Monday, March 26, 2012

Repeating Pitches

Hello Passion for Pitching Family,

I am going to break it up a bit and actually give you guys a pure pitching blog today...lol!!  I thought it would be nice to give those who may not be so wrapped up in my Law of Attraction series a little nugget of baseball info.  I will have the next blog in the series available very soon!!!

Today's blog is going to be about repeating your pitches.  Their are many kids in this world that are capable of throwing a fastball and a curveball and a change-up, etc...but do you really know what you are doing when you are throwing all your pitches?  Let me put this more specifically, do you know what you look like when you are throwing your pitches?

What I mean by when I say, do you know what you look like, is do you look the same when you are throwing all of your pitches.  As a young pitcher it does you no good to go out and practice your craft, especially your pitches, if you are not working on the right things.  I am not going to go into everything you must know about throwing your pitches but here is a quick tip.

When you go out to do your throwing program make sure each session consists of some time spent on repeating the same aggressive arm action with your off speed pitches as you would do with your fastball.  After you have thrown your long toss for the day come back in to about 70-90ft.  If you are younger then, let's say, 14 yrs old you may want to move in a bit closer then that.  Once you are at the proper distance continue moving your feet and your body aggressively.  DO NOT pitch just yet.  Make sure and move your body sideways just like you do when you want to throw a ball four hundred feet.  Now here is the trick...throw a fastball and remember the feeling of that pitch in your body.  Remember what your arm slot felt like, remember what your aggressiveness felt like, remember how you finished the pitch.  Now try a chg-up.  Did it feel the same?  If it did then great!!!  Now throw another one.  If it didn't feel the same, try another fastball.  Keep going back and forth, one or two fastballs, then one or two chg-ups.  Do this until you feel you have been able to repeat the same motion with both pitches.  Then you can move on to another pitch, curveball or slider or whatever else you throw. 

If you are not doing this drill every time you go out to throw you are wasting a lot of time.  When you get on the mound you must have the confidence to throw all your pitches the same, with the same arm speed, the same body movement and of course the same emotional/mental state.  As you get higher and higher in levels the hitters get better and better.  Their eyes and their brains have seen more and more pitches.  All these pitches are kept in their brain in a nice little library.  When they get to a game and get into that batter's box their brain remembers what each pitch looks like.  Your job as a pitcher is to hide these pitches, hide the identity of these pitches as long as possible.  If you do anything different on any of these pitches to give it away, trust me, the hitter will spot it and jump all over it.  So add this to your workout process if it is not already there and watch how much better your off speed stuff gets.  You will be amazed as the K's start adding up!!!

All for now.....happy pitching!!!!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Art of Allowing (L.O.A. series cont...#3)

Hello Passion for Pitching Family,

You are now on part three of the Law of Attraction series.  I know that if you are reading this right now that you are enjoying reading this series of blogs just about as much as I am enjoying writing these.  It feels very good to finally give you all the basis of how the Universe is working for us and how much fun we can truly have if we just practice a little bit of focus throughout our day.  More on that to come...

So this blog is to introduce the Art of Allowing.  As you get further and further along in this series you will see how these all mesh together and work hand in hand with each other.  As you have learned in the two previous blogs, the Law of Attraction is bringing things into your life (like attracts like), the emotions you have are giving you indicators to what type of things you are bringing into your life and now the Art of Allowing is the key to unlock the door to let those things in to your life.

The Art of Allowing is very simple, it is about being happy with where you are right now.  Another way to say it is, to make peace with where you are right now.  There is nothing you HAVE to have or nothing you HAVE to do.  Your sole focus in this world is to practice how to be in alignment, how to be happy, how to be joyful, with what you have in your life right now. 

Allowing is easy when you think of it in this way...

Think of the universe as your personal assistant, a sexy personal assistant at that!! (sorry ladies, this is a baseball blog ya know...lol)  Your assistant knows everything you want, knows who can bring it together, knows the players involved, knows where you need to be and when you need to be there.  Everything is going to be set up perfectly for you before you arrive.  The only problem in this scenario is that your personal assistant is now sending you a text to tell you where to be and when to be there but you don't have your phone on.  Maybe you are busy worrying about the job your assistant is doing, who knows, but your phone is not on.  Well, how are you going to allow these amazing things into your life if you don't have your phone turned on???  Get it??  YOU must be the one who turns on the phone to receive the calls, the texts, the signals that your personal assistant (the Universe) is sending you every day.  That is the Art of Allowing.

