"slow the ball"

Great question Bob, and one I am sure most all of us would love the answer to! 2018's HS coaches say about 50x a game / practice "you are only as good as your last at bat". This seems monumentally counter-productive to me, the exact opposite of allowing a ballplayer to "quiet his mind". If you go 3 for 4 with three home runs but pop out in your last AB you have somehow flunked the test? Players & coaches have to grasp that this game - more than any other - is built on failure and adjustment. Not many other places in life can you fail 2/3 of the time and still have statues built of you. Love the idea of 2018 quieting his mind & body, now we just need the freshman baseball coaches to grasp that same concept. 

Bob: I think you've asked one of the most important questions in all of baseball. And as we've discussed, it's the No. 1 challenge for so many hitters.

In my quest to help JP, I've talked with, and come to believe in, Steve Springer's point of view. He's on a mission to help players answer this very question. Here's what he preaches as an approach:

- Walk up to the plate with confidence.
- Have an attainable goal to hit the ball hard.
- Attack the inside part of the baseball and hit it properly.
- Help your team win that day.

In the box, he says it's all about:

- Slow feet

- Fast hands

- Quiet head

Again ... easy to say; really hard to accomplish consistently.

You think he's close?

Not really. When you mention hit the ball, then muscles tighten.

See the ball is your objective.

Bob

His emphasis there is less on "hit the ball" and more on having an "attainable goal."

Meaning: Control what you can control, and let the rest go -- like fretting over batting average.

The only goal is to see the ball with a relaxed body and mind.

How would hit off Bob Gibson?

Bob

nannnnaaaaa naaannnaaaa nnnaaaaannnnaaaa "be the ball billy"

One famous professional baseball player once said when asked, "What do you think about when you hit? answer: I don't get paid to think, just hit!

Guess who?

Going from high school to college (CN) was like trying to learn how to drive on the German Autobahn...

          One suggestion:

1.)Keep your hands soft and relaxed, the hands are the sole to the hitter. As the pitcher throws the ball the grip will tighten up. Start this in batting practice etc.

2.) Take your front step when you see the first motion of the pitcher. Keep your weight back and you will feel like you are seeing that slow pitch.

Reason being front step is in motion (hands back). Not sitting and trying to catch up to the pitch allows you time to see the pitch and hit the pitch with more confidence