“My kid is a talented pitcher, but he chokes when the pressure is on.”
“ My daughter was pitching great in practice, but she lost it when
the scouts were watching her.”
“Once I give up a few hits, I lose my confidence and I’m done.
My legs get weak. I can’t get any leverage, velocity or control.”
This time of the year I get lots of phone calls from pitchers and from
parents of young pitchers. Much of the pressure to perform well falls on
the pitcher’s shoulders and some hurlers have tough time finding the
strike zone during the heat of the game.
When a pitchers comes to see me, I sometimes have their mechanics
evaluated by one of the top coaches I consult with. If everything seems in
order, then we can start to address the mental aspects of the pitcher’s game.
I like to explore the pitcher’s game plan, pitching philosophy and
his or her understanding of baseball strategy. Surprisingly, some Division
I pitchers and highly recruited players are often weak on these aspects of
the game. If they are, I try to help them develop more effective approaches
to managing the strike count, pitch selection, pitch location and the use
of different speeds.
Pitchers usually contact me when they have been choking during some
games or when they are in some kind of a “psychological funk.”
In order for a pitcher to be in the zone, he or she must know how to
stay relaxed, focused and confident prior to the game and during the game.
They need a consistent plan for getting themselves into the right frame of
mind to deliver the ball they way they need to in order to take control of
the game.
I teach pitchers mental techniques to practice off the mound and on the mound.
Many successful pitchers use our Stay In The Zone program since there are
many chapters which deal with confidence, focus, relaxation and accuracy.
Pitchers seem to derive a great deal of benefit from Chapters 7, 8, 9, 19 and 20.
Here is a link to get your copy of our Stay In The Zone program.
https://stayinthezone.com/get_stay.htm
If you are a pitcher, coach of a pitcher or a parent of a competitive pitcher,
you can call Dr. Jay Granat at 888 580-ZONE.