Unlimited Performance Baseball athlete David Nick was recently profiled in the OC Varsity Insider on ocvarsity.com. In the article written by Jonathan Kay David went on to describe a pre-game visualization routine that he goes through prior to every game. I thought it was a great example of how visualization can help you develop a mechanically sound and repeatable swing. Here is an excerpt from the article:
Less-seen tools: After practice, the day before each game, Nick steps into the batter’s box. There’s a bat in his hand, but there’s no ball coming his way. There’s no pitcher. He’s the only one on the field.
Sports psychology “is a big part of what we do,” Weber said. “But he’s taken it to the next level.”
Nick explains: “I get into the box, stare out to the mound, and I’ll have an at-bat. (The count) is 0-0; I’m looking for a fastball.”
He envisions the next day’s starting pitcher, the windup, how the ball will look coming out of this pitcher’s hand.
“Every time, I visualize squaring up to the ball, hitting it with backspin,” Nick said.
Why does he do this? It’s a recent development, from the past few years, after Weber passed out the book Heads-Up Baseball, by Tom Hanson and Ken Ravizza.
“It gets me in the right mind-set,” Nick said of his batters box routine. “It builds my confidence up. Along with visualization, I’ll think of recent successes I’ve had.”
For those of you who are unfamiliar with who David is he is one of the top high school players in the country. He has already committed to play at UCLA and is projected to go in the first couple of rounds of this years professional draft. David and I have been working together for close to 6 years and I have had the privilege of watching him grow, mature, and develop as a baseball player.
David is a great example to other players not just because of his exceptional ability but rather as an example of how to develop that ability. His work ethic is unparalleled, his commitment to development is second to none, and it is easy to see why he is having the level of success he is now experiencing. Aside from the physical work that he does David is a great example of how visualization can be such a powerful tool in the development of an athlete.
In addition to the pre-game visualization above David uses different forms of visualization as part of his daily routine. In the time we have worked together I have seen David take countless dry swings in front of the mirror. He begins and ends each practice session with mirror work, breaking down each aspect of the swing. You can see him visualizing a pitched ball and then taking a swing in front of the mirror making sure his movements are perfect.
Whether he realizes it or not his work in front of the mirror is another form of visualization. He is reinforcing proper physical mechanics into his subconscious mind which will better enable him to repeat those mechanics during a game. This is one of the things that separates David from other players. His ability to repeat proper mechanics and avoid mechanical breakdown is amazing.
Other players could greatly benefit from mimicking David’s visualization techniques. Remember that our goal as hitters is to repeat proper mechanics in order to best enable ourselves to succeed. Since the mind can’t distinguish between what is real and what is imagined you have the ability to repeat a perfect swing thousands of times throughout a given day. You have complete control over what you visualize and as such can guarantee your swing is perfect. You also have the power to visualize entire at-bats. You can imagine facing tomorrow’s starting pitcher. You can see all of his pitches and visualize success against him. You will find that when it does come time to face him you will feel as though you have already done it. Your confidence will be greater and you will be more likely to repeat proper mechanics during that at-bat.
Visualization is a powerful tool. Many of the top athletes use it regularly to help increase their performance. David is a perfect example of an athlete who uses this powerful tool to help raise his level of performance. It’s easy, you don’t need any additional equipment, and you can do it virtually anywhere. There is no reason that you can’t use visualization to better your game. In a world where there is a number of expensive machines and tools to help you better your swing the best tool is free.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Deliberate Practice Part 6
In the sixth blog on deliberate practice we are going to discuss the final element that makes your practice session deliberate and effective. This element is probably what really separates elite performers from everyone else. Most people will be unwilling to add this element of practice to their practice session and it will test your true desire to perform at an elite level. This sixth element of deliberate practice is, “It isn’t much fun.”
