Book Recommendation: Mental ABCs of Pitching

This book was recommended to me by one of my former pitching coaches. Written by H.A. Dorfman—a sports psychologist and former counselor for several MLB teams including the Marlins, Athletics, and Devil Rays—this book provides keywords for each letter (A-to-Z) which provide insight into how to maximize the mental aspect of the game to overcome obstacles and perform at your highest potential on the pitching mound. Although these tips were meant for pitchers, they can definitely be applied to every athlete. I believe these tips have even helped me in all aspects of my life.

A perfect example of a keyword in this book is “Habits.” For this word, Dorfman stated,

“The more a pitcher can develop routines, the more confidence he can have in his preparedness. He will feel a greater sense of control and focus. His routines are formed through choice and consistent expression of the behaviors he understands will serve him well. These routines are the focus of his attention and help him to ‘stay in’ good habits, so he does not have to concern himself with ‘getting out’ of bad ones. The habits are developed in relation to directed tasks.”

Essentially, this lesson emphasizes the importance of consistency and routines. By preparing routines and utilizing these routines while competing, you will feel more confident and in control of your game; you will be prepared to succeed. However, focusing on these routines will not only prepare you for success, but help you retract your focus to your good habits in the face of difficulty.

Anyone who wants to enhance their mindset, should pick up this book. The writing in this book is very straightforward and easy to comprehend for athletes of all levels. By following tips from this book, I evolved and became more confident in my athletic abilities. This book has now even become a part of my daily routine: every morning, I read one letter from this book to get my day started, and it sure has payed off.