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The Baseball Observer - May/ June 2016
The process of focusing in a consistent manner as a baseball player involves four separate, yet interrelated mental skills.
These are:
(1) Recognizing the exact task to be executed;
(2) Knowing what to do so that effective execution of the task occurs;
(3) Committing to the task and following through with it;
(4) Moving on to the next important task and the next moment;
If the baseball player can learn to be proficient using the above four mental skills, with their mind in the moment, then they will have done themselves a very big favor for themselves, their performance, and maybe even for their career.
Some other specific steps for taking charge of the psychological process of focusing will be discussed later in the article.
Before that discussion, though, I want to comment on the benefits to baseball players of being focused as well as the disadvantages of not being focused, especially as this has been relayed to me by many major league players, both pitchers and position players alike, during the past 30 years.
BENEFITS TO THE PLAYER OF BEING FOCUSED
If the baseball player is able to get themselves into a consistent mental state of focus, at the right time--- their mind being in the moment--- then the following benefits are likely to be realized by the player:
• They will be more confident in their approach, since they will know what
specifically they need to pay attention to.
• They will have clarity of mind about how they need to execute whatever
the task at hand may be.
• It will be easier for them to not let potential distractions interfere with
their execution of the task.
• It is likely that they will be more committed to and assertive in what they
do.
• They will feel more in control of their situation and the immediate task at
hand, thereby preventing their particular approach to the game from
speeding up.
• Other benefits