It is a fact that the top hitters in the world do not chop down on the ball. Actually what you will see is not the hands starting the bat but instead the back elbow starting down and the front elbow initially starting upward. The hands are the last thing to be delivered to the ball. Good hitters do not commit their hands until the last possible second so that they can take a pitch if it breaks out of the strike zone. Many young hitters make the mistake of starting the bat improperly with either their hands going down and/or their front shoulder opening.

The second issue I see is that many coaches believe that hitting ground balls is the correct goal. While it is true that at the younger levels, a team that hits a lot of ground balls will probably win a lot of games I just cannot agree with limiting a player to being a ground ball hitter. College coaches want players who have swings that can drive the ball into the outfield (unless of course they are fast kids who are on the left side). By teaching a young player a downward hand path you are creating a muscle memory that will be hard to change in the future. What gets the player more excited – a ground ball or a homerun over the fence? I think we know the answer.

In short, teach players to hit the ball hard up the middle. Promote swing mechanics that lead to line drives off the batting T in practice. Remember, ground balls do not go out of the park.

Coasting is not the only reason athletes fail to relentlessly give their best effort one pitch at a time. “Normal” competitors have trouble staying confident when things aren’t going well, and they don’t perform as well when they’re not confident.  Some athletes become negative when it’s too cold, too hot, too bumpy, too far, too dry, too wet, or too dirty — even though they know they give a better effort when they are positive and having fun.  Many lose intensity in particular situations, like a 3-0 count, 0-2 count, 2 outs and none on, or hitting with none on base (RBI lovers).  Some stop putting out their best effort when they perceive (whether it’s true or not) that the umpire, a teammate, or a coach is putting out less than his or her best effort.  Whatever the situation, all of these examples represent a lack of mental toughness, a lack of leadership by example, and a missed opportunity to practice giving another best effort performance.

Hopefully athletes learn the dangers of letting an inferior opponent hang around, the risks of taking any situation lightly, and the joys of walking through the door that the other team left open for a great comeback.  Hopefully athletes learn to compete one pitch at a time.  Ultimately, relentlessness is about controlling the controllables, and you can control giving your best effort one step at a time, each step of the way. When you don’t do this, your self-esteem suffers a little hit. When you do, you feel like a success regardless of the things going on around you that are outside of your control.

What about relentlessness at practice?  Andrew Carnegie said, “The average person puts only 25% of his energy and ability into his work. The world tips its hat to those who devote more than 50% of their capacity, and stands on its head for those few and far between souls who devote 100%.”

Short-term (under a year) goals should have six characteristics. They should be SMART and controllable. That is, they should be [S]pecific, [M]easureable, [A]ttractive, [R]ealistic, [T]imed, and Controllable.  It will not, in and of itself, help me to say that I want to be great. I need to define greatness specifically, in controllable and measurable terms. Then I must choose a level that is both attractive and realistic, and a date by which I will reach this level. For example, a softball hitter may commit to having quality at-bats two-thirds of the time by April 1– where a quality at-bat is one where she sees each pitch well, makes all good decisions about whether or not to swing, and then either gets a base hit, advances a runner (when trying more to advance the runner than get a base hit), or hit the ball very hard.

Short-term goals must be monitored and adjusted. This is what separates the goal setting process from setting New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions are usually set on January 1 and forgotten about by January 15. Adjusting goals so that they remain both attractive and realistic is critical to maintain motivation and prevent frustration. This monitoring process will also keep goals relevant and help increase awareness of what controllable factors (behaviors) are working and should be repeated, and which are not and should be changed. Key point: goal setting is an ongoing process, not a one-time thing.
Formal daily and/or weekly goal setting as described has been consistently shown to increase the quality of a person’s behavior and outcomes. This is true across the board, plus this process is particularly powerful for people who have or had Attention Deficit Disorder. Despite this, following this procedure is rare. If you decide to invest the time into goal setting and commit to your goals (rather than just being interested in them), give yourself a pat on the back. If you want some forms to make this monitoring process easier, email Coach Traub at aaron@CoachTraub.com and he’ll send them to you – free (or buy his book – it’s in there).

Aaron Weintraub has been coaching athletes for 19 years, 13 of which he spent as a college baseball coach. He is a disciple of the late, great Harvey Dorfman, who wrote The Mental Game of Baseball and other books.

