“The Mental Keys to Hitting” by H. A. Dorfman

I just finished the last in a great trilogy of mental game books by the father of the modern “mental game,” H. A. Dorfman. The Mental Keys to Hitting is an excellent book, and it is also a short and easy read. Dorfman describes key, foundational concepts in readable language.

What I especially enjoyed was finding this book – which has been out since 2000 – so neatly merged the concepts of Moneyball by Michael Lewis and The Mental Game of Baseball by Dorfman. I had thought that the concepts were compatible, and indeed supported each other. Well, voila, Dorfman writes this in his book.

Get this: Players, I highly recommend you read this book. What follows are my notes … Cliff Notes, if you will … of some key takeaway/excerpts/quotesparaphrases and such:

“The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it.” -- John Ruskin, English writer/sociologist 1859

“First and foremost, SEE THE BALL!” (Remember the third "E").

Harold Baines, when asked how many times he had felt comfortable when he failed to see the ball well: “Never.”

“Want to see the ball better? Think ball.” My note: And use broad to fine focus, per the hitting chapter in The Mental Game.

“Use every at-bat to your purpose, instead of allowing it to use you.”

Agressivness under control …

“You’ve got to have the mentality that you are going to make somebody pay when you’re at bat.” – Mo Vaughn, 2000 Angels

Dorfman praises the Oakland A’s approach (featured in Moneyball). It’s been called Oakland’s ‘whacking and walking’ philosophy by Dorfman. “I tell hitters they start a car’s movement by using the gas pedal first. That’s aggressiveness. A hitter’s first thought before going to the plate should be about making good, solid contact. He anticipates a pitch he can hit and is ready for it when he sees it. He does not anticipate taking a pitch, because then, seeing a pitch in the hitting zone, he’ll be surprised by it. Aggressiveness is his operative approach.”

“Hacking is not a philosophy.”

“Oakland has always valued the base-on-balls … and was greatly concerned with on-base percentage as one important indicator of a hitter’s effectiveness. My appeal to a few reluctant players was that a walk helped their batting average. An undisciplined at-bat usually resulted in an out – and their average went down. A walk avoided that out, got them on base for the team – and kept the average from going down. This philosophy still prevails throughout the organization. Minor leaguers are taught to be patient – as well as aggressive.”

“Aggressiveness and patience … is the balanced approach of all good hitters. And of successful teams.”

Being able to take the ball the other way when required is a good indicator of “staying within oneself.”

An idea when a hitter senses he is losing control is to focus on taking the ball the other way. “You’ll track the ball longer and deeper into the hitting zone; you’ll stay back longer; it will help relax your swing – the bat will get through the hitting zone quicker.”

Your Goals vs. Others’ Expectations … You’ve got eyes; the ball doesn’t.

Set goals for yourself each day in BP or in games … i.e., disciplined BP, seeing the ball well, having a purpose for every BP round, reminding yourself of mechanical cues in the on-deck circle, stepping out of box and coaching yourself during an AB, being mentally ready for every pitch, establishing your strike zone (the pitch you want to hit) through discipline, being an aggressive hitter under control … (add your own)

Self-coaching: Only the player can decide to implement information into behavior.

Thinking takes place outside the batter’s box, rather than in it. In the box, look for the ball and be easy.

Instead of guessing, track the ball … Use your eyes … broad to fine focus.

Practice coaching yourself as to what you want to do in BP. Talk to yourself about what you want to do as a hitter, both in practice and in games.

Focus on the result (“I gotta get a hit … or drive in this run), as opposed to your approach (i.e., look for your pitch, see the ball, broad- to find-focus) and you will swing indiscriminately.

Learning to do this right is a process. Be patient with yourself. Use good tones in self-talk, as well.

“’See the ball.’ This is the most functional and appropriate replacement thought a hitter will ever have in the batter’s box. Remember it; use it; value it.”

“When you wish to change a thought, replace it with one that serves and directs you in a positive way.”

Concentration exercises: Do them.

“Step out of the frame, and it’s easier to see the picture.”

If a hitter’s focus is too broad or scattered, “think small … think ball.”

Talking in terms of “fault” or making excuses indicates a poor perspective.

“Work, rather than worry, when results are not ‘going for you.’ Focus on your approach, rather than catastrophic declarations or imaginings.”

“Cy Young lost 316 games and they named an award after him.”

Cultivate the “important ability to accept failure [of a bad at-bat] and categorize it as a one-time thing.”

