DuraCatch™ Mental Mindset
DOJO MINDSET | |6|5|2023
A DuraCatch™ Exclusive
Seniors—
As you finish your high school careers, take a moment to thank the people who made it possible for you to play the game.
Thank your coaches for teaching you the game.
Thank your teammates for standing by your side and pushing you to get better.
Thank your friends for coming out to cheer for you.
Thank your grandparents for all the bats and balls and gloves and shoes they’ve bought for you over the years.
And thank your parents for giving up their weekends to drive you to tournaments, sacrificing to find you the best private instructors, putting up with your complaining after a bad game (and still giving you a pat on the back), and showing up at every game.
Never forget: we are nothing without those who support us.
DOJO MINDSET | 5|15|2023
A DuraCatch™ Exclusive
You’re cruising through a game, and your pitcher has everything working today. His fastball has life and he’s spotting it up. He’s throwing his slider for quality strikes early in the count, and the hitters can’t touch it with two strikes. His changeup has batters from both sides of the plate out on their front foot, and it’s getting quick weak outs when he’s behind in the count. He’s strutting around like a fighting rooster.
With two outs, he runs into his first 3-2 count of the game, and he nails the corner with a comeback sinker. You catch it perfectly…and the umpire calls it a ball. Your pitcher swears into his mitt, catches the ball, and takes a long pouty walk around the mound. Runner on first.
The very next pitch is another perfect sinker, and the hitter pulls a harmless three-hopper to the shortstop, but it takes a bad hop and he can’t quite field it. Now your pitcher’s head drops and he raises his palms to the sky, as though catching raindrops. Runners on first and second.
Four pitches later, he finds himself in a 2-2 count, and he unleashes the slider that’s been wiping out hitters all day, but this one backs up and gets smoked into the gap for a two-run double. He just stands in the middle of the field as the play unfolds, not even backing up the play at the plate. Two runs in and a runner on second. Here comes the pitching coach.
You’re late. You missed the moment.
Can you spot it? Not the double. Not the hanging slider. I’ll give you a hint: after the walk, before the bad hop.
Now you see it: the moment his body language changed. He was focused on THAT borderline call, then THAT bad-luck play, then THAT two-run double.
Might the inning have gone differently if you had gone to the mound, at the exact moment when you first noticed a change in his body language, and brought his focus back to executing THIS pitch?
DOJO MINDSET | 4|24|2023
A DuraCatch™ Exclusive
You’ve worked diligently to quicken your release, strengthen your arm, and throw accurately, and your throws between innings are automatic. You move into the pitch, catch the ball deep, and release firm throws into the tag zone in around 1.90 seconds. You’re feeling pretty good about the work you’ve put in, and your confidence is high.
The first hitter of the inning gets a base hit, and as you give the sign for the first pitch, you’re thinking, “I’m going to throw this guy out.” Good thought, right?
Let’s see how it plays out…
The runner gets a good jump and your pitcher is slow to the plate. As you see the play develop, your brain is screaming, “Hurry up! There’s no time! Throw him out!” So, you lunge and reach out for the ball, exchange it as fast as you with your feet scrambling beneath, and blindly uncork the hardest throw you can muster. The ball sails high and to the right, and the runner slides into the base, pops up, and runs to third when he sees the ball rolling into center field. You never get a pop time because it never touched the infielder’s glove.
What went wrong?
Was it the wild, uncontrolled throw?
Was it the messy footwork?
Was it the hurried exchange?
Was it the lunge?
Was it the reach for the pitch?
Or was it your thought?
What was on your mind when you were firing pellets right on the bag between innings?
What changed?
DOJO MINDSET | 4|10|2023
A DuraCatch™ Exclusive
Emotions are contagious. By reading the body language of our teammates, most notably the leaders, we tend to sync-up with their emotional state. This is especially true when things go wrong. We start looking around to see how others feel about what’s happening.
“Oh, crap! What do we do now?”
What does this mean for the catcher? You’re the only player who faces the entire team. You have eight sets of eyes pointed directly at you, which makes you the de facto leader on the field. How you carry yourself directly influences the emotional state of your entire team.
When your pitcher gives up a bomb, do you shake your head? When the umpire doesn’t call a strike after you perfectly receive a borderline pitch, do you pout? When the shortstop boots a routine ground ball, do you throw your hands up in the air? When you miss an easy block, do you hang your head and slump your shoulders?
What do your teammates think in these moments?
Would they respond differently if you simply kept your head up and your chest out?
Who is in the best position to anchor your team?
