Posted by: rql () on Wed Jan 9 17:38:33 2008

> THG,
>
> You are very very right when you refer to the hitters mind and where it is at when they do not produce.
>
> If the hitter mind is on external factors, future results, past results, or anything else other than the ball during the swing and approach, mechanical flaws can and probably will occur.
>
> When the results of at-bats are effected by these external factors being at the forefront of the mind, the hitters mind can begin to spiral out of control.
>
> This is the "thinking to much" syndrome. The total opposite of being in the "zone".
>
> When in "the zone" the hitters mind is not anywhere else but on the ball during the swing. His mind does produce a simple plan and quickly evaluates how to execute that plan before he steps into the box, but he then brings his mind to intense focus on seeing the ball during the approach and swing.
>
> Many hitters find themselves in "the zone" after some consistent success, and then find themselves out of it very quickly. They fall out of "the zone" because they begin to analyze and focus on why they are doing so well. If their mind is on figuring out why they did well, it is not on the ball.
>
> Alex Rodriguez's mind seems to drift into focusing on external factors when the big spotlight of the playoffs begin. His mind is not in the moment. His mind is on hopeful future results, possible embarrassing failures, and the millions of people watching.
>
> This was the cause of the huge fielding slump he went through a year ago. He did have mechanical flaws in his fielding, but they were a result of his thoughts being all over the place.
>
> When players think while doing an athletic movement, the fluent athletic ability and action is handcuffed creating mechanical flaws. For example, one throwing error becomes another, and another, and the thoughts start to overwhelm the players ability. Many refer to this as "the funk" or "the thing".
>
> This is why the players concentration and thoughts should be addressed before any mechanics are during a slump. Many times mechanics can be ironed out with simple adjustments in focus.
>
> These mental concepts can and should be practiced as much as any mechanical fundamentals.
>
> Jimmy
>Jimmy has some great comments here,if I could share a story that is connected,I was in college hitting 6th really in the zone hitting a little over 500 at the time with 2 strikeouts and finding some power without thinking about it much,our 4th hitter was struggling a bit we were well over 100 at bats and the coach wanted to take the pressure off him a bit and dropped him back to 6 and me cleanup.I went into the game thinking about my position as a 4th hitter.Just the unsettling and newness of being on deck with the #3 hitter up felt different,I had not seen as many hitters go thru the pitcher and how he worked.Anyways my mind had new things going on in it and I ended up with 2 ks and no hits on the day and I was a mess.Coached said he learned something that day and sometimes trying to help a slumping hitter can hinder a hitter in the zone by creating a new set of thoughts for him.It was also a great experience for me though I did not think so that day but let me see that you have to keep your approach the same and do not let the world come into your head and all its distractions when you prepare to hit.