# 100 - The First Domino & The Cost of Hedging

WEBVTT
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The first dominant.
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What happens before the swing?
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A swing lasts a fraction of a second.
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But a lot's already happened before the bat ever moves.
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The hitters gathered information.
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His eyes have found something.
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His brain's recognized a pattern.
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His body's organized itself around timing.
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He's made a decision about the pitch, consciously or unconsciously.
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His attention is somewhere.
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His nervous system is in some kind of state.
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And somewhere inside all of that, he's either committed to what he's doing or he hasn't.
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Then the swing happens.
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And because the swing is the part we can see, it's usually the part we try to fix.
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That's where I think we get hitting backwards.
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The hitter rolls over a breaking ball and we look at his hands.
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He's laid on a fastball and we look at his load.
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He pops something up and we start talking about bat path.
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He takes an ugly swing and within seconds we're searching for the mechanical explanation.
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Sometimes the mechanical explanation is the right one, but mechanics are only one part of what produced that swing.
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A hitter can have a great swing and still take a terrible at-bat.
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He can be late, he can chase, he can misread a pitch, he can lose the release point.
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He can get caught between two decisions.
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He can carry the last at-bat into the next one.
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He can become so concerned with getting a hit that he stops actually seeing the baseball.
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He can be thinking about his hands while the pitcher is throwing 92 with run at him.
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None of those things require his swing to be broken.
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They require us to understand what happened before the swing.
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That's the distinction.
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I'm not anti-mechanics.
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Mechanics are huge.
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Sequencing matters.
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Posture matters.
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Direction matters.
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Path matters.
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How the body organizes and delivers the bathead matters.
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But the swing isn't the first event in hitting.
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It's the last.
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Before the swing, you've got preparation, timing, information, attention, recognition, decision, commitment.
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Then the swing.
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Then the result.
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So when somebody shows me a swing and asks, what's wrong with it?
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I don't want to start with the swing.
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I want to know what happened before it.
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Was he on time?
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What was he looking for?
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What was the count?
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What did he see?
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Did he recognize the pitch early?
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Was he committed?
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Or did he change his mind halfway through?
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Was his attention on the baseball or somewhere else?
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Was he trying to compete?
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Or trying not to fail?
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Did somebody give him six swing thoughts in the on-deck circle?
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Because if we don't know any of that, we're looking at the final frame of the movie and trying to explain the entire plot.
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An ugly swing doesn't always cause the problem.
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A lot of the time, the ugly swing is just the last domino.
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And that's where hitting gets interesting.
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Because if you want to change the swing, sometimes the smartest thing you can do is stop looking at the swing.
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A hitter starts thinking about the outcome.
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I need a hit.
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I can't strike out.
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I'm 0 for 8.
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Coach is watching.
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There's a scout here.
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My parents drove six hours.
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I have to prove I belong.
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Now the outcome is driving the bus, and pressure comes with it.
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Pressure turns into tension.
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Tension changes your breathing, changes how you see, changes how you move.
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He starts rushing.
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His decisions get later, and all of a sudden the swing you're looking at doesn't look anything like what he was doing in BP 30 minutes ago.
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So somebody says, Your hands are dropping.
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Okay, maybe.
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But why?
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If the hands are dropping because he's late, and I fix the hands without fixing why he's late, I fix nothing.
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I've just given him something else to think about.
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Now he's late and thinking about his hands.
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Great.
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We made the problem better.
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And I get why coaches do this.
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You're standing next to the cage, the kid takes a swing, and you feel like you're supposed to say something.
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Next swing, say something.
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Next swing, say something.
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Pretty soon the poor guy has twelve tabs open in his head.
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Hands inside, stay through it.
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Use the ground.
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Don't leak.
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Get the foot down, but not too early.
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Top hand through.
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Don't pull off.
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Head still.
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Finish high.
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Stay short.
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Work down.
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Be aggressive.
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Relax.
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And then we wonder why he looks tight.
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Sometimes the best coaching sentence in baseball is good, do it again.
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Seriously.
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Shut up and watch.
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Let him figure something out.
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Nobody's paying you by the word.
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And just because you can spot 13 things doesn't mean you have to say 13 things.
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There's a line people attribute to Pascal.
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I would have written a shorter letter, but I didn't have the time.
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I think about that all the time with coaching.
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Being complicated is easy.
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Anybody can hand a hitter more information.
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The hard part is figuring out which piece he needs right now.
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Let me walk through this by age.
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Because what a hitter needs changes a lot as he gets older.
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Start with a ten year old.
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What does hitting need to be for a ten-year-old?
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See the ball.
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Be ready.
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Swing hard at something you can hit.
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That's honestly pretty good.
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He does not need to think about sequencing.
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He's ten.
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He lost a batting glove twelve minutes ago.
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His attention is already getting pulled around by his teammates yelling.
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His mom behind the dugout trying to give him a power aid, the shortstop chirping at him.
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Whether they're getting Dairy Queen after the game, and this really cool rock he found by the bench.
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So keep it simple.
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What are you looking for?
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Where do you want to hit it?
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Are you ready?
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Can you see it?
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Then go compete.
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And at ten, his attention span might be five seconds.
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That's fine.
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Own those five seconds.
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You don't need 30 minutes of focus.
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You need a kid who can turn his attention on at the right moment.
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I don't want a ten-year-old staring at the pitcher all inning to prove he's locked in.
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I want him learning that now matters, now doesn't, now matters again.
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That's an actual baseball skill.
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And we almost never teach it.
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By 13 the game speeds up.
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Breaking balls start to be a real thing.
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Velocity starts separating kids.
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Bodies are changing.
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And some guys throw hard just because they grew six inches over the winter, while the kid you've dominated since you were eight suddenly looks 32 years old with a mortgage.
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This is where approach starts to matter.
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What does this pitcher do?
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What can you actually handle?
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Where do you do damage?
