Mentally tough baseball players carry themselves with confidence. There is a quote I've seen accredited to way too many coaches to say with any certainly who actually said it. The quote is, "Body language screams. It never whispers." The body language of a mentally tough baseball player screams, "I'm good!"
True confidence in baseball body language isn't from shooting arrows in the sky or any other form of celebration. True confidence in body language in baseball, in my opinion, is seen in the player who always appears to have a sense of calm. It's almost like they have some sort of secret cheat code in a video game that nobody else around them has. Derek Jeter has this look. Although he is reaching the end of a great career, his calm demeanor with enormous stakes on the line has been a huge part of his legend as a player. He's hit over .320 in seven World Series appearances. We all know that dominant pitching is what wins in the Major League postseason. That is what Jeter has done against dominant pitching!
So what can you do to improve your confidence as a player? Try carrying yourself with confidence regardless of your performance. A popular phrase is, "Fake it til you make it." Act like you are confident, and your brain will start to believe it. The brain will make you feel good, and this leads to more confidence. One more quote to leave you with from one of the greatest two-sport athletes of all time. Deion Sanders said,
"If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. If you play good, they pay good."
Let's focus on the middle part of the quote. "If you feel good, you play good." Although Prime Time's credentials as a sport psychologist can certainly be thrown into question, he makes a great point here. The greater your confidence, the greater your capacity to play well.
Who do you think of as a confident player? Let me know!
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