Let me give you another example just in case you didn't like that one...

Allowing is like eating at a buffet.  When you walk down the line and see all the different foods, you simply pick what you want and put it on your plate.  But as you pick the foods you want and place them on your plate, you are also looking at foods that you do not want to put on your plate.  The funny thing about that is you really probably never even notice or remember the stuff you chose NOT to put on your plate.  It is much easier and way more fun to just focus on the foods you enjoy and then put those on your plate so you can go sit down and enjoy a wonderful meal.  That is what allowing is all about.  See the buffet, see what you like and what you don't like, continue to pick (focus on) what you do like, place it on your plate, proceed to the check out counter and go about eating your meal.  It happens so nonchalantly that it is not even noticeable, that is the "art" of allowing.

So what is one of the best ways to be in this allowing mode?  Appreciation is one of the best and most efficient ways to get into the allowing mode.  Appreciation is a signal that is most felt and heard by the Universe.  The great thing about appreciation is that you can appreciate a person, a place, a thing, it doesn't really matter as long as you appreciate.  Since you are here in this moment and I have given you some drills to work on in the other blogs, why not do an appreciation list as a drill right now.  Pick something that is very easy to love and appreciate.  It could be your dog, your skateboard, your surf board, your car...whatever you can think of that is EASY to appreciate. (remember, these drills are very general for your benefit.  They are starting places to work forward from.  Keep them easy and lite for right now.)  Now write a list of ten things you appreciate about the subject you chose.  If you can go past ten just keep on rolling.  When you are done with that, check in with your emotions, how do you feel?  If you are in a good feeling place you are in the allowance mode and things are coming to you as you sit here and read this blog.

Now there is a little trick to this allowing thing that I want to let you all in on.  This is going to be brief because I am about done with this for now.  But the little trick I wanted to mention is about focusing on the process, not the results (manifestation).  The toughest thing to do in this allowing game is to get your mind off of the things you want to allow in and put your focus on where you are now.  Be present and feel good in your now.  Feel good about your life now.  No matter what the circumstances.  I understand that may be difficult for some of you, but it is where you must take this.  Finding peace in your now opens the door to tomorrow.  Trust me, the Universe will fill in the details for you as you go.

That is all for now.  Heading to the creative process next and I know you can't wait to read what's next!!!

Happy Pitching!!!
 

Monday, March 19, 2012

Emotions and the Law of Attraction (L.O.A. series cont...#2)

Hello Passion for Pitching Family,

You are currently reading the 2nd blog of the Law of Attraction series I have been writing for all of you.  If you are new to the blog you can go back and start on number one so you can get the fullness of the message.  You will see (L.O.A. series #1) in the title so you know where to start.  Enjoy!

In the first blog I introduced and defined the Law of Attraction for you.  You now know that like attracts like and that we have the power to create our own realities.  The next step in this process is to go a little deeper and delve into the world of emotions so you can further gain hold of this Universal Law.



Emotions and Law of Attraction work together in the sense that Law of Attraction responds to your thoughts, but the emotions or feelings you have on a moment-to-moment basis are indicating to you what you’re in the process of creating or attracting. 

You have emotional responses every day, practically in every moment, even if you’re not paying attention.  You feel happy, sad, mad, annoyed, frustrated, angry, excited, eager….but do you know what your emotions mean?  Do you know what they’re telling you?

