In my last column, I discussed what hitters should be thinking in the box, so I thought it was important to look inside the mind of pitchers as well. Please keep in mind that nothing is absolute and what works for one pitcher might not work for another. And also remember that when I have explained focus and internal/external channels, humans are constantly shifting from channel to channel as needed. That means when we are executing a task like pitching, we shift from channel to channel and there might be a thought and then a perception, a deep breath to clear, and then narrowing focus again with our eyes. This can happen in the few seconds between pitches, so it’s not productive to expect anyone to follow an exact formula of thoughts and focus before every single pitch. Adaptability and flexibility are more important than grooving a routine. Disclaimers aside, here’s what I believe is most important at these key times.
On the Mound
In preparing to throw any pitch on the mound, a pitcher should only be thinking about throwing that pitch to that location. Inside that thought process includes clearing your mind so you can think about the pitch you want to throw, an instantaneous picture of the pitch action and target, and a focus of intent on competing against the hitter. That sounds simple, but not easy to accomplish. What often gets in the way of this process are mechanical thoughts and negative thoughts.
It’s not a bullpen! You’re not out there to fix mechanics, you’re pitching to get people out. You can do that without your best stuff or without pitches “feeling right” when they come out of your hand. If you focus too much on feel and mechanics, you lose focus on the battle with the hitter and that is just as detrimental to performance as a mechanical flaw.
The biggest mistakes pitchers make mentally are both linked to having an internal focus instead of an external one. If you throw a pitch and don’t get the result you want, it’s very easy to go inward and think about why your pitch wasn’t located or didn’t work the way it was supposed to work. When you’re pitching well, you’re repeating mechanics automatically. When you’re off, you try to figure out why you’re off and make corrections. But that can lead to too much focus on mechanics, which can result in negative thoughts and competing with yourself. This is one big reason why routines are important. You can’t think the right thoughts without clearing out the wrong ones.
Clearing Your Mind
The first thought you should have when you get the ball back from the catcher is to engage in a routine to clear your mind so you’re ready for the next pitch. As you get set up on the rubber, look down at your feet and find a single pebble or piece of dirt. It shouldn’t be the same pebble every time, just the first one you see when you look down. You take a deep breath and narrow your focus to that pebble. When we use our eyes to narrow focus, it turns off thinking. You can’t have an internal and external focus at the same time, so by having that narrow-external focus on the pebble, you turn off all thoughts, which means you turn off negative or mechanical thoughts. This helps when command is off, when you get screwed on a call, or when you left a pitch in the middle of the plate and it got hit hard. A deep “pebble breath” unplugs the thinking.
Now that you’ve got a blank slate again, you can paint the picture of your next pitch. You look for the sign or listen if using PitchCom, and when you know what pitch you’re going to throw, you have a micro-visualization of that pitch. A fastball down the middle hitting the target, a slider ripping across the zone and out of reach, a change-up ducking, dodging, and diving below the bat path. You can use mental practice to train yourself to picture your pitch action if this isn’t a natural instinct. And this shouldn’t be a long process, it should happen in a split second. Most people don’t even realize that they do this when they are acknowledging the pitch called by the catcher or coach. But if I tell you I want you to throw a four-seam fastball on the outer half of the plate to a righty, you can instantly see that pitch without really thinking.
Finally, you make sure you’re competing against the hitter instead of with yourself. There’s not a single way to do this and it doesn’t have to happen before every pitch, but you need to make sure you’re thinking about how to get the hitter out, how he is responding to your pitches, and how you want to attack him. This is another way to make sure your focus is external, in the direction of home plate, instead of internal, on yourself and what you’re doing.
Knowing What You Want
Most pitchers in amateur baseball don’t call their own pitches anymore. This isn’t a judgment about whether they should or shouldn’t. But if you’re a coach who calls pitches from the dugout, you should still be teaching your pitchers and catchers to call the game along with you. Why? Because if a pitcher knows what he wants to throw before the pitch call and you call the same pitch, it instills more confidence and conviction in the pitch. It also reduces the chances that you’ll distract your pitcher trying to figure out why you made your call or upset rhythm and timing if he’s surprised by the call. The more you can be on the same page, the more your pitcher can stay locked in. This is especially true if you don’t let your pitchers shake off your calls.
In the Dugout
When the inning is over, it’s common for pitcher, catcher, and coach to get together to discuss the inning. An objective review of the inning should include how mechanics look, if there were any pitch call moments that were disagreements, general game plan reminders, and how you want to attack the hitters the next inning.
Another key to between innings is getting back on track after a wandering or negative thought. Review what happened, prepare for the next inning, get physical rest, and manage those “extra thoughts” when they happen. Pitchers can do this in the same way they use the “pebble breath” on the mound. If you’re thinking too much about consequences or results, find a spot on the floor of the dugout, take a deep breath, and clear. Then get your eyes to the action on the field, watch the game for a bit, and stay engaged with your team.
Pitching is as much a mental skill as it is physical, and the ability to reset, refocus, and compete pitch-to-pitch is what separates consistent performers from the rest. When pitchers learn how to clear their minds, trust their preparation, and narrow their focus, they give themselves the best chance to execute under pressure. Ultimately, it’s not about having perfect thoughts—it’s about having the right ones when it matters most.
Geoff Miller has spent the better part of two decades working in Major League Baseball for multiple organizations. His mental skills training series and commentary are available through Optimize Mind Performance, an app that links athletes with some of the most renowned mental skills coaches from around the world. For more information, visit www.optimizemindperformance.com.