It’s All in Her Head…or Not!

One of our Certified Instructors, Shelly Farris in Maryland, had a fascinating story for me. One of her exceptional students totally blew up in the first inning of a tournament game last weekend.

She hit three batters. Three times during her backswing the ball slipped out of her hand and went backward. She capped it off by walking in a run.
When she finally got out of the inning, her mother suggested that she do a progression drill that I developed several years ago to get things back in sequence. The kid did the progression, returned to mound the next inning, and struck out all three batters. Now that she was on a roll, why not keep it going? She struck out every single batter she faced the rest of the game to seal the win!
Shelly thought it was a great example of how quickly the mental game can turn. I believe the drill progression enabled her to get everything back in sequence so that she “felt” the corrections. So, which of us is right; is it physical or mental? It’s not that simple.
I have worked with this girl when Shelly brings me up for events. Her name is Cadence Williams, and she just turned 12. Her speed is truly awesome and we all think she is one to watch. After giving it some thought, I came to some conclusions. Here they are: 1-She has a strong mental game, so she did not sit around and pout when she struggled. She looked for answers. 2-She has great parental support, so her mother suggested different ways to change outcomes. 3-She has great body awareness and quickly felt the needed correction. 4-She has an AWESOME Instructor, Shelly, who gave her great tools. 5-She remembered to use the tools.
So, what do we learn from this story that can help you?
1-Take responsibility and make changes.
2-If you can’t feel it, you can’t fix it.
3-If you want to be the best work with the best. Our Certified Instructors created over 100 D1 pitchers last year alone.
4-If you work with the best, LISTEN to them closely, and always remember that Rule 1 is RULE 1.