How to get over fear?

Question

How can I get over my fear of getting hit by a normal baseball? I am a pretty good hitter when we use any kind of ball except for a real baseball. They will throw it full speed and I will back away and use a lousy swing. This is the only part of my game that is trully flawed. How can I get over it?

Answer 1

It's tough. I never did get over my fear of a beaning. I took one in the head when I was 8 years old (my first year to play organized baseball, 2nd game I had ever played). Knocked me out cold, traumatized my mother, and I think it was her fear that traumatized me. Worse still, I'm from a small town, and my dad was somewhat famous because, while he was playing American Legion ball, he got invited to a tryout with the Yankees in 1951. He was poor and didn't have the money to go to wherever it was they wanted him to come to. The community took up money for him, but they couldn't raise enough. Dad joined the army, went to Korea, and when he came back, some guy named Mantle was all the rage in NY. Everybody expected me to be as good as my dad. Not only was I not as good, but I couldn't get past my fear, and I was ashamed of myself, not only for being scared, but for, in my mind, making my dad look bad. A lot of adults were very, VERY mean to me. I haven't forgotten a single comment some of them made to me over the years. I regret that I never did anything, from a psychological standpoint, to overcome that fear. Do whatever you have to do. See a therapist, a sports psychologist, a minister, whatever. Pay the money, regardless of how much it is, or literally BEG them to help you for free. I don't claim to have a quick fix for the problem, because there isn't one. Your buddy can plunk you all day with a ball, but it still isn't the same as being in the box. The pressure to perform in the situation at hand is enough. If you're also stressing about bailing out on an inside pitch, you'll never reach your potential. I can't stress it enough, do whatever you think will help you overcome this, or live with the same regret I have still to this day, and I haven't been in a box in 18 years. Good luck.

Answer 2

I read a book by sebastian faulkes called human traces a novel about the start of psychiatry. the original pioneers thought that there was something in the process of humanising and getting enlarged brains that meant some of us were paying heavily for the self awareness- I think the fear of fear has no function, and their explanation the most logical I have heard just an evolutionary blip like dodo's. when you consider that 1 in 4 of us at any one time has a mental health problem - not being able to cope with our own minds -then we would seem rather a mistake

Answer 3

This is going to sound dumb, but trust me, it works :
Let someone throw it at you over & over until you get comfortable with the feel of it hitting you. Have them start with slow pitches then have them hit you harder & harder until you feel it sting a little. Then stop ; you don't want an injury.
After that, practice your swing while the ball is pitched inside.
Keep doing this until you get used to it.
I learned how to hit any and everthing this way and made it through
with just a few bruises and a lot better swing !
Good luck and remember, you won't die from a baseball hitting you. : )

Answer 4

Some people can't.

The only thing I can tell you is to be confident in your ability to react.

If someone's pitching at you from a 60'6" mound, you should be able to get out of the way of a ball if you keep your eye on it. I stood in against a cage machine clocked at 83mph. Every once and a while it pitches the ball erratically, and I could dodge it. Don't sweat it. Wear a helmet, or even some elbow and shin guards, and KEEP YOUR EYE on the BALL!!

Worst case scenario: Generally getting hit by a pitch just stings for a little bit. Just wear a helmet.

Answer 5

Maybe start wtih someone throwing a tennis ball at you until you realize that's not going to hurt, then move to a real baseball at low speeds, then move up to the higher speeds. Were you beaned as a child or something? Yeah, it hurts but just for a few minutes and you get 1st base for it. This fear is MENTAL, not physical so you have to mentally make up your mind to beat it.

Answer 6

What position do you play? Do you fear the ball playing defense as well? It's one of those that you cannot be cognicient about if you want to be successful. I never was afraid of the ball, I batted second and stepped into the ball to get on base at times. It's a part of the game man, deal with it or play slow pitch.

Answer 7

face your fear!

you'll never get better unless you keep practicing with the real baseball. at first you will be very scared but eventually the outcome will be that the you can hit the baseball without fear. while practicing if you start to have fears again just remember the outcome of the practices and you'll be fine.

Answer 8

I use to have the same problem then i realized that it helps the team and it wont hurt for more than a few minutes so why not go up there and get a free pass if you can that's all you need to think about before u step up to the plate

Answer 9

dont worry about it...just stay in the box, you will have time to get out of the way..and if that's the only part of your game that is flawed...that's a BIG problem..you can't be afraid..it only leaves a buise and you're sore for a couple days..just hang in there, take a normal swing..and you'll be fine.

Answer 10

Remember too, most pitchers are just as afraid of hitting a batter, too.

Don't try to fool yourself - it will hurt. But not for long. Get in there, take your hacks and let's instill a little fear into the PITCHER.