What's up softball players in today's video, we're going to go over some
mental training tips for pitchers.
Uh, obviously in fast pitch, there there's a lot going on.
And the big thing is having a mental checklist for every pitch where
you can review what you're going to do so that it's automatic by time
you've chosen your pitch and then you're mentally clear to execute.
So we'll talk about what you think about when you're outside the circle.
When you're inside the circle, but not yet on the rubber.
And then what you talk about or what you think about when you're on the
rubber and are about to make your pitch.
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Okay.
So again, we're going to cover mental training tips for pitchers
in their pre-pitch routine.
So there's three zones that we're going to talk about here.
So, number one is what you think about when you're outside the circle,
what you think about when you're inside the circle and what you think
about when you're on the rubber.
And you're about ready to make your pitch.
So when you're outside the circle, this is like, say you just gave
up a hit or you just got an out and you just got the ball back.
This is your time to think about the big game situation.
So this is what ending am I in?
How many outs where the runners, what do I need to do on a ball?
That's overthrown?
Which side do I have to cover the bunt.
Who's coming up.
Who's on deck.
What's the situation, all that big stuff.
Okay.
Then once you get inside the circle, cause you've already figured
out what your movement is, where are you going to back up a base?
Where are you going to go?
If you get a comebacker.
Uh, what the score is, where the situation is, all that stuff was outside the circle.
Once you figured all that stuff out, now, the funnel is going to narrow.
And now we're going to talk about, about the hitter.
So again, quick review of what this is the situation.
So is it second and third and no one out, and this is their three hitter.
Who's on deck.
What have they done today?
Are they over two with two Ks or are they two for two or three?
Who's over the plate?
Are they big and kind of slow?
Are they a power hitter?
Are they a small player who's maybe going to lay down a bunt or are they
going to, you know, are they a slapper?
What are they doing?
What kind of player is this?
What kind of day have they had?
And what have I done against them as a pitcher?
This is where I'm saying, who am I fighting next?
And what can they do?
What have they already done?
What do I know about them and how am I probably going to approach it?
This is where I'm thinking, okay, this is a big bopper.
I've got a place to put her cause it's second and third, no
one out I don't have to give in.
And it's a really critical situation.
She can definitely hurt me on an inside pitch.
So I'm going to stay away from her.
She doesn't handle off speed stuff.
Well, so maybe I'll start it off with a fast ball away.
And then as soon as I get that first strike, I'm going to change up her to
death, whatever it is, this is where you're thinking about your strategy.
And also just the last little bits of like, what do you not need
to forget about the situation?
Whether it's, you know, alright, this runner might take off or I
might have to be ready for a bond, whatever it is, this is the last stuff.
Very little situational stuff, mostly focused on the hitter and
what our approach is going to be.
And we have to get rid of all that game stuff and then the pitching stuff
so that when we step on the rubber and this is our most important part,
we don't have to think about where we're going with the comebacker.
We don't have to think about what we're pitching.
We've already decided.
All right.
I'm looking for my catcher to put down, change up away.
So when I step one, I'm shaking until I get my chain of away.
And now I have only one thing left to think about.
And what does that.
That is executing my pitch.
When I've already thought about all this other stuff, I don't know,
have to worry about that anymore.
I'm not worried about any of that other stuff.
I already know what I'm going to do.
I know where I'm going to go.
If the ball's hit over here over there, right at me, whatever, all
I have to do now is focused on the pitch that I've chosen and executing
it to the best of my ability.
That's what the best pitchers do.
And both softball and baseball.
They go through their checklist.
They go through their analysis of the hitter and what they're going to do.
They decide what they're going to do.
Then they get on the rubber and then they're completely
mentally clear and they execute.
Because when you're cluttered and you're about to make your pitch.
So you're about to start your delivery.
And you're like, you know, I don't know what's going to happen.
Like, what do I, what am I going to do?
Or what happens is you get to come back and then you're deer in the headlights.
And you're like, I don't know where to go with this ball.
Those are all things that young players doing until they figure it out.
And the more you start to go through your checklists, the more you get
better at them, you quickly can just look at the field and say, okay, I
know I'm doing this, this and this.
You don't even think about it for me at the end of my career, as a pitcher.
I didn't have to really think about any of this subconsciously it was
a habit I'm just looking around like, okay, I know what's happening.
I got did to this side off to think about it.
And now I just get on and I'm clear and boom, I go, so the more you do this stuff
and you go through your mental checklist, the faster, essentially your computer.
If you're thinking of your brain is a computer, the faster
your processing speeds become, the more automatic it becomes.
And the more clear you become when you get on the rubber and now
you can just execute your pitch.
Which is ultimately your only real job as a pitcher.
You do everything you do to choose an intelligent pitch, and then you execute
as best you can, then you rinse and repeat and that's your life on the Mount.
All right.
So hopefully this video helped, I think it's really important.
All these mental strategies, obviously we are not robots.
We are living, breathing, thinking things with emotions, and there's
a lot of stuff to keep contained.
So when you go through this stuff, before you get on the, on the, in
the circle, and before you get on the rubber, you're going to maximize your
chances of being mentally clear and execute your pitches as best you can.
And then when you go one pitch at a time, You're going to have
great games, piecing them together with really, really high focus.
Okay.
Thanks for watching.
I'm coach Dan blew it.
If you want to learn more about what I do, I have online courses, check them
out in the video description links below, and I'll see you in the next video.