Get Better Today
1. Being accurate playing catch is the most important thing you do on the field. Every time you have a chance to throw a ball, focus and try to execute a good throw. Firm and accurate around the infield after a groundball out, strike out. In the outfield make a good throw to the cutoff man after an out. Be accurate but if you make a bad throw so what, it doesn't count, it's just practice. Take those practice chances you get serious so the throw shows up when they are keeping score.
2. When you are throwing, you need to get your arm loose first but then as you separate from your partner, throw it harder and still try to be accurate. David Price told me, "if you want to throw hard, you have to practice throwing hard." It's simple but true, most guys lack velocity because they have never trained their arm to go fast. There is no consequence to making a bad throw in practice. Have the courage to push the envelope with your skills and they will develop faster.
3. With hitting, until two strikes, swing hard just in case you hit it on the barrel. Hard contact. Ruin the pitcher's day :) You can swing and miss 0-0 and still set the tone for the AB. Play offense when you hit and then battle with 2 strikes. Short and quick but explosive with your barrel. Great hitters have quick, short, and accurate moves when they hit. You should choke up on your bat to make your top hand move closer to the barrel to be more accurate, just like Barry Bonds.
4. Less is More. Breathe. Everyone feels tension and different levels of emotions during the game based on result, that's normal. Just focus on your breathe to get back in the present moment. If you need a reset or flush breathe, it's breathe in for 3 seconds hold for 2 and out for 3. Breathing is a skill you should practice. A tense muscle is a slow muscle, before you try to execute, calm your body with your breathing routine to prepare to be quick/accurate.
5. Fight or Flight. Every pitch we have to decide what we are going to do. "The warrior is CONFIDENCE and the demon is fear and they battle it out every pitch."-Augie Garrido Trust yourself, and just go play hard, control what you can control. What's my job on that pitch? Check the score at the end, because it's the only time that it matters.
6. Play with a self confidence mental edge. Positive self talk. Mentality that whatever I got today is good enough to find a way to help us win. If you're not getting any hits that day then go make plays so they don't get any hits either. Hit with confidence even when you fail, play offense when you hit, set the tone, be calm, quick and accurate. FYIB
7. You never get it back, it's your career, someday someone will tell you that you can't play baseball anymore, it happens to everyone. At what level is up to you and your work/development. Good Luck!
