You know it’s funny sometimes how in baseball we limit ourselves all the time without even realizing it. We are so attached to numbers and the numbers we produce that sometimes it gives us a false sense of security. In my profession I generally don’t see an athlete unless he believes that he is struggling for some reason. Very rarely do I get an athlete who is doing well but still wants to get better. You see in baseball we have this idea that if we are getting hits then everything is okay. At the same time if we aren’t getting hits then there must be something wrong.
Thinking in this way only limits us from what we could ultimately accomplish. There are so many variables that go into getting hits or not getting hits that basing our success on the number of hits we get is irrelevant. I know, it sounds crazy right? But if you really stop to think about it you will realize that the fact you went 2 for 3 last game really has no bearing on your abilities or how good your swing is. Many times I will get an athlete that comes in for a lesson and the very next game they have a good game. Maybe they went 2 for 3 or whatever and they seem to think that they are “fixed”. There are so many factors though that go into a hitter getting hits that this isn’t an accurate evaluation on whether or not they are “fixed”. Maybe the pitching wasn’t as good as it has been in previous games, maybe the situation was different so they pitched you different, maybe you hit the ball the same but this time it found a hole.
I’ll give you an example of why hits and numbers aren’t an accurate evaluation of your level as a hitter. Just last week I went to a high school game. There was a player who in that game went 2 for 3 and drove in the go ahead run. In that same game there was a player that went 0 for 4. If I would have been a college recruiter I would have walked right passed the kid who had the hits and given my card to the kid who was 0 for 4. I know, it doesn’t make much sense but the kid that went 0 for 4 was a better hitter. He was pitched differently and when he made his outs the ball was hit completely different then the hitter who got the hits. Each out the hitter made was a hard hit ball with backspin. Conversely, the hitter who got the hits got two seeing eye singles that were off the handle of the bat.
Now I am not saying that you shouldn’t enjoy your hits, you most certainly should. However, I am saying that you shouldn’t evaluate your abilities based on how many hits you get. My best hitters show up, ready to learn consistently. Regardless if they had 4 hits or 0 hits the previous game. They are always wanting to improve and never think that they have arrived.
They focus on the process because they understand that if they just focus on hits they are limiting themselves. They understand that in order to reach the levels of play that they desire they have to hold themselves to a higher standard. Don’t limit yourself in any way. Don’t assume that everything is okay because you got a couple of hits. Don’t assume that there is something is wrong just because you didn’t get any hits. Ask yourself the question, “How good can I be?” Play the game with gratitude and an open mind. Be open to any possibility, don’t be satisfied the your numbers, hold yourself to a higher standard and continue to improve and learn.
