The Hitting Mindset

Some ideas on how hitters should think and some ideas on how/why they shouldn't. The mental companion to @forcefulhitting

[The Hitting Mindset @HittingMindset]

The great Willie 
Mays said, “…What shape your mind is in, is what makes the biggest difference of all.” Conversely, what shape your mind is NOT in (being overly conscious or aware of what you are doing), is just as important.

[Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness @coachajkings]

John Wooden shares a mindset that we all need to adopt every day.

"Yesterday is gone. That'll never change. Tomorrow is yet to be."

"How can you affect tomorrow? By today. That's the only possible way."

"I tried to get each player to make each day his masterpiece."

Don't get caught up in the past or worry about the future - make today your masterpiece.

Then he shared advice he gave to certain players:
"You've gotta put the past out. Good or bad, it's past - it'll never change. The only way you can affect the future is what you do today."

You can't change yesterday. You can't control tomorrow. You only have today.

Then he recited a poem by Vivian Larimore that he loved:
"I've shut the door on yesterday, its sorrows and mistakes. I've locked within its gloomy walls past failures and heartaches."

"And now I throw the key away to seek another room and furnish it with hopes and smiles and every springtime bloom."

"I've shut the door on yesterday and thrown the key away. Tomorrow holds no fears for me, for I have found today."

"Today is the day that counts. It's today."

The present moment is the only place where you can truly make a difference.

Don't carry yesterday's failures or worry about the unknown.

Focus on what you can control.

[Nick Zona @nick_zona]

A hitter’s pelvis position can dictate their spacing and ability to slot the barrel.

If the pelvis opens too early and starts leaking forward, spacing gets compromised.

A lot of hitters try to fix the barrel, when the real issue starts with the pelvis.

[Larry Legend☘️ @LarryBirdDaily]

Larry Bird Was So Vicious in Celtics Practice That Coaches Had to Pull Him Out to Protect His Own Teammates. Dee Brown Said He Was Always on 1,000.

Larry Bird did not have a practice mode.

There was no version of Bird that showed up to the gym and took it easy because it was Tuesday and the game wasn't until Thursday.
Every single day.
Every single rep.
Every single possession.
Full competition.
No exceptions.

It got so bad that the Celtics coaches had to protect his own teammates from him.

Dee Brown described it exactly as it was. "He would terrorize guys in practices. Terrorize to the point where like, 'Larry, you gotta sit out right now cause this dude ain't gonna be the same tomorrow. He ain't gonna be the same. We need him for tomorrow, man.' He was always on 1,000. I mean, that's what great competitors do… It's not like, 'OK, this is practice, and this is the game.' This is competition. So, you ain't gonna make no reputation off me."

The coaches pulling him out wasn't discipline. It was damage control. Bird was destroying the confidence of his own teammates so thoroughly that they needed him off the floor just to get through the next day functional.

Assistant coach Don Casey got his introduction to Bird on his very first day.

Bird walked into practice, looked Casey in the face, and delivered his verdict.

"Walton says you're a pretty good coach. We'll see."
No handshake. No small talk. Just a test with a deadline attached.

Casey spent the next six years watching Bird be exactly what that first interaction promised.

"Bird was very intense. He was the alpha dog. When those guys stepped across the white line, that was it."
Three championships. Three MVPs. One of the most feared player in the NBA for a decade.

He saved nothing for the game. Practice was the game. Every single day.

[The Hitting Mindset @HittingMindset]

@nut_history Act like you've been there before and know that you'll be there again many more times. Aaron and Mantle were "there" a total of 1,291 times (755 HRs for Aaron and 536 for Mantle).

[The Hitting Mindset @HittingMindset]

@TJHannam10 #2

[The Hitting Mindset @HittingMindset]

@ClintHurdle13 "But God has a way of taking your mess and turning it into your message." 👍

[Cameron Maybin @CameronMaybin]

DAMN! Who knew little old me and my opinion would have all y’all this STIRRED UP?!

Some of y’all heard the word ANALYTICS and completely MISSED MY WHOLE DAMN POINT!

I’m talking about REAL BALLPLAYERS! DOGS! GRINDERS! Dudes who will fight through 12-pitch at-bats, move runners, lay down a bunt, run the bases, make plays, and do the dirty work EVERY SINGLE NIGHT! Guys who COMPETE THEIR ASSES OFF!

