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FEATURED ARTICLE
It has to do with your mind in the moment, at all times that the individual puts on the role of being a baseball player--- not only what they do during the actual contest.
If a player is not focused and in the moment before the game, it is likely that they will be inconsistent with their focus during the game as well as not pay attention to important things once the game is over.
DIMENSIONS OF FOCUS
With regard to the mental domain of focus and its relationship to playing the game of baseball, there are two dimensions to consider: outcome and process.
The first dimension reflects the area of focus as
an outcome. Along this dimension, it can be said
that a player is focused on the situation or the
task at hand, which is a desired mental outcome
for the player.
The second dimension has to do with focus as a
process of getting oneself into a state of mind where the player’s attention is on something that matters—the immediate task at hand.
The immediate task for a player includes many things. The immediate task at hand may have to do with that of taking a solid round of batting practice; committing to the next pitch; recognizing when they need to make adjustments need to be made during the game; remaining calm and composed following the game when interacting with the media; or many other tasks.
This process dimension of focus also includes
recognizing when one’s focus is lost and when it
needs to be regained in order to get back to effective
execution of the immediate task at hand, whatever
that task might be.
Naturally, baseball players want to be focused, and
this outcome is very important to them and their performance. However, it is being skilled at the process of focusing that will enhance the player’s performance or performance or possibly detract from it, if they do not develop sufficient focusing skill. This is the case with focusing on the important tasks, before, during, and after the game, not just during the time between pitches.
If a baseball player has inconsistent focus before games in terms of their preparation, it is highly likely that they will demonstrate inconsistent focus during games and even following the contest.