Development Requires Patience

I get asked all the time, “When are the mechanics going to translate into a game?” My honest answer is “I don’t know.” Everyone has a different development schedule. Some athletes are able to learn a skill very quickly while others it takes a while. However it’s important to remember that when you are trying to learn hitting, pitching, or anything else in baseball that you are essentially only learning a movement pattern or skill. Just like every other movement pattern or skill you’ve learned throughout your life, so if you were able to learn those skills then there is no doubt you can learn and master your mechanics. So when I’m asked “When are the mechanics going to translate?” I really don’t know. However, I do know that with consistent deliberate practice it WILL happen, I just can’t tell you when.

What inhibits our development?

What we tend to do as parents or athletes is look at the other athletes on the field and compare them to ourselves or our child. If another athlete happens to be farther along developmentally we then classify that athlete as “more talented” and we then expect to be able to ascend to their level of performance quickly and when we can’t we blame it on our genetics, our ability level, or any other excuse that takes our focus away from our development. You need to remember that athletes can be farther along for a number of reasons, maybe the other athlete was exposed to the proper mechanics at an earlier age, or maybe they for whatever reason they just naturally executed proper mechanics, whatever the reason it has absolutely nothing to do with you or your athlete’s “natural ability”.

Consider the “Ten Year Rule” that is discussed in Geoff Colvin’s book “Talent is Overrated”. Studies have shown that it takes approximately 10 years of deliberate practice to reach the “expert” level of mastery over a skill. Unfortunately some athletes aren’t exposed to proper mechanics at a young age and even though they may have been practicing their sport for years they haven’t been deliberately practicing and as such their 10 year clock hasn’t even started yet. Think of two athletes: The first athlete is 15 years of age and the second athlete is 5 years of age. They both begin working with me at the same time and as such are both exposed to the same information, drills, and correction, they work with me for 10 years and by the time the first athlete reaches 25 he has achieved mastery over hitting and is one of the top major league hitters. While the second athlete reaches the same level of mastery at the age of 15. Now the 15 year old isn’t as physically mature as the 25 year old however he is dominating his high school competition and is being looked upon as a future first round pick. If you were to compare these two athletes at the same age the second athlete would be much farther along then the first and would probably start being called a “natural”. People would assume that the second athlete is far more gifted then the first but is this true? Reality is that they both started at the same place and got to the same place in the same amount of time. One isn’t more talented then the other, one just had the benefit of learning the skill at an earlier age. I tell my clients to think of this whenever they begin to feel as though their mechanics won’t translate. They aspire to play at a certain level and even though they’ve practiced all of their life they haven’t really practiced until they started seeing me and learning the proper mechanics. So if it takes 10 years from that point then how can they ever expect it to be perfected after only a month or two.

Another common thing we do to inhibit our development is putting time limits on it. Many times athletes and parents feel that the athlete must reach a certain level of performance by a certain time or they can kiss that D1 scholarship goodbye. While this might be true there is nothing you can do to speed up the athlete’s development so worrying about it is counter productive. Maybe you are in the unfortunate situation of learning the proper mechanics at an older age. While this sucks it doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to realize your dream of playing in college. First of all, there are so many colleges out there, just because Texas isn’t banging down your door doesn’t mean you won’t get the opportunity to play in college. It’s important that you relax and give yourself the time necessary to develop. If you have to go to a JC for two years then fine, give yourself that time, if you have to go to a smaller school then fine. Do whatever you need to do to allow yourself time to develop and if you do that and focus on developing and mastering your skills everyday there is no reason why you can’t end up in the big leagues. Remember it doesn’t matter where you start it only matters where you finish.

I know this from personal experience. I worked and worked and worked my entire career but was never exposed to the proper skills or mechanics. As a result I never experienced the performance I knew I could experience. Then I began to figure things out at the tender age of 27 and so for the past 5 years I have been finally practicing deliberately. The development I’ve made over that time has been remarkable, to the point where I have become far better as a hitter then I had ever even imagined. The exciting part is I still have 5 more years before I reach the “expert” level of mastery. This couldn’t of happened until I made development my focus. I stopped placing time tables on my development and just focused on improving and achieving mastery over my body and mind in order to become the hitter I wanted to become. If you apply the same mentality to your career there is no limit to how good you can become. Remember that developing as a baseball player is like growing a plant. You plant the seed, water the plant, and give the plant sun light and just relax and wait for it to grow. You don’t rush the growth of the plant, you don’t get up and stress out each day because the plant hasn’t grown yet, you simply do what’s necessary to allow the plant to grow and allow it to develop in it’s own time.

