WK's Coach's Tips

Batter Tips - Part I

In this first edition of our Coach's Tip, I'd like to discuss a few key points about the proper mental approach to hitting:

• Be positive. This is an absolute key to a successful at-bat. When you believe that you will hit, you will hit!
  
• Great hitters fail more than twice as many times than they succeed. You cannot carry the baggage of a previous strike-out or poor at-bat with you when you step up for your next at-bat. Your present at-bat is the only one you can do anything about! How you deal with your failures determines how successful you will be.
  
• "Attack" the pitcher. When you leave the bench, be ready to swing the bat. Don't be passive and dig yourself a hole. In each at bat, you want the pitcher to feel that you are the hunter and he is the prey.
  
• In every RBI situation, you must remember that the pitcher is the one in trouble.
  
• Control your emotions if you do make an out. Pitchers take great pleasure in seeing batters suffer and your anger will act as a "reward". Do not give pitchers the satisfaction of seeing your anger!
  
• Use the bench and on-deck circle! Watch the pitcher very carefully. What is he throwing? What is the release point? What are the pitcher's tendencies (e.g.- fast ball- fast ball- breaking ball)? When in the on-deck circle, use your warm ups to get your timing lined up with the pitcher.

That's it for this edition. We'll talk more about hitting in the next edition of the Coach's Tip.

Keep your head in the game !!

WK

Updated May 29, 1997