​​​​​​​​​​​​​First and foremost, See The Ball!

- Weather struggling or doing well, give yourself regular ”reality checks” related to how well you're seeing the ball. Grade yourself after each at bat, in terms of how well you saw the ball and tracked the ball. Ask yourself, ”Was that my best look? Was it a Number 1 look (best),  Number 2 look? And so on. Using this procedure will keep the level of awareness high and not allow yourself a prolonged period of not being attentive to the ball.

- When you are not having good looks, use your next at-bat to establish your concentration on the ball. Take the first pitch and track it all the way to the catcher's mitt. You know it's going to be a “take,” so you have no other obligation than to see the ball. Having done that, you discipline your mind and eyes. Step out of the box and tell yourself to “See the ball.”React to the pitch as you see it with a swing or take.

- The deeper you can get into the count, the better. You'll see more pitches and help yourself as a result. This, of course, can more easily be accomplished if you get ahead in the count immediately, or are willing (according to the circumstances of the game) to use the entire at-bat.  Use every at-bat to your purpose, instead of allowing it to use you.

- Before each at-bat and before you get in the box coach yourself. Remind yourself by repeating the mantra, “See the ball hit the ball.” It's simple to say harder to do. It requires discipline and trust, the traits of great hitters. Habit is a practice long pursued. Cultivate the good habit of seeing that ball. Then put a hurt on it.


Aggressiveness under Control

- A balanced mental approach means being aggressive while being under control.

- Aggressiveness is swinging; control is seeing the ball well, which allows you to swing at appropriate pitches.

- Attacking the ball without fear of striking out is essential to aggressive, affecting hitting.

- Knowing the strike zone is essential to being a controlled hitter.

- When you since you're losing control, hit the ball to the opposite field. You'll track the ball longer and deeper into the hitting zone, you'll stay back longer, it will help you relax your swing and the bat will get through the hitting zone quicker.

- Understand that a walk has value, that on-base percentage is one indicator of successful hitting, that a walk helps a batting average because, in addition to putting you on base, it keeps you off the bench, as an out! In addition, it benefits the team to have you on base, so it serves a great purpose, as well.

-  Remember that the best hitters hit their best pitch, not the  pitcher’s  best pitch.

- Two-strike Hitting should not be defensive hitting. It is just less selective hitting. Widen your strike zone and when you see what you want, let it fly.

- With two strikes,  continue to look for the ball. Avoid guessing particularly guessing breaking ball. (Many hitters worry about the breaking ball with two strikes on them, because they don't want to be surprised, have a bad swing, and be embarrassed.) Guessing like that with two strikes is an indication of self-doubt, and it's dangerous. it's Russian roulette with a bat. If anything, look for the fastball and adjust to the breaking ball. But look, rather than guess.

Setting your goals vs. living others expectations

- Set behavioral goals, which you can control, rather than result goals, which you cannot.

- Monitor your thoughts regularly, recognizing when your feelings are getting in the way of your thinking and interfering with your appropriate hitting approach.

- Be certain to establish functional goals, so as not to be made dysfunctional by results or other people's expectations.

- Establish individual goals that can be worked on daily as a hitter. They may include practice and game goals, such as:
- Discipline batting practice
- Seeing the ball well in batting practice
- Having a purpose in every batting practice round
- Reminding yourself of mechanical cues in the on-deck circle
- Stepping out of the box and coaching yourself during an at-bat
- Being mentally ready on every pitch
- Establishing your Strike Zone through discipline
- Being an aggressive hitter, under control (Yes,Yes,No)
- Focus and concentration

Self coaching

- Take the responsibility of learning how to coach yourself during your at-bats.

- When you are unhappy about what's going on during an at-bat, step out of the box and make yourself aware of the problem.

- Out-of-the-box, remember your individual mental or mechanical key, as it applies to your awareness.

- Coach yourself by telling yourself what you want to do, rather than what you don't want to do, before stepping back in the box.

- Talk from your brain, rather than your emotions of the moment.

- Exhale deeply, to relieve possible tension.

- In the Box, look for the ball, and be relaxed.