DOJO MINDSET | 3|28|2023
A DuraCatch™ Exclusive
Where is your head?
Are you in middle school hoping to make the freshman team next year?
Are you a junior varsity player working toward a starting role on the varsity team?
Are you shooting for a college team, maybe even Division I?
Are you a college player hoping they call your name in the amateur draft?
Are you a minor leaguer, shooting for the big leagues?
Are you a big leaguer who wants to be an all-star?
This is here.
That is there.
This is the level you’re playing at.
That is the level you want to reach.
Do you think you can reach that without first taking care of this?
DOJO MINDSET | 2.28.2023
A DuraCatch™ Exclusive
Take a breath.
If you’re like me, you probably inhaled first, then exhaled. You expanded your chest, then relaxed it to let the air back out.
Observe the effect of this breath on your body and mind. Describe any changes to your vision, your body posture, or any subtle changes to your emotional state.
Ok. Take another breath.
This time exhale first, contracting your abs to push the air out, then relax them to let the air pour back in.
Is anything different?
Ok. Take another breath.
This time exhale first, but control of the airflow. Use your abs and core to slowly and smoothly push the air completely out of your lungs, all the way to the bottom, then relax your entire torso and let the air pour freely and effortlessly back into your lungs.
Does the world around you seem to be in a little sharper focus? Do you feel a balance of tension and relaxation in your body? Has the noisy chatter in your mind begun to settle?
You are beginning to discover the link between your body and mind.
How can you use this?
DOJO MINDSET | 2.13.2023
A DuraCatch™ Exclusive
We are bombarded daily with messages and theories about movement. Be quick! Be powerful! Be efficient! But we don’t hear a lot about timing. When should I be quick? When should I be powerful? How can I be efficient?
What happens at the beginning of the play determines the end of the play. If you are late at the beginning, you will end up chasing the play and the pitch will move your glove, regardless of the speed, strength or efficiency of your move. If you are on-time, you will be waiting for the pitch and you will stop it when it comes to you. And you’ll find that you need much less speed and power than you thought you did.
Waiting for the play allows your eyes to move your body without your brain getting in the way. When you’re late, your eyes are still moving as the pitch is delivered so they’re late to focus on the ball and your brain panics and your muscles tense up and your rhythm is destroyed and you end up chasing the play. When you’re on time, your eyes settle, they pick up the pitch quicker, and they move your body fluidly and smoothly in response to the ball.
When you can calmly and quietly wait — not tense or relaxed, but engaged — you will experience the quality of move you have been searching for all along. Your eyes will take your glove to the ball on time — without any extra manipulation — and you can stop that pitch at any point. Your eyes will have time to read when a pitch will be in the dirt — without anticipating or cheating — and you can respond easily to block a dirt-ball. Your eyes will see the runner break early, and you will roll into your throwing rhythm without panic.
This sounds mechanical, right?
Wrong.
This is about intention.
Are you trying to look good as you slide casually into your stance? Do you feel quicker if you’re moving before the pitch comes? Are you paranoid about base runners relaying pitch locations?
Or, do you just want to be ready for this play?
DOJO MINDSET | 1.30.2023
A DuraCatch™ Exclusive
Why are you doing this to yourself?
Why did you choose daily pain and exhaustion?
Why did you choose to tattoo your inner thighs with colorfully blossoming bruises?
Why did you choose to take the blame for every hung pitch and hard-hit ball?
Why did you choose fractured and dislocated fingers?
Why did you choose the effort and responsibility of learning the other team’s weaknesses?
Why did you choose to be a grunt?
More importantly, do you think you have the right to complain about any of it?
After all, you chose it…
DOJO MINDSET | 1.16.2023
A DuraCatch™ Exclusive
It’s time to start working with pitchers again. Winter vacations are over, pitchers are taking the mound again to prepare for the upcoming season, and they need you to catch their bullpens. This is your best opportunity to practice for a couple reasons.
First, catching a bullpen provides game-speed reps with inconsistent locations. Nothing prepares you to catch in a game like bullpen work. It can be chaotic and unexpected, much like a game. Elite catchers use these sessions to mindfully hone their skills. They set up on time, paying attention to their balance and stability. They read each pitch and respond accordingly and correctly. They receive each pitch properly, working it back to the zone and holding it for a count. They block pitches in the dirt without cheating. They work on throwing exchange and footwork. In a nutshell, they see the bullpen session as an opportunity to improve at game-speed. Mediocre catchers see bullpens as a chore. They just catch the ball and throw it back without focusing on their technique.
