It Only Takes One Great Game

I may have mentioned before that I really enjoy watching Carl Crawford of the Boston Red Sox play.  He’s struggled all through the month of April, rarely hitting above .175.  Yesterday he finally had a big hit by singling up the middle to win the game in the bottom of the ninth against the Mariners.  Even though it raised his batting average only a few points, sometimes it only takes one hit or one pitch to bust out of a slump.

If you’re struggling on the mound or at the plate right now, there are a couple things you must do to end the pain.  

1.  Give your pitching mechanics a tune up.  If you have a coach who really understands proper hitting or pitching mechanics, you’re in luck.  Go seek him out and have him walk through your mechanics and point out some flaws.  If you don’t have a coach you can access who truly understands the pitching motion or swing, I would suggest you pick up our 4-disk DVD Series ($15 off regular price currently).  We created the series to better help parents and coaches understand how to solve their athlete’s flaws.

2.  Don’t discount the importance of the mental game. Occasionally we write on this subject, and it’s well worth investing some time and effort studying. Emotionally stable athletes weather slumps better than highly emotional athletes.  If failing takes a toll on your athlete’s game, it’s time to learn some more on the psychology of athletic success.

Here are a couple resources for you on the mental game:

The Key To Pitching Success
Clear The Mechanism
Do Baseball Stats Control Your Mood?