“The Follow Through”
16 Years Of Baseball As A Coach For Life
One of the most ridiculous things our coaches used to make us do when we were at bat (or so I thought at the time) was to watch pitches all the way through to the catcher’s mitt. At first, you felt kind of ridiculous as you snap your head back watching what looks like a little pill heading past you as you are in the batter’s box. Over time, it became a part of your routine at the plate…ultimately it made you a better hitter. You were keeping your “eye on the ball.”
Practicing Follow Through
When you start something…finish it! Pretend that you only have 3 strikes and potentially 4 balls before your “at bat” is over. Now, you can foul the ball off many times and that is okay, but eventually you are going to either strike out, walk, get hit by a pitch, get a hit or HIT A HOME RUN! Anyone of those scenarios are okay because you are “at bat”…actually following through with what you need to do.
Now Apply It
So what did I learn from watching a baseball all the way from the pitcher’s hand to the catcher’s mitt? I learned how important keeping my “eye on the ball” was…or in my current role, how important it is to stay focused and actually follow through with what I say I am going to do. I also learned that no matter the outcome of the “at bat” or the project that I am working on…I am actually making the effort, I am actually DOING SOMETHING! A quality “at bat” is better than sitting on the bench, so to speak.
More often than not, you WILL hit the ball and if you strike out…no worries, there are more “at bats”.
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