|
On behalf of the Amateur Softball Association, welcome to the April issue of the ACE Coach monthly email from ASA Director of Coaching Education and and two-time Olympic Coach Mike Candrea: Candrea on Coaching. As a youth sports coach, you naturally want to prepare your team to win as many games as possible, and as a Responsible Coach, you want to prepare your players to win off the field, too. The Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports program is proud to bring you this series in which Coach Candrea will provide you with coaching tips and resources that you can use for the betterment of your youth softball team.
|
|
April 15, 2009
Volume I, Issue 4
Temporary Setbacks in Hitting: Are They Physical or Mental?
Anyone that has ever played the game understands the feeling of struggling at the plate. It is amazing how big the ball looks when you are hitting well and how it looks like an aspirin when you are struggling. Well, unfortunately every player will get a chance to experience one of those “temporary setbacks.” You notice that I am very careful about using the word “slump.” It just does not sound good, and as a coach, I try to never use it! It is like any negative thought, the more you think about it, the worse it gets. I would like to suggest some ideas on how to return our mind set to a confident, productive approach to hitting.
|
The lack of balance between the physical and emotional mind-set for a player can be a factor that leads to anxiety and struggles at the plate. The physical aspects of the game can be honed with coaching and practicing hard. One of our Responsible Sports principles can help with the emotional side of that balance: Filling Emotional Tanks.
A person’s “Emotional Tank” is like a car’s gas tank. When it’s full we can go anywhere we want to; when it's empty we can’t go at all. Players with full Emotional Tanks give Responsible Coaches some distinct advantages, such as being more coachable, more optimistic and better able to handle adversity.
Go to ResponsibleSports.com to learn more. >> | |
Many players feel that when they are struggling at the plate, it has to be a mechanical problem. Most young hitters are very quick to hit the panic button, when it’s usually a lack of physical and mental balance. Any good hitter would agree that there are some key elements in the physical mechanics of the swing that must be in place to achieve success at the plate. I also believe that the mental approach to hitting can also become a factor if our self-talk becomes negative and we lack confidence. The best solution in dealing with those “temporary setbacks” is to address both elements to assure balance and to have an understanding of the built-in barriers of the game.
Young hitters must remind themselves that hitting a round object with another round object is not always easy. The best hitters in the game today are successful 3 out of 10 times. This means that you are unsuccessful 7 out of 10 times. I would hate to have our best brain surgeon be considered good if they were successful 3 out of 10 surgeries. The point I am trying to make is the sooner your players realize the complexity of the skill, the better they can tolerate those 7 unsuccessful at-bats mentally. Hitters have a choice of what to think about, the successful or the unsuccessful times at the plate. I hope it’s the successful at-bats!
There are no quick fixes in this game and your players must remember that it is a game of averages. Having the awareness and proper mind set can allow them to perform much more consistently and keep those “temporary setbacks” to a minimum. Learn to deal with this aspect of hitting because as long as they put a uniform on, they’ll have an opportunity to face this challenge!
The following are some guidelines and suggestions to help you players’ deal with your next challenges. Physical Factors:
- Mechanics
- Is your stance comfortable, allowing you a good two-eye look at the pitcher?
- Are you arriving to a good hitting position (toe touch) easily and with consistency?
- Are you able to stay inside the ball and hit through a long zone?
- Are your hands in a strong and efficient position as you arrive at toe touch?
- Are you able to release the barrel vs. pushing the barrel?
- Timing
- Are you arriving to a good hitting position on time?
- Are you early or late?
- Are you in rhythm with the delivery of the pitcher? (When the pitcher starts, you must start, when the pitcher is ready to pitch, you must be ready to hit!)
- Are your movements smooth and continuous?
- Visual
- Assure proper head position – “two-eye look.”
- See the ball out of the pitchers hand, follow to the hitting zone, “nose to the ball.”
- Track the ball with both your eyes and head to the contact point.
- Judge your at bat on how well you are seeing the ball!
- Do not over swing! Stay smooth and effortless! “See it – Track it – Smash it.”
Mental Factors:
- Relaxation
- Muscular tightness and poor breathing patterns result from feelings of fear, anxiety, and tension. Concentration is also affected, which can result in visual problems. Softball is a game of relaxed skills!
- Positive Self-Talk
- The “I gotta/I’m gonna” self-talk can produce a state of tightened muscles and interferes with the message sent to the hitter’s visual system.
- Proper Preparation to Hit
- Pitchers can sometimes become creatures of habit! Look for patterns!
- Preparation begins in the dugout:
- What type of pitches does she throw?
- Does she have a good off-speed pitch?
- What does she throw to get ahead?
- How did she pitch me in my last at-bat?
- What is her out pitch?
- Aggressive Approach
- An aggressive approach can begin with not looking for a good pitch to hit, but instead anticipating that every pitch will be a good pitch. This approach will allow you to stay in a ready state and as I always say “find a reason why not to swing at a pitch!”
- Constructive Evaluation
- When evaluating your at bats, build success upon hitting the ball hard, seeing the ball well vs. getting a base hit. If you become consistent at hitting the ball hard, you will get your share of hits!
Other Suggestions:
- Go back to the basics to get a good feeling!
- Batting Tee
- Head-on Toss
- Throwing Drills
- Most hitters have one or two drills that help them get the proper feel and rhythm of their swing.
- Correct Poor Timing
- Live Batting Practice
- Head-on Toss
- Bounce Toss
- See the Ball (Tracking)
- Make hitters hit to the opposite field
- Off-centered batting practice
- Tracking pitches against live pitching
- Trust your swing!
Until next month,
Coach Candrea
ASA Softball is proud to partner with Liberty Mutual Insurance to bring the youth softball community the Responsible SportsTM program, dedicated to championing and celebrating responsibility in youth sports. We believe that some of the most influential individuals in young people's lives are parents and coaches. Visit ResponsibleSports.com to learn more.
|
