In my opinion, Drew Saylor is one of the best young baseball minds in the game today. He has the unique ability to nurture, develop and maximize the potential of a person and a player. His thoughts are both simple but effective and I couldn’t be happier to share him with all of you. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
Thanks Drew!
Consistency is very elusive in a game that promises failure 70% of the time. In many ways, it can become a trap. The more we try to stay the same, the more our results – and our confidence – suffer. To be consistent in baseball, you have to make adjustments.
As teachers, we’re always trying to develop consistency with our players. The word just rolls off our tongue, something we say without stopping to consider the complexity involved. Think about it; the very definition of the word consistency is “(the) steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, and form.” So, by the book definition, if we do the same thing, take 15 steps to the batter’s box, step in with our left foot first followed by our right, put our hands up by our right shoulder three inches higher than our clavicle line, bend our knees at a 60 degree angle, then we’ll get a hit…every time. Unfortunately, that’s not how our game is.
Most players fall into the “results create my confidence” category. It’s easy – look up your statistics, they’ll tell you how good you are. And when you’re hitting .350 with 15 HRs, confidence is in abundant supply. You don’t have to do anything; your teammates see it, your parents, your friends, even your opponents. Everyone praises you, you’re batting in the 4 hole, you’re on top of the world. You can even ride out that one bad day, knowing that it won’t drag down that ever important AVE.
As a teacher, those are the players I worry about. They’re striding out over a thin sheet of ice over a deep lake. At any moment, the cracks are going to start to appear, and they’re risking falling in. Results-based players are guys who are forced to ride the rollercoaster of emotions. When they fall through the ice, they get exposed. It’s a very difficult ordeal to go through. Panic sets in, they wonder how could they have lost their mojo? How can something that seemed so easy yesterday, seem so incredibly difficult today? They try every gimmick in the world. They seek advice from their personal instructors, other players, parents, and even twitter. But to no avail, they can’t “figure it out.” They may have been the best teammates in the world when they were on top of that ice, but once they’ve fallen, they provide no assistance because they are lost in their own little world.
Okay, take a deep breath and exhale slowly, it gets better. First, in order for us to fix a problem, we need to admit that there is one. The thought process of “confidence through results” is flawed. We understand that, we experienced it; in some ways, we lived it. We now have an opportunity to learn from this and grow as people.
We begin to shift our mindset. Instead of deriving our confidence from the product, we can focus on the PROCESS. The first thing we need to do is know WHY. Why do we hit the way we hit? Why does the ball go where it goes off the bat? Once we understand, we can begin to adjust. This is where consistency lies. Everyone goes up to the plate, rolls over an outside fastball to shortstop and gets put out. The best MLB players go back to the dugout and break down the at-bat. He goes through his mental checklist to see what the issue was. “Was I on time to hit that fastball?” “Did I stick with my plan?” “Did I see the ball out of the release point?” All those questions help him understand WHY he rolled over. He can make a correction and adjust his focus for the next at-bat.
This has a multitude of benefits.
One, he is able to digest the fact he failed in one at-bat. Most young hitters have a tough time dealing with failure. My answer to them – get used to it. We all have heard the often over-used line“failing 7 out of 10 times, you are in the Hall of Fame in baseball.” Heed that advice. Learn and get over it.
Two, he can examine his process that led to that failure.
Three, he can adjust his process and give himself a better opportunity for success next time.
This leads to the most important realization. HE has the answers to fix his problems. When hitters do this, they become empowered players. They don’t need the assistance of someone to help them; they can do it themselves! I’m not advocating that people become a lone wolf, doing everything on their own and rejecting everyone around them. You need to seek advice from people, but when you understand your WHY, you can filter out the excess information.
This process is not new, it’s not unique. We do it every day as people. Instant gratification has hindered our ability to realize this because we want the answer NOW! But I always quote Woody Hayes: “Anything easy, ain’t worth a damn.” Being process focused is a challenge, but we can refine our process to enhance our product. As hitters, THE PROCESS IS THE ONLY THING WE CAN CONTROL!
Consistency comes from these micro adjustments. The game will adjust to our success. Any pitcher worth his salt will stop throwing you pitches that you hammer. Once he adjusts and starts getting you out, we need to adapt to the environment. For example, if he’s beating you with sinkers inside, then you need to hunt for the ball up and in. You may not hit tough sinker, but when he makes a mistake up, you will punish him. That’s the fast-paced chess match of baseball.
Consistency is 3-5 foot seas. We are riding up a 4 foot wave of success. When we begin to go down the back side, can you pull yourself back up the wave? Adjusting allows that to happen.
DREW
Drew Saylor is currently the manager of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the High A minor league affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. You can follow Drew on Twitter @DrewSaylor19