I spent a few years around Pat Murphy. Sat in his office, had plenty of personal conversations, and heard firsthand what that man preached!

“PLAY LIKE A NEANDERTHAL!”

Now let me ask y’all something…

YOU THINK NEANDERTHALS KNEW WHAT ANALYTICS WERE?! OR WERE THEY JUST OUT THERE TRYING TO COMPETE, SURVIVE, AND WIN NO MATTER WHAT?!

THAT’S MY WHOLE DAMN POINT!

I never said the Brewers and Rays don’t use analytics. I’m saying I see two organizations that value OLD-SCHOOL BALLPLAYERS! Complete players who know how to WIN, even when it ain’t pretty!

Y’all call it analytics. I call it GETTING BACK TO THE GAME I GREW UP LOVING! BASEBALL! SIMPLE AS THAT!

And yeah, let me be a LITTLE PETTY before I go!

Respectfully, I’m not letting people who have NEVER stepped between those lines convince me otherwise just because you went to a really FANCY SCHMANCY COLLEGE 🤣and know how to read a spreadsheet!

I respect education. I respect analytics. But being book smart doesn’t automatically mean you understand what it takes to COMPETE AND WIN between those lines!

I played 15 YEARS in the BIG LEAGUES! I’ve been around some of the greatest baseball minds in the world. That doesn’t mean I know everything, but I’ve earned the right to have my own perspective on this game!

LOVE THE DEBATE! RESPECT EVERYBODY’S OPINION! BUT I’M STANDING TEN TOES DOWN ON MINE!

[Steve Perrault @Steve_Perrault]

Super happy for Cam Booser. Dude was just thankful to get a shot in the big leagues with the Sox at the age of 31. Now, he’s getting huge outs in a clincher game and heading to the World Series.

[The Hitting Mindset @HittingMindset]

@JonbaseBall @epsteinhitting @TheJudge44 2025 (L) and WBC - 2026 (R)

[The Hitting Mindset @HittingMindset]

@epsteinhitting @TheJudge44 Absolutely true. 2021 - the catcher has an "old school" stance.

[the Sports ON Tap @thesportsontap]

At about 1:45 in the morning, a few hours after he helped win a World Series game, Mookie Betts was outside the Boston Public Library handing out trays of food to homeless people.

It was in the 30s. He was wearing a hoodie. Nobody in that line knew who he was.

He never told anybody. A stranger walking out of a bar recognized him.

Here is the whole thing.

It was Game 2. The Boston Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4 to 2 at Fenway Park. Betts went 3 for 4 and scored a run.

Afterward there was a huge food order back at the apartment, far more than anybody could eat.

So instead of throwing it out, he and one other guy loaded the trays into a shopping cart and took them to the library.

Steak tips and chicken.

The man who recognized him was Mike Winter, who works as a VIP host at clubs in Boston. He had just left a bar. He said the people getting the food had no idea.

"None of the homeless guys knew who he was."

Somebody took a photo. Lou Merloni, the former Red Sox infielder who now hosts a radio show in Boston, posted it.

Here is what he wrote.

"The man that delivered the food wasn't looking for attention or praise BUT deserves it."

Two days later, before Game 3 at Dodger Stadium, reporters asked Betts about it. He did not make a speech.

"It's pretty cool."

And then this.

"I've been blessed with everything I have, and I might as well share it."

And then he added this.

"It's not the first time I've done it."

He was right. Three years earlier, in New York for a series against the New York Yankees, he and teammate Blake Swihart bought pizza for homeless people they came across.

Both of them homered in their next games.

Now the honest part. This was leftover food and a cold walk, not a foundation or a check with a lot of zeros on it. It did not cost him much.

That is kind of the point. He did it the way a regular person would, and he did not want anybody to see it.

He said so himself.

"It wasn't supposed to get (the attention) it got."

Four days after that night, the Red Sox won the World Series. He was the American League MVP that year.

A little more than a year later, Boston traded him to the team he had just beaten. He has been with the Dodgers ever since.

He and his wife, Brianna, started a foundation in 2021 called the 50/50 Foundation. It works with kids on nutrition, mental health and financial literacy.

He has four rings now.

But the night people still remember was a shopping cart, a hoodie, and a line of people who had no idea who he was.

For more stories like this, follow us on any platform @thesportsontap

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

Steve Kerr on the changing nature of basketball…

Fewer play calls. More flow. More concepts. More decisions made at speed. As the game continues to evolve, players are being asked to operate with greater freedom, responsibility and awareness. Rather than relying on constant instructions from the sidelines, they must understand the principles of the game, recognise what is unfolding in front of them and make effective decisions in real time.

