
Baseball and softball are games that are as much about strategy as they are athleticism. As players rise the ranks, the mental game becomes more and more important.
Those that consistently play with confidence, trust their training, and relentlessly play their game have a significant competitive advantage.
But many players get caught in the fear mindset – afraid to make mistakes. They end up tentative, overthinking key decisions, and doubting their abilities.
We work with baseball players to improve their mental game and consistently show up in an attack mindset. Here are the most common situations we help baseball and softball players with:
Weight of The Team On Their Shoulders:
- The Problem
Pitchers have one of the toughest positions in all team sports because they have such a big impact on the results of the game. Many pitchers put too much pressure on themselves as if they can single handily win or lose a game. This mentality leads to a lot of stress and unhealthy pressure. They are way too hard on themselves and have yo-yo confidence based on their results. They end up feeling overwhelmed in high pressure games and struggle to consistently perform at their capabilities.
- How We Help
We help pitchers to see their role in a healthy way – to stop putting all the need to, have to, should’s, and expectations on their shoulders. Instead of thinking they can single handily win or lose games, we help them understand that although they have a big impact – they don’t score runs. Even if they let in 5 runs, the team could win 6-5. Or if they post a no-hitter, the team could tie 0-0. This healthy perspective helps them get back to enjoying the game and pitching. As they build up their mental toolbox they stop tying their self-confidence to the results and start staying even keel regardless of what’s going on around them. They become unshakeable and start consistently performing at their capabilities. This is the mental state where the ‘pressure’ no longer gets to them, they shake off the hits or bad pitches, and they make the big time pitches.
Struggling At The Plate:
- The Problem
They worrying about making mistakes at the plate. Maybe their coach yells at them or benches them for mistakes. They start focusing on trying to be perfect and not making mistakes, instead of going out there and hitting the ball. Bottom line is they are in a fear mindset and they are holding themselves back. They lack confidence, overthink, and hit tentatively. This can often lead to long hitting droughts.
- How We Help
We help them overcome the fear and build an attack mindset. We give them the tools and perspective to overcome the fear, trust their training, and impose their will on the game. Instead of being caught up in trying to be perfect and impress their coach, scouts or teammates, we help them focus on what they can control, see mistakes as learning opportunities, and start hitting with unshakeable self-confidence. Regardless of how long they have been struggling at the plate they now have the tools and the mindset to go out and make the most out of every at bat.
Avoiding Errors
- The Problem
Fielders struggle to commit to the ball, or make a big play. This leads to less confidence and more indecision. Baseball in general is a game of failure but players often try to avoid errors and make ‘safe’ play when fielding. This makes it especially hard to make confident plays when their main priority is to be defensively sound. They see players get in trouble for making errors, so instead of going out there to contribute, have an impact, and thrive, they end up in survival mindset that is focus on avoiding errors. This mindset holds them back from playing at their capabilities and maximizing their impact on the game.
- How We Help
We help them understand that playing in attack mode with the ball doesn’t mean they are playing recklessly. They can play smart and simple baseball while still making confident plays. We help them own their capabilities and develop a mentality that wants to thrive, grow, and maximize their impact on the game on defence.
Struggling Get Hits
- The Problem
Catchers have a huge impact on the outcome of a game. This often leads them to worry about calling the right plays, blocking wild pitches, and reading the runners on-base correctly. After a few hits and dropped balls, it is easy to overthink, lose confidence, and start hesitating or panicking. This makes it harder to remain focused on the at-bat and leads to a downward spiral in performance.
- How We Help
We help catchers let go of worrying about the results. They can care but they don’t have to worry. We get them to reconnect to the love of the game so they can relax and just catch. Once they get back into this mental state – they stop trying to force it and let it happen. Then the outs start to come.