I know, I know, baseball is supposed to be fun and it should be. However in order for you to reach the elite levels of performance your practice sessions can’t always be fun. Let me explain why. It’s never enjoyable to engage in any activity that we aren’t very good at. We are always drawn to performing activities that we are good at because it feels good and is fun to succeed. Many athletes don’t take the time to work on the things that they struggle with, it’s too hard on their ego. It’s much easier to simply ignore your weaknesses and continue to work on the things you are good at primarily because this allows us to have success during our practice session which allows us to feel good about our abilities as an athlete. Very rarely will you find an athlete that is committed to and consistently works on their weaknesses. When you do find this athlete they will be the first to tell you that spending time on their weaknesses isn’t fun at all but they realize that it is a necessity if they ever want to reach the levels of performance that they desire to reach.
In Geoff Colvin’s book “Talent is Overrated” he states, “Doing things we know how to do well is enjoyable, and that’s exactly the opposite of what deliberate practice demands.” Looking back at my own life and my experience as an athlete, coach, and instructor I know that Mr. Colvin is correct in this statement. As everyone knows baseball has been my passion (some may say obsession) my entire life. While baseball has always been number one with me there are many other sports that I have enjoyed through out my life. My willingness to work on my weakness and consistently get out and practice even when it wasn’t very much fun proves to me my love for baseball as opposed to how I approached other sports. As a result I have completely transformed myself as a baseball player while I plateaued in the other sports in which I participate. For me basketball is one of these sports. As a young athlete I was very good at basketball and I had a lot of fun playing basketball. The difference for me in basketball as opposed to baseball was I was completely unwilling to work on the things that I was weak at. For me to play basketball it always had to be fun and when it wasn’t I had no desire to play. Baseball however was completely different. I became obsessed with turning my weaknesses into my strengths, even if practice wasn’t fun I was determined to be the best player I could. To this day I will spend hours in the cage or one the field if it means I will improve. My desire to play baseball at the highest level out weighed any lack of fun I might be having. This unwillingness to apply the same deliberate practice in basketball allow other athletes to catch up to my abilities as I got older. I was no longer the stand out on the court and it wasn’t long before I wasn’t good enough to play anymore.
In many of my clients I see the reluctance to put in the work necessary to sure up their weaknesses. Many of my clients’ egos are too fragile and they limit the results they can produce because of they unwillingness to look past the lack of fun. As such many of them who were at one time performing far better than their peers become average players as they get older. Now I am not saying that practice should never be fun but what I am saying is that if you want to experience the fun of playing at an elite level then you might need to sacrifice some fun during practice sessions.
I encourage you to look into the future and focus on where you want to go as an athlete. Set aside the “fun” of your practice sessions in order to experience the fun of unlimited success. Geoff Colvin said it best when he said, “If it seems a bit depressing that the most important thing you can do to improve performance is not fun, take consolation in this fact: It must be so. If the activities that lead to greatness were easy and fun, then everyone would do them and they would not distinguish the best from the rest. The reality that deliberate practice is hard can even be seen as good news. It means that most people won’t do it. So your willingness to do it will distinguish you all the more.”
I know, I know, baseball is supposed to be fun and it should be. However in order for you to reach the elite levels of performance your practice sessions can’t always be fun. Let me explain why. It’s never enjoyable to engage in any activity that we aren’t very good at. We are always drawn to performing activities that we are good at because it feels good and is fun to succeed. Many athletes don’t take the time to work on the things that they struggle with, it’s too hard on their ego. It’s much easier to simply ignore your weaknesses and continue to work on the things you are good at primarily because this allows us to have success during our practice session which allows us to feel good about our abilities as an athlete. Very rarely will you find an athlete that is committed to and consistently works on their weaknesses. When you do find this athlete they will be the first to tell you that spending time on their weaknesses isn’t fun at all but they realize that it is a necessity if they ever want to reach the levels of performance that they desire to reach.