Second, catching bullpens offers an opportunity to build trust with their pitchers. Before his pitcher even steps on the mound, an elite catcher talks with him about the upcoming session. What are you working on? How can I help you? He establishes a personal connection with the pitcher, and lets him know he cares. Once the bullpen starts, he works to help his pitcher execute, providing encouraging, but honest feedback. Afterward, he meets him again face-to-face, and provides any further feedback the pitcher wants. He develops his communication skills, and at the same time gains the trust of his pitching staff.
So, the next time you strap on the gear to catch a bullpen, consider what you’re about to do. If you see it as an opportunity to improve your skills and strengthen relationships with your pitchers, then your work will pay off. If you see it as a chore, and you can’t wait to get it over, then you might as well just set up a catch-net and walk away.
DOJO MINDSET | 1.2.2023
A DuraCatch™ Exclusive
If you’ve been following our Mindset blog and Midweek Motivations so far, you’ve noticed a lot of quotes and ideas from people who have absolutely nothing to do with baseball. You probably don’t even recognize many of the names attached to the quotes. There’s a reason for that.
Baseball as an “industry” can start sounding like an echo chamber. Coaches and “gurus” say the same things back and forth, maybe with a little different wording, and each one slightly louder than the next, until they’re essentially screaming the same message back at each other. In all of this noise the message gets lost, and players can get confused.
To gain some clarity and perspective, try stepping outside the echo chamber and look into disciplines that seemingly have nothing to do with baseball. You will find fresh voices, speaking at a normal volume about their craft, and they almost always offer lessons you can directly apply to your game: mental focus, leadership skills, awareness and mindfulness, physical training, stress management, decision-making, balance and movement, and the list goes on…
Here is a short list of some of my favorite “baseball” books to get started:
— The Tao of Jeet Kune Do, by Bruce Lee
— The Inner Game of Tennis, by Timothy Gallwey
— The Talent Code, by Daniel Coyle
— Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell
Some of the most important lessons I’ve learned about baseball came from way outside the game. An expert from another field just may be holding the key that opens up the next level of your game, so why not take a look at what they have to say?
DOJO MINDSET | 12.19.22
A DuraCatch™ Exclusive
Welcome back to the dojo. You’re right in the middle of your off-season training program by now. You’ve identified the best techniques. You’ve been concentrating on the the details. But it’s starting to get a little boring. It feels like you’re doing the same drills over and over again, and you’re still months away from your first game. A thought begins to creep in…what’s the point?
The point is a free mind. “Mu-shin” (pronounced moo-sheen) is a Japanese word that means “no-mind.” It doesn’t mean ignorant, stupid, or unintelligent, but rather having a mind free of conscious thought. In the dojo, martial artists train their moves with endless repetition so they don’t have to consciously choose to punch, block or kick while they’re actually fighting. They work tirelessly to make their physical movements automatic, thus freeing their mind to be aware and responsive during action. In a state of mu-shin, their body becomes loose, quick and powerful.
In baseball we call this state of mind “being in the zone.” Being in the zone has nothing to do with success or failure. It means responding automatically and “effortlessly” within the flow of the action, free from the tension caused by conscious thought. You’re just playing the game. This doesn’t happen by accident. Elite performers prepare themselves to play in the zone. Their bodies and minds have been trained, so they can let go and simply respond to the action.
A clear mind leads to elite performance, and the key to a clear mind is repetition. Repetition builds muscle memory. Repetition frees your body. Repetition creates mu-shin. Repetition allows you to play in the zone. Repetition wins the fight BEFORE the fight.
So, if you’re interested in elite performance, quit complaining about your boredom, and do another rep, and another one, and another one, until you can do it without thinking.
DOJO MINDSET | 12.5.22
A DuraCatch™ Exclusive
Mastering Details
Welcome back to the dojo. You’ve begun your off-season training program by now, you’ve been experimenting with some different styles, and you’ve chosen some techniques that work for you. Now it’s time to focus on the details.
The smallest detail is the difference between keeping a strike at the bottom of the zone and pushing it out for a ball; between smothering a pitch in the dirt and chasing it to the backstop; between throwing out a base runner and watching him slide in with a stolen base. The difference is quicker than thought. In very rough terms, human reaction time is 0.2 second; 0.1 second for your eye to focus on a moving object, and 0.1 second for your brain to respond. Once out of the pitcher’s hand, it takes a fastball about 0.4 second to reach the plate, giving you 0.2 second to beat the ball to the spot after you’ve recognized it.
How can you work in such a thin sliver of time?