Self-talk

- Negative self-talk is usually a result of early teaching, warning or experience. As a player gets older they should be capable of recognizing and controlling their self-talk, thereby giving themselves positive instruction as a hitter and as a person.

-Your muscles will do what they are told. Tell them the right things to do, in the right way using positive language always.

- Make yourself aware of whatever negative messages you give yourself, so you can change them immediately.

- Employ an appropriate, calm tone of voice, rather than sarcasm or a tone of anger or defeatism.

- When you wish to challenge your thoughts, replace them with ones that serve and direct you in a positive way, rather than trying to block the undesirable thought out. Trying to block out a thought keeps your focus on the very thing you're trying to get rid of.

- Be good to yourself!


Paying Proper Attention

- Be an observer. Notice everything, especially details. This will bring you to be attentive to things you've never paid attention to before. It is a constant exercise in disciplining your mind and your eyes.

- Looking at pictures hanging on the wall (or advertisement Billboards at the Ballpark). Start by taking in the entire image, then keep narrowing your focus until you’re centered on a very particular part of the picture or ad. SEE it completely, noticing every detail. Stay on it with your eyes until you have committed the details to memory.

-  Play the old kids game (abbreviated version) of Concentration, using just a few cards from a deck of playing cards. Include one card for each number from 2 to 10. Having someone place the nine cards face down in random order. Then turn them up and view them quickly. Turn them face down again. Distract yourself for one minute. Then attempt to turn the cards over in order, starting with the deuce. As you become better able to do this and decrease the time required to do it, add numbers from different suits, so you then have to turn two number-two’s over, and so on. Be  patient with yourself. You will get better if your discipline is stronger than your frustration. (And that should be one of your goals on the field, as well!)

-  A favorite of a number of big  League players is a number grid. Make up a grid of 100 squares on a sheet of paper. Make a bunch of photocopies. Have someone else randomly fill in the blanks of a grid with numbers 1 to 99. Take the grid and go through it, Crossing out the numbers in consecutive order. When you become stuck seemingly unable to find the next number stay with it, rather than quit. Work through to completion. Repeat this exercise as many times as you wish, having someone fill in the numbers in different spaces, of course. You will see Improvement. Invent your own exercises, if you wish. But be diligent in whichever you are working on.


Perspective

- A healthy perspective allows you to see your world  objectively and rationally, rather than with vision clouded by emotional needs.

- A perspective on life should be wide, taking in all aspects of your daily life and performance.

- Identify the nature of your prospective. Ask yourself, “how do I tend to view the issues or task I face?” (Optimistically or pessimistically? With confidence or uncertainty? With hope or despair” Etc.)

- Work on developing a healthier perspective through this awareness.

- Trust in your ability to cope with difficulties and approach them aggressively, rather than submissively or fearfully.

- A healthy perspective encourages self-confidence and helps the muscles to be relaxed. The opposite is true of distorted perspective, which provoke self-doubt and a sense of urgency.

- The brain is a hitter’s valuable tool for building a proper perspective. Think clearly. Step back and “get out of the frame.”

- A hitter’s perspective should be narrow limited to function and focus. (See the ball, hit the ball.)

- You have a choice to see and be what you wish. “See” with a healthy outlook, “be” with a healthy attitude.

-  Know how to evaluate at-bats. Ask yourself: “Did I see the ball well?” “Did I hit it hard?” Did I execute what I wanted to do?” If not make adjustments based on understanding, rather than negative reaction. Know what you want to do during your next at bat. Then trust your talent and put the last at-bat in your history book as a useful lesson.

Routine, Ritual in Superstition

- A routine is a set and regular Behavior pattern.

- A routine can become a ritual, which is fine, so long as the ritual doesn't lead to obsessive or compulsive Behavior.

- Superstition is illogical and is too often based on a subtle fear. It is therefore a hindrance to the development of an aggressive mentality.

- It is essential to know what you can and cannot control. Thought, attitude, and behavior can be controlled. Fate and powers beyond yourself cannot.

- To accept responsibility for your actions is to encourage the development of yourself as an effective performer and they self-actualized person.