“A 1-4 day – or an 0-5 day – won’t cause the breakdown. The hitter’s interpretation of the day will. It’s essential to see the ball well, but first see your world, the game, and yourself clearly, accurately, objectively. By doing so you can then assess your at-bats with intelligence, and make the necessary adjustments. As a bonus, your perspective will allow your talent to be free to express itself.”

Self-doubt promotes a sense of urgency.

“Know how to evaluate at-bats. Ask yourself: ‘Did I see the ball well?’ ‘Did I hit it hard?’ ‘Did I execute what I wanted to do?’ If not – make adjustments based on understanding, rather than a negative reaction. Know what you want to do during your next at-bat. Then trust your talent and put your last at-bat in your history book as a useful lesson.”

Trust yourself, rather than fearing consequences.

“To attribute the outcome of at-bats to compulsive or superstitious acts is to avoid responsibility.”

“Have a purpose for everything you do in batting practice.”

Preparation cycle has 7 phases (know them): 1) Dugout; 2) On-Deck Circle; 3) En route to batter’s box; 4) Out of the box (before stepping in); 5) in the box; 6) Out of the box between pitches; and 7) Back in the dugout after the AB (What was I trying to do? What went right/wrong? What do I want to do next time?)

Stay focused on task, rather than results or consequences.

Find the proper individual level of excitement/edge to compete. We are looking for a balance of heat and light.

Remember the power of the deep breath. Use it to relax.

Movement of any kind reduces tension. Be conscious of the techniques for helping to produce a relaxed state.

A healthy perspective is the best assurance of a relaxed state of mind -- and muscle. You want to be intense without being intense. How you see the ball is, in fact, influenced by how you see the world.

How you react is within your control. What happens to you ... no.

Numbers never come to a player who is focusing on them.

After a bad (non-quality) at-bat, ask: 1) What was I trying to do? 2) What went wrong? 3) What do I want to do next time?

"Confidence comes to those who fight through their self-doubt, rather than giving in to it."

Confidence: "You must work on it, not wait for it."

Preparation and self-coaching are key to confidence. Confident hitters take control, rather than being at the mercy of fate.

Play with enthusiasm and joy.

How to develop a confident attitude ... Understand: Confidence ebbs and flows ... Self-doubt is normal, but exceptional people refuse to give in to it ... Life-threatening consequences will not result from bad AB's ... Approach and response are more important than results ... Your behavior goals are more important than the expectations of others ... Responsibility encourages confidence; excuses encourage cowardice ... Taking risks will stretch you; being careful or fearful will limit you ... Coaching yourself with positive self-talk works ... Rather than worrying about the pitcher, focusing on what you want to do works ... Acting confident develops an attitude of confidence.

Adversity -- If you survive it, it is good for you.

To become a "clutch hitter," treat each AB as valuable. The task of hitting is significant, rather than urgent. A good routine is part of your job as a hitter.

A good AB is a Quality AB.

Inappropriate self-talk produces a sense of urgency. However, when a hitter feels that what he wants to do is easy, he relaxes.

Re: mechanics, you'll have no chance of seeing the ball if you are worried about mechanics in the box.

Pursue patience rather than passion at the plate.

The Yankees won three championships with this philosophy (also ours, btw): Work the count. Look for your pitch. Don't try to do too much (hit it where it wants to go).

Speaking of "dire" consequences ... do or die ... now or never ... I "gotta" ... I "must" ... or else ... This creates an atmosphere of pressure and is counter-productive.

See "pressure" as an opportunity or exciting challenge.

Real pressure is when you are 7-years-old and don't have enough to eat.

You are only in a "slump" if you allow yourself to be. Focus on a good approach, and voila, you are having good AB's.

Be relentless -- uncompromising and unyielding in the pursuit of consistently effective behavior.

Think about solutions, rather than problems.

Trust, rather than try. Think about that. It sounds counter-intuitive, but a lot of hitters press when the best thing to do is relax and trust their approach and preparation.

"Believe in your preparation; believe in your approach; trust your talent. By doing so, you give yourself the best chance to succeed."

"One man with a belief is worth 99 with an opinion."

And finally ...

"Believing is more perceptive than seeing."

There's lots of great stuff here. Review it, learn it, and apply it to your work as a hitter. You have the opportunity and the means to get better ... today. Let's get to it.

See you on the field.

Advice from Ron Wolforth re: "Poison"

Here are some words of wisdom from Coach Ron Wolforth of the Texas Baseball Ranch.

"I often tell my children and my athletes...just because you can do something or you can say something...it doesn't mean you SHOULD do something or say something.