I think there’s something fascinating here from a sport psychology perspective. As basketball gets faster, players have less time to consciously organise themselves, think through every option or wait for direction from the bench. They have to perceive, decide and act…in the flow of the game. This means responding to the information available in the moment rather than trying to control every situation through pre-planned instructions.

That places enormous demands on a player’s mindset. Their attention has to be exceptional. They must constantly scan, search and pick up information, reading teammates, opponents, spaces, movements and opportunities. They need to stay connected to what is happening NOW while also anticipating what might happen NEXT. The ability to remain fully engaged with the present moment, without becoming distracted by previous actions or future possibilities, becomes increasingly important as the speed and complexity of the game increases.

Their intensity also has to be optimal. They need to be alert, alive and engaged, mentally and physically ready to respond to a game that refuses to slow down. Too little intensity can lead to passivity, delayed reactions and a lack of involvement. Too much intensity can create tension, rushed decisions and a loss of control. The challenge is to find the level of activation that allows the player to remain responsive, composed and ready to act.

Their intent has to be high as well. They must be purposeful, positive and proactive, rather than waiting for the perfect moment or hesitating through fear of making mistakes. They need to execute with conviction and commit to their decisions, even when the outcome is uncertain. In a fast-moving environment, hesitation can close an opportunity before the player has had time to fully recognise it.

Attention. Intensity. Intent.

These are three mental skills that, in my opinion, become increasingly important as sport becomes faster, more fluid and less scripted. They help players remain connected to the game, respond effectively to changing circumstances and act with clarity when there is no time for lengthy conscious analysis.

But there’s another fascinating layer to Kerr’s observation. Players need shared understanding, shared principles and shared ways of seeing the game. They need to recognise opportunities together, anticipate each other’s movements and coordinate their actions without constantly relying on verbal instructions. The most effective teams develop a collective awareness that allows players to respond to the same situation in complementary ways, even when the exact solution has not been rehearsed.

This is where coaching becomes particularly interesting. The challenge isn’t simply to teach players what to do. It is to develop players who can recognise when to do it, why to do it and how to adapt when the picture changes. Players need to understand the principles behind their actions so they can apply them intelligently in situations that are never exactly the same. The goal is not to remove uncertainty from the game, but to help players become more comfortable and capable within it.

Training must reflect this. There should be less dependence on rehearsed solutions and more exposure to realistic, variable and demanding situations that help players learn to perceive and act together. Players need opportunities to make decisions under pressure, respond to changing information and experience the consequences of their choices. They need to develop not only technical execution, but also the awareness and adaptability required to use those skills effectively in context.

And underpinning all of this?

A High Performance Mindset (HPM).

Because when the game accelerates, the mind cannot afford to become disconnected, distracted or consumed by doubt. It has to remain connected to the game, connected to the task and connected to the next action. Players must be able to acknowledge what has happened, learn from it quickly and then return their attention to what the game is asking of them now.

The future of basketball may involve fewer instructions from the sidelines, but it will demand more from the minds of the players on the court. Players will need to be more perceptive, more adaptable and more willing to take responsibility for their decisions. They will need to understand the game deeply enough to operate with freedom while remaining connected to the collective principles of the team.

The faster the game, the more important the mindset.

**********************************
My new book, Compete, helps players to execute with high attention, optimal intensity, and high intent

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown delivers a powerful message to his players at practice…

He pulls his starting five aside, looks at the remaining players and tells them:

“Everybody else in this gym, you’re fighting — either to make the team or for minutes.”

I love this! Because it speaks to something I believe is fundamental to high performance sport… the intentionality of practice.

Practice isn’t simply a place to improve technical and tactical capabilities. It’s an opportunity to compete. To demonstrate who you are. To build the habits, behaviours, and mindset that serve you when the pressure is on.

And that requires intention. Deliberate, purposeful, relentless intention.

In my new book, Compete, I introduce the reader three psychological skills that underpin outstanding performance: Attention, Intensity, and Intent.

Attention: What are you focusing on during practice? Before each drill, identify the information you need to pick up. The positioning of a defender, the movement of a teammate, the space opening up. Stay connected to these cues, make decisions based on what you see and refocus quickly when distracted. Don’t just go through the motions. Be mentally present.

