Last year during the season, we spoke about a golden rule of baseball- do unto others before they do unto you. Some people misquoted me saying- do harm to others before they do harm to you. I like both. I want to clarify this point further. What does this mean in concrete terms? Be aggressive from the opening pitch (don’t hesitate) or as we now say DRAW FIRST BLOOD. (Rambo First Blood is making a comeback here).
When I think of some of the top guys: Mike Trout, Nolan Ryan, Derek Jeter, Pete Rose, etc. It’s hard to think of games they played where they were not aggressive from the first pitch. And usually, they got the hit, scored the run, or recorded the out. They aren’t always the cleanest hits or putouts either. (Doesn’t mean they’re swinging without an approach at the plate). But they are not always clean shots, what they are is HARD and DECISIVE. I can think of many Bryce Harper hits that aren’t all clean, but he finishes because he commits to a hard shot. Your shots aren’t always going to be pretty, but you gotta make sure you fire them off.
Think about it. What’s the worst thing that can happen? You miss the shot and strikeout or give up a hit. At least you got the ball rolling early. You showed your opponent you’re coming after him. And you got yourself into the flow of hitting or pitching. You cannot afford to let your opponent dictate the pace. You gotta show them early that you are here and ready to play baseball. There’s no better way to do this than to be the one to fire off the first shot.
I can’t even tell you how many players come to us saying they did not feel good until the 6th/7th inning, only to wish there were more outs to play when they finally opened up their offense or found their groove on the mound. Let’s get the ball rolling early! Fire off the shot!
We’ve been dealing with some of the top players in the country and we hear many players tell us they had failures in games because they didn’t come out aggressive or they started too slow.
When you step on the mound or up to the plate, you should already know – what pitch am I throwing by the batter? What pitch am I crushing to get on base?
Baseball Mindset is very big on focusing on things you can control, which usually breeds the best outcomes. You can control this! In all your games, commit here always to DRAW FIRST BLOOD.
A few points here…
-We’re not talking about some half shot or lackadaisical swing and calling it a shot. We’re talking a full hard shot. One where you use an approach and fully commit.
-There’s no guarantee you will get a hit or putout from your first shot. But there is a guarantee that you can commit to taking it.
-Doesn’t always mean it’s right off the first pitch, and you don’t need to panic if your opponent shoots off the first pitch. Just be the one to take the next hard shot.
Finally, you need to have this Draw First Blood Attitude against EVERYONE you play. Not just against the scrub players. This would be a lack of guts & toughness on your part. You need to step on the mound or up to the plate thinking the same thoughts against the top guys as you would anyone else- what pitch am I throwing by the batter? What pitch am I crushing to get on base? What shot am I ready to fire off?
A final key point is that things are rarely, if ever, perfect. Do not wait for the opportunity, create the opportunity. If it looks good enough, it is good enough. Most people lose because they wait for a perfect moment. The best knows there is none. Your approach will never be perfect. Just commit and GO! Believe me, you will wish you did after the game.
Pull the Trigger. Step on the field with the Killer Instinct. Then get out there and DRAW FIRST BLOOD!