The Preparation Cycle

- The cycle of preparation is as follows:
You learn.
You apply the learning in batting practice.
You asses your approach during batting practice and make necessary adjustments.
You bring those adjustments to the game.
You learn from the game performance and make further necessary adjustments in the next practice. (These changes can be physical or mental.)

-  preparation is readiness.

- The best hitters know how to make necessary adjustments to their approaches. The best learners make the best adjustments.

- You learn from your practices as well as from your game at-bats.

- The application of learning with disciplined batting practice rounds is the preparation for success.

- Your goal should be to behave exceptionally, rather than excusing inappropriate preparation as “normal.”

- Establish a batting practice routine in which there is a sense of purpose for everything you do.

- Understand and review the seven  specific game-time “stations” as noted on pages 69 thru 71 In the book, “The Mental Keys To Hitting”.

- Integrate that understanding into Behavior through mental discipline. You will then be able to trust your preparation, and thereby enhance your confidence.



Relax The Mind

- Muscles need assistance from the mind if they are to be relaxed.

- A relaxed state does not imply a complacent one or non-aggressive one. Being intense without being tense is your goal.

- Perspective will dictate an initial mental assessment of a situation (at bat). A poor perspective, one that anticipates threatening consequences, will induce tension: shortness of breath, loss of focus, tight muscles. A healthy perspective will conjure up challenge and boldness, which encourages a relaxed, aggressive, focused state, and approach.

- Self-awareness is prerequisite to addressing tension and the level of arousal which you're at and the one you wish to attain.

- Effective breathing is essential for relaxing yourself. formulate a routine that works best for you, using the suggestions outlined in the book.
Inhale. long and slowly.
Hold on to the breath for a short duration (three seconds?).
Release the air slowly and naturally without “pushing” it out.
Extend the duration of the exhale a bit, because it is the exhale that gets rid of the carbon dioxide in the blood system and allows the oxygen to “take over”. Carbon dioxide acts like a break; oxygen an accelerator.  [See Chapter 13  TRYING]
A relaxed hitter with the bat through the zone.

-  what you say to yourself is “heard” by your muscles. Help them work for you. Let them hear appropriate language, (positive and task specific) and tonality (calm and assuring).

-  Movement helps free up muscles.  Get out of the box (away from the place of tension); swing the bat; shrug your shoulders; bend at the waist; “stretch your face.”

- Work with relaxation exercises away from the ballpark, if necessary. This will help you improve your ability to adapt them to situational needs during competition.

-  Understand that tension is most often caused by your interpretation of the external environment. The internalizing of your relaxation techniques will certainly help to fix the problem. But a healthier interpretation (prospective, I had to say it again!) Will help you avoid it.

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Approach, Result, Response

- The healthier your perspective is, the better your approaches and response will be.

- Your approach to hitting and life circumstances is  within your control.

- Your response to at-bats and the circumstances of your life are within your control. You can choose to respond emotionally or rationally. Effectively or ineffectively.

-  A result to something that has already happened and is beyond your control. Or it is a desired outcome that is not within your control, whether you get what you want or do not.

- You can influence results by approaching tasks and responding to circumstances effectively.

- The first element of a good response is rational and clear understanding of what has happened and how to deal with it effectively.

- The ultimate good response is the integration of that understanding into appropriate behavior on or off a baseball field.

- Your approaches and responses are matters of choice: yours.

Confidence and Capacity

- Focus on task during performance rather than feelings.

- Be the hitter you want to be, rather than the one you're expected to be.

- Do everything possible to prepare for performance, and take your confidence and that preparation into the game.

- Be aggressive and under control.

- Be a smart hitter know what went on and what's going on, rather than worrying about what Will Go On. Understand past at-bats, focus on the current one, and trust a future will be manageable when you face it.

- Trust your talent.

- Play with enthusiasm and joy.

- Increase your confidence and you increase your performance capacity.

More to come, so check-in often for more information or purchase the book! >>>>
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The following paper written by Chris Richard at Personal Pitcher is my feelings almost exactly. I have posted it below for your information and will be expanding on his thoughts with my own information and excerpts and quotes from Harvey Dorfman's book "The Mental Keys to Hitting".