Master the details with mindfulness. Mindfulness means complete focus in THIS moment, not allowing your mind to wander for any reason. It means attending to the “little” things that most people ignore, not cutting corners. Sloppy moves in practice create longer moves in the game, and more lost strikes, missed blocks, and stolen bases. Consistently focusing your thoughts and movements while training makes your actions quicker and more precise when it counts.
Train mindfully. In drills, give yourself some time before and after the movement. Pause…Movement…Pause. Make your movements crisp and precise. Use your breath to control your energy and tempo. Reflect on the move you just made, and mentally note the adjustment you will make for the next rep. Be the boss of your body.
Right now, you are almost done reading this article. Are you thinking about how these words can help you become an elite catcher? Are you thinking about ways to incorporate this idea into your next training session? Will you read this again, looking for a detail you might have missed the first time? Or, are you just plowing through it so you can check your Instagram feed?
DOJO MINDSET | 11.21.22
A DuraCatch™ Exclusive
The Power of an Open Mind
Thanksgiving is almost here, and it seems like the baseball world is at rest. Ordinary players are kicking back, getting ready to watch football and fill up on turkey, thinking there is plenty of time to get ready for the season. But for elite catchers, the time to win next season has already begun. It’s time to get in the dojo and train.
The first step is choosing techniques that work best for you, and an open-minded approach will allow you to explore and learn, sifting through all the different possibilities. Everybody claims to have the “best” technique for catchers. Crusty old-school coaches repeat the same techniques their coach taught them, and their coach’s coach taught them. On the other hand, an army of new-school catching gurus flood our social media accounts, each one preaching the “best” ways to receive, block and throw, and “proving” their theories by citing (specially selected) Major League stats and (specially selected) video clips. But how do you choose the best one for you?
Question everything. Does the stubborn loyalty of old-school coaches blind them to the evolution of the game? Are they willing to break with tradition and adjust their lessons to fit your individual needs? Do new-school coaches know how your mind works and your body moves? Does their single “best” way account for your abilities? Aren’t both of these groups just trying to fit catchers into their own mold? If you simply take their word for it, whether old-school or new-school, you are blindly following someone’s theory of what “should be”, but not paying attention to “what is”. Instead, find out for yourself what actually works for you, and what doesn’t. Try and fail.
Hopefully, by now you’re asking yourself, “Why am I listening to someone who wants me to fail?” You’re catching on…
Nobody wants to fail, but there really is no other way to compare techniques. With a closed-mind, you might be overlooking methods that could unlock better performance. Even if you feel like your techniques are good, simply trying other methods will allow you to compare. You may only confirm that your original method works better, or you may discover a technique that brings your game to the next level. Neither is possible without testing, failing, and comparing.
Timing is everything. Fail in the dojo before the fight. You are guaranteed to fail when you try something for the first time, which is why training sessions are the perfect place to explore. The game is absolutely the wrong time to try something completely new. Explore new techniques with an open mind before the games start, so you have freedom to explore and test new ideas without risking poor performance when it counts. By allowing you to embrace failure in this environment, an open mind becomes a powerful tool that can reveal the best techniques…for you.
So, it’s almost Thanksgiving. It’s time to get the failure out of your system before the season starts.
It’s time to get back in the dojo.
DOJO MINDSET | 11.7.22
A DuraCatch™ Exclusive
Win First, Then Fight
In Japanese, the word dojo means “Place of the Way” or “Place of the Path.” The dojo is where martial artists train in the way of Karate or take the path of Aikido. It’s more than just a gym for working out; they don’t practice kicks, punches, or throws in the dojo. They cultivate both mind and body. They learn to see, think and move according to their chosen art, and how to respond to the world around them as it unfolds. It is a sacred place, respected by teachers and students alike.
The dojo mindset is the spirit of preparation. It means recognizing that the fight is won before it happens. It means exploring many techniques with open-mindedness, then concentrating only on the most effective ones. It means focusing mindfully to master even the smallest details. It means repeating endlessly simple elements of recognition and movement until they are thoughtless and automatic. The dojo mindset allows the fighter’s mind to be free when the fight actually takes place.
There are essentially two types of people: trained and untrained. An untrained person reacts to a situation emotionally, unpredictably, and ineffectively. A trained person responds to the same situation efficiently, automatically, and without fear. The trained person wins the fight before it happens. As catchers, while we are not preparing for an actual fistfight, we train with the dojo mindset to win before we play.
So, have you already won, or are you waiting for the game to start?
Are you trained or untrained?
Welcome to the Dojo.
The Florida Baseball Ranch Staff.