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What changes with two strikes?
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Or when he's behind in the count?
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But we still don't need 12 thoughts.
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The game doesn't reward the hitter with the most information.
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It rewards the guy who can use the right information at the right time.
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Then high school hits, and now everybody's got video.
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Everybody has a hitting instructor.
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Instagram has convinced 14-year-olds they have to swing like big leaguers.
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One guy is teaching launch.
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Another guy is teaching connection.
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Another guy is saying launch ruin baseball.
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The kid goes to practice and his coach tells him something completely different.
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Dad has a tip for the car ride home.
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Mom sends him a TikTok.
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And now he's a 16-year-old standing in the box trying to keep five different hitting philosophies happy.
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This is where players have to start building filters.
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Just because information exists doesn't mean you need it.
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And just because it comes from somebody with a baseball resume doesn't mean it's right for you right now.
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I'll say this too, and I'll say it gently.
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Sometimes coaches are coaching the player, and sometimes they're coaching their own resume.
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If every swing turns into a chance to show how much you know, you're probably not helping the hitter.
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The goal isn't for him to understand how smart you are.
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The goal is for him to stand in against any arm knowing exactly what he's trying to do.
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Your knowledge has to survive being squeezed down.
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Can you take everything you know and hand him one useful idea?
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That's the job.
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College makes all of this pretty obvious.
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Because now almost everybody's talented.
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You don't stumble into being a college hitter.
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These guys can swing.
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So when a player who's hit his whole life goes two for 19, I'm not starting with, uh huh.
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I guess his swing disappeared on Tuesday.
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Could be.
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Probably not though.
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I want to know what changed.
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His timing, his pitch selection, his confidence, sleep, stress, a new environment, better pitchers, different vellow, different shapes?
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Is he trying to impress somebody?
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Is he trying not to lose his spot?
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Is he thinking about mechanics while the pitch is coming?
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And that last part brings in something that gets skipped in most hitting conversations, which is the nervous system.
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Your body doesn't stay in the dugout when you walk to the plate.
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Your nervous system comes with you.
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When your brain senses threat or pressure or urgency, the sympathetic side of your autonomic nervous system ramps up, heart rate changes, breathing changes, muscles tighten, your attention can narrow, and time can feel like it's moving faster.
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That's great if a bear is chasing you.
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It's a lot less great when you're trying to pick up spin.
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Now the goal isn't to be totally relaxed.
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I don't want hitters asleep.
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You need energy and intent, and you need to be aggressive.
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Hitting requires violence.
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But there's a difference between being activated and being out of control.
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Good hitters learn their range.
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Some days you need to bring yourself up because you're flat.
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Some days you're flying and you need to come down.
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That's why breathing matters.
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It's not because we're turning the dugout into a yoga class.
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It's because we want enough control over the body that attention and decision making are still available.
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One slow exhale, eyes up, feet under you.
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And you're back.
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That takes three seconds.
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And it's a skill.
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So here's the order I want hitters thinking in.
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And it starts with preparation.
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Before the game, know something.
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You don't need the pitcher's whole life story.
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What's his fastball doing?
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What does his breaking ball look like?
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Where does he miss?
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How does he go after hitters like you?
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Where's your damage zone today?
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And I mean the real one, not the one you wish you had.
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What pitch are you ready to attack?
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Where are your crosshairs set?
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The good thing about preparing is that it cuts down the thinking you have to do later.
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You do the thinking early so you don't have to overthink in the moment.
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And that's one of the biggest misunderstandings in sports.
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When I say I want smart players, I don't mean I want them analyzing mid-swing.
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I want them to do the work early enough that the game gets simple.
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Do the homework, then take the test.
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Nobody studies while they're writing the exam.
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Hitters do it constantly.
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Next is timing.
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And I think timing gets talked about way less than it should.
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Because timing errors look like mechanical errors.
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If you start late, your body has to solve that.
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So you rush.
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Maybe the front side flies open, maybe your hands get disconnected.
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Maybe the barrel doesn't get into the zone the way it usually does.
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Everybody sees the movement.
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But the movement might just be the body trying to fix a timing problem.
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So before I tell a guy to rebuild his swing, I want to know: were you on time?
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Did you feel rushed?
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Because you can have beautiful mechanics and terrible timing.
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And good luck with that.
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And you can have weird mechanics and elite timing.
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Baseball's had those guys forever.
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The pitch doesn't grade your swing.
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It doesn't care if Instagram approves.
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You either meet the ball in the right place at the right time, or you don't.
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Then comes the plan.
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This is where I want hitters to be specific.
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Not I'm looking fastball, but I'll adjust to everything.
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That's just saying you're looking for every pitch ever invented.
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Pick a pitch.
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Pick an area.
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Maybe it changes with the count.
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That's fine.
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But make it something concrete.
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And the plan can change.
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That's not the same as being stubborn.
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Maybe you learned something your first at bat.
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Maybe he's getting you out a different way than you expected.
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Good.
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Adjust.
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What I don't want is a guy walking up with no plan and calling it being aggressive.
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That's not aggressive, that's gambling.
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After the plan comes attention.
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And this is why I call it the sixth tool.
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Every one of the five physical tools gets less reliable when your attention is pointed at the wrong thing.
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Where are your eyes?
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Where's your head?
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What are you taking in?
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If you're thinking don't strike out, you're not paying attention to the baseball.
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If you're thinking my swing feels terrible, you're not paying attention to the baseball.
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If you're thinking, coach is gonna pull me if I don't get a hit, you're definitely not paying attention to the baseball.
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And those thoughts are going to show up.
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We're human.
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The goal isn't to stop them, because you can't.
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The skill is noticing where your attention went and bringing it back.
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Notice it.
00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:12.639
Reset.
00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:14.399
Next pitch.
00:14:14.639 --> 00:14:16.080
That's the whole thing.
00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:18.639
You don't need to argue with yourself.