The Book Page

It doesn’t matter how sound your mechanics are, how good your approach is or if you have plus- plus power. You can’t hit what you can’t see. One of the biggest differences between an advanced hitter and an average hitter is his ability to use his eyes in an effective way. He has to be able to compute what he sees and react to it quickly.

​"Most hitters take it for granted that they see the ball but they don't make the distinction between a casual, fuzzy Focus* (peripheral vision) and one that is intense and sharp".  Harvey Dorfman author of  "The Mental Keys to Hitting"

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The information and drills at All Star Hitter will help to explain and show a hitter the true meaning of seeing the ball along with the importance of the mental aspects to become a great hitter.

​​* My addition (peripheral vision) seeing to both sides while staring forward.

Keep Hitting Simple

The hardest thing to do in sports is to hit a baseball. Sometimes we forget that as hitters because it often comes so easy. However, when we don’t have success for a few at bats in a row we have a tendency to try harder or have coaches that want to change our mechanics. Be very careful before you start changing your swing. Three questions a hitter must ask himself and answer “yes” to before considering any mechanical changes are:

1.  Am I prepared, bringing a positive, confident energy to the plate visualizing what pitch I want to hit? Even if you’re doubting yourself, your body language still needs to show confidence. Opposing pitchers can feed off of your negative body language and it might help them regain their confidence.  “Don’t let them see you sweat” and “Fake it till you make it” are often said, even at the Big League level. Your self-talk is key as well and needs to be positive, competitive and in the moment.  Be conscience of the words you are saying to yourself as they will be vital to relaxation and focus.

2.  How did I see the ball? ​Did I pick it up at release point or was it halfway to home plate before I saw it?  When the pitcher starts his windup your eyes should be “soft focused” on the pitcher – maybe just his upper body or his face and cap – and when he starts to come towards you and is about to pitch the ball look to find the release point and see if you can see the ball out of the pitcher’s hand.

3.  Did I swing at a good pitch to hit?  The easiest pitch to hit is the one you’re looking for – fastball away, fastball in, hanging curveball, change up that starts up in the zone, etc.  Don’t go up to the plate without a plan as far as what pitch do you want to hit.  Be aggressive in your zone but stay disciplined until you have 2 strikes when you have to expand your zone and battle.

If you answer “no” to any of these questions, changing your mechanics is NOT the solution. To be a good hitter you have to prepare and visualize success, see the ball well and get a good pitch to hit.

If you answer “yes” to all of them, then start looking at your mechanics. It’s most likely timing and perhaps your head moving too much during the stride. I recommend going to a “no stride” approach. This will simplify your swing, ensuring minimal head movement and improve your timing because your front foot will be down early.

Plenty of Major League hitters use a “no stride” technique – Paul Molitor, Jim Edmonds and Mike Sweeney to name a few. Check out this Jim Edmonds video on YouTube to watch this approach. Notice how he still engages the lower half of his body to power his swing (front knee turn, back knee drive and hip rotation).

Remember, “Thinking” while hitting is a distraction. Do not try this stride in game setting without practice. Any mechanical changes should be made during practice either off of a tee or on a slower speed setting.  Always end your batting practice with “game focus” and keep it simple by getting a good pitch to hit and hitting it hard!

Keep hitting and have fun,

Chris Richard

"First and foremost see the ball"

MENTAL AND VISUAL 

"THE KEYS TO HITTING"

"Here are some great excerpts From The Book"

Copyright ©. All Star Hitter. All rights reserved.

                  "Mental awareness and it's importance in hitting' 

 I have been teaching and writing about the importance of the mental aspects of hitting for over 20 years but couldn't have explained it better than this quote from Harvey Dorfman "A physical performance is the outcome of a thought. Players cannot ignore the mental activity that precedes these workings of the body. The mental message will dictate the physical action and help determine its quality. A negative thought is not a quality thought and it does not lead to quality action.

When it is said that people are creatures of habit the statement usually refers to physical habits however we all have habits of thought as well. A thought has been learned and used so often in similar situations that it becomes automatic. It often drops from the conscious awareness. We don't even realize we're employing it. The thought becomes part of a “programed” Behavior.

