at bat

Question
when i am in the batters box i am thinking please don't let this pitch hit me, so
i step out a about 6 inches and i am not able to reach the outside corner to go
the other way. what should i do?

Answer
Hi Dylan,

Believe it or not, a lot of baseball players at one point or another are afraid of getting hit by a pitch.  Most figure out a way to get over this and go on to do very well as I believe you will too.  

Here, are a few things you should consider.  This fear tends to be more mental than any physical fear.  After all, although getting hit by a pitch will sting, most people may end up only getting a bruise out of it, if that, and have forgotten about it 10 minutes later.  Very rarely is there a more serious risk because of you wearing a batting helmet and holding the bat.  Both these items work to protect you while batting.

Still, to give you something more, I have included a basic psychology exercise you can use to help you confront this fear and recognize it as a low probability risk.  Here, is how it works:

So what I am first telling you is to think about what is the worst that could happen?  Then, think about the likelihood of that happening and slowly making it smaller and smaller in your mind.  For example, the worst case scenario here is you could get really hurt by getting hit by a pitch.  Then, think about how likely this really is.  Think about of all the games you have seen on tv or watched, how many players were really hurt considering all the pitchers.  This is a very small number.  Then, think of all the games you had at bats and swings and of those how many times were you actually hit by a pitch.  Probably a very small number as well.  Then, think how many times when you were hit that it caused a broken arm, concussion or something more serious, my guess is probably not ever.  In addition, you probably do not know anyone who was seriously injured in this way either.  Think of all the games that are played every day, all the at bats, and no serious injuries.  This means it is highly unlikely anything serious will happen to you.  Now you have probably already noticed that your initial fear is reducing as you recognize that it really is not that significant of a fear.  

So now you are just dealing with some minor discomfort and learning how to deal with this issue.  Basically, you need to understand that this is a normal part of baseball that all hitters deal with.  Essentially, you need to make the decision that you are not going to let the pitcher intimidate you.  You need to make up your mind that you are a hitter and you are going to hit.  The plate is yours and you should act accordingly.  This means you need to make an extra effort to purposely stand in close to the plate for a while until this fear fades.  

Also, if you do get hit by a pitch, you need to take a cue from great hitters like Ted Williams where you should be chomping at the bit to hit again against that pitcher to prove to them you are not intimidated.  Basically, you should be thinking how dare they throw at me.  I am going to get back at them by getting a big hit.  This is the mindset you need to strive for and even if you have to fake it at first, this is the direction you need to go towards.  Over time, this will become a habit for you and will become second nature.  So go ahead and get out there and purposely take your batting practice closer to the plate.  Force yourself to do this for the first few times and you will realize your fear is not justified.  

Good luck to you in the upcoming season.

Best,
Jack Elliott
http://www.baseballtrainingtechniques.com