Sounds crazy doesn’t it? I mean how can anyone get faster by going slower? But what I have come to realize is that most athletes actually slow themselves down by trying to go too fast. In hitting for example: what is the first reaction of a hitter when they are facing a pitcher that has an above average fastball? Almost every, single time the hitter tries to match the pitcher’s velocity by speeding up their swing. As a result what normally happens? The hitter is still behind the fastball. Look at Major League hitters, does it ever appear as though the change their effort level based on the speed of the pitcher? The best hitters in the Major Leagues always look effortless, they appear as though they are hardly trying but yet they are able to consistently make contact on pitches upwards of 100 mph. Now you might be thinking, “Their natural ability allows them to play effortlessly.” However, have you ever thought that maybe the fact that they play effortlessly allows them to use their talent?
You see, in the United States we tend to cheer for the underdog. We tend to root for the players and teams that, “try hard”. We love the “Rudy’s” of the world and we tend to dislike the athletes that make things look easy and effortless. We tend to believe that they aren’t really trying because they play the game with effortlessness. This is true in every sport and not just baseball. How many people like college football and basketball more then the professional games because, “Those kids are really out there trying.” We are so attached to the idea of really trying hard that we have raised thousands of athletes who play their sports with the “football” mentality. We have taught them that they have to go out there and, “give it everything they’ve got”. Believe me I understand this mentality because I was one of these athletes. I went out everyday and killed myself. I would run through a brick wall for you and God forbid I ever showed any lack of effort. You know where it got me? No where!
I then began to think that maybe professional athletes knew something I didn’t. Maybe they had figured something out about performance that most of us hadn’t. Maybe the fact that they are effortless is a big reason why they can repeat their mechanics so easily. So let me put one myth to bed right now. Professional athletes are not lazy. Professional athletes are efficient. They are efficient with their movements, they have figured out how to work smarter not harder when they are on the playing field.
Let me explain what I mean. In the situation I gave you earlier of the hitter who has to face a hard throwing pitcher, his natural reaction is going to be to speed up his swing. When an athlete tries to speed up their swing they are rarely able to generate their desired bat speed. This is because in their mind they enter a state of “trying” instead of a state of “allowing”. Think of a hitter who hits a homerun. Generally homeruns come when the hitter isn’t trying to hit a homerun. They are in a smooth, relaxed state, their mind is clear of mental clutter, and because they are relaxed their physical mechanics are allowed to fall into place and the ball jumps off the bat naturally. The next time up when the hitter is feeling pretty good about himself and his ego takes over he tries to repeat the same result. He has left this state of “allowing”. As such his mechanics breakdown and he is unable to reach the same level of success he had in the previous at-bat. The same holds true for hitters that try to speed their bat up to match a pitcher with good velocity.
When an athlete moves from a state of “allowing” to a state of “trying” their mind begins to race and it becomes filled with mental clutter. In addition their breathing becomes faster and their muscles tense. When the muscles tense they then have to fight one another to perform the movement (every force creates a counter force). This not only causes the athlete to become slower but it makes it more difficult to perform fine motor movements. An inability to control fine motor movements opens the athlete up for mechanical breakdown. Think of driving your car with the parking break on. You can floor the gas pedal all you want but the car won’t go very fast even though the car is working hard. If you release the parking break you can go much faster without depressing the gas pedal very much. “Trying” or “Effort” in this case acts as the athlete’s parking brake.
I saw this example play itself out numerous times when I was working with my martial arts instructor. Anytime we were sparing I would be okay in the beginning, as the session progressed he began to move faster and faster. I began to notice that as he moved faster I began to increase my effort level in order to block his punches. However, the more I tried the more I got hit. It wasn’t until I slowed myself down and completely relaxed was I able to not only block him successfully but I was moving faster then I ever had thought possible.
The same applies in hitting, pitching, fielding, or any other activity in baseball. When we get into a pressure situation, face a fast pitcher, or are in any situation of stress our bodies natural reaction is to speed up. We must fight this reaction and force ourselves to slow down if we plan to be successful.
The first thing you can do to accomplish this is to monitor your breathing. We never really think about our breathing because it happens so naturally. However it is the most basic thing that is under our control. Begin to listen to yourself breath. Notice the speed and depth at which you are breathing. Then intentionally slow your breathing down. Take long, deep, slow breaths, notice what is happening to your body and notice what is happening in your mind. You should notice that your mind is clearing itself of most of it’s thoughts and your body should begin to relax and move at a slower more efficient pace. This is the state we should be in if we want to allow ourselves to be successful. In this state we are efficient. We are not blocking our body from performing in any way. We are essentially getting out of our own way and allowing ourselves to be successful. In this state we are able to move faster then we normally move, we are also able to have greater physical control enabling us to repeat proper mechanics.
Begin to listen to yourself breath during your practice and during your game. Listen to your breath while you are hitting and if you ever get into a pressure situation go back to listening to your breathing. You will immediately notice yourself relaxing. Remind yourself to “slow down” and you will notice that you are playing the game at a faster more efficient speed. Slow the game down in order to increase the speed at which you play. Sounds crazy but it works.
