Has it happened to you yet?…
You go out to the ball field, and your pregame warm-ups are telling you that today is going to bring a great game! Everything looks and feels good; your fielding, your throwing, your hitting – Life is good!!

Then suddenly, it happens. During the game you make a throwing error. No worries – Get ’em next time, right? Then, another ball is hit to you and another throwing error happens. However, this time, you allowed a couple of unearned runs to score. Clearly, you see your team is bummed by your costly error, but they are still telling you to shake it off – and…. you do! 
Okay, this is good, you are beginning to relax. So, the next is ball hit to you, and OMG!, you made a great play, but you sail the ball over your second baseman, and more runs score…. Yikes!
At this point, you feel you can help the team best, if you were to watch the game from your car. 

First, It Is Not a Question of If, but When!

It’s true, there has never been a player who has NOT had a bad game, let alone, a bad week, month, or worse, season!
Okay now back to the story…..

 Kudos to you, you elected not to pack up your things and watch the  game from your car – Good job!  What’s better, you actually decided to go back out to give it your all! Awesome!!!  Once again, you’ve got this!!!
Well, right after you take your position the ball is hit to you, and you chalked up another throwing error, and now your mind begins to leave-the-building, like Elvis. You immediately begin thinking to yourself, OMG, I think the other team sees me as the “weak link” , so they begin hitting more often to you.  This really fires you up, so you pick yourself up by thinking; no way, not me, not today! You are still repeatedly telling yourself this, as another ball is hit your way.  Bring it, you tell yourself, with things looking good so far, and then…whoops, there it is! You again, sail the ball over your intended target and more runs score!  You reach a new high to your lowest point as a ball player. You are mortified! The jeers from the team are apparent and are  burned into your brain. You know, the same brain that has convinced you that you can’t throw worth beans!

So what do you to fix this mental setback, and can it be fixed quickly, during a game? The answer is yes!  The first and most important thing to remember is, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Your Brain Is Now Screaming at You

It is important to remember right now, that every ball player younger, or older – professional or recreational, have had, and will continue to have issues with their game. That is understandable seeing that softball and baseball are very mental sports.
With that said, let’s get back to you…..

You just realized your brain is sending you messages that you can’t throw, and guaranteed, you’re going to make the same mistake every time.  Your brain is screaming that you are the weakest link in this game! Depending how bad your game is, it may be saying you’re the worst in the league!  Wow, that is a lot to hold on to.

It is As Easy As 1-2-3-4! ​

The truth is, you are not any of those things, you just misplaced your throwing mechanics and you need to find it again. There is an easy “reset” that I give to my students when they struggle with throwing accurately.

How to get rid of “the Yips” when it happens

1

 Keep your head lined up with your target at all times. Do not lower your head to either side. Keep it upright so you have a good view of the target you are throwing to.

2

Make sure you align yourself with your intended target. Have that first step towards your target (glove side leg) be a side -step. This not only will help establish the line between you and your target, it will also keep your hips from opening up too early when throwing.

3

Show your palm (the hand holding the ball) to the target until you are ready to release. If you are not doing this, then you will not be able to line up your throwing arm with your target.

4

Turn off the brain. There is a time and place to do your thinking. i.e. in between pitches preferably. However, once the pitcher comes set, you are no longer thinking – you are doing! You are carrying out the plan you thought about in between pitches. Remember though, the plan can quickly change, so reassess your strategy after each pitch.

You got this!!!