In Geoff Colvin’s book “Talent is Overrated” he states, “Doing things we know how to do well is enjoyable, and that’s exactly the opposite of what deliberate practice demands.” Looking back at my own life and my experience as an athlete, coach, and instructor I know that Mr. Colvin is correct in this statement. As everyone knows baseball has been my passion (some may say obsession) my entire life. While baseball has always been number one with me there are many other sports that I have enjoyed through out my life. My willingness to work on my weakness and consistently get out and practice even when it wasn’t very much fun proves to me my love for baseball as opposed to how I approached other sports. As a result I have completely transformed myself as a baseball player while I plateaued in the other sports in which I participate. For me basketball is one of these sports. As a young athlete I was very good at basketball and I had a lot of fun playing basketball. The difference for me in basketball as opposed to baseball was I was completely unwilling to work on the things that I was weak at. For me to play basketball it always had to be fun and when it wasn’t I had no desire to play. Baseball however was completely different. I became obsessed with turning my weaknesses into my strengths, even if practice wasn’t fun I was determined to be the best player I could. To this day I will spend hours in the cage or one the field if it means I will improve. My desire to play baseball at the highest level out weighed any lack of fun I might be having. This unwillingness to apply the same deliberate practice in basketball allow other athletes to catch up to my abilities as I got older. I was no longer the stand out on the court and it wasn’t long before I wasn’t good enough to play anymore.
In many of my clients I see the reluctance to put in the work necessary to sure up their weaknesses. Many of my clients’ egos are too fragile and they limit the results they can produce because of they unwillingness to look past the lack of fun. As such many of them who were at one time performing far better than their peers become average players as they get older. Now I am not saying that practice should never be fun but what I am saying is that if you want to experience the fun of playing at an elite level then you might need to sacrifice some fun during practice sessions.
I encourage you to look into the future and focus on where you want to go as an athlete. Set aside the “fun” of your practice sessions in order to experience the fun of unlimited success. Geoff Colvin said it best when he said, “If it seems a bit depressing that the most important thing you can do to improve performance is not fun, take consolation in this fact: It must be so. If the activities that lead to greatness were easy and fun, then everyone would do them and they would not distinguish the best from the rest. The reality that deliberate practice is hard can even be seen as good news. It means that most people won’t do it. So your willingness to do it will distinguish you all the more.”
Monday, April 13, 2009
Consistent Mindset Consistent Results
As the high school season approaches the halfway point its good to take a step back and evaluate your performance over the first half of the season. I have been very fortunate over this past year to witness some incredible growth and development in many of my athletes. Some of the things they have been able to do in a relatively short period of time is truly remarkable. I have been fortunate enough to witness some athletes become completely transformed as players.
As it has a tendency to happen with younger players some of my athletes develop some frustration not because of poor numbers but rather inconsistency in their performance. Many of my athletes have made such great improvement in their abilities and they have had games early in the year that were so much better then games they had the previous season that they develop some level of frustration when they aren’t performing at this higher level every game. As such I get questions from my athletes as to why they can be inconsistent at times?
Obviously it’s difficult to maintain a high level of performance at all times. But, what is the reason behind this? Why is it that we can play at a certain level one day and the next day not even resemble the player we were the day before?
It’s important to remember that the mind plays an important if not crucial role in the performance of the body. You body’s ability to perform proper mechanics depends on your mental state at the time you are trying to perform those mechanics. Different thoughts, emotions, and mental states can either enhance or inhibit your body’s ability to perform proper mechanics. If you were to play one game in a different mental state then you did the previous game then chances are you physical performance will be affected regardless if there is something wrong with you physically.
Inconsistent performance is usually the product of inconsistencies somewhere else in your life. These inconsistencies include:
Inconsistent Work Habits- Many times athletes will be consistent with their work habits in the preseason. It’s easy to find time to get in your extra work or get to a lesson. However, once the season starts extra time becomes scarce and some athletes feel like they don’t need to get in their extra work because they are practicing or playing games everyday. The problem is, during practice and games the player rarely works on the same drills they work on during their lesson or on their own. In addition they aren’t getting the same number of swings that they got in the preseason. Even though they are spending more time on the field, the time for their personal development has reduced. As a result the athlete experiences a reduction in performance. Sometimes they do their extra work and then have some success. This leads some athletes to believe that they are “fixed”. Therefore they slack off on the work and their performance suffers. Whatever the case maybe if an athlete is inconsistent with their work habits they will be inconsistent in their performance.
