Winning Baseball: "Slow the Moment Down"

 The other night, I made a trip to the mound to try and calm down one of my younger pitchers.  The game was tied, there were base runners everywhere, and the pressure was mounting.  The umpire was squeezing the zone (no doubt feeling the pressure himself) and the crowd had become a factor.   

As we stood there together on the bump, I told the young righty to take a deep breath, and gave him some of the best advice I ever received as a professional:  "Now, slow the moment down."
 
If you, as a Coach or as a Player, ever get "caught up" in the moment, you will more than likely make a hasty decision based on emotion, rather than rational, you will feel "out of control" and "tight", and as a result, you usually make a mistake. 


By "slowing the moment down", you are able to calm down your heart rate, clear your head, and relax in high pressure situations.  You are able to think, to process information and to make wise decisions.  And more than anything, you are able to go "back to the basics", "throw to the mitt", and ultimately, perform at your maximum ability in the most crucial of situations.

This same advice also works for hitters.  By "slowing the moment down", hitters can see the ball longer, can understand their zone better, and as a result, quiet down the noise that surrounds them on all sides with the game on the line.

So the next time you find yourself having to come through in the clutch as a player, or making a game-changing decision as a coach, remember..."Slow the moment down" and you will no doubt come through and make the right move!