00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:21.600
You don't need the whole, oh no, I'm being negative.
00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:23.200
Why am I so negative?
00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:25.440
Last week I was confident.
00:14:25.840 --> 00:14:26.639
Spiral.
00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:28.480
You're playing baseball.
00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:29.600
Notice.
00:14:29.919 --> 00:14:30.720
Reset.
00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:31.919
Next.
00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:34.320
That takes us to self-talk.
00:14:34.559 --> 00:14:36.799
And it has to be short enough to use.
00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:39.600
Your internal dialogue can't be a TED talk.
00:14:39.840 --> 00:14:42.240
You've got a couple seconds, maybe less.
00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:45.440
So build language you can actually reach for under stress.
00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:46.639
See it.
00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:47.600
On time.
00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:48.639
Middle.
00:14:48.879 --> 00:14:49.519
Hunt.
00:14:50.080 --> 00:14:50.720
Commit.
00:14:51.360 --> 00:14:52.320
Breathe.
00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:53.600
Next.
00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:55.440
One phrase.
00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:57.279
Guys tell me all the time.
00:14:57.519 --> 00:15:00.000
I've got this whole thing I say to myself.
00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:01.840
And it's a paragraph.
00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:07.759
You're not going to remember a paragraph with two strikes knowing a high spin guy is probably coming right at you.
00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:10.960
The best self-talk isn't the most inspirational.
00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:12.480
It's the most usable.
00:15:12.799 --> 00:15:14.960
Which is really the Pascal thing again.
00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:16.559
Saying a lot is easy.
00:15:16.799 --> 00:15:19.919
Saying exactly enough takes real understanding.
00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:22.480
Here's another place we overcoach.
00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:25.279
Right after a bad swing, what happens?
00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:27.120
The hitter steps out.
00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:29.600
The coach starts yelling instructions.
00:15:29.840 --> 00:15:32.559
Somebody behind the plate adds their own opinion.
00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:34.879
The hitter starts analyzing.
00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:38.480
And everybody's trying to solve something before the next pitch.
00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:41.200
Instead, ask three questions.
00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:43.039
Was I on time?
00:15:43.360 --> 00:15:44.480
Did I see it?
00:15:44.720 --> 00:15:46.240
Did I follow my plan?
00:15:46.480 --> 00:15:47.039
That's it.
00:15:47.120 --> 00:15:50.480
If the answer to all three is yes, then maybe you just missed one.
00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:52.399
Baseball allows that.
00:15:52.720 --> 00:15:53.759
It happens.
00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:58.000
It might shock the internet, but sometimes you do everything right and make an out.
00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:04.399
And sometimes you do a lot wrong and hit a double.
00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:09.279
If we let outcomes be our only teacher, we're gonna learn some really dumb lessons.
00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:12.240
A blooper isn't automatically a good at-bat.
00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:18.720
A 105 mile an hour piss rod that the shortstop catches isn't automatically a bad one.
00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:25.440
We have to grade what the hitter actually controlled, which gets us to process versus outcome.
00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:27.840
Your job is not to get a hit.
00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:29.200
Hits are great.
00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:32.720
I recommend them, but you can't command one.
00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:36.720
You can hit a ball 110 directly at somebody.
00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:40.000
You can break your bat and watch it fall in behind first base.
00:16:40.480 --> 00:16:43.679
Baseball has a sense shitty sense of humor like that.
00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:48.720
So the hitter's job has to sit upstream of the outcome.
00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:52.559
Be prepared, be on time, have a plan.
00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:58.879
Direct your attention, make a decision, commit, swing, and then accept what happens.
00:16:59.200 --> 00:17:05.359
Preparation, timing, plan, attention, decision, swing, outcome.
00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:08.400
Notice how far down that list the outcome is.
00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:10.079
But most players flip it.
00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:11.920
They start with, I need the result.
00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:15.039
And everything after it gets bent out of shape.
00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:18.880
If you're a parent listening, you can help hear more than you think.
00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:23.359
After the game, try not to open with how many hits did you get?
00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:24.559
Try.
00:17:24.720 --> 00:17:25.920
How do you compete?
00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:28.079
What did you learn about the pitcher?
00:17:28.319 --> 00:17:29.359
Were you on time?
00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:31.440
Did you stick with your approach?
00:17:31.680 --> 00:17:33.119
What did you see well?
00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:35.680
What do you want to work on tomorrow?
00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:39.279
The questions we ask become the things kids learn to care about.
00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:45.359
If every car ride is about batting average, don't be surprised when your 12-year-old becomes obsessed with batting average.
00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:48.400
And coaches, silence is a coaching tool.
00:17:48.559 --> 00:17:50.480
You don't have to fill every second.
00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:56.079
Sometimes a hitter needs information, sometimes he needs a correction or some accountability.
00:17:56.480 --> 00:17:58.960
And sometimes he needs you to get out of the way.
00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:04.240
The best coaches I've been around don't say less because they know less.
00:18:04.480 --> 00:18:07.200
They say less because they know what matters.
00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:11.599
The guy who knows 30 mechanical terms might impress you in the cage.
00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:19.359
But the guy who watches one swing, understands what the hitter's dealing with, and says, you're fine, get on time.
00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:22.720
Might have just saved that player three weeks.
00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:24.960
Now take all of this up to Pro Ball.
00:18:25.440 --> 00:18:28.319
At that level, mechanics absolutely matter.
00:18:28.559 --> 00:18:35.440
The margins are tiny, the pitchers are better, the velocity's higher, the pitch shapes are nastier.
00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:38.640
But that makes attention more important, not less.
00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:41.920
A big league hitter has endless information available.
00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:49.680
Heat maps, release data, usage, sequencing, count tendencies, movement profiles, video.
00:18:50.640 --> 00:18:52.000
Everybody has that stuff.
00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:55.680
The advantage isn't getting the information anymore, it's filtering it.