Your emotions are similar to a GPS system, they navigate you from point A to point B in your life.  It works like this, every time you think a thought it evokes an emotion from you.  That emotion is an indicator to you of whether or not you are headed down the road you want to be heading down or whether it is time to make a turn and head down a different road.  It really is that simple.  Where it gets difficult is when you choose not to listen to the voice on the GPS.  It gets difficult when you ignore the GPS so much you can't even realize it is on and working for you.  Let me give you a baseball example of this.  Can you think back to a time you were in a game and on the mound pitching when you felt pretty clear and focused in the game?  Do you remember how you had little impulses or even BIG impulses where you knew what pitch you wanted to throw next?  Then you followed those impulses and the game went in your favor throughout?  Or how about when you had those impulses and didn't go with them and every time you went against those impulses you gave up a hit?  Remember telling yourself you would never do that again?  This is one way of how your emotions can assist in your sport and in life.

The first step in this process of understanding emotions and how they are our best friend is playing a quick game to make sure you are aware of your emotions.  It goes like this...think of something good, something fun that makes you smile.  DO IT!!!  Close your eyes and think of your favorite dog when you were growing up or your favorite song or your first kiss or when you hit the game winning homerun.  Can you feel the emotion inside you right now?  How does it feel?  It should feel like a million bucks, like you just lifted your soul and some weight fell off your shoulders.  Ok, now let's do the opposite.  Think of something bad, something that you know you do not like.  For example, the day your dog died or your teacher scolded you in front of your friends or your parents grounded you.  Can you feel the emotion inside you right now?  How does it feel?  It should feel like sadness or guilt or pain or anger.

Could you feel the difference in emotions when you were thinking good thoughts as opposed to bad thoughts?  That is exactly what you want to be able to feel.  Now you are starting the process of being aware of your emotions.  Now you can call your EMOTIONS your guidance system and not the GPS system in your car...LOL!

So let's have a quick recap.  The Law of Attraction is bringing things to you.  "Stuff" is brought to you by the vibration you are tuned to.  Emotions let you know whether you are tuned to things you would like in your life or things you may not want so much.  How you feel (the emotion you feel) is that indicator.  

Now you have the knowledge of the Law of Attraction and the knowledge of how emotions assist you with the Law of Attraction.  The next step is to continue messing around with the drills I have given you in both of the blogs.  So keep thinking of fun stuff you want to see and keep being aware of how you are feeling from time to time throughout your day.  This is a great start and now you can continue on to the next blog and add another piece to the puzzle.

All for now....Happy Pitching!!!

Friday, March 16, 2012

The Law of Attraction (L.O.A. series #1)

Hello Passion for Pitching Family,

I start this Law of Attraction series with one of the most important Universal Laws you could ever know about.  This is not something make believe and this is not something made up in a movie.  This is an actual Universal Law and it is the law that brings all things together in your lives.

The law I am speaking of is the Law of Attraction and it can be defined in several ways...

         LIKE UNTO ITSELF IS DRAWN

         LIKE ATTRACTS LIKE
  
         WHAT YOU PUT OUT YOU GET BACK

         ENERGY = VIBRATION = POINT OF ATTRACTION

It is really rather simple as long as we don't try to complicate it too much.  The Universe and everything in it is made up of energy.  All energy has a vibrational frequency.  Similar vibrational frequencies attract each other and eventually end up coming together.  

Have you ever heard of Einstein?  Have you ever heard of E=mc2?  Of course you have.  This equation is the main equation that explains how the energy in the Universe works and how we are all connected.  Now I am not expecting you all to go out and start reading books about Quantum Physics but that is really what we are talking about here.

So why is the Law of Attraction important to you?  Since the Law of Attraction is a Universal Law stating that like attracts like and since we are human beings made up of energy just like everything else in this world, that means we actually have a say in what we bring or attract into our lives.  This is HUGE for us as human beings.  This means that we are able, through our vibrational frequency, to attract things to us that we like and love.  Things that we want in our life.  Things such as an amazing baseball career, a great school to play baseball at, interacting with special trainers that can transform our bodies, and amazing coaches to assist us in our careers.  Anything that you can think that you would ever want in your life you can attract and have because of the Law of Attraction!!

So what should you do now?  I am going to continue answering that question in the series that I am writing.  We will go into things such as emotions, allowing, and creating that will bring this Law of Attraction thing full circle.  But first I just wanted to define for you what the Law of Attraction actually is.