Our Perceptions Shape Our Performance

It’s funny sometimes to see and listen to how different individuals perceive different situations. On the baseball field it’s no different and many times I’ve discovered that it’s these perceptions that lead to both good and bad performances and how athletes approach different situations on the field or how they approach their work habits. Take some of the best athletes of all time, the Kobe Bryant’s, the Derek Jeter’s, and the Tom Brady’s of the world. What allows them to perform in situations that cause other athletes to fail? The situations are the same but they simply perceive the situation completely different then say a lesser athlete.

So where am I going with this? Well, I want to challenge you to look at the way you do things on the field in a completely new light. I want you to change the way you see things in order to maximize the infinite potential you have. Many times simply changing the way you look at things will completely change your ability to execute mechanics, it can change the way you feel (eliminating fear of failure, etc.), and it can drastically improve your athleticism.

We live in a “doing” society. What I mean is we have this belief that people who are currently experiencing more success than we are must be doing more then we’re doing. They must be working harder, trying harder, or playing harder than we are, I mean what else can explain their extraordinary level of success? This belief then shapes how we practice and play. We begin to play harder, try harder, or work harder. We put more effort into what we are doing in the hopes that this will allow us to reach the same level of success that the other person has reached. We use words and phrases that confirm our perceptions. We say things like, “He really stepped it up!” “That guy raises his game to another level in clutch situations!” and “They just wanted it more then we did!” All of this leads us to believe that the great athletes have another level. That they choose to try just a little harder in pressure situations and that is enough to propel them to their levels of success. As if the guy on the other side doesn’t want it or isn’t trying. These perceptions lead to numerous athletes trying hard, working hard, and playing hard and when they don’t reach the levels of success they desire to reach they try harder and harder and harder only producing worse and worse results.

Just for a moment lets consider that our perceptions are completely wrong. Let’s try and see the other side of the coin. What if players who excel in clutch situations aren’t taking it up another notch at all? What if everyone around them is trying harder and working harder and they simply stay the same? What if instead of the clutch athlete speeding up they actually slow themselves down? I know, I know, “But Ryan we see these guys move faster and perform better then everyone else on the field.” Yes, I know, but I’m asking you to ask yourself, “How is it they’re able to do this?” Consider for a moment that clutch players don’t speed up, they slow down in an effort to keep their muscles and mind relaxed. Maybe everyone around them is speeding up, exerting more effort, and as a result becoming slower and more inefficient. Maybe the clutch athlete stays the same as they are in practice while everyone else is trying to take it up a notch.

Sounds crazy right? But think for a moment about your own performance. Why is it that in a cage with no one around you can hit like Albert Pujols but then can’t translate that to the field? What has changed? The goal is still the same, you still need to execute your mechanics the same, but yet you’re unable to have the same level of success you had in the cage. The only thing that has changed is your perception of the situation. Maybe scouts and recruiters are around and you want to show them that you can play at the next level. Maybe your coach is around and you want to show him that you deserve to start. Whatever the case might be, the only thing that has changed is your perception of the situation. In order to perform at the same level that you are capable of all you need to do is change the way you perceive the situation or change the way you perceive how you need to handle the situation. Instead of trying harder make a conscious effort to slow yourself down. Take your focus away from “doing” and bring it more toward “allowing”. Allow yourself to be successful, allow your mechanics to work and produce the results that you desire.

I encourage you to try and question the perceptions you have created. Try and see the other side of the coin. Maybe the reason you aren’t having the success you desire is not because you aren’t “doing” enough, maybe it’s because you are “doing” too much. Be willing to change the way you do things. Remember one of my favorite quotes, “If you do things the way you’ve always done them, you will get the results you’ve always gotten.” ~Tony Robbins

The Benefits of Yoga

For the past year or so I have been practicing yoga. As most athletes I was a little skeptical at first but was motivated due to my lack of flexibility. I was interested in yoga to help me loosen up my hips and shoulders primarily so it would feel better when I ran and threw. I couldn’t have predicted just how much I would enjoy and ultimately become addicted to yoga.

From the first yoga class I took I immediately felt better then I had ever felt in my life. My shoulders, hips, hamstrings, and low back all opened up more then I had ever experienced in my life. When I threw the ball I noticed that my shoulder felt very free and I could throw with far less effort and didn’t fatigue as quickly. My immediate thought was that I had just found the missing link in my training. It was like yoga bridged the gap between my training and my performance.

Like most athletes I like to train hard. I like to push myself with running, weights, or any other training method I can come up with. The downside has always been that training this hard left me feeling tight, bound up, and un-athletic. Yoga immediately increased my range of motion far greater then it had ever been. The strength gains I made with weights began to translate on the field better because I felt like I could move. I felt like I could move effortlessly and started to see greater control over my body. When I would run my hips were more open which allowed me greater range of motion when I ran. This allowed be to put more force into every stride effectively utilizing the strength gains I had made in the weight room.