00:18:56.000 --> 00:18:57.599
What matters tonight?
00:18:58.079 --> 00:19:02.160
Against this guy, for me, in this count.
00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:08.000
More data can actually make you worse if it takes up space your attention needed.
00:19:08.240 --> 00:19:14.000
The smartest hitter in the room might look at 15 things before the game and walk to the plate with one.
00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:17.759
Complicated preparation, simple execution.
00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:21.359
That's also why practice needs to look like the game mentally.
00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:23.680
Batting practice can feel amazing.
00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:26.400
Same pitch, same rhythm, same environment.
00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:29.359
No consequences, no uncertainty.
00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:35.680
Then the game starts and it's a different release, a different tempo, a different count, a real threat.
00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:37.920
Now you have to decide.
00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:42.240
And the hitter says, My swing feels different in games.
00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:48.400
Yada! The game is asking your brain to do something practice never asked it to do.
00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:57.519
So practice decisions, change speeds, change locations, add counts, make him take pitches, add consequences.
00:19:57.759 --> 00:20:01.440
Ask him what he's hunting and make him commit to it before the pitch.
00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:03.599
Now you're training transfer.
00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:05.359
Not just movement.
00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:08.559
Here's something any hitter from 10 to pro can use.
00:20:08.720 --> 00:20:11.119
I call it the 10 second reset.
00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:16.720
Before the at bat, take 10 seconds, see the release point, see the pitch coming into your zone.
00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:19.119
See yourself making one committed swing.
00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:22.480
Not a home run, not rounding the bases, not the crowd.
00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:24.000
Just the swing.
00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:25.519
Then let it go.
00:20:25.759 --> 00:20:27.599
Right before you step in, breathe.
00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:29.920
Slow your body down, eyes up.
00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:32.480
In the box, it's one pitch, one zone.
00:20:32.640 --> 00:20:33.839
See it early.
00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:36.559
After the pitch, notice, reset next.
00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:38.559
With two strikes, compete.
00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:40.480
Protect your zone.
00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:41.759
Stay simple.
00:20:41.920 --> 00:20:43.839
Put the damn ball in play.
00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:46.559
After and out, no mechanical panic.
00:20:47.039 --> 00:20:48.079
Was I on time?
00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:49.039
Did I see it?
00:20:49.200 --> 00:20:50.559
Did I follow the plan?
00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:52.640
Learn what there is to learn.
00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:54.240
And move on.
00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:58.640
I want to be really clear about something because I know how this can sound.
00:20:58.880 --> 00:21:01.200
I'm not telling hitters not to think.
00:21:01.519 --> 00:21:03.519
People say just stop thinking.
00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:05.279
And it's not helpful.
00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:07.759
Your brain doesn't have an off switch.
00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:11.119
The goal isn't no thought, it's useful thought.
00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:12.720
Think before the game.
00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:14.160
Think between it bats.
00:21:14.559 --> 00:21:15.839
Think in the dugout.
00:21:16.079 --> 00:21:18.960
Gather information, make your adjustments.
00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:21.920
Then when the pitcher starts his delivery, simplify.
00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:24.240
That's when thinking turns into seeing.
00:21:24.559 --> 00:21:27.039
And the plan turns into reaction.
00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:29.119
You did the mental work early.
00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:30.720
Now you trust it.
00:21:31.359 --> 00:21:33.039
But thinking takes practice.
00:21:33.200 --> 00:21:35.440
It requires time and compression.
00:21:35.759 --> 00:21:38.000
This connects to confidence too.
00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:40.640
Guys say, I just need confidence.
00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:41.279
Okay?
00:21:42.160 --> 00:21:43.599
Where's it coming from?
00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:46.640
I can't sprinkle it on your helmet before the game.
00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:48.400
Trust me, I've tried.
00:21:48.799 --> 00:21:50.559
Confidence needs evidence.
00:21:50.799 --> 00:21:52.720
And the evidence comes from work.
00:21:53.200 --> 00:21:54.799
But not just more swings.
00:21:55.119 --> 00:21:58.160
Evidence can be I prepared properly.
00:21:58.400 --> 00:21:59.759
I recognize the pitch.
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:01.599
I was on time.
00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:03.279
I made a good decision.
00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:05.039
I handled a tough moment.
00:22:05.279 --> 00:22:06.880
I stayed with my plan.
00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:09.519
I reset after a bad at bat.
00:22:09.839 --> 00:22:13.119
Stack enough of that up, and a hitter starts to trust himself.
00:22:13.359 --> 00:22:18.559
Not because every result was perfect, but because he's got proof he can operate.
00:22:19.279 --> 00:22:24.400
One of my favorite hitting ideas is that sometimes the best swing is the one you don't take.
00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:27.119
A breaking ball just below the zone.
00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:28.799
And he lets it go.
00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:35.920
Nothing happened on the scoreboard, but he saw it, he recognized it, and he controlled his decision.
00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:37.200
That's hitting.
00:22:37.359 --> 00:22:38.480
Hitting isn't swinging.
00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:40.880
Hitting is deciding whether to swing.
00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:44.640
That's why pitch selection belongs in the mechanics conversation.
00:22:45.200 --> 00:22:49.359
A great swing at a terrible pitch can still make terrible contact.
00:22:49.759 --> 00:22:53.759
And then somebody slows the video down and starts fixing your stride.
00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:55.440
Maybe your stride's fine.
00:22:55.599 --> 00:22:57.519
Maybe stop swinging at garbage.
00:22:57.680 --> 00:23:01.519
So many kids and parents say they want to learn how to hit breaking balls better.
00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:04.400
Try hitting fastballs early in the count.
00:23:04.640 --> 00:23:06.000
Watch a youth game.
00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:10.720
10 bucks says 90% of first pitches are refastballs outer half.
00:23:10.960 --> 00:23:13.839
There's your biomechanical intervention for the day.