Inconsistent Emotions- As much as we try to leave our problems off of the field it is extremely difficult. Anything can happen before a game to change us emotionally and add negative emotion into our life. One game might be played on a day where everything goes right. The player gets an A in a class, they have a good time with friends, whatever. That day the player is full of positive emotions and it carries over in the game. When an athlete is in this positive state it becomes easier for them to perform good mechanics. Conversely, an athlete may have a bad day and for whatever reason they show up to the field full of negativity and negative emotion. This negativity produces roadblocks in the mind and roadblocks to the body’s ability to perform proper mechanics. This can cause a reduction in performance and inconsistencies in the player’s overall performance. It’s important that the athlete do what they can to foster only positive emotions. More important it’s important that the athlete tries to stay consistent with their emotions from game to game.
Inconsistent Thoughts- An athlete who is unaware of their thoughts is setting themselves up for inconsistent performance. The thoughts we have at any given time produce either fluidity or tension in the body which obviously effects the body’s ability to perform. It’s important that athletes become aware of their thoughts at any given time. This way they can not only repeat proper physical mechanics but they can repeat good thoughts enabling their bodies to perform. This is why I always recommend that players keep a journal. With the journal they can have a record of how they performed in a game, what they were feeling and what they were thinking. They will begin to notice familiar patterns when they are performing well and then they can reproduce these same thoughts and feelings to maximize their performance and keep their performance consistent.
Inconsistent performance can be very frustrating for every athlete. Many athlete makes the mistake of looking only at physical reasons for these inconsistencies. What we must remember is that the mind controls the body. Any breakdown in physical mechanics usually has a mental origin. If you can keep your mindset consistent you will be able to keep you performance consistent. Start a journal, record your thoughts and emotions from game to game. Try to recreate the thoughts you were having when you were performing well. You will find that the more you recreate these thoughts the more consistent your performance will become.
As it has a tendency to happen with younger players some of my athletes develop some frustration not because of poor numbers but rather inconsistency in their performance. Many of my athletes have made such great improvement in their abilities and they have had games early in the year that were so much better then games they had the previous season that they develop some level of frustration when they aren’t performing at this higher level every game. As such I get questions from my athletes as to why they can be inconsistent at times?
Obviously it’s difficult to maintain a high level of performance at all times. But, what is the reason behind this? Why is it that we can play at a certain level one day and the next day not even resemble the player we were the day before?
It’s important to remember that the mind plays an important if not crucial role in the performance of the body. You body’s ability to perform proper mechanics depends on your mental state at the time you are trying to perform those mechanics. Different thoughts, emotions, and mental states can either enhance or inhibit your body’s ability to perform proper mechanics. If you were to play one game in a different mental state then you did the previous game then chances are you physical performance will be affected regardless if there is something wrong with you physically.
Inconsistent performance is usually the product of inconsistencies somewhere else in your life. These inconsistencies include:
Inconsistent Work Habits- Many times athletes will be consistent with their work habits in the preseason. It’s easy to find time to get in your extra work or get to a lesson. However, once the season starts extra time becomes scarce and some athletes feel like they don’t need to get in their extra work because they are practicing or playing games everyday. The problem is, during practice and games the player rarely works on the same drills they work on during their lesson or on their own. In addition they aren’t getting the same number of swings that they got in the preseason. Even though they are spending more time on the field, the time for their personal development has reduced. As a result the athlete experiences a reduction in performance. Sometimes they do their extra work and then have some success. This leads some athletes to believe that they are “fixed”. Therefore they slack off on the work and their performance suffers. Whatever the case maybe if an athlete is inconsistent with their work habits they will be inconsistent in their performance.
Inconsistent Emotions- As much as we try to leave our problems off of the field it is extremely difficult. Anything can happen before a game to change us emotionally and add negative emotion into our life. One game might be played on a day where everything goes right. The player gets an A in a class, they have a good time with friends, whatever. That day the player is full of positive emotions and it carries over in the game. When an athlete is in this positive state it becomes easier for them to perform good mechanics. Conversely, an athlete may have a bad day and for whatever reason they show up to the field full of negativity and negative emotion. This negativity produces roadblocks in the mind and roadblocks to the body’s ability to perform proper mechanics. This can cause a reduction in performance and inconsistencies in the player’s overall performance. It’s important that the athlete do what they can to foster only positive emotions. More important it’s important that the athlete tries to stay consistent with their emotions from game to game.