When it came to hitting I noticed a jump in my power production because of the greater range of motion in my hips. I was able to generate more hip separation which leads to greater torque and greater force generated into the ball. Defensively I felt like I could make more acrobatic plays due to how open my entire body was. I was no longer limited by the range of motion in my joints and as such could make plays I once only dreamed of.

Aside from the physical aspects yoga helped me develop many of the mental skills I teach in my lessons. It taught me how to slow my breathing, stay in the moment, and clear my mind. The ability to clear one’s mind allows for mechanical repeatability which only benefits you on the field.

Overall Yoga has been an amazing experience. I feel like I can perform at higher and higher levels, I sleep better, and am able to handle day to day experiences much better. I would recommend yoga to everyone but especially for any athlete looking to take their game to high levels.

UPB Development Pyramid #3 (Specific Physical Development)

The third level of the UPB Development Pyramid is called Specific Physical Development. At this level athletes have a good idea of what they need to work on and have a specific plan to address those issues during their practice session. They don’t mindlessly go through their practice sessions just performing repetitions but rather their repetitions have a purpose. They may perform less repetitions however their practice sessions may be longer in duration because they are focused on each repetition.

When an athlete reaches this level in their practice sessions they are beginning to develop a good level of mastery over their physical skills and their practice sessions are geared to make finer and finer adjustments. While the athlete will begin to use their mind to aide in their development by simply focusing more and having a plan they are still not using their mind fully to help maximize both their development and their performance. They may still cling to the idea that they are limited and their performance (while they can improve) is somehow based on natural ability.

These athletes are more focused however and as a result more engaged during their practice times and private lessons. When these athletes take private lessons they listen and take ownership over what’s being taught. They then go home and try to apply what they’ve learned by performing the drills they’ve been taught and they start to think about what they are doing and make adjustments on their own. The great thing about athletes at this level is that they are starting to use their minds and are usually able to climb to the next level easily. Athletes found at this level are usually elite college players and top professional prospects.

Clearing Interference

Many times the way we respond in a given situation is entirely due to the questions we ask ourselves both consciously and subconsciously. If we have a tendency to respond in negative and unproductive ways we can usually eliminate this by simply changing the questions we ask. The questions we ask direct our focus and the results we produce are directly linked to what we focus on. So you might be thinking, “How does this apply to baseball?” In baseball we are judged by our performance which as an athlete is producing an external result. As a result when we don’t perform at the level we think we should we immediately begin searching for an external cause. The questions that I’m routinely asked are the same questions that the athletes are asking themselves, “What’s wrong with my swing?” “What am I doing wrong?” and so on. Our minds tend to immediately go to an external cause for our external failures.

The problem with this is that these questions put us in a negative and unproductive state. It leads us to be constantly thinking about and focusing on “what’s wrong” which then causes us to produce more and more of “what’s wrong”. This of course leads to inconsistent performance not to mention a reduced level of confidence in the athlete.

So how is it that we can rephrase these questions and begin to shift your focus on something more positive and productive? What question can we ask that will really get to the root of the problem and allow us to experience more success? Well, before we get into that it’s important for you to understand how your subconscious mind effects your body. Maybe even more important is how your mechanics are planted into your subconscious mind and what it is that causes mechanical breakdown.

After you are introduced to proper physical mechanics and have time to perform proper repetitions they become stored in our subconscious mind. Often what we refer to as muscle memory is nothing more then proper movements or skills becoming stored into our subconscious. Now the subconscious stores all of our skills that we perform day in and day out without any thought. Walking across a room, the beating of your heart, typing on the computer, and your breathing are all stored here. When you want to execute a skill for example such as getting off the couch and walking across the room the subconscious mind sends your intention to your body and your body performs the skill, usually easily and effortlessly. The very same process takes place when we decide to throw a pitch or swing at a pitch. But if our proper mechanics are stored in the subconscious then what is it that causes so much inconsistency in the execution of our mechanics?

Unfortunately the information being delivered from the subconscious mind to the body can become blocked or somehow distorted by negative thoughts or focusing on the external. Don’t believe me? Well, have you ever see someone have an anxiety attack where they exhibited signs of having a heart attack? Negative or stressful thoughts in their mind created a block between the subconscious mind and their body. As a result they began to show the signs and symptoms of having a heart attack. Now if negative thinking and stress were powerful enough to block the subconscious mind from telling the body to beat the heart (something we never think or worry about) then why couldn’t it cause breakdown or inconsistency in your ability to execute your mechanics? In fact what is commonly referred to as “The Zone” by athletes is nothing more then short lived experiences where there is a complete absence of interrupting thoughts and therefore the information from the subconscious mind is clearly communicated to the body allowing for abnormally high levels of performance.