Intensity: Are you practising with the physical and mental intensity the situation demands? Sprint into position. Communicate with purpose. Compete for loose balls. React quickly when possession changes. Maintain your standards when fatigue sets in. And remember, intensity isn’t always about going flat out. It’s about bringing the right energy to each moment.

Intent: What are you trying to achieve today? Set a clear objective before practice. Perhaps it’s attacking space aggressively, making quicker decisions or responding positively after mistakes. Commit to demonstrating that behaviour throughout the session. Afterwards, reflect on whether your actions matched your intentions.

Because here’s the thing…

You don’t suddenly become an outstanding competitor when the game begins. You build the behaviours of an outstanding competitor in practice.

You build them when you’re tired. When you’re frustrated. When you’ve made a mistake. When you’re not getting the minutes you want. When nobody seems to be watching.

And this is where Brown’s message becomes so powerful.

He’s reminding his players that practice matters. That every possession is an opportunity to demonstrate something. That competition isn’t reserved for game day.

Of course, effective practice needs more than effort. It needs quality, feedback, reflection, and the freedom to experiment and make mistakes. But combine these ingredients with a High Performance Mindset and practice becomes an extraordinarily powerful environment for development.

My message to athletes is simple…

Don’t just turn up to practice. Compete with purpose. Train your mindset as deliberately as you train your game.

Because how you compete in practice helps shape how you compete when it matters most.

[Zach Brandon @MVP_Mindset]

NLCS MVP Jake Bauers shares how letting go of results helped him find a different level of freedom as a competitor.

"I think what changed for me this year was I stopped caring about results. I started caring about competing. I started caring about being in the moment and getting out of my own way."

Sometimes, the biggest obstacle to performing at your best isn't a lack of preparation or ability.

It's the pressure you place on yourself to produce a particular outcome.

You become so concerned with what you want to happen that you lose touch with what the moment actually requires.

Any performer can unlock a new level when they learn how to be fully invested in the competition without becoming imprisoned by the outcome.

🎥: Fox Sports

[The Hitting Mindset @HittingMindset]

@shegone03 But, was it any different when the Mob ran gambling on sports? Just check out the Boston College basketball point shaving scandal. However, baseball was tough to bet on, though the 1919 Black Sox almost pulled it off.

[The Hitting Mindset @HittingMindset]

@shegone03 Hollywood kind of warned us about this sort of thing, though DeNiro played a fanatical fan, more than a gambler. However, it's far worse in the case of a gambler.

[Clint Hurdle @ClintHurdle13]

My son Christian came home from karate with a white belt.

I asked what it meant. He said: "You know nothing. You have an opportunity to learn everything."

That stopped me cold. I was an MLB manager at the time.

Most leaders confuse experience with wisdom.

They've "seen it all" so they stop listening, stop asking, stop being curious.

But the leaders who last longest never stop being students. They have the White Belt Mentality.

Here are 3 principles of the White Belt Mentality.

Principle 1: Approach every room like you have something to learn.

The moment you walk in thinking you already have the answers, you've lost.

• Ask more questions than you give answers
• Seek out people who challenge your thinking
• Be the first to say "I don't know but let's figure it out together"

The leaders who stay curious outlast the ones who think they've arrived.

Principle 2: Your team will teach you.

When I was managing the Pirates, my best ideas didn't come from strategy sessions.

They came from conversations with players, coaches, and support staff who were closest to the problem.

I had to listen, not just wait to talk. Actually listen.

People tell you exactly what they need, if you're willing to hear it.

Principle 3: Build habits that force you to keep growing.

Staying a white belt isn't an attitude, it's a daily practice.

• Carry a journal and write down what you learn, not just what you do
• Spend a few months learning from one voice, book, or mentor, and then follow the seeds to the next
• Seek out people who tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear

The best leaders in any room aren't the ones with the most experience.

They're the ones still acting like they have the most to learn.

@pittsburghpirates

[The Hitting Mindset @HittingMindset]

@CoachPerk "Don't think! It can only hurt the ballclub."

[Perk @CoachPerk]

“No longer did Bauers worry about every mechanical detail. He was more focused on seeing the ball, attacking it the right way, being more athletic. ‘I felt like I’ve cycled through mechanical possibility. When is enough going to be enough? When are you just going to go play?’

[Perk @CoachPerk]

Don’t drift. Don’t lean. Stay behind the ball.