The Super Mental Training Book (15 page)

Little said his tapes suggest a specific way to relax, after which he describes procedures for whatever it is the player wants to improve or visualize—the windup, pitching from the stretch position, swinging the bat, whatever. He obtains information on the desired techniques in an interview with the player.

"Primarily," he said, "I use progressive relaxation and breathing exercises, with some visualization about relaxation and some hypnotic suggestions at times, if the guys want that... Following the relaxation, I start describing the exact thing that they want to

see."

In the case of a pitcher, Little says that his tape would include something like the following:

I would say, . . "With your eyes still closed and still in this relaxed state, visualize yourself standing on the mound, looking in to get the sign from the catcher. You see the sign and it's for a slider. You see yourself going into the windup. You see your knee come up to exactly the height you want it, and at that point you see the right arm going back. Your motion starts forward. Your shoulders are perpendicular to the plate at the beginning and now they are square around as you throw. You follow the flight of the ball all the way to the catcher's mitt. You see the pitch going exactly where you want it to go. . ."

In 1983 Seattle Mariners pitcher Matt Young used hypnosis tapes made by Little, listening to them four or five times a week. Young posted a respectable 3.34 ERA that year, and commented that the tapes "really helped me get going."

A few general remarks about hypnosis tapes are in order. Hypnosis tapes can be helpful to the athlete. But, they do have some weaknesses. The main weakness is that they say the same message every time. The message may benefit the athlete at first, but as the athlete's needs change, so must the tape's message change. Unless the athlete purchases a new tape which addresses his new needs, or records a new message on the old tape, the original tape loses its effectiveness. So, hypnosis tapes are deficient in the areas of flexibility and adaptability. They also to a degree lack impact. It is hard to develop rapport with things, such as a tape, whereas it is much easier to experience rapport with people, such as a hypnotist or oneself; and, with rapport comes impact. Despite the weaknesses inherent in hypnosis tapes, it is far better for the athlete to use a hypnosis tape than to practice no mental rehearsal technique at all.

Third baseman George Brett of the Kansas City Royals had occasion to use a mental rehearsal technique. He tried a simple visualization drill while waiting for a wrist injury to heal. Towards the end of the 1980 season, Brett, who nearly batted .400 that year, missed eight games because of tendinitis in his wrist; mentally, though, he was not "idle" during his layoff. Relates Brett, "When I was out, I'd sit on the bench and visualize myself at the plate. I'd ask myself what I would do on a given pitch. I must have batted 600 times in my mind. . ."[31] In the first three games after Brett returned to the line-up, he went 6 for 12, a clear indication that his physical conditioning and mental preparation had been attended to. "I didn't feel like I had even been away," he stated. We do not know if Brett, the two-time American League batting champion, continued the visualization drill through the remainder of the season, but he did place the mental technique in its proper place by remarking, "Let me tell you, it's easier to get hits in your head than it is on the field." This remark highlights the fact that adopting visualization, self-hypnosis, or other mental training strategies does not automatically bring about athletic success; much hard work is required for you to achieve this, especially because your opponent will not cooperate. This means you must work on your mental preparation, physical conditioning, and technical proficiency; by neglecting any of these three components of athletics, you will perform poorly sooner or later, and become vulnerable to defeat.

One of baseball's top hitters, third baseman Wade Boggs of the Boston Red Sox, continues to delight fans and frustrate opposing pitchers with his sensational performance. So far in eight seasons Boggs has five times won the American League batting championship (in 1983, and 1985 thru 1988). This success is partly the result of his unique mental preparation regimen, which contains elements of self-hypnosis. When he steps into the batter's box, the first thing Boggs does is draw the Hebrew chai (life) sign with his cleats. He also does wind sprints before night games at 7:17 (the 7:17, informs Boggs, stands for going 7 for 7), as well as eats chicken before each game—always. All these rituals greatly benefit Boggs: they help him sharply focus his attention on the pitch and the game itself, tune out distractions, and instill in him a positive attitude. Says Boggs, "It (rituals) helps me concentrate."[32] That it has. Boggs has averaged .353 since coming up to Boston, and in 1985 batted .368 while getting 240 hits (the most in the majors in 55 years). During the '86 season NBC commentators Tony Kubek and Joe Garagiola told viewers that the Red Sox third baseman also practices visualization, imagining the night before a game: 1) the kind of pitches the opposing pitcher will likely throw, and 2) himself making the "perfect swing." The following year Boggs briefly discussed this aspect of his mental preparation, stating: "You sort of relate to the pitcher; maybe it's mental telepathy. I try to see into the future. When I face somebody, I look for a pitch that maybe I've seen from the guy before. Then when I do get it, and swing the bat, it's sort of like deja vu."[33] Such rehearsal is wise on Boggs' part, because regularly employing multiple mental training strategies—visualization and self-hypnosis type rituals—provides him extra insurance. In case one of the techniques proves inapplicable for the competitive situation encountered, or is poorly practiced, thereby being rendered ineffective, still a backup mental aid is in place, which will help Boggs perform up to his potential.