00:23:14.079 --> 00:23:17.279
Young players especially need to hear this next part.
00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:19.359
You don't need a perfect swing.
00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:21.759
You need a functional swing you trust.
00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:22.799
See the ball.
00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:24.240
Make good decisions.
00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:25.440
Be on time.
00:23:25.759 --> 00:23:26.559
Compete.
00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:31.200
Somewhere along the way, baseball got obsessed with everything looking perfect.
00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:33.200
But games aren't perfect.
00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:35.119
Pitchers aren't machines.
00:23:35.440 --> 00:23:37.039
Umpires miss calls.
00:23:37.279 --> 00:23:42.559
The weather changes, the field is terrible, your hands hurt, your timing disappears.
00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:44.720
Some days you feel amazing.
00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:49.519
And some days you wake up and somebody apparently swapped out your legs overnight.
00:23:49.920 --> 00:23:51.680
Performance is adapting.
00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:54.480
Can you solve today's version of the game?
00:23:55.119 --> 00:23:57.440
Okay, one more chirp before I wrap up.
00:23:57.599 --> 00:24:00.079
A grind my gears sort of thing.
00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:06.319
If your hitting coach stops you after every swing, you might not be getting hitting lessons.
00:24:06.880 --> 00:24:09.119
You're getting a director's commentary.
00:24:09.359 --> 00:24:15.200
If every ground ball means your mechanics are broken, you're going to need a new swing every Tuesday.
00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:21.279
If your coach needs 17 words to explain one cue, ask for subtitles.
00:24:21.599 --> 00:24:30.400
And if you spend more time watching your swing on an iPad than watching the pitcher, at some point we might want to remember that baseballs get thrown by humans.
00:24:30.720 --> 00:24:32.880
Not video editing software.
00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:36.720
Technology is incredible, and you should use it.
00:24:36.960 --> 00:24:38.799
Just don't let it own you.
00:24:39.119 --> 00:24:41.440
Video is feedback, it isn't reality.
00:24:41.680 --> 00:24:50.160
Reality is a ball coming out of another guy's hand while you try to decide, in a fraction of a second, whether to hit it.
00:24:50.480 --> 00:24:54.559
The older I get around athletes, the more I respect simple.
00:24:54.960 --> 00:24:56.319
Not simplistic.
00:24:56.799 --> 00:24:57.440
Simple.
00:24:57.839 --> 00:24:59.200
They're different.
00:24:59.680 --> 00:25:03.920
Simple is what you end up with after you've done enough work to know what matters.
00:25:04.160 --> 00:25:07.440
Young coaches want to show everything they know.
00:25:08.079 --> 00:25:10.880
Experienced coaches start taking things away.
00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:17.920
Less language, less clutter, less interference, one adjustment, one plan, one target, one pitch.
00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:20.559
That's not a lack of sophistication.
00:25:20.799 --> 00:25:22.319
That's precision.
00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:24.960
And it has to survive the game.
00:25:25.519 --> 00:25:29.839
If your routine only works in a quiet cage, it's not a routine yet.
00:25:30.079 --> 00:25:35.759
If your mechanical thought takes 30 seconds, it doesn't fit inside an at bat.
00:25:36.480 --> 00:25:43.039
If your self-talk sounds great in a journal and vanishes when you're zero for three, we need better language.
00:25:43.279 --> 00:25:48.000
If your breathing routine needs perfect conditions, it isn't ready.
00:25:48.319 --> 00:25:52.559
It all has to be fast, simple, repeatable, and usable under pressure.
00:25:52.880 --> 00:25:59.039
So whether you're 10 or 14 or 18 or in college or getting paid to play, here's where I'd start.
00:25:59.279 --> 00:26:02.799
Don't diagnose a swing until you've looked at what happened before it.
00:26:03.279 --> 00:26:04.160
Prepare.
00:26:04.640 --> 00:26:05.680
Get on time.
00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:07.039
Have a plan.
00:26:07.680 --> 00:26:09.359
Control your attention.
00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:11.440
Make a decision.
00:26:11.759 --> 00:26:12.400
Commit.
00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:14.079
Swing.
00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:16.160
And accept the outcome.
00:26:16.480 --> 00:26:17.920
Then learn from it.
00:26:18.640 --> 00:26:20.319
There will be mechanical work.
00:26:20.559 --> 00:26:21.759
And you should do it.
00:26:22.079 --> 00:26:23.200
Build a strong swing.
00:26:23.359 --> 00:26:24.559
Understand your body.
00:26:24.880 --> 00:26:26.079
Get stronger.
00:26:26.480 --> 00:26:27.519
Move better.
00:26:27.839 --> 00:26:29.119
Train the barrel.
00:26:29.599 --> 00:26:31.359
Train adjustability.
00:26:31.839 --> 00:26:37.200
Just don't turn into a hitter who knows everything about his swing and nothing about hitting.
00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:41.440
Hitting happens against another person who is actively trying to get you out.
00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:53.759
It involves vision, timing, prediction, decisions, attention, physiology, emotion, strategy, commitment, and yes, mechanics.
00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:56.079
Mechanics are part of the system.
00:26:56.400 --> 00:26:58.240
They're just not the whole system.
00:26:58.880 --> 00:27:02.880
Your job isn't to manufacture a hit before the pitch even exists.
00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:10.160
It's to be prepared, on time, clear, and committed to the next pitch.
00:27:10.319 --> 00:27:13.200
There's one more thing I want to talk about before I finish this.
00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:15.839
And it's something I see all the time with athletes.
00:27:16.079 --> 00:27:17.839
We hedge our success.
00:27:18.160 --> 00:27:19.599
What do I mean by that?
00:27:19.920 --> 00:27:25.680
We say we want something, but we leave ourselves an escape road in case it doesn't happen.
00:27:25.920 --> 00:27:30.079
I want to play college baseball, but I don't know if I'm good enough.
