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Old approaches to new problems
Everyone in baseball knows what a slump is. And yet everyone has also seen a pitcher get into a jam with bases loaded and pitch himself out of it. Both are manifestations of the same problem/solution - as players advance into more elite leagues the game becomes far less about mechanics and far more about mental training.
No one has pushed the boundaries on mental training into new directions quite like Alan Jaeger, developer of the Thrive on Throwing arm-care program, and a long time advocate of applying far-eastern teaching to western game situations. His book, Getting Focused, staying Focused, is all about apply these tecahings to baseball. Normally, article pages are written by the author. In this case, though, what Jaeger has provided are video clips of some his ideas on breathing and yoga. Some (okay, most) coaches and players will look at these as a radical departure from conventional practice. Most will also question the wisdom of cutting into valuable practice time to have players lie around on the field "floating". All WebBall can say is "don't knock it till you try it." In fact, WebBall head coach Richard Todd has not only tried these techniques with a team, but had the players come back to him later - in critical situations against tough competitors - and asked hime to "do it again". The links below will load YouTube videos into a pop-up window. We encourage you to view them in order... FEEDBACK
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Alan Jaeger Part pitching instructor with an emphasis on the healthy arm, Alan Jaeger is also a spiritual mentor focused on teaching his students how to find the right focus and stay in the zone. He refers to it as 'finding your process'. Certainly his own 'process' has met with great success. Alan Jaeger has worked privately with many professional players including Barry Zito, Dan Haren and Joel Zumaya, and has consulted with several high school/college programs including Cal State Fullerton, U. San Diego & UCLA. He also has a following among leading instructors and many more pitching coaches in both pro and college ranks. He is certainly one of the people who has greatly influenced many of today's leading pitching instructors, Alan Jaeger has also had a direct impact through his camps and programs on many of today's young pitchers. (Also check out Alan's mental training book 'Getting Focused, Staying Focused', arm strength and conditioning throwing program, 'Thrive on Throwing' (on DVD) and surgical tubing bands (J-bands) available through the WebBall Store.) (Click to close.)
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