Weintraub published his own book, Coaches Guide to Winning the Mental Game, in 2009 and added An Elite Athlete’s Manual for Training Mental Skills in 2011.

I understand why it works at the younger age levels – young hitters are usually weak in the upper body and coaches see this technique as a way to increase strength (and bat speed) especially off the hitting tee.  When a player squishes the bug their hips get involved in the swing and generate more power. The problem is that this method of early hip turn can happen before the front foot is completely planted and the full stride is taken.  This can be limiting for their development long term.  In fact – if you are “squishing the bug” it means you still have a substantial amount of weight (and energy) on the back foot before your hips are used.  In “squashing the bug” usually the player lands their front toe, turns their hips and then lands the heel of their front foot. Do you know what this causes? It causes a player’s front shoulder to open prematurely and then we yell at our hitters, “Don’t pull your front shoulder out”, which is exactly what the result of “squashing the bug” is – just try it. Get in a batting stance – take a stride but don’t transfer your weight – now squish the bug with your back foot and low and behold your front shoulder must come out early and we all know that is bad mechanics!

See the pictures below, and I can find hundreds more, of major league ball players and high level softball players and you will not see one hitter “squashing the bug”.

So if the concept of “squashing the bug” with the back foot is incorrect, then what should you teach? Think front shoulder to the pitcher longer and have your hitters land their front heel before they get aggressively engage their hips. Have players focus on hitting balls back up the middle of the field rather than pulling everything.   We will cover more of the correct mechanics to teach in future blogs.

There are a lot of hitting philosophies out there and I have seen a lot of hitters with “bad mechanics” get hits.  But, as the competition gets better the best possible mechanics are my goal. Do you teach your players to be average, or do you want them to be the best? Strive for mechanics that give your player the best chance of success at the highest level.  Remember, we want to take the bugs out of our hitter’s mechanics not bring them in.

I am often asked a couple questions about the importance of playing high school softball.  The first question is generally, “How important is high school softball when it comes to recruiting?” The answer is – not very much. College coaches, unless they are from local area, do not go to high school softball games because they are normally in their own season.  Also, college coaches now that high school statistics are considered unreliable and can be inflated at times by coaches wanting their players to get end of season awards.

I will say, as a college coach it would raise a flag if I did not see a player, that I am recruiting receive an end of year award(s) such as Offensive Player-of-the-Year, Pitcher of the Year,  All-County or  even All-State. I want to believe I was recruiting one on the best players in the area, so in a small way it does matter. The next question is, “If it is not that big a deal should my daughter even play high school softball?” To me the answer is, yes, they should.  Every girl should play softball for their high school.  It raised even a bigger red flag when a player did not play high school softball because I would begin to question if this player could have a lack of leadership or socially has trouble getting along with other players. In my mind, high school softball is meant for the players who will not play in college, as it is the highest level they will reach and probably their last softball experience.  However, players who plan on playing softball in college need to use the high school season as an opportunity to become a better leader and make the other players around them better.  You have a chance to be a role model for younger players aspiring to play in college and demonstrate to them what being a leader and team mate is about.  As well, there is the factor of pride and playing and representing your high school in the best possible way.  Yes, playing in college can be the end goal, but, remember that even at that level you are playing for the university or college you attend and the pride of doing so should be very important.

I am also asked, “Do you think there are reasons not to play in high school?”  Yes, I do.  I have heard some horror stories of the treatment of players where I can totally understand why they wouldn’t want to play in high school. It is one thing to be a tough coach but there is a line between trying to get more out of your players and being abusive. Each family has to make their own decision in this case.  The important thing, when asked, is that a player has to be able to articulate why they are not playing.

Another reason I like high school softball is because it is one of the few opportunities players have today to compete for something.   What I mean, is that even though travel or select teams playing in the summer are playing to qualify for their national tournament, there is a “showcase mentality” that can set in – this is where players are guaranteed a certain amount of games in a weekend and it is more about your own statistics than whether the team wins. In high school you play every game to win.  There is district, conference, state championships and there are elimination games.  Reaching these goals as team are important as players grow and understand the team concept.  These accomplishments and the chance to win a state championship are experiences players will not forget no matter what they do in the future.

Ultimately, it’s your decision to play or not to play, but consider all the positives that can be learned from the experience.