00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:31.920
I want to be a starter.
00:27:32.240 --> 00:27:34.319
But the coach probably already has his guys.
00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:36.480
I want to hit in the middle of the lineup.
00:27:37.359 --> 00:27:40.480
But I'm just trying to help the team wherever I can.
00:27:40.960 --> 00:27:42.960
I want to play professionally.
00:27:43.279 --> 00:27:45.599
But obviously the odds are terrible.
00:27:46.160 --> 00:27:47.920
Listen to the language.
00:27:48.319 --> 00:27:50.960
There's nothing wrong with understanding reality.
00:27:51.680 --> 00:27:54.640
There's nothing wrong with knowing something is difficult.
00:27:55.440 --> 00:27:58.079
But sometimes we use realism as protection.
00:27:58.559 --> 00:28:06.240
Because if I never fully say what I want, then I never have to fully experience what it feels like if I don't get it.
00:28:06.799 --> 00:28:08.160
That's hedging.
00:28:08.319 --> 00:28:10.880
And hitters do it inside at bats too.
00:28:11.039 --> 00:28:13.039
They want to attack the fastball.
00:28:13.680 --> 00:28:18.480
But they're also worried about the slider, so they're kind of ready for both.
00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:21.839
Which usually means they're truly ready for neither.
00:28:22.079 --> 00:28:23.920
They want to commit to their plan.
00:28:24.480 --> 00:28:28.880
But they leave 10% of their attention available for everything that could go wrong.
00:28:29.119 --> 00:28:30.960
They swing, but not completely.
00:28:31.200 --> 00:28:34.079
They decide, but they keep the back door open.
00:28:34.640 --> 00:28:38.079
That little bit of protection feels safe, but it costs you.
00:28:38.400 --> 00:28:40.559
Commitment requires risk.
00:28:40.799 --> 00:28:43.279
If I hunt one pitch, I might be wrong.
00:28:43.519 --> 00:28:47.279
If I commit to one location, I might get fooled.
00:28:47.599 --> 00:28:50.799
If I decide to really go after something, I might fail.
00:28:51.119 --> 00:28:52.079
Correct.
00:28:52.559 --> 00:28:53.759
That's the deal.
00:28:54.079 --> 00:28:58.640
You cannot completely commit and completely protect yourself at the same time.
00:28:59.279 --> 00:29:01.359
At some point you have to choose.
00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:03.680
And I think we do this away from the field too.
00:29:03.839 --> 00:29:06.160
Players tell me they want to get stronger.
00:29:06.480 --> 00:29:08.079
Then they miss lifts.
00:29:08.319 --> 00:29:10.319
They want better confidence.
00:29:10.960 --> 00:29:14.319
Then they avoid the work that would actually give them evidence.
00:29:14.480 --> 00:29:16.160
They want more playing time.
00:29:16.640 --> 00:29:20.799
But they don't want to ask the uncomfortable question about what they need to improve.
00:29:21.039 --> 00:29:22.799
They want to be recruited.
00:29:23.039 --> 00:29:26.799
But they're afraid to contact coaches because somebody might say no.
00:29:27.200 --> 00:29:28.799
They want a big goal.
00:29:29.039 --> 00:29:32.319
But they make sure everybody knows they're not expecting too much.
00:29:32.559 --> 00:29:37.440
That way, if it doesn't happen, they can say, Yeah, I kind of figured.
00:29:37.759 --> 00:29:39.519
That protects the ego.
00:29:39.759 --> 00:29:43.599
It also protects you from finding out what you're actually capable of.
00:29:43.839 --> 00:29:46.480
Sometimes the scariest thing isn't failing.
00:29:46.720 --> 00:29:51.119
Sometimes it's committing fully enough that there are no excuses left.
00:29:51.519 --> 00:29:53.440
Because now you have to find out.
00:29:53.680 --> 00:29:56.079
What happens if I actually prepare?
00:29:56.559 --> 00:29:59.119
What happens if I actually follow the plan?
00:29:59.599 --> 00:30:04.079
What happens if I stop waiting to feel confident and start building evidence?
00:30:04.319 --> 00:30:10.240
What happens if I stop saying hopefully every time I talk about something I'm working toward?
00:30:10.480 --> 00:30:13.599
What happens if I go all in on the controllable part?
00:30:14.079 --> 00:30:15.359
You can still fail.
00:30:15.519 --> 00:30:16.559
That's important.
00:30:17.200 --> 00:30:19.359
Commitment is not a guarantee.
00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:21.759
Preparation is not a guarantee.
00:30:22.079 --> 00:30:24.559
Confidence is not a guarantee.
00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:29.279
Doing everything right does not guarantee the baseball falls in.
00:30:29.839 --> 00:30:31.680
We already talked about that.
00:30:32.319 --> 00:30:34.799
But hedging doesn't protect your performance.
00:30:35.039 --> 00:30:38.240
It only protects the story you tell yourself afterward.
00:30:39.200 --> 00:30:43.279
Well, I wasn't really expecting to make it anyway.
00:30:43.599 --> 00:30:45.759
I wasn't feeling great today.
00:30:46.079 --> 00:30:48.160
I didn't really get enough sleep.
00:30:48.400 --> 00:30:50.160
The umpire was terrible.
00:30:50.400 --> 00:30:52.400
The coach doesn't like me.
00:30:53.200 --> 00:30:55.680
Maybe some of those things are true.
00:30:56.160 --> 00:31:01.599
But be careful, because explanations can become escape routes really quickly.
00:31:01.839 --> 00:31:07.279
And the more escape routes you build, the harder it becomes to know whether you ever actually committed.
00:31:08.079 --> 00:31:11.359
I want players who can say, this is what I want.
00:31:11.519 --> 00:31:13.119
This is what it requires.
00:31:13.359 --> 00:31:14.640
This is what I control.
00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:17.279
And I'm gonna go find out.