Negative programming hinders us both as athletes and as human beings. Negativism isn't a philosophy, it's an attitude. It's the attitude of a player whose nerves are not as strong as he'd like them to be. Attitudes can be changed, but first they have to be recognized. It's quite common for a player to think to himself, “I don't want to boot this ground ball”, or “I don't want to walk this batter”. The word “don’t” will not get through to the body. The word carries no functional image. The phrase “Boot this ground ball” does bring forth and image. The expression of a negative goal will therefore emphasize an undesirable image and the error or the walk is more apt to be made. The body tends to do what it hears most clearly; the mind tells the body what it sees most clearly. So, thinking about what you don't want to happen greatly increases the chances that it will happen".  

- Harvey Dorfman " The Mental Keys to Hitting"

​​​​​​​I have great respect for author Harvey Dorfman for the writing of his book the “Mental Keys to Hitting”.  Much of his book is the same concept and explanation for hitting I learned and taught for years from observing what makes one player a better hitter than another, and I used it  VERY SUCCESSFULLY while coaching Youth Baseball. I attempted to write my own book about 12 years ago but could only come up with 25 pages because my method of teaching is very simple. In his book he goes into much more detail but uses a lot of storytelling about players and organizations he has worked with to make the book more interesting, which I don’t think is necessary to get this teaching across to a player.  My plan is to combine my method of teaching with Dorfman's knowledge, experience and information keeping it as brief and simple as possible, especially for the younger player. With that said, I hope to accomplish this task to help as many coaches and players as possible to grasp the importance of the mental part of hitting . You will be the judge of this endeavor.

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                           INTRODUCTION

A player’s talents are based on genetic gifts. In that sense, they are essentially predisposed to be as good as they were fated to be. Player's attitude, perspectives, approaches and responses are based on choices they make. In that regard, they are capable of being as good as they choose to be.  

Players make choices, often without realizing they're doing so. To allow a poor approach to be repeated over and over again (one which greatly inhibits effective performance) is to make a choice, whether it is a conscious one or an unconscious one. For example, a hitter who is confused and frustrated brings that response to his at-bats. He chooses to dwell on the problem, rather than the solution. Self-pity or anger leads to a loss of confidence. Loss of confidence further distracts him. His distraction gets in the way of his ability to see the ball well. The proverbial Snowball Effect has taken over. So much for having a good day at the plate.

The Player's Choice has been to operate out of his emotional system instead of his rational system. It's understandable but unacceptable nevertheless.

And so, players or hitters, in this context must learn to harness their emotions and choose to think appropriately before they act, before they hit and actually after they hit as well. The before and after are the approaches and responses that should be covered when talking with the players.  They should be simple and clear to the hitter. They should and will  pre-empt “worries” about the expectations of others, about results, about any external distraction.

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A better performance for a hitter starts with thinking and acting effectively. His feelings are obstacles, not enhancers. The information explain here will help the hitter to identify the difference and to apply what he understands to his game.

Players often complain that the game is complicated. Actually the game is simple. People are complicated. Have a plan, relax, see the ball and just trust eyes and your muscles. Keeping it simple Is the challenge. Every exceptional athlete must learn to do that, not always but usually. Using mental discipline, he must apply that simplistic information to his game. Consistent behavior leads to consistent performance.

The information given here provides the requisite information and helps guide hitters and coaches in their quest to improve mental approaches to hitting. Players and coaches  work long and hard on the mechanics of hitting, but proper “Mental Mechanics” are as essential as the physical. Of course, some would say more essential. It requires hard work and dedication. The price of success is perseverance. The Initial cost of failure is considerably less.

I think that the mental part of hitting is 80 to 90% of hitting. Whatever the percentage maybe, the importance of the “Mental Game” is universally agreed-upon, but it must be practiced diligently and effectively. It is my hope that the information here will encourage and enable hitters and coaches to do so. Many of the mental concepts and the information here can also be applied to one's life out of the baseball uniform.

To be Continued as time permits. Meanwhile, Harvey Dorfman's book, "The Mental Keys To Hitting" is available to purchase at the Products Page >>>

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