We have so far seen numerous examples of professional baseball players using hypnosis or visualization to improve their performance. Obviously, there is no reason why ballplayers at the amateur level cannot derive from mental training similar benefits. In fact, many positive experiences with hypnosis, visualization, and the like have occurred with such players. I will limit myself to presenting two examples of these incidents so as not to belabor the point.

My brother, Lt. Col. Michael Stevenson of the Air Force, is a big skeptic when it comes to such things as hypnosis and meditation. In 1979 he served as player-manager of the Gunter Air Force Station Reds, a team in the Central Alabama Amateur Baseball League. The quality of baseball in this league is pretty decent, equaling that of semi-pro ball; in fact, several major leaguers, such as Oscar Gamble, have come out of this league. In any case, my brother didn't hit

too well in the early stages of the '79 season, and decided to give self-hypnosis a try after all. He gave himself the suggestions to "step toward the pitcher," "watch the ball," and "make contact." Brother Mike reports that these suggestions definitely worked. He significantly picked up his average, and cut way down on his striking out.

Miami Herald sports writer Bill Van Smith related in 1978 the fantastic success a Miami area high school baseball team enjoyed while using hypnosis. The team was Coral Park High, coached by Steve Hertz, who played briefly for the old Houston Colt 45s in 1964. Hertz, according to Van Smith, "uses hypnosis extensively in his coaching."[34] Apparently, Hertz would hypnotize his players and guide them through the hypnosis session, because Van Smith informs us that "the hypnotic suggestion he practices on his team is not an 'overnight' thing." Forthcoming comments by Hertz reinforce this assumption that the sessions were initiated and run by the coach. We do not learn if the hypnosis sessions were voluntary or "voluntary" (meaning, if you didn't take part, the coach and other players might regard you as "not part of the team"). No matter how much free will was involved, the players seemed to prosper from the hypnosis. In 1976 Coral Park went 16-7; in 1977 they posted a 28-5 record; and, at the time of Van Smith's report the team was 22-1, which was the best record in Florida. Said Hertz, "I think we've been more successful since we've started this mental approach to the game."

Coach Hertz's discussion of hypnosis and how it fits into his baseball program contains some salient points:

We want our players to picture themselves in a game succeeding. We want them picturing themselves ripping a pitch for a base hit before they do it. . . .

We try to get it (the hypnosis) across to the kids as trying to accept positive suggestions... It's something you have to practice. It has to become a part of your personality.

It's not like picking up and reading a book on positive thinking and all of a sudden having a change take place. It takes time. Partially, what I'm talking about is relaxing and letting your subconscious—which you have programmed—take over.

You can't take a mediocre player and turn him into a super one. But, what it can do is help a player achieve his potential. It builds up his confidence in himself.

Again, we see the theme that hypnosis needs to be practiced; as Coach Hertz contends, experiencing significant improvement in performance after incorporating hypnosis into one's mental training regimen "takes time." Also emphasized is the familiar theme that hypnosis cannot create superstars out of mediocre talent, something Dr. Tracy discovered while working with the St. Louis Browns; but, hypnosis does "help a player achieve his potential." Really, there is nothing new in Coach Hertz's commentary and real-life experience with hypnosis. What he did, though, is something not enough athletes and coaches do: he actually tapped into useful, "exotic" knowledge that has been around for years. He created a mental training program—with hypnosis as the cornerstone—for his team. Assuming the players were not coerced or subtly pressured into taking part in the hypnosis sessions, one would have to judge Hertz's actions a resounding success.