Unfortunately, many of our younger pitcher lack experience in throwing change-ups, as the pitch is not called frequently enough for them to develop consistency or confidence in the change-up.  Too often, the coaches will not call the change-up after it gets hit once.  My question to them is, “Does the fastball ever get hit?”  When the only pitch the young pitcher has is the fastball coaches are forced to throw it. Coaches love speed at the youth level as it does dominate.   But in order for the pitcher to develop confidence the change-up must be used.  My focus on the change-up is toward the future development of the pitchers.

With the use of pitching machines, batters are able to practice hitting speed and become less intimidated by speed.   Ask the great hitters, at any level, even the professionals, what pitch they fear most, it’s the change-up!  The change –up throws the batters timing off.  In addition, speed differential, the appearance that speed is extremely different, occurs once the pitcher throws the change-up.  On the next explosion pitch following the change-up, it appears to be 3-4 mph faster than it normally would be to the batters eyes.  My favorite saying during the game is when the coaches on the opposing team start telling their players, “watch out for the change-up.” This is music to my ears, as the pitcher has now mentally placed a question in every batter’s plan.  For the hitter, their focus has shifted from concentrating on the positives of hitting the ball to the negatives of don’t get suckered into swinging at the change-up, or not to be paralyzed by the pitch and let if float over the plate for a strike. The batter is now becoming a defensive hitter verses an offensive hitter.

I encourage coaches to utilize the change-up more in their pitch calling.  The change-up should not be called only when the pitcher is a head. Call the change-up when it is least expected.  On a full count, as a first pitch, or when the pitcher is behind in the count in my opinion are great times to throw the change-up. Too often, the calling of the change-up is very predictable, used only when a pitcher is a head of the count and then it gets hit.  A pitcher also gains confidence in the pitch when it is called earlier in the count, or when least expected, because they know they can throw it for a strike.  If your pitchers can develop the confidence in an effective, deceptive change-up at an early age you have developed a lethal weapon for years to come.

Attitude is a function of what we think about/focus on. Most people’s attitude goes with the flow, thinking about/focusing on current events, current needs, current fears, current desires, etc. That can be good, but can just as easily be bad if the current is, for example, the Niagara River. It might not even seem dangerous at the moment, but it could be heading towards a great fall! My reminder to athletes: you have extremely little control over what goes on around you, but total control of how you choose to respond to it. It is in these choices that lay your freedom, your growth, your happiness, and your personal power. Choose wisely.

Many people have a less-than-ideal attitude about “failure.” Instead of viewing it as a needed stepping stone for success, they see it as an end in itself — a bad one. If they would remember the wonderful goal of approaching their potential, it would be easy to think like a scientist pursuing the question, “How good can I be?” Always remember that we learn and grow from adversity.

Concrete examples:

• A mistake by self (or someone else) often leads to negative emotions, which can cause the problem to snowball by creating a poor approach/attitude on the next play.

• An athlete or his teammate makes an error and he tries to “make up for it” by trying harder on the next play. Was he not trying hard before? Trying to do too much (pressing) is not the way to win the mental game.

• An official blows the call, but it’s just one call. It is almost always the athlete’s response to this that blows the game.

• A losing player is so mad that he forgets to learn from the experience.

• A winning player is so pleased that he forgets to learn from the experience.

• Poor self-talk words such as “gotta” “impossible” and “don’t screw up” lead to a less-than-ideal performance attitude. These words could be replaced with “opportunity” “challenge” and “excited” to create a winning attitude.

Suggestion: relentless positivism, emphasizing whatever helps and de-emphasizing whatever doesn’t. Don’t underestimate the “glass half full” attitude’s impact on performance! Mental skills improve with practice just like physical skills do, so don’t wait until game day to practice the skill of having a positive attitude. Consistently bring positive energy, respect, and appreciation to practice. Hold yourself accountable for your attitude and body language, even during conditioning or after making a mistake. If you receive constructive criticism, be grateful, not resentful. Use your brain to overcome your fearful emotions. After all, would you prefer that the coach ignores your mistake, signifying that she’s giving up on your potential?

Your perspective on things determines your attitude. Appreciate your opportunities; they are significant. Compare our chances for happiness, satisfaction, and service to others to what they would be if we had been born in a different place or time. Statistically speaking, you and I did better than winning the lottery when we were born.

When I ask players around the country what they know about the top teams in college softball, I usually hear about the D1 teams who played in the previous College World Series and this is understandable. The ESPN coverage at the softball College World Series is outstanding and usually this is the only college ball young players ever see. But there is so much more out there. Players and their parents need to get educated about the many options for college softball.

