Fastpitch hitting’s
mental challenges
Three quotes from a longer article “by Becky” titled “Overcoming the Mental Challenges of Softball Hitting” posted at the softball-spot website.
“THE SUCCESSFUL HITTER HAS THE ABILITY TO BE A POSITIVE, AGGRESSIVE THINKER before the at-bat, and then rely upon her physical skills and muscle memory in the batter’s box. It is a thinking game only up to the time of the physical performance; then her instincts and athletic abilities must take over...
“THE CHALLENGE OF SOFTBALL HITTING ALSO INVOLVES SLUMPS; those times when a hitter is having few or no quality at-bats. Slumps can be caused by mental and/or physical fatigue, a poor mental approach, lack of trust and confidence, or a mechanical problem. It requires going back to the basic fundamentals.
“MOST PLAYERS WANT TO PRACTICE HARDER DURING SLUMPS when their body and brain needs just the opposite. The hitter must acknowledge the slump and know it is real just as she deals with her fears. They are a natural part of softball and inevitable because of the nature and the difficulty of the game. However, she must not give into the negative thoughts associated with a slump.”
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| Wesley Wolverine sophomore #23 UT Brooke Retkowski (Baltimore, MD). |
