What an amazing display of mental toughness by the St. Louis Cardinals! (Click the picture below for an ESPN Recap). It wasn't fan superstitions that brought them back from trailing in the game five times!

 

David Freese overcame dropping a routine fly ball in the 5th and missing a catchable foul ball to hit a walk off homerun in the 11th to force a game 7 ... All this after the Cards were one strike away from losing the series. Twice!

This type of clutch performance comes from playing the game one pitch at a time. When you concentrate on the here and now, your past mistakes fade away and the pressure of winning lessens. You focus on the ball and trust your training.

 

You do this in three easy steps:

1. Maintain Self-Control: Be aware of your emotional state between every pitch using the traffic light exercise. Take a deep breath and "breathe out" the negativity and stress.
2. Plan Your Performance: Have a simple, clear plan of what you want to do on the next pitch (e.g., drive the ball to right center) and commit to it
3. Trust: Use a deep breath again to stop the thinking and visualize your plan. If your mind is still racing, pick a focus phrase (e.g., "Hit it to me"). Feel the confidence that comes from your many hours of practice ... and stay in the moment.

Dr. Eddie works with athletes one on one to get you out of your slump or bring your play up to the next level.

Have Dr. Eddie come to your school or practice facility to train your players in mental toughness.

Dr. Eddie consults with athletes and teams via Skype or phone when travel prevents in person meetings.