Alan Jaeger - Jaeger Sports
Why Every Player Must Have a "Process" and a "Practice"
Favorite Quote:
ounder of Jaeger Sports, since 1991 Alan Jaeger, as a personal trainer and consultant, has worked with over 200 professional players, including 2002 Cy Young Award Winner Barry Zito, and All-Stars Dan Haren and Andrew Bailey. Alan, has also consulted with many schools and organizations including the Texas Rangers Baseball Club and the 2004 National Champion Cal State University, Fullerton baseball team.
With a teachers training background in Yoga and practitioner of such Far Eastern Arts as Zen and Taoism, Alan’s intention is to help athletes merge the “mechanics” of the Western athlete with the “insight” of the Far Eastern mind — to position athletes to best realize their potential on and off the playing field.
JaegerSports.com Twitter: @jaegersports
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Summary and Action Plan below
SESSION SUMMARY
Golf and Baseball are similar in that there is so much dead time between shots, meaning that the mind is given so much free time to think (probably negatively).
What you want to do is find the “Flow” where you’re just allowing your training to take over and remove thought.
When you’re playing in flow/zone there is no time, no future, no past, there is no consequence. There is only immersion in right now.
Rule #1 Game management
Rule #2 Practice
To manage the game best and get out of the external stuff (future/past/consequence) is to have a process. A process is one or two things that you can do to execute your plan perfectly (Alan’s process: 1) Take a breath 2) have a focal point/intent 3) Conviction or attack) If Alan does those three things he will have success. All other thoughts are “drama” and unproductive.
Example for a hitter: 1) Take a breath 2) See the ball well 3) Hit the ball hard. That’s it.
Your process is constant, everything is a variable thus should not be focused on.
Identify your process and be GREAT at it.
Mental practice: EVERYDAY. Not twice a week not 5 times a month. If you want to be great at all parts of the game you must have a DAILY practice. The game is 90% mental so it must be worked on.
Practice: get away from your phone, find a quiet place, focus on your breathing or a mantra and just focus on getting quieter.
“Quieter” does not mean lack of thought, it just means to slow down, relax and recognize what thoughts are happening.
“You become what you practice”
The more you learn to quiet your mind and come back to your breathing and eliminate distraction means you will be better at avoiding distraction during games.
This practice literally changes your chemistry in your body to become more relaxed and confident.
It’s easier to avoid thinking bad thoughts by focusing on your Process! Your process gives the mind something to do.
If you want to change the way you think or feel you must establish a practice….each day.
Spend that time everyday as well.
ACTION PLAN
Spend 5 minutes before practice getting quiet. Count your breath, 1-20 even, literally get in there!
Spend that time everyday as well.
Create a process: Either copy Alan’s process or find the 2-3 elements to focus on during competition to give the mind something to focus on during competition
Create a keyword or phrase: Find a keyword or phrase to focus on when you feel your thoughts going negative. Examples of good keywords: Smooth, Powerful, Relaxed, I’ve got this, I’m ready, I’m excited! Bad keywords: Stay back, hands back, soft stride. External vs internal (body movement) keywords are shown to be much more effective.
Guys, take this seriously! This ABSOLUTELY WORKS to improve performance and attitude and NO ONE you’re competing against is doing it, so you will absolutely have an advantage over the long haul.