a pre-batting
ritual, an at-bat ritual and post-batting ritual. These
three rituals give your mental approach a consistency that
can't be found with random rituals, or with no rituals at
all. Only you can know what each ritual should have in it,
so test these out in practice. Get them set and then stick
with them in games. Rituals give you security that you have
a process to follow. Players who rush or who drag out their
rituals are exhibiting some inner turmoil or changes, so
keep your rituals consistent and you will feel better, focus
better and hit better.
Since you now know more about the mental game of softball,
and of how to manage your own mental approach, you can look
forward to improving your effectiveness and enjoyment in your
favorite sport—softball. Remember, know your visual focus
cues, keep your hands loose, monitor your body language and
sharpen your rituals. Good luck!
For a comprehensive overview of your mental abilities you
need an assessment instrument that identifies your complete
mental strengths and weaknesses. Here is a free, easy-to-take
65-item sport
psychology assessment tool you can score right on the
spot. This assessment gives you a quick snapshot of your strengths
and weaknesses in your mental game. You can use this as a
guide in creating your own mental training program, or as
the basis for a program you undertake with mental coach Bill
Cole, MS, MA to improve your mental game. This assessment
would be an excellent first step to help you get the big picture
about your mental game.
Copyright © 2014 Bill Cole, MS, MA. All rights reserved.
This article covers only one small part of the mental game.
A complete mental training program includes motivation and
goal-setting, pre-event mental preparation, post-event review
and analysis, mental strengthening, self-regulation training,
breath control training, motor skill training, mental rehearsal,
concentration training, pressure-proofing, communication training,
confidence-building, breaking through mental barriers, slump
prevention, mental toughness training, flow training, relaxation
training, momentum training, psych-out proofing and media
training.
For a comprehensive overview of your mental abilities you
need an assessment instrument that identifies your complete
mental strengths and weaknesses. For a free, easy-to-take
65-item sport psychology assessment tool you can score right
on the spot, visit https://www.mentalgamecoach.com/Assessments/MentalGameOfSports.html.
This assessment gives you a quick snapshot of your strengths
and weaknesses in your mental game. You can use this as a
guide in creating your own mental training program, or as
the basis for a program you undertake with Bill Cole, MS,
MA to improve your mental game. This assessment would be an
excellent first step to help you get the big picture about
your mental game.
Bill Cole, MS, MA, a leading authority on peak performance, mental toughness
and coaching, is founder and President of the International Mental Game Coaching
Association, https://www.mentalgamecoaching.com.
Bill is also founder and CEO of William B. Cole Consultants, a consulting firm that helps
organizations and professionals achieve more success in business, life and sports.
He is a multiple Hall of Fame honoree, an award-winning scholar-athlete, published
book author and articles author, and has coached at the highest levels of major-league
pro sports, big-time college athletics and corporate America. For a free, extensive
article archive, or for questions and comments visit him at www.MentalGameCoach.com.
Article Source: SportsPsychologyCoaching.com
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