"Wisdom, judgment and constraint are closely related.

"Apparently to MTV...wisdom, judgment and constraint pale in significance to ratings. Recently they have produced a youth drama called 'Skins'...which ...MTV purports is a valid and accurate depiction of what is occurring in youth 14-18 Americana.

"Normally I would never watch any show on MTV but last week on the O'Reilly factor they had mentioned how irresponsible this show was...and while I was sitting in a hotel room in Baton Rouge Louisiana this weekend getting ready to speak...I saw it advertised for later that night...and I stayed up and watched it for 15 minutes...that's all I could stand.

"It is salacious and indecent. It has no redeeming qualities. It was pure junk...and in my 15 minute segment it had none of the apparent racy sex scenes. Of that at least I can be thankful.

"But what it did have was a scene of drug overdose...a stolen SUV and an automobile accident in which the vehicle was totaled but everyone walked away. How nice. EVERY adult in this drama was like Charlie Brown's teacher...you remember....WA...WA...WA Wa-wa.

"Why bring this up in our baseball segment? Because poison is absolutely everywhere. I COULD eat mud at the bottom of a chicken coop...but I don't think that's a good idea.

"I could have a Scotch and a Hershey bar for breakfast every morning...but I don't think that's a good idea.

"Poison comes in many forms...what we breathe...eat...drink...

"It can come through our skin...

"And a lot of the poison comes through our eyes and ears into our brains.

"The books we read...the music we listen to...the movies and TV shows we watch...and our interaction between our friends, family and teammates.

"I often ask our guys if it'd be OK to put just a little poison in their OJ at breakfast....not enough to make them sick...just a little smidge of poison...would that be OK?

"When they universally say No...I ask WHY?...it's just a little poison...they almost always say...no...that a little poison over a long time can be really bad.

"I agree 100%.

"My advice is to watch VERY closely for any poison...coming from ANYWHERE...but especially from supposedly innocuous TV shows, music on the radio or the ramblings and actions of your best buds.

"They say it is hard to soar like an eagle when you are surrounded by turkeys...I believe that's absolutely correct.

"Stay away from poison...and stay away from idiocy...even if they've been your best bud since 2nd grade.

"I remind you wisdom, judgment and constraint are closely related...

"Just because you can do something doesn't necessarily mean you should."

Here you go, Players: R-E-S-T

R (Defense) -- Realize the situation (including any defensive signs). Repeat yourself (communicate). Routine plays. (Make 'em). Remind yourself (of the situation. Keep the news ticker going in your mind).

E (Hitting) -- Expect your pitch and hit it where it wants to go, with the only exception being when the sign (which we get between every pitch dictates otherwise). Every one has a two-strike adjustment. Eyes (broad- to fine-focus). Expand your approach when the pitcher/defense makes your preferred plan unworkable. Adapt and make 'em pay. Remember ... our goal at the plate ... is a Quality AB (hard-hit ball, get on base, or 6 or more pitches) always.

S (Baserunning) -- Situation (Know it). Sign (Get it. It's your responsibility.) Stretch your lead and yourself (Work for every inch you can get and run with your hair on fire.) And ... Say it again (Keep the situational ticker rolling. What are you going to do when the ball is put into play and where, for example?)

T (Pitching) -- Three-pitch approach of attacking hitters with a plan. (What do we want after three pitches? ... On, out, or 1-2) . Tempo (Between pitches and to the plate when runners are on. Manage it.). Target. And ... always Task-at-hand. Focus on making the next good pitch. Remember ... our goal on the mound is to prevent each hitter from getting a Quality AB (see above).

Be ready for Friday. Every one know these. It's our DNA.

See you on the field,

Message from Coach Aaron Weintraub

Here is a portion of an email I recently received from Coach Aaron Weintraub (with some pertinent thoughts for accomplishing our mission in 2011):

"Are you considering dedicating yourself to approaching your potential in your sport this year? I want you to go for it! You have tremendous personal power. Don’t just ‘kind of’ go for it, but give it all you’ve got and achieve your dreams! It’d be normal and much easier, of course, to coast along - even working hard at times (when it's comfortable). Then, if you happen to get close to a worthwhile goal, you could work a bit extra to see if you can win that big prize. The biggest prize, though, is knowing you're a champion even before the contest ends because you've put your heart and soul into your effort. Consider this: the easiest way usually isn’t the best way and although the gap between good and great is wide, the difference in what is required from you to get from good to great is not particularly big. Just slightly more initiative, diligence, and persistence...consistently."

See you on the field,