WebBall.com - Winning the Mental Way

Tips for Winning the Mental Side of Baseball

By Karlene Sugarman, M.A. Sport Psychology

This is from Karlene Sugarman's new book, ''Winning the Mental Way'', and is reprinted here with the author's permission.

Do you ever wonder why you play great one day and terrible the next?

Did your physical ability change? Not likely, but your mental game was probably different. Your mindset and mental preparation can be the difference between winning and losing.

Here are some tips for winning the mental side of baseball:

{Some of them might be good advice for life, too.)

Play the game one pitch at a time - not one game at a time, not one inning at a time

Keep your focus on the task at hand - don't look to the future or to past errors

Visualize what you want to achieve before you go out there and physically do it - see yourself succeeding

Stay within your own abilities, don't try to do too much

Set a long-term goal for youself - and then break that down into smaller, daily goals

Have a strong work ethic and be the type of team player that leads by example

Keep things simple, don't overanalyze

Don't think, just react - the best players are the ones that play on instincts

Many things are outside of your control (bad calls, opponents, bad weather) - acknowldge this and don't spend energy worring about these things

Focus on things you can control - your preparation and your game

Athletes spend so much time physically practicing to get an edge on the competition.

Yet, what players can really do to get an edge is right in front of their nose, or more accurately, right above their shoulders! You hear the same thing all the time: Sports is 90-95% mental. Athletes and coaches at all levels say it, but how many of them do something about it? Unfortunately, not nearly enough. It may be common knowledge, but it is not always common practice.

This advice is adapted from Winning the Mental Way, a book on team building and mental training. Here's what else, you'll discover in 'Winning the Mental Way'...

Strategies for building a team from a group of individuals

Ways to develop cohesion once a group is formed

Tips on how to improve your concentration skills

Guidelines for developing relaxation and imagery skills

Tap into the mystery of peak performances

Ideas to help you develop a mission statement for yourself and your

Practical advice on how to troubleshoot slumps and choking

Exercises and tables to help apply what you have learned

Creative ideas to help maintain motivation

Techniques to improve communication skills

[WebBall note: look for the tips above in a player-friendly version soon under the "Playing" section.]