Baseball Hitting Slumps--How To Deal With These Difficult Times
Posted: Thursday, February 11, 2010
by Larry Cicchiello
Larwenty Online Enterprises Inc
Let's try to make it easier to get through these rough times that all baseball hitters go through. If ever a baseball player needs his coach's support, this is the time. Baseball hitting slumps sometimes start because of a mechanical flaw in your swing and then mentally, they can be an extremely difficult thing for a player to have to go through. Let's look at the mental aspect.
Some Helpful Tips and Notes About Dealing With Hitting Slumps:
1. Don't tense up and try your best to avoid the common problem of pressing. If you press, it will only get worse and not better. Promise yourself you will not let the hitting slump have too much of a negative impact on you and you will not "carry" the hitting slump out to the field with you when the other team is up. Remember that even if the hitting aspect of your game is not going well, you can still contribute in many other ways and help your team with your glove and your throwing arm. Isn't a great play in the field that saves your team two runs as valuable as a hit by a team member that knocks in two runs? To me they are the same.
2. Hitting slumps are even tougher on younger players because they don't have past hitting successes to fall back on for reassurance. In other words, if a hitter has been extremely successful for five years, he should be able to deal with a 1 for 12 pretty well. On the other hand, if a player has only played for a year or so, he may think that the 1 for 12 is possibly a true indication of his hitting. And I hope it's not.
3. If you are into baseball coaching, remind your player how you are not overly concerned because you already know how well he can hit. Just a little comment like that can help your player tremendously. Showing your player that you aren't overly concerned may rub off on him and help him to relax and avoid pressing. Your player desperately needs you to be very supportive during this very difficult time period. One positive comment by a coach can work wonders for a player. Unfortunately, one negative comment by a coach can " crush" his player . (I have no respect whatsoever for youth baseball coaches who make negative and "crushing" remarks to young players.) Thank God they are the minority and not the majority.
4. As a player, remind yourself that anybody who has ever played the game for an extended period of time has been in a slump and now it's your turn. Once you get through this difficult period, it will then be somebody else's turn. Nobody escapes hitting slumps, not even the outstanding hitters. You will get back on track. Relax and don't be too rough on yourself!
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