Inconsistent Thoughts- An athlete who is unaware of their thoughts is setting themselves up for inconsistent performance. The thoughts we have at any given time produce either fluidity or tension in the body which obviously effects the body’s ability to perform. It’s important that athletes become aware of their thoughts at any given time. This way they can not only repeat proper physical mechanics but they can repeat good thoughts enabling their bodies to perform. This is why I always recommend that players keep a journal. With the journal they can have a record of how they performed in a game, what they were feeling and what they were thinking. They will begin to notice familiar patterns when they are performing well and then they can reproduce these same thoughts and feelings to maximize their performance and keep their performance consistent.
Inconsistent performance can be very frustrating for every athlete. Many athlete makes the mistake of looking only at physical reasons for these inconsistencies. What we must remember is that the mind controls the body. Any breakdown in physical mechanics usually has a mental origin. If you can keep your mindset consistent you will be able to keep you performance consistent. Start a journal, record your thoughts and emotions from game to game. Try to recreate the thoughts you were having when you were performing well. You will find that the more you recreate these thoughts the more consistent your performance will become.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
An Example of a Limited Mindset
The other day I was watching a major league baseball game and I heard a couple of comments that are perfect examples of the limited mindset that is pervasive in baseball today. During the game the commentators (both of which are former major league players) were talking about an upcoming rookie in the organization. The rookie had just hit a homerun and they began to discuss the rookie’s “natural power”. One of the commentators said, “There are two things you can’t teach. You can’t teach power and you can’t teach talent.”
If you have been reading some of my other blogs you know that I couldn’t disagree with this statement more. First of all, you can teach both talent and power! Sure, there is a lot that has to go into the development of that power and talent but I have seen it done too many times to ever buy into this limited thinking. I have seen a 130 pound athlete go from a singles hitter into a hitter who has the capability of hitting the ball over 400 feet. I have see a player who is 5 feet tall and weighs 100 pounds completely change as a hitter and is now capable of driving the ball as well as any hitter I work with. I have seen a pitcher who used to max out at 86 mph develop into a pitcher who would throw consistently in the 90's. I have seen my own abilities completely change to where I am now able to do the things that people thought I wasn’t “born” to do. All of this experience has taught me that you can be as good as you want to be. I have learned that if you are willing to take the necessary steps you can make yourself into any level of player that you desire to be.
Don’t buy into the idea of limitation. Don’t allow the limitations of others prevent you from becoming the athlete you want to become. People buy into this idea because it’s easy. It’s easy to say you’re limited then it is to admit you didn’t play as well as you could have. It’s easy to say that you “did the best with what you were given” then it is to look yourself in the mirror and say that you could have been better. Don’t allow this to happen to you. Take responsibility for your level of play. If you desire to get better don’t allow anyone or anything get in your way. Learn as much as you can. Do research on your own. Find out what it is the best players in the game are doing and apply that to your game. If you really want to reach extraordinary levels of performance you can. You can be as good as you can envision yourself being. Be open to change, master your mechanics and master your mind. The level of performance you desire to reach is within your grasp. You are limited by nothing!
If you have been reading some of my other blogs you know that I couldn’t disagree with this statement more. First of all, you can teach both talent and power! Sure, there is a lot that has to go into the development of that power and talent but I have seen it done too many times to ever buy into this limited thinking. I have seen a 130 pound athlete go from a singles hitter into a hitter who has the capability of hitting the ball over 400 feet. I have see a player who is 5 feet tall and weighs 100 pounds completely change as a hitter and is now capable of driving the ball as well as any hitter I work with. I have seen a pitcher who used to max out at 86 mph develop into a pitcher who would throw consistently in the 90's. I have seen my own abilities completely change to where I am now able to do the things that people thought I wasn’t “born” to do. All of this experience has taught me that you can be as good as you want to be. I have learned that if you are willing to take the necessary steps you can make yourself into any level of player that you desire to be.
