In my house, like many houses, I have several dimmer switches that regulate how much light I want turned on. These are great for homes but not so good for a player’s mentality on the field. Unfortunately, many players play the game with a “dimmer switch” mentality. In short, they are constantly stuck in between. Here are several examples of what I mean:
- A pitcher wants a fastball but the catcher puts down a curveball. The pitcher relunctantly throws a curveball.
Don’t be the one on the right.
- A batter with a 3-0 count isn’t sure whether he will swing on a good pitch until he sees it.
- A fielder who frequently gets caught on the in-between hop and boots a lot of balls.
- A base runner who is not too sure whether he wants to steal on this pitch.
- A batter who is hesitant to bunt for a base hit because he is not too sure if it’s the right situation.
All of these scenarios are examples of dimmer switch thinking. In each one, the player is relunctant, hesitant, or uncomfortable taking action.
When it comes to baseball, you cannot go wrong with a normal light switch mentality. Off or On. No in-between. Throw the pitch at 100% confidence or not. Swing on a 3-0 good pitch or don’t. Charge the ball or stay back for the hop. Steal or stay at the base. Bunt or swing away.
The game occurs too fast to be caught in-between. Do it or don’t do it. Just decide.
