Creating Confidence on the Diamond: What To Focus on For Success in the Batter’s Box
In the 19th century, Henry Chadwick started keeping records on player performance now widely known as statistics. These statistics allowed for fans across the United States to read box scores in the newspaper to understand why their favorite team won or lost yesterday's ball game. These statistics are still used today to check on player performance. Although statistics are a fast and efficient way to tell us about a particular player’s performance, it can create extra pressure on the player. Therefore, today I’ll go over the hitting statistic that is blocking potential for student-athletes when hitting.
Arguably hitting is the most difficult skill to do in all of sports. Let’s think about it, if you are 3 for 10 your whole career then odds are you’d be matching batting averages of some legends in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Baseball is a game that has a lot of failure in it. But it is that point that the student-athlete has a choice. The athlete can either learn from the failure or let the failure eat him alive.
Let’s first go over what eats up hitters. What eats up hitters is the pressure they put on themselves if they don’t get a hit. Therefore, the biggest barrier to unlocking confidence for performance when hitting is the statistic known as batting average. Think about it, you’re a hitter who did everything correct. You had perfect hitting mechanics, squared up the baseball on the barrel of the bat, and then it goes directly into an outfielders glove on a line for an out. Instead of focusing on doing everything correctly, the hitter focuses on not getting the hit. That’s a tough mindset to have, in a game of failure.
Now, let’s go over what mindset to have when hitting. Instead of focusing on batting average, the hitter should focus on squaring up the baseball and driving the ball. Squaring up the baseball and driving the ball will create more hits than outs, especially against defensive shifts. Also, using this mindset allows for a player to focus on team hitting instead of the caveman approach of, “Hit good, out bad.” There will be times where hitters will make productive outs to help his team win. But more on that later. Let’s focus on the same situation that the hitter had in the last paragraph. You squared up the baseball and did everything correct. After making that out, the hitter and coaches will say, “Attaboy, way to drive it.” The player will have confident body language and realize that in next at bat, the pitcher will be in trouble.
A statistic that I do recommend to use is known as Quality at Bats, or QAB. I had always tried to focus on having a quality at bat as a player, but I had never seen it quantified before until last spring. A former collegiate coach, now professional coach in the New York Yankees organization created the QAB chart (below) and showed me how to use it for teams who I coach. All credit goes to Coach Ryan Hunt for this fantastic chart. This chart and statistic allowed the student-athletes to know what to focus on when hitting. Using the QAB statistic, allowed for the players to slowly but surely release tension from focusing on selfish at bats through batting average, and have selfless at bats through the QAB statistic. The QAB chart rewards hitters for team driven approaches for hitting such as advancing a runner and six or more pitch at bats. The QAB statistic is so great that in the summer and presently that we haven’t even mentioned the term batting average. Batting average is a stat that isn’t useful for team hitting, and in the advanced statistic community. Therefore, I suggest to use the QAB statistic instead of batting average for your players to focus on if you are wanting them to focus on a statistic. In conclusion, allowing players to focus on squaring up and driving the baseball will allow them to free up their tension when hitting and to enjoy the great game of baseball more.
QAB Chart Example:
Arguably hitting is the most difficult skill to do in all of sports. Let’s think about it, if you are 3 for 10 your whole career then odds are you’d be matching batting averages of some legends in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Baseball is a game that has a lot of failure in it. But it is that point that the student-athlete has a choice. The athlete can either learn from the failure or let the failure eat him alive.
Let’s first go over what eats up hitters. What eats up hitters is the pressure they put on themselves if they don’t get a hit. Therefore, the biggest barrier to unlocking confidence for performance when hitting is the statistic known as batting average. Think about it, you’re a hitter who did everything correct. You had perfect hitting mechanics, squared up the baseball on the barrel of the bat, and then it goes directly into an outfielders glove on a line for an out. Instead of focusing on doing everything correctly, the hitter focuses on not getting the hit. That’s a tough mindset to have, in a game of failure.
Now, let’s go over what mindset to have when hitting. Instead of focusing on batting average, the hitter should focus on squaring up the baseball and driving the ball. Squaring up the baseball and driving the ball will create more hits than outs, especially against defensive shifts. Also, using this mindset allows for a player to focus on team hitting instead of the caveman approach of, “Hit good, out bad.” There will be times where hitters will make productive outs to help his team win. But more on that later. Let’s focus on the same situation that the hitter had in the last paragraph. You squared up the baseball and did everything correct. After making that out, the hitter and coaches will say, “Attaboy, way to drive it.” The player will have confident body language and realize that in next at bat, the pitcher will be in trouble.
A statistic that I do recommend to use is known as Quality at Bats, or QAB. I had always tried to focus on having a quality at bat as a player, but I had never seen it quantified before until last spring. A former collegiate coach, now professional coach in the New York Yankees organization created the QAB chart (below) and showed me how to use it for teams who I coach. All credit goes to Coach Ryan Hunt for this fantastic chart. This chart and statistic allowed the student-athletes to know what to focus on when hitting. Using the QAB statistic, allowed for the players to slowly but surely release tension from focusing on selfish at bats through batting average, and have selfless at bats through the QAB statistic. The QAB chart rewards hitters for team driven approaches for hitting such as advancing a runner and six or more pitch at bats. The QAB statistic is so great that in the summer and presently that we haven’t even mentioned the term batting average. Batting average is a stat that isn’t useful for team hitting, and in the advanced statistic community. Therefore, I suggest to use the QAB statistic instead of batting average for your players to focus on if you are wanting them to focus on a statistic. In conclusion, allowing players to focus on squaring up and driving the baseball will allow them to free up their tension when hitting and to enjoy the great game of baseball more.
QAB Chart Example:
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