Don’t buy into the idea of limitation. Don’t allow the limitations of others prevent you from becoming the athlete you want to become. People buy into this idea because it’s easy. It’s easy to say you’re limited then it is to admit you didn’t play as well as you could have. It’s easy to say that you “did the best with what you were given” then it is to look yourself in the mirror and say that you could have been better. Don’t allow this to happen to you. Take responsibility for your level of play. If you desire to get better don’t allow anyone or anything get in your way. Learn as much as you can. Do research on your own. Find out what it is the best players in the game are doing and apply that to your game. If you really want to reach extraordinary levels of performance you can. You can be as good as you can envision yourself being. Be open to change, master your mechanics and master your mind. The level of performance you desire to reach is within your grasp. You are limited by nothing!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Progressive Practice
In order to maximize your development as an athlete and to maximize your practice time it’s important that you employ what I like to call progressive practice. Basically, progressive practice is when an athlete or coach sets up a practice session so that the athlete begins with the most basic movement and then gradually progresses to more and more difficult movements. In other words, you want to start with the most basic of drills and then work your way up to the more difficult ones.
I have found that most athletes don’t set themselves up for success during their practice session primarily because they jump right into the most difficult drill first. During this drill they expect to make corrections in their mechanics and are unable to make any changes. This causes the athlete to become frustrated which inhibits the progress and development of the athlete. Let me see if I can explain what I mean. Many times athletes or coaches jump right in and begin batting practice off of a machine or batting practice pitcher. The belief is that they want to practice in the most “game like” setting. They try to make practice as real or as close to real as they can. The problem is two fold: 1) When the mind and the body are put in game like situations it is impossible for the body to make changes. The mind will tell the body to perform whatever it has practiced the most. As a result there is no improvement because the body is simply reacting in order to hit the ball. 2) Since baseball is such a game of fine motor movements where small breakdowns in mechanics can create a big difference in performance it’s important to start off easy in a controlled environment to program the body to perform perfect mechanics in a game. What I mean is, even if the athlete isn’t trying to make changes but rather just preparing for a game the athlete should start with easy drills first in order to get the body “dialed in” to perform proper movements in the game.
Athletes and coaches alike put way too much emphasis on “game like” practice. They feel that if an athlete practices “game like” then they will be more prepared for the game. You see this at the youth levels a lot in the form of having the kids hit at the speed you are going to face in a game. We have to remember that the most successful athletes in baseball are the ones that repeat proper mechanics the most often. Knowing this our goal should be to set ourselves or our athletes up to repeat these mechanics. The way we do this is to perform progressive practice so we can get our fine motor movements dialed in before we perform in a game.
This is why the tee is so valuable in hitting. When the ball is moving the mind can only focus hitting the ball and not on the mechanics of the swing. If a hitter begins his day on the tee they can get their swing “dialed in” and then slowly progress to more and more difficult drills. Ideally an athlete should start on the tee and once the feel like their swing is sound they should then progress to front toss or soft toss. Once the hitter feels like they are repeating their swing properly from front toss or soft toss they can then move back to live batting practice or hitting off of the machine. The same can be done on defense. For infielders you can start with easy, underhand, rolled groundballs. Once the athlete feels comfortable then you perform 50% groundballs, this is where the coach is halfway between the player and homeplate and is on a knee hitting easy groundballs. Finally, the coach then backs up and hits full distance groundballs.
If you are trying to develop your athlete or your skills you will use progressive practice a little differently. You will always start with the most basic drills and when you feel comfortable or you are able to repeat your mechanics easily then you progress to the more difficult drill. If you do progress to the more difficult drill and are unable to perform your mechanics consistently then you back it down to the previous drill. This will allow you to develop repeatability and make it easier to perform the more difficult drill.
If you really want to improve you must take the time to start slow and build your way up. You can still take 100 repetitions per session but instead of 100 swings on the machine take 40 on the tee 40 of front toss and 20 off of the machine. It might be a little more boring but over the long run it will be much more effective.
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