Great resources

A great chat room for college softball with many passionate and knowledgeable people is www.ultimatecollegesoftball.com. Check it out as it is a fun read and you can learn a lot about softball programs from around the country from a unique perspective.

If you don’t have the time to look up every Division 1 program on the internet but want to see what is going on check out www.spysoftball.com. Rayburn Hess does a great service to the softball community by posting a collective report on softball happenings.

Who is on top?

You can also check out the softball polls – they have them for Division 1 and Division 2 and Division 3 as well as Junior College and NAIA. Check out www.NFCA.org website under polls for great information – they also have a TV schedule of upcoming games!

There is so much more out in the college softball world then the teams you see in the College World Series. In Division 1 there is such a diversity of funding so you do have a case of the “have” and “have nots”. In general, if a college has big time football then they have big time finances and with Title IX the women’s sports benefit. This means more money for travel, equipment and better facilities. Within Division 1 you see some teams who have to fundraise for trips and even some teams who do not have the full complement of scholarships or even full time coaching staffs. So even though teams are classified as Division 1, it does not mean they are all equal.

In addition to Division 1 there is great softball being played at the Division 2 level. I had the pleasure of coaching softball at C.W. Post College on Long Island and it is a great place to go to school and they have great softball.  We would play D1 teams and from a softball perspective were as good if not better. What C.W. Post offered was a different student experience. My players could join a sorority or a club in addition to playing softball. When I coached D1 there was little time for players to do things like that. For example, at C.W. Post I had an outstanding pitcher who could easily have played D1 but she loved horses and our school had a stable on campus and she joined and competed on the equestrian team when not in season for softball. She loved it. The players at D2 have a different experience and for many it is a better fit. As I always tell people – softball is one piece of the college puzzle and how big of a piece depends on the player.

In addition to D1 and D2 you have great schools at the D3 level. There are also softball opportunities at the Junior College level and in the NAIA (we will feature these in a later article).

Take some time in the next few months to go and see a college softball game at a local college. See different schools in different divisions and build that knowledge base of what is out there. Take the team out to a game – if you call ahead many colleges will work out a team discount on admission and many of the non D1 schools do not even charge.  By going to different types of schools and watching them play and seeing the campus you are helping your young softball players increase their knowledge of what is out there so when the time comes to start looking at colleges for themselves they already have a starting point.

Make your top goal is to be the best you can be at your sport because this will maximize your chances to achieve all your other goals. What does it take to approach potential? It does not require that you perform perfectly today, but don’t get excited that it is easy: it requires that you learn as much as possible today about how to give your best effort in the future.

Three questions: Do you perform better with a positive attitude than a negative one? Isn’t adversity inevitable? If yes to both, then isn’t staying positive through adversity going to be a critical skill for you to develop to be the best you can be? Here’s how to do it: make learning most important! Adversity is good because it usually provides information about something that isn’t working. Even when it doesn’t, it provides an opportunity to practice controlling your attitudes and emotions with the positive self-talk that comes from an optimistic explanatory style.

When you make learning more important than achievement today, you are able to adopt the scientist’s mindset that there is no such thing as “failure,” only poor outcomes that can be avoided in the future by making effective adjustments. Learn what to repeat from your successes and what to change from your “failures.” But remember, learning doesn’t happen automatically. You have to pay attention, looking for patterns and details. This is too much trouble for most people, but since you are committed to being the best you can be at your sport, it’s certainly not too much for you. You know that to get what most people won’t ever get, you’ll have to do and think things that most people won’t do and think.

Consistently ask questions, including:

What was I trying to do?

What happened?

Why?

What do I want to try to do the next time that I’m in a similar situation?

How do I do that?

We are not born with the information needed to formulate the best plan of attack for any situation. We must seek it out if we are going to have a chance to approach our potential, being open to the possibility that our old maps of life that tell us how to get to where we want to go probably have a few mistakes on them. Also, each map is certainly lacking in some of the details and distinctions needed to traverse such a challenging path as yours.

Here are two big ‘ifs:’ If you know what you want and if you have both the motivation and courage to go and get it, then you are on your way. That way is learning to be your best, and this process defines your success (most people think it leads to your success). Our ability to get what we want in life is no different from our rate of learning and applying what we learn. Know your job and do your job!