Heads-Up Baseball : Playing the Game One Pitch at a Time [Paperback]

Tom Hanson (Author), Ken Ravizza (Author)

Book Description

Series: Spalding Sports Library | Publication Date: May 11, 1998

"This book provides practical strategies for developing the mental skills which help speed you to your full potential."---Dave Winfield

What does it mean to play heads-up baseball? A heads-up player has confidence in his ability, keeps control in pressure situations, and focuses on one pitch at a time. His mental skills enable him to play consistently at or near his best despite the adversity baseball presents each day.

"My ability to fully focus on what I had to do on a daily basis was what made me the successful player I was. Sure I had some natural ability, but that only gets you so far. I think I learned how to focus; it wasn't something that I was necessarily born with." -- Hank Aaron

"Developing and refining my mental game has played a critical role in my success in baseball. For years players have had to develop these skills on their own. This book provides practical strategies for developing the mental skills that will help speed you toward your full potential." -- Dave Winfield

Editorial Reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (May 11, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570280215
• ISBN-13: 978-1570280214
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,516 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #51 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Baseball

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heads Up Baseball, August 2, 2000

By 

Todd Fairbourne (Softball) (Orem, Utah USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heads-Up Baseball : Playing the Game One Pitch at a Time (Paperback)

This will be short and sweet. I coach a college softball team. This is mandatory reading each year for my team. We study it as a team. I believe the mental aspects of the game are of utmost importance, usually being the difference in championship caliber contests. This book not only addresses with an easy-to-read approach, it provides exercises, that if taken seriously, give athletes a means by which to measure their mental progress. I give this book my complete endorsement. By the way, my team won the junior college national championship. I relate this not to brag, but rather to substantiate this book. We defeated a team (twice) that was physically our superior. We beat them mentally.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best baseball sports psych book I have seen, March 10, 2006

By 

Chris McLachlin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Heads-Up Baseball : Playing the Game One Pitch at a Time (Paperback)

I teach high school sports psychology and have used this book as a text on several occasions. I now make it mandatory for all of my softball and baseball players as additional reading. Their feedback has been nothing but positive regarding performance enhancement. I strongly recommend this user-friendly text for any sport!

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ken and Tom write a gem on the mental game of baseball, November 21, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Heads-Up Baseball : Playing the Game One Pitch at a Time (Paperback)

I feel compelled to comment on this well written and insightful reference because Ken and Tom put together a truly masterful work on the "game within the game". Never have I read a more thorough and complete account of the mental game of baseball (I just wish I had it when I was playing!). The mental issues and techniques they write about are a must for everyone from the casual fan to the serious player. The two have even designed blocks of information specifically aimed at coaches in an easy to find and read format. Included in the book are mental excercises and discussions with many baseball legends.