Staying in The Present Moment

When it comes to the game of baseball staying in the present moment let alone being in the present moment is a lot harder than it seems. Being in the present moment in the simplest terms means, being where your feet are. It is very important as a baseball player to stay in the present moment so that even though all game you haven't had any action when it counts you know what to do and how to do it to the best of your ability

Brian Cain a top Sports Psychologist has a peak performance program for both baseball and softball called 4RIP3. 4RIP3 stands for, Routines, Recognize, Release, Refocus, Imagery, Present, Processes, Positive. In this blog we will look at what it means to be in the present moment.

The ultimate example of playing the game of baseball in the present moment is to play one pitch at  a time. Another way to think about this is with an hourglass before the pitch you're relaxed (wide part of the hourglass), then once the pitch is about to be made you become focused and in the present moment of the pitch knowing what you’re going to do in any situation ( skinny part of hourglass), after the pitch has been made and the play is over you can relax and hourglass out before the next pitch is made.

Great Baseball players are able to play the game and realize that the opponent is themselves and the game. When a player takes this approach they never have to worry about the competition as it doesn't matter.  The player is able to stay in the present moment and strive to be 1% better than they were the pitch before.

Cain recommends to work on concentration grids to be in the present moment more often. These are 10x10 grids numbered 00-99 in random order. The object of the grid is to cross of each number in order while timing yourself. With timing yourself you will be able to compete against your best time always trying to beat it by one second. Once you become good at these you can add distractions and change up the order that you cross of the numbers, always challenging yourself to stay in the present moment.

A great way for athletes to get in the present moment is to keep a peak performance journal. The object of this journal is to write down at least one goal for that day, this is a great way to stay in the present and have a clear plan for that day.

Finally probably the best way to get in to the present moment is to take a deep breath. This can act as a trigger to calm yourself, and get you where you need to be which is where your feet are. Ready to play the game one pitch at a time.

Reference:

Cain, B. (2015). Present Moment. In 4RIP3: Baseball Program. Brian Cain.