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More than ever before, professional baseball players are employing hypnosis, visualization, meditation and other mental training strategies. Furthermore, reports of players using mental rehearsal techniques multiply faster than I can verify. All of this is indicative that the sport continues to evolve, becoming more like the "Science of Baseball" than the "Grand Old Game." This welcome trend seems to be producing an overall higher level of play, something which, by giving various mental training strategies a try, you too can enjoy.

FOOTNOTES

1. "Hypnosis Out of the Closet, Into the Clinic," Los Angeles Times, January 1, 1978, Part IV, pp. 6-7.

2. "Foster's Career Saved by Hypnotist," Los Angeles Times, April 1, 1977, Part III, p. 13.

3. Marty Bell, "Hypnosis in Sports: How to Slip Into a Trance and Out of a Slump," Sport, March, 1974, pp. 93-97.

4. "Ginger and Burt Hooten," Los Angeles Times Home magazine, November 25, 1979, pp. 69-71.

5. "A Second Effort," Los Angeles Times, September 23, 1975, Part III, p. 1.

6. Pete Thomas, "Thinking Positive," Los Angeles Times, July 26, 1986, Part III, p. 16.

7. Ibid.

8. "The Angels Try Hypnosis—and It Works, 5-4," Los Angeles Times, July 17, 1977, Part III, p. 1.

9. David Kahn, "Hypnotist Helps Get Buckner Back on Track," Los Angeles Times, August 30, 1982, Part III, p. 3.

10. Ibid.

11. "Self-Hypnosis Helps Jones Spur Padres," The Sporting News, July 12, 1982.

12. Steve Rudman, "Mind Games," BillMazeroski's Baseball '86 magazine.

13. Ibid.

14. Ross Newhan, "Carew Hot, but Countdown to 3000 Is on Back Burner," Los Angeles Times, May 4, 1984, Part III, p. 1.

15. Rick Reilly and Ross Newhan, "Is Hypnosis Turning Mike Witt Into a Winner?" Los Angeles Times, May 2, 1984, Part III, p. 7.

16. Newhan, p. 11.

17. Reilly and Newhan, op. cit.

18. Ibid.

19. "Paciorek, Hypnotist Team Up," Los Angeles Times, October 6, 1983, Part III, pp. 8-9.

20. White Sox co-owner Jerry Reinsdorf was unsure how much credit Misel deserved for his team's good showing, saying, "It (the hypnosis) very well might be just a placebo effect" (see "Hypnotist Harvey Misel Casts a Spell on the White Sox," People Weekly, September 26, 1983, pp. 50-51; this article also contains an interesting photo of Misel hypnotizing Paciorek).

21. Susan Fornoff, "Hypnosis Moves Onto the Diamond," USA Today, June 30, 1983, Section C, pp. 1-2.

22. Thomas, op. cit.

23. John Strege, "Sax Will Consider Hypnosis If Throwing Problems Persist," Orange County Register, May 1, 1984, Part D,p. 1.

24. "Hypnosis Gets Bowa Closer to 2,000," The Sporting News, May 16, 1983, p. 16.

25. Ibid.

26. Fornoff, op. cit.

27. Jonathan Goodman, "Athletes Game for Relaxation Tapes," Los Angeles Times, November 24, 1983, Part III-A, p. 1.

28. Ibid.

29. For additional information on these tapes contact: Sports Psychology Clinic, 10126 N. E. 132nd St., Kirkland, WA 98034.

30. Goodman, op. cit.

31. Dan Hafner, "Another 2-Hit Game Puts Brett At .400," Los Angeles Times, September 20, 1980, Part III, p. 5.

32. Sam McManis, "Red Sox's Boggs Might Be Best Kept Secret in Baseball," Los Angeles Times, July 17, 1983, Part III, p. 3.

33. "A Higher Level," Los Angeles Times, June 27, 1987, Part III, p. 6.

34. Bill Van Smith, "Hypnosis in Baseball: It Works at Coral Park," Miami Herald, April 18, 1978.

MENTAL TRAINING STRATEGIES TIME LINE (PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES)

Personality Tests and Assessment

(Used by management of Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota North Stars, Los Angeles Clippers)

Sports Psychologist Works with the Team

(Dr. Gerson conducted hypnosis sessions; Saul Miller used a variety of techniques; Dr. Ogilvie)

Visualization Sessions

(See Barbara Kolonay's work with the Phoenix Suns; Bill Russell used his "mental camera" while riding the team bus; Frank Zane)