00:31:17.680 --> 00:31:19.200
Not guarantee it.
00:31:19.599 --> 00:31:21.039
Not predict it.
00:31:21.519 --> 00:31:22.720
Go find out.
00:31:23.039 --> 00:31:25.039
That's a completely different mindset.
00:31:25.839 --> 00:31:28.640
And at the plate, it gets even simpler.
00:31:28.880 --> 00:31:29.920
Pick the pitch.
00:31:30.160 --> 00:31:31.359
Pick the zone.
00:31:31.920 --> 00:31:33.519
Make the decision.
00:31:33.839 --> 00:31:35.039
Live with it.
00:31:35.359 --> 00:31:41.440
You might swing through it, you might foul it off, you might hit it 105 at somebody, you might hit it 105 into the seats.
00:31:42.319 --> 00:31:43.599
But you were there.
00:31:43.839 --> 00:31:45.440
You made the decision.
00:31:45.759 --> 00:31:46.960
You committed.
00:31:47.440 --> 00:31:49.440
And now you have real information.
00:31:50.400 --> 00:31:51.680
That's how you learn.
00:31:51.920 --> 00:31:56.160
Hedge decisions give you bad feedback because afterward you don't even know what failed.
00:31:56.400 --> 00:31:57.599
Was the plan wrong?
00:31:57.839 --> 00:31:59.200
Was your timing wrong?
00:31:59.440 --> 00:32:02.640
Or did you never actually commit to the plan in the first place?
00:32:02.960 --> 00:32:05.359
That's why commitment matters so much.
00:32:05.599 --> 00:32:07.920
Commitment cleans up the information.
00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:10.960
It gives you something real to evaluate.
00:32:11.279 --> 00:32:12.960
So ask yourself this.
00:32:13.279 --> 00:32:14.640
Where am I hedging?
00:32:14.880 --> 00:32:19.920
Where am I saying I want something while quietly protecting myself from it?
00:32:20.319 --> 00:32:24.240
Where am I leaving myself an excuse before the result even happens?
00:32:24.480 --> 00:32:28.880
Where am I half committing because full commitment feels too vulnerable?
00:32:29.440 --> 00:32:30.480
Notice it.
00:32:30.720 --> 00:32:32.960
You don't need to beat yourself up over it.
00:32:33.200 --> 00:32:34.559
Just notice it.
00:32:34.880 --> 00:32:36.559
Then make a decision.
00:32:36.880 --> 00:32:39.599
Because eventually the hitter has to stop preparing.
00:32:39.839 --> 00:32:42.559
Eventually the hitter has to stop analyzing.
00:32:42.799 --> 00:32:45.440
Eventually the hitter has to stop protecting himself.
00:32:45.599 --> 00:32:50.319
Once you recognize where you're hedging, the next step isn't complicated.
00:32:50.640 --> 00:32:52.319
You have to make a decision.
00:32:52.559 --> 00:32:54.400
Not a perfect decision.
00:32:54.640 --> 00:32:56.559
Not a guaranteed decision.
00:32:56.799 --> 00:32:58.240
A committed one.
00:32:58.559 --> 00:33:00.880
Because eventually preparation ends.
00:33:01.119 --> 00:33:03.200
Eventually analysis ends.
00:33:03.440 --> 00:33:09.119
Eventually all the information, all the video, all the coaching, all the planning has to turn into something.
00:33:09.680 --> 00:33:10.960
A decision.
00:33:11.359 --> 00:33:12.799
And then a swing.
00:33:13.359 --> 00:33:16.960
That's where you find out whether all of this actually transfers.
00:33:17.279 --> 00:33:20.559
So after an app bat, don't just ask.
00:33:20.880 --> 00:33:22.240
Was I prepared?
00:33:22.559 --> 00:33:23.759
Was I on time?
00:33:24.319 --> 00:33:25.599
Did I see it?
00:33:26.079 --> 00:33:28.000
Did I make the right decision?
00:33:28.400 --> 00:33:30.000
Did I stick to my plan?
00:33:30.640 --> 00:33:31.920
Ask one more.
00:33:32.559 --> 00:33:34.160
Did I actually commit?
00:33:34.480 --> 00:33:36.880
Because sometimes the swing doesn't need fixing.
00:33:37.119 --> 00:33:39.440
Sometimes the hitter just needs to notice.
00:33:39.680 --> 00:33:42.960
Sometimes he needs to notice that his attention moved.
00:33:43.359 --> 00:33:46.240
Sometimes he needs to notice that his timing was off.
00:33:46.720 --> 00:33:49.839
Sometimes he needs to notice that he abandoned the plan.
00:33:50.319 --> 00:33:53.200
And sometimes he needs to notice that he hedged.
00:33:53.519 --> 00:33:56.720
He wanted to attack, but also wanted to protect himself.
00:33:56.960 --> 00:34:00.960
He wanted to commit, but kept one foot out the door.
00:34:01.279 --> 00:34:02.640
He wanted the result.
00:34:03.440 --> 00:34:06.720
But didn't fully trust the decision required to get there.
00:34:06.960 --> 00:34:08.400
And that matters.
00:34:08.719 --> 00:34:14.159
Because you can do all the preparation in the world, but eventually the pitch gets released.
00:34:14.400 --> 00:34:17.920
And when it does, you don't get to keep collecting information.
00:34:18.159 --> 00:34:21.280
You don't get to wait until you're 100% certain.
00:34:21.519 --> 00:34:24.079
You don't get to protect yourself from being wrong.
00:34:24.320 --> 00:34:25.760
You have to decide.
00:34:25.920 --> 00:34:27.039
That's hitting.
00:34:27.280 --> 00:34:29.599
And honestly, that's a lot of performance.
00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:32.320
Preparation gives you a better chance.
00:34:32.639 --> 00:34:34.639
Awareness gives you information.
00:34:35.039 --> 00:34:38.239
Attention keeps you connected to what matters.
