Don’t Think, Just Hit

The title of this post is a direct quote of advice I got from a softball teammate when I was in a hitting slump a few seasons ago. By making it light and using humor in his advice, he helped me to relax and it got me back on track again. I wound up finishing the season at my normal batting average which was no small feat as I had dug myself a deep hole.

       I was doing OK at the plate and then I started trying to place the ball to take advantage of the lefty shift most teams put on me. That worked at times, but more often it didn’t. That got me thinking more about ball placement rather than just looking to make good contact. As hits began to elude me my brain took over, I tightened my grip on the bat, and my confidence took a hit while the ball didn’t.

       Just like in many sports, when we encounter a slump, we tend to move away from what brought us success in the first place. In hockey, shooters tighten their grip on their stick, skaters may shorten their stride, and players may start passing more quickly instead of skating with the puck. In basketball, players may hesitate to take shots or may grip the ball differently as their brain tries to correct something that it should leave to muscle memory.

      In sports like hockey, if you have to think about your actions on the ice, you will always be behind the play. Your actions have to be automatic – gained from practice, repetition, confidence, and being relaxed. As a hitter in baseball, there is only a split second to decide to swing at a pitch or let it go. No time for deep thought, your brain must be focused on the task at hand, but relaxed. Over-thinking or self-doubt are what is meant by someone (including yourself) “getting in your head”.

As in sports, the same goes for life. Over-thinking can bog you down, cause stress, and distract you from what you need to be focused on. Take a lesson from my teammate’s advice; exhale, clear the clutter from your mind, and get to the task at hand. You will be more relaxed, and you’ll get better results. Now, go swing away.

www.RetiredandInspiredat55.com  07-21-2025