Unfortunately we think of “The Zone” as fleeting and something that you may only experience once or twice a career. We have the belief that while we are experiencing this state that we are “playing above ourself”. As if this isn’t our true level of performance. The truth is that “The Zone” is our natural state. This is the level of performance we can achieve all the time if we were only aware of how to create this level of performance and what prevents it from happening.

So when an athlete asks themselves “What wrong?” they are unknowingly creating more and more roadblocks, preventing the correct information from going from the subconscious to the body. Over time frustration builds, more and more negative, stressful thoughts are created and ultimately a new movement pattern is stored in the subconscious. Which is what we would call a “bad habit”. At this point even when you have a clear mind you have now created a poor movement pattern or skill for which to call upon and your overall performance is diminished.

So what can you do? The first step involves becoming aware of the questions you are asking yourself when your mechanics breakdown. Instead of asking, “What’s wrong?” consider that your swing or pitching mechanics or whatever are already perfect and that they only way for them to breakdown is that something interfered with your subconscious’ ability to communicate your mechanics to your body. Instead ask yourself, “What interfered?” If you ask this question your focus will be directed more inward and you will find the real culprit of your less than desirable performance. You will begin to notice that maybe your effort levels were too high (trying too hard) or that you weren’t focused and were thinking about something else. Whatever it is, you will find it will be far easier to refocus and allow your mechanics to be executed instead of becoming panicked over the possibility that you have a major mechanical flaw.

“If you make a swing that falls short of perfect (for you) don’t get down on yourself or try to fix your swing. Instead, direct your awareness to reflect on what might have interfered. The basic point is: Don’t change your swing, change your mind.”
~Dr. Joseph Parent
Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game

Focusing on Mechanics

We hear it all the time, “Focus on what you can control” but for most of us we really never understand what that means. We’re told that if we focus on the process of success then success will happen naturally. Great! The problem is most of the time the people telling us this have no idea what the process to success really is. As a result we get into this mode of trying to do everything we can to succeed. We develop a mentality that is focused on everything external, we focus on trying to create a result, trying to hit the ball as hard as we can but we don’t have the knowledge or ability to focus on what we need to do to create that result. Fortunately for those of us who work for or work with the guys at UPB we are able to gain the knowledge and develop the skills that we need to create the results we desire to create. The hard part is trying to break our old mental habits and actually begin to focus on the process.

In baseball just like in life there are certain laws or rules that produce success. Success in hitting and success in pitching can be broken down into specific physical and mental skills that have been proven to produce superior results. Over the course of my career I have been on a quest to discover what these specific rules are. As more and more things were revealed to me it was then necessary for me to change my way of thinking. To try and think like the new player I was and not continue the same mental habits that I had as a player with lesser ability. I didn’t understand at the time how difficult this would be, however for the first time I understood what it meant to, “Focus on the process”. Like most athletes I had been told to, “Focus on the process” but just like most athletes nobody had told me what that process was. I was receiving mixed signals, on one hand I was being told that success on the baseball field was in large part due to my genetics, my natural born ability, and then on the other hand I’m being told to focus on the process. WHAT??? I mean how is there supposed to be a “process” of success if we are either born to succeed or born to fail?

Fortunately I didn’t buy into the belief that my success was in some way related to my genetics or natural born ability (If you still think it does I recommend two books, Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin and The Biology of Belief by Dr. Bruce Lipton). Over time I was able to gradually change my thinking and what I found was when I focused on simply executing proper mechanics my success took care of itself. I began to take the focus off of external results such as hitting the ball hard or getting hits and began to bring my focus more inward and focus on executing proper mechanics. What I found was not only greater success but success with far less effort. Now when I do my tee work or take batting practice I don’t necessarily concern myself with where the pitch is. Oh sure I recognize where it is, whether it be inside, middle, away, up, or down, but once I recognize where the pitch is my focus is then totally on allowing the pitch to enter the hitting zone and then just executing a good swing.

Once you have been exposed to and have learned proper physical mechanics I would recommend that you take your focus off of outward success and place it on executing good sound mechanics. Pitchers, once you get the sign from the catcher don’t concern yourself with getting the hitter out but rather focus on executing good mechanics which will allow you to execute a good pitch which will allow you to get the hitter out. Hitter’s sometimes we get too caught up in the “see ball hit ball” mentality. We go up to the plate with the attitude that we are going to hit the ball hard and as a result our mechanics leave us because we exert too much effort. Instead make your goal to execute a mechanically sound swing on pitches inside the hitting zone. Recognize the pitch type and location and once you do allow it to enter the hitting zone and simply put a good, mechanically sound swing on it. Taking this approach will help relax your mind, you will feel in more control over your performance and you will find more power production at the plate and you will begin to experience far more success.