Ever heard the old saying…
“You become what you believe?”
If you say, “I suck.” You’re exactly right. You do suck. If you say, “I can’t do this” You’re exactly right. You just told yourself you can’t, so you can’t.
Truth is… The kinetic chain starts with the brain!
Great news is…
The same thing works with positive talk.
On another note, whenever you find a cue that works for you, let your brain know.
How it works is like this… Before performing the next rep, use that cue to give your brain specific instructions. Because that’s truly the purpose of any drill. It’s to give your body/brain clear directions on what you want it do.
This may sound bi-polar but…
Motor Imagery: Whenever you’ve had experience with a movement, take advantage of motor imagery. Motor imagery occurs by visualizing the movement as if your body is performing it, not watching it.
I always tell my guys to watch video as if they are the player, not the fan. Because as long as you’ve got experience with the movement, motor imagery can be a powerful tool.
It’s tips like this which will begin to connect the body and brain and begin to lay out a blueprint to execute the movement successfully.Whenever you can provide your brain with crystal clear information, suddenly the brain and the body land on the same page.
Too often players get caught up on the number of reps versus the quality of reps and that’s when you experience performance problems.
At the end of the day…
Quality Trumps quantity!
If you’re not practicing correctly and just punching the clock or going through the motions by not making every rep count, you better believe your body’s going to revert back to what you’ve been doing when facing competitive constraints.
There’s not going to be a transfer.
So, the key is your quality of practice and making every rep count by providing your brain with the clarity of information it craves to be able to make effective changes.
Sadly, most pitchers focus 100% on the body and disregard what’s really driving the kinetic chain.
And that my friend, is your brain.
Trust what you FEEL!
P.S: If you’d like to experience first-hand how to see nigh and day changes in the middle of the afternoon, reserve your spot at one of my 3-Day Core Velocity Training Programs.