There is one thing however, that I would like you all to try this week.  I want you to start to be aware of the Universal Law, Law of Attraction.  I want you to start noticing things that are coming in and out of your experience this week.  I want you to notice how you feel while these things or experiences are happening.  Try this...tonight before you go to bed I want you to think about something you want to see or experience this week.  Something very simple and easy.  It could be hearing a song you love to hear while you are driving to school or to work.  It could be seeing a type of dog that you love and it brings a smile to your face every time you see it.  It could be seeing a bunch of good looking ladies.  It could be seeing an amazing sunset.  Anything that is easy to think about and you know it would bring you joy if you saw or heard it.

Now, don't try to get ahead of yourself here and request a million dollars.  I do understand that that would bring a smile to most everyone's face, but for the sake of this drill let's make sure we keep it nice and simple...LOL!!

I will leave you with a quick example...

     When I was at home in the off season in San Diego I lived in a home where the owners had a sweet old dog.  The dog would come up to my door almost every morning when they would let her out.  I remember one day thinking, "man, it would be so cool if I had a tennis ball right now so I could play with her a bit each morning."  That thought left me as quick as it came.  It was just something fun, easy and pure, where I could completely see it taking place and had no resistance towards it.  Later that week (think it had been three days) I woke up and went to go check the surf.  The first spot I checked was in Del Mar on a community street where there are never any cars during the work week.  I always park in the same spot because it is a block from the water.  Well, that day was no different, I went right to my favorite spot.  It just so happened that when I pulled up to my spot that there was a tennis ball sitting right there in the street in front of my car.  I remember thinking to myself, "man this Law of Attraction thing is sooooooo cool.  Thanks Universe!!"  And then continued upon my day.

Just a little Law of Attraction story that may inspire you to do the drill I want you to try this week.

Ok, so that is all for now.  Remember, there are plenty more blogs to come, each building on the one before, each making this message more and more clear.

Thank you and enjoy!!  Happy Pitching!!

PS....quick note....if you are reading this blog right now and asking yourself why I am not writing about pitching but this crazy stuff...well...you are missing the point...keep an open mind and just read...I will be back to the pitching stuff very soon...although this is the pitching stuff if you allow yourself to see it that way!!!  Smile!!!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

The Law of Attraction Series...Introduction

Hello Passion for Pitching Family,

In the following Law of Attraction series I am going to be writing several blogs explaining the foundation of how we as humans create our own reality.  This series of blogs was inspired by many years of reading, listening, living, experiencing and practicing the Universal process of the Law of Attraction.  About 15 years ago I "stumbled" upon this amazing information because I wanted to throw a faster fastball.  I went from pitching coach to pitching coach and trainer to trainer working to increase velocity on my fastball.  Finally, I discovered the only real coach I ever needed was the awareness of how this Universe works and a belief and trust in myself.

My playing career did not last as long as I had hoped but everything that I had went through brought me to this day and has taught me many great things for me to be an amazing pitching coach.  Fast forward 15 years to the current day and now I am a pitching coach in the St Louis Cardinals organization, have won three championships in my first four years, and run a successful pitching business in the off season.  All of which could not have been possible unless I started to practice the information I have learned over the years on a daily basis.  There have been many experiences in my baseball career where I could have given up and moved on, but through my understanding of the creative process I now am able to understand life from a whole new perspective.  Now I am not saying by knowing this information I am now perfect and only great and amazing things happen to me everyday.  But I can say that I am able to look at all things as being great and amazing no matter what the type of experience.  This is what has made all the difference.

So in the following series I will be introducing (or perhaps reiterating for some of you) the Law of Attraction, the Emotional Guidance System, the Art of Allowing, the Creative Process, Perspective, Contrast, Desire, Belief and much, much more.  My goal in writing this series is to create a baseline of information for all future blogs, a new and life/career altering way to look at what you do each day, and to hopefully bring more clarity to your day to day life. 

It is my promise to you that after reading through this series and then continuing to read my blogs whether you are an athlete, parent or coach your life will never be the same.  Your life will be enriched and enlightened in a way that will be with you forever more and will allow you to see how life truly does get better and better.

Happy Pitching...enjoy the journey and read on!!!!