Total Reading Time: 5 minutes

Happy Monday and welcome to conference play! Suddenly we go from playing 5 different teams to playing one team 3 different times. So, today we’ll look at how to get our pitchers into their strongest self and how to notice their weak self indicators. Plus a great pitching workout to challenge both of these things.

So let’s Go!

Table of Contents

• Your Pitcher’s Strong and Weak Selves

• A Great Pitching Workout

Your Pitcher’s Strong and Weak Selves

Pitchers REALLY struggle keeping themselves in their strongest mind, their best routine and a helpful breathing pattern. In other words, their STRONGEST Self.

I watch it all the time - our pitchers having a bad outing followed by a good outing, or a great bullpen followed by horrible outing. We’ve gotten used to referring to these in terms of “good” and “bad”. Lately, I’ve realized how harmful that is for pitchers because they start thinking about themselves in terms of “good” and “bad”. Not helpful. And not true.

Instead, I’ve switched to using STRONG SELF and WEAK SELF. This language resonates much deeper with our pitchers, to the point where we can talk now about them starting to trend toward their “weak self”, or “staying in your strong thoughts”.

There are 3 main things that a pitcher must be able to control in order to put herself into her Strongest Self - or risk losing control of these things and taking themselves into their Weakest Self.

Those 3 things are:

• Their THOUGHTS

• Their PACE

• Their BREATHING

When they’re in their Strong Self their Thoughts are action oriented, their Pace is calm within their routine, and their Breathing is give

Likewise, when they’re in their Weak Self, their Thoughts are usually avoidance or fearful, their Pace is rushed and their Breathing is chopping and irregular.

This past week I asked each of our pitchers to think about their strongest outing and describe in detail what they were in each of these 3 areas: Thoughts, Pace and Breathing.

Then I asked them to think back to one of their weakest outings and detail out what their Thoughts, Pace and Breathing were like. It was remarkable - and eye-opening!

I’ve modified the following answers, but below are the types of responses you’ll get from different pitchers on their Strong Self and their Weak Self:

While this was a great blueprint for each pitcher to help give them a glimpse into the elements that make up their best self, it isn’t enough just to talk about it and list it out. You’ve got to let them practice it so they can actually feel when they start trending down toward their Weak Self and how to reboot back to their Strong Self.

My next article below (A Great Pitching Workout) takes you through a pitching workout that will challenge each pitcher’s Strong Self and let them see when their Weak Selves start to take over.

A Great Pitching Workout

We’re entering the part of the season where the pitching load might increase for certain pitchers, based on your staff, and with that comes the need to increase stamina and mental strength.

Bike workouts are great ways to increase both the cardio strength of your players as well as challenging their Strong Self - Weak Self tendencies.

Let’s look a Biking Workout that’s one of 5 I’ve put together for all Zoom Members**.

This particular workout involves stationary bikes and a pitching area. It might sound pretty easy but the first time your pitchers try it it is going to knock their socks off.

One more thing to mention is this workout REALLY challenges your pitcher’s focus. They can either focus on their partner on the bike or else focus on their pitch. It really challenges their Strong Self and Weak Self - and gives you a great opportunity to help remind them to “stay in their Strong Thoughts”, “Keep your Strong Self Pacing”, or “Remember to keep your Strong Self Breathing”.

OK, let’s look at the Full At-Bat Workout and some details that will help your pitchers:

• All Pitchers Stand Up While Biking

• Bike in Turf Shoes

• Pitchers are split into pairs unless Team Time

• Workouts can be done to 9-ball net or to a catcher

(**NOTE: If you aren’t already a Zoom Member you can be. It’s easy and super affordable at $59/year which includes all zooms as well as special members-only content)

Thanks for reading this week’s Curveball Chronicles. I hope you gained some insight, some encouragement, some knowledge or some grace.

Go make this a Great week!!

Missed some previous issues? Don’t worry, I’ve got them all on my website: https://pitchingcoachcentral.com/curveball-newsletter/