This is some good stuff here. I can’t remember where I read this, but it is really good. Might be Steven Yellin.
It is all about chemistry. No, I am not talking about the periodic table. I am talking internal science.
Yeah, I said it “it’s about the science.” Ha-ha
Here’s what happens when the game speeds up. The second the front part of your brain, the Pre-Frontal Cortex (PFC), takes over (the coach), everything speeds up. Everybody has that internal voice, or critic, which tends to just get in the way. Here is the science.
If the neurons in the Pre-Frontal Cortex (PFC) (your internal coach) overshadow the neurons in the motor system (the kid who is just having fun) during a motion, then time will be experienced as rushed.
This happens when the Fluid Motion Factor (the kid) shuts down.
If the PFC (the coach) analyzes signals during a motion, time will be experienced as rushed and athletes will feel that everything is happening quickly. The game speeds up. This is why the experience of time moving slowly for athletes is crucial in producing excellent motion.
In the game, when you are thinking too much at the plate, here is what happens:
When you see a pitch coming and the signals about the motion do not move rapidly from the motor system to the muscles, you swing at pitches out of the zone or may even freeze for a split second. This prevents you from committing to your swing at the proper time, as well as your ability to make last-second adjustments. The result is a less than fluid motion. In short, the muscles had to play catch-up. This situation is often referred to as a “911” swing or if you unable to swing, the pitch “froze him”, or best-case scenario swing at a pitch completely out of the zone.
Ideal motion is produced when Fluid Motion Factor (the kid) is active, and the intellect (the coach) is kept out of the process. In other words, as they say, “paralysis by analysis.” Let the kid play in game and leave the coach on the bench. Every split-second counts.
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