Getting Over the YIPS!

This is a tough one. I can’t count on two hands how many times I’ve seen athletes get the yips and never bring themselves out of it. For instance, Myself. I  had a heck of a time throwing to first base. It became a mental block because I had failed at it so many times, but once I got over the yips, I stopped focusing on not making a good through and focused on hitting the glove. Sometimes that meant my second baseman had to dig out the ball, she was a stud (thanks Mindy Cowles!).

Ways to fight the yips:

1. Breathe… Sound familiar? Breathing is a common thread in sports and many times looked past. 
2. Practice… If you are having a hard time at something, practice till you get the fear out of your system and practice success. Repetition breeds consistency.
3. Self-Talk… There is nothing worse than telling yourself you can’t do something. Start practicing not only repetitions of doing it correctly, but of talking to yourself with compassion and encouragement.
4. Watch Video… Commonly we have a habit we picked up and it needs a little tweak. Visual learning stimulates the brain and helps register when you’re kinesthetically performing the movement.
5. Trust… Even when you may doubt yourself trust it! Trust goes a long way.
6. Accountability Partner… Tell one of your teammates to talk to you throughout the game and keep encouraging you even if you make a mistake. Sometimes you will have to be that person for someone else even on the bad days. 
7. Perseverance… Be the train and repeat “I think I can, I think I can, till it becomes I know I can, and by golly I did it!” 

Now that we got this one off our chest, its time to get back at it and start practicing. You will only go as far as you believe you can go. So every day try raising the bar and say “asta la vista, baby” to those yips!

It's All About that Base!

It’s All About that Base!

Now we all know at some time or another we are going to get the yips, so lets talk about that base. Throwing is a detailed process, and in baseball commonly referred to as a chain sequence. Without one link of the chain you are without the complete product. This takes a lot of time and should be practiced every day, even if all you have is a net. I have watched too many practices where coaches buzz through the throwing portion, which is a great travesty to these kids. Pitchers especially should work on pitching and throwing to bases, since the mechanics of throwing overhand differs drastically to throwing under hand. Practice pitch-outs as well, you can never be too prepared.

Here are images of the sequence: 

To get stronger at throwing you must strengthen the smaller muscle groups that surround the larger one. This workout will be posted later in my “Throwing Program”, I highly recommend you use bands & the total control ball, especially for catchers & outfielders. Ask Jackie Vasquez about the 2009 World Series, when she gunned someone out at the plate! We all thought the throwing program was lame, and did nothing, however the strength we saw in overall throwing mechanics made all the difference. So it’s all about that base ladies!