It's a curse word in baseball language—"The Slump." It's what every hitter and coaches dread. If you play baseball long enough, you'll eventually hit a slump of some kind. But in reality, you have a great deal of control over a slump.
Sure, sometimes you go though periods where you just don't feel comfortable at the plate. Maybe you're not seeing the ball well. Or maybe you're hitting screaming line drives all over the field, yet you just can't find a hole.
There's actually a very quick way out of every slump:
- Extra hitting work – This one is simple. Hit the tee. Get some live BP. Work on proper mechanics. Get your confidence back.
- Visualization – Sure, you've heard of visualization. Yet, do you put it into practice on a daily basis? Well, if you do, chances of you ever hitting a bad slump will be lowered. And, if you're in a slump right now, you can use it to quickly get out of one. Here's how:
You must get a picture of the best swing you've ever taken engrained in your mind. And I mean engrained. Remember how you felt on deck, walking up to the dish. Recall vividly the pitcher's wind-up and how clearly you saw the ball. Then of course the great swing you put on the ball and how it shot off your bat like a slingshot.
It may be difficult at first to do this. If so, simply start off visualizing something, anything, you did well. It MUST be positive. You must play these positive "movies" through your mind. This will then translate over to the field.
Once you have the positive image of your swing in your mind, go to your bedroom. Turn off all the lights and set a timer for ten minutes. Lie down and replay this perfect swing over and over in your mind until the timer goes off. DO NOT Think about anything else.
The best time to do this is before bed or right before practice. If possible, do it at both times.
Do this everyday, even when you're swinging the bat good and I promise you that you'll become as close to "slump-proof" as possible!