00:34:38.559 --> 00:34:42.719
But commitment is where all of it finally gets tested.
00:34:43.039 --> 00:34:45.760
You can prepare perfectly and still fail.
00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:49.360
You can make the right decision and still make an out.
00:34:49.760 --> 00:34:55.519
You can hit the ball 105 miles an hour and have somebody standing exactly where you hit it.
00:34:55.760 --> 00:34:57.119
That's baseball.
00:34:57.360 --> 00:35:01.039
So stop trying to protect yourself from every possible bad outcome.
00:35:01.280 --> 00:35:02.639
That's the hedge.
00:35:02.880 --> 00:35:10.159
And when you hedge long enough, you stop playing to succeed and start playing to avoid being wrong.
00:35:10.400 --> 00:35:12.480
Those are not the same thing.
00:35:12.800 --> 00:35:16.239
A hitter who is trying not to be wrong gets caught in between.
00:35:16.480 --> 00:35:19.760
A hitter who is committed makes a decision and lives with it.
00:35:20.000 --> 00:35:23.039
That's where confidence actually starts to grow.
00:35:23.440 --> 00:35:25.760
Not from pretending you're never nervous.
00:35:26.159 --> 00:35:29.519
Not from convincing yourself you're going to get three hits.
00:35:29.920 --> 00:35:32.559
Not from guaranteeing an outcome you don't control.
00:35:33.519 --> 00:35:35.360
Confidence comes from knowing.
00:35:35.599 --> 00:35:36.800
I prepared.
00:35:37.039 --> 00:35:38.159
I saw it.
00:35:38.400 --> 00:35:39.920
I made a decision.
00:35:40.239 --> 00:35:41.440
I committed.
00:35:41.840 --> 00:35:45.519
And whatever happened after that, I can handle it.
00:35:45.760 --> 00:35:47.119
That's evidence.
00:35:47.360 --> 00:35:49.440
That's something you can build on.
00:35:49.679 --> 00:35:52.719
That's why I believe attention is the sixth tool.
00:35:52.960 --> 00:35:56.400
Your strength doesn't matter if your attention isn't available.
00:35:56.719 --> 00:36:00.320
Your bat speed doesn't matter if you swing at the wrong pitch.
00:36:00.559 --> 00:36:03.199
Your mechanics won't save you if you're late.
00:36:03.440 --> 00:36:08.559
Your preparation doesn't matter if you abandon it because you struck out in the first inning.
00:36:08.800 --> 00:36:15.280
And none of it transfers if, when the moment finally arrives, you're too busy protecting yourself to commit.
00:36:15.760 --> 00:36:20.960
The player who can notice, reset, adjust, and compete again has something real.
00:36:21.360 --> 00:36:27.679
The player who can do that without needing the last result to make him feel safe has even more.
00:36:27.920 --> 00:36:31.519
So next time you have a bad at bat, don't rush to rebuild yourself.
00:36:31.840 --> 00:36:35.039
Next time you're late, don't automatically move your hands.
00:36:35.280 --> 00:36:39.199
Next time you roll one over, don't decide your swing has vanished.
00:36:39.519 --> 00:36:47.840
And next time you feel yourself getting caught between decisions, ask yourself if you're actually confused or if you're hedging.
00:36:48.159 --> 00:36:49.599
Look upstream.
00:36:49.840 --> 00:36:51.360
Find the first domino.
00:36:51.920 --> 00:36:53.440
Maybe it's timing.
00:36:53.679 --> 00:36:55.280
Maybe it's attention.
00:36:55.679 --> 00:36:57.360
Maybe it's preparation.
00:36:58.000 --> 00:36:59.360
Maybe it's fear.
00:36:59.599 --> 00:37:03.760
Maybe it's the fact that you never completely decided what you were trying to do.
00:37:04.000 --> 00:37:04.719
Find it.
00:37:04.880 --> 00:37:05.440
Own it.
00:37:05.679 --> 00:37:06.800
Fix what you can.
00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:08.559
Then stop carrying it.
00:37:08.800 --> 00:37:12.000
And coaches, every once in a while, put the fungo down.
00:37:12.320 --> 00:37:13.679
Close the iPad.
00:37:14.239 --> 00:37:17.920
Stop trying to rescue the hitter after every imperfect swing.
00:37:18.320 --> 00:37:20.800
Give him enough information to solve the problem.
00:37:21.039 --> 00:37:23.280
Give him enough quiet to notice.
00:37:23.519 --> 00:37:25.199
And then let him compete.
00:37:25.840 --> 00:37:29.280
Because eventually he has to stand in that box by himself.
00:37:29.840 --> 00:37:32.320
The pitcher doesn't care what his last swing looked like.
00:37:32.480 --> 00:37:35.280
The baseball doesn't care how confident he feels.
00:37:35.519 --> 00:37:39.199
And the game isn't going to wait for him to become completely certain.
00:37:39.599 --> 00:37:41.519
The pitch is coming anyway.
00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:43.199
So prepare.
00:37:43.440 --> 00:37:44.320
Get on time.
00:37:44.480 --> 00:37:45.360
Have a plan.
00:37:45.599 --> 00:37:46.960
Know where your attention is.
00:37:47.119 --> 00:37:48.000
See the ball.
00:37:48.320 --> 00:37:49.599
Make the decision.
00:37:49.840 --> 00:37:51.119
Don't hedge it.
00:37:51.440 --> 00:37:52.079
Commit.
00:37:52.559 --> 00:37:53.679
Then swing.
00:37:54.079 --> 00:37:56.800
After that, the outcome can do whatever it wants.
00:37:57.039 --> 00:37:59.199
Because the outcome gets the last word.
00:37:59.679 --> 00:38:01.440
It just doesn't get the first.
00:38:01.760 --> 00:38:04.639
And it sure as hell doesn't get to make the decision for you.