ProBaseball

Baseball is a game that demands quite a bit of thought. There are long pauses between pitches and there may be great lulls between moments of explosive action. Players have to be prepared mentally before every play. If an outfielder allows his mind to blank out while waiting for some action, he may be completely unaware of what to do when a ball is finally hit his way. But if a player is paying attention, there are no surprises.

One of the mental aspects that coaches emphasize is that a player should "stay within himself" and "not try to do too much." This is a way of relieving pressure when playing baseball, according to Dr. Ben Stack of Proball Optimal Performance Training Program. For example, hitting a baseball is widely considered to be one of the most difficult tasks in sports. You are trying to hit a round ball with a round bat squarely. That's hard enough to do on it's own, but when pressure is added by players who want to improve their batting averages or they hear the coach tell them how "important" an at bat is, it adds pressure and keeps a player from focusing.

Imagery

One of the most important aspects of success in baseball can come from having a positive state of mind. If you think about your performance before you get in the batter's box and envision you will be successful, you have a better chance of getting a hit against the pitcher. According to Dr. Ben Stack of Proball Optimal Performance Training Program, making a "mental movie" of yourself succeeding can help you get a "blueprint for precise execution."

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/171607-baseball-mental-fundamentals/#ixzz1VIfVcsRz