8 easy ways to stay poised on the mound

The mental aspects of pitching are just as important as physical skill. Here are eight ways to stay mentally poised and relaxed on the mound, so you can block everything else out and pitch to the best of your ability.

1. Your last thought must be positive: Practice keeping negatives out of your head. If you expect good things to happen, they will. Before you make a pitch, think positive.
2. Establish focal point: After a bad pitch or a hit, look at something to refocus. Pick out a part of the park to look at (400 ft. Sign in CF). Have this object to get your concentration back and to put you into a relaxed mind set. Use it after a mistake, failure, or when your anxiety level increases into stress and tension.
3. Take deep breaths: Use a deep breath before each pitch. Get rid of tension.
4. Mimic game situations in the bullpen: Practice stress in the bullpen (pressure situations). Your best stuff is often in the bullpen in a relaxed state.
5. Take risks: When the potential reward is great, don't be afraid to take limited risks. Don't be afraid to go right after a good hitter. Think big: Big dreams. Big risks. Big rewards.
6. Get into the right mindset: First, keeping a mindset of having fun, loving what you are doing, and generally keeping the game into perspective can be a big help.
7. Stay in the present:     Take it one pitch at a time always. Keep your mind in the present -- on this pitch and nothing else.
8. Use positive self-talk: "Focus on the target, hit the target"; "Free and easy"; "Stay back"; "Let it go"; "Stay closed"; "Just let it happen"....