And more importantly, how to fix them
Have You Ever…
Felt like you were putting in the work… going to practice, showing up to games, trying to improve, but somehow you still felt stuck? Or maybe you still feel that way right now?
A lot of the time, it’s not about working harder, but about fixing the small things that are holding you back.
My Story
For me, I’ve experienced this feeling more times than I can count. I fell into slumps, couldn’t throw anyone out, and found myself becoming a really internal teammate who was solely focused on how I was doing instead of our team’s success.
I didn’t always realize why I couldn’t seem to overcome my struggles, but over time, I started to notice and take note of the little things that I was doing wrong and how to fix them.
Here’s What I Learned
1. Only Practicing What You’re Good At
Problem: Players often avoid weaknesses
Fix: Spend the start of your practice on what you struggle with
For example, I was really struggling to hit the outside pitch, and for a while, I would either just work on hitting middle and inside pitches in my free time. This reaped little to no award in games, as softball has a funny way of exposing the things you aren’t confident in whenever you least expect it.
So instead of fearing and avoiding it, for the first 10-15 minutes of my hitting work, whether it was off a tee, on the machine, or in front toss, I would do drills to help me get better at hitting the outside pitch. Of course in the beginning it was rough, but over time I began to build my confidence back up and improve my swing. Soon, I was able to loosen up in games and actually drive the ball backside into the gaps for extra-base hits.
2. Not Training Outside of Team Practice
Problem: Relying only on team reps
Fix: Short, consistent solo training (around 15–30 mins)
When I first started playing softball, I wasn’t too worried about getting better, since I was already in the starting lineup on my team and I was much more interested in playing on my Nintendo DS or watching TV outside of practices. But, soon enough, the other girls on my team began to get better while I stayed the same, so much so to where one time I found myself outside of the starting lineup and had to sit in the dugout while watching the rest of my friends play my favorite sport without me.
This inspired me to begin working outside of practices. One thing that stuck with me ever since I first heard it was from my first travel ball coach. He said, “Team practices are for the Team, you are responsible for improving yourself outside of that”. So, for those of you looking to get better, I suggest setting aside a simple 15-30 minutes out of your day to work on the things that you need. A little bit of time and extra reps over time accumulate to big, noticeable differences on the field.
3. Ignoring the Mental Side of the Game
Problem: getting into your head after mistakes
Fix: routines, reset mindset, next-play focus
I used to be so hard on myself; many would call me a borderline perfectionist. This mindset in softball is one that will destroy you if you don’t know how to channel it correctly.
If you struggle with overfocusing on your mistakes, I suggest you develop a reset routine and shift your mindset to one that focuses more on how the overall team is doing. For me, if I have a bad at-bat, instead of coming into the dugout, ignoring my teammates, and sulking on the bench, I go to wherever my bat bag is and take a few seconds to recollect myself. Being mindful of my breathing and attitude, reminding myself that this is a team game and that now all I can do is support the next person up to bat or do my best to make up for my mistake defensively. Everyone’s reset mindset is different, so it’ll take some time to figure out what actually works for you, but all in all, it is most important to remember that staying worried about the past has no benefit in softball, so always make sure to focus on the next play!
4. Poor Mechanics That Go Unchecked
Problem: repeating bad habits
Fix: film yourself, get feedback, slow reps
Have you ever found yourself struggling for no apparent reason? Because I sure have. As a catcher, a huge part of my job is to throw out runners who try to steal on me. But for the longest, every time I threw the ball, it would sail way above the head and to the right of whoever I was throwing it to. I was so confused why this would happen, because when we warmed up our throws, I could hit my partner in the chest every time without a problem.
Well, come to find out, after going to my coach and asking what the problem could be, we decided to film me doing some throw-downs compared to how I normally throw. After looking back at the footage, we found that when I tried to throw someone out, my lead shoulder would fly outside my body, causing my arm to leak behind and release the ball way off-line with seemingly no follow-through. After finding this out, we began doing slow, controlled reps of me finding the right launch position after I transfer the ball, and following through my throw, pulling all the way down for maximum velocity. That one small change allowed me to finally fix my problem. So if you’re struggling with an aspect of the game, I would highly recommend filming yourself and seeking help from your coaches to figure out how to fix it.
5. Expecting Instant Results
Problem: frustration = burnout
Fix: focus on consistency over perfection
One of the most frustrating things for me is still messing up on things I’ve been working on for a while. A recent example of this would be all of the catchers on our team working on receiving throws from the outfield and applying tags at the plate. This is one of those things that can either make or break a close game, and it carries a lot of pressure for the catcher. At practice, we would each take a turn receiving a throw from one of our outfielders and then tag a runner out at home. We’ve been doing this every Tuesday for about a month now, and while the other catchers on my team have been getting better at it, I still have been struggling with it.
In my earlier days, I probably would’ve freaked out in frustration and given up on improving my mechanics. But now, I see each rep as an opportunity to learn something new. I have grown more forgiving of myself and the mistakes I may make, and I acknowledge the small improvements I make every time we practice, rather than belittling myself. This is an ability that has taken me almost 10 years to learn how to do, and honestly, there are still somedays where it’s hard to find any good in my performance on the field, but I promise you, once you learn how to be patient with yourself and consistently show up while putting forth your best effort, that’s when you’ll find real success.
Closing Thoughts
At the end of the day, if you’re struggling, just know that you don’t have to have everything figured out and that you are allowed to make mistakes as you grow. And if you’re looking for a place to start with improving yourself, look to these 5 tips that I’ve learned myself the hard way.
Even though I’m in college now, I’m still learning, still growing, and still figuring things out, and that’s okay!
Let’s Talk!
Have you ever felt this way? Do you have a specific problem you need help fixing and don’t know how to go about it?
I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please leave a comment or message me!
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#studentathlete #mentality #mistakes #improvement #dualthreatsb
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