I'm working on "The Psychology of Hitting" and I want YOUR eyes on something special before it goes to print.

Below is the potential introduction chapter: "Desire - The First Swing Happens in the Mind"

This chapter dives deep into what separates the athletes who truly commit to growth from those who just show up. It's about understanding that every great swing—every breakthrough moment—starts with a decision in your mind before your body ever moves.

Here's what I'm asking:

Read through this and tell me:

- Does this resonate with YOUR experience as a coach, athlete, or parent?

- What part hits home the hardest?

- What questions does it bring up for you?

- Is there something you'd add or challenge?

This isn't just about me getting your feedback (though I absolutely need it). It's about building something TOGETHER that actually speaks to our community. Your voice matters here.

Drop your thoughts in the comments below. Be honest. Be real. This is how we make this book something special for the Pack.

Can't wait to hear from you. Let's build this together. 💪

YOU GOT THIS PACK!

Introductory Chapter: Desire — The First Swing Happens in the Mind

Most players and coaches pick up a hitting book for one of two reasons:

They’re struggling and they’re tired of guessing.
They’re doing “okay,” but they know there’s more in the tank.

Either way, you’re here because something in you wants more. Not more hacks. Not more random drills. Not another tip that works for one day and disappears the moment the lights get bright. You want a real change. And before we talk about mechanics, routines, confidence, focus, or the mental game inside the batter’s box… we have to start with the same place Napoleon Hill starts in Think and Grow Rich:

Desire.

Not wishful thinking. Not “it would be nice.” Not “I hope I get better by spring.” A burning desire. Why Desire Comes First? Over decades of coaching, I’ve watched a truth play out on every field, in every cage, and in every dugout:

No matter how technically skilled an athlete is, their mind will always determine the ceiling of their performance.

That ceiling isn’t set by talent alone. It’s set by what the athlete wants badly enough to pursue when nobody is watching. Because the hitter who improves isn’t always the one with the prettiest swing. It’s the one who refuses to stay the same. Desire is the fuel. Everything else in this book is the engine.

The Difference Between Wanting and Burning

A lot of athletes want to hit, they want to:

make varsity
earn a starting spot
stop striking out
hit harder
get recruited
be “more confident”

But wanting is cheap. Wanting disappears the moment the work gets repetitive. Wanting fades when the first slump hits. Wanting quits when the coach corrects you for the tenth time.

A burning desire is different. A burning desire says:

“I’m not leaving this problem unsolved.”
“I’m not letting my fear drive the at-bat.”
“I’m not letting one bad weekend define my season.”
“I’m going to become the hitter I know I can be.”

Burning desire doesn’t mean you’re never frustrated. It means frustration doesn’t get the final vote. The following is required to GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS BOOK, I’m going to be direct, because you deserve honesty.

If you want to get the most out of The Psychology of Hitting, you need two things:

A burning desire to improve your hitting (or your hitting instruction).
A belief that this book can help solve that problem for you.

That belief doesn’t have to be perfect on day one. But it has to be real enough that you’ll apply what you learn. Because this isn’t a book about mechanics. It’s not a book about drills. It’s a mental guidebook for hitters—players who dream big, coaches who want to accelerate development, and anyone who believes the mind is the gateway to unlocking impossible performance. Your body swings the bat…and your mind determines everything.

A Quick Test (For Players and Coaches)

Before you go any further, answer these questions honestly.

For the athlete

Do I want to improve… or do I want the results without the process?
Am I willing to be coached, corrected, and uncomfortable?
Am I willing to practice my mindset the way I practice my swing?

For the coach

Do I want better hitters… or do I want to become a better coach of hitting?
Am I willing to evolve, even if it challenges what I’ve always done?
Am I willing to lead athletes through failure without letting them attach identity to outcomes?

If you can say “yes” with conviction, you’re in the right place. What desire looks like in the cage, burning desire shows up as behaviors, not slogans.

It looks like:

showing up when motivation is low
taking feedback without taking it personally
treating failure as data—not judgment
staying present pitch-to-pitch instead of living in the last at-bat
building a routine that makes confidence repeatable

In other words, it looks like a hitter who understands that the mental game isn’t a “nice-to-have,” it’s the foundation.

Your Commitment (One Sentence)

Write this down. Say it out loud. Put it where you’ll see it. Use the following statement as a guide, or an example of what you might say. It is much more effective if you put this statement into your own words. Use something that you would say, just make sure the meaning remains the same.

“I have a burning desire to become a better hitter (and/or a better hitting coach), and I will apply what I learn until it becomes who I am.”

That’s where transformation starts. Because once desire is real, the rest becomes possible. And that’s what this book is here to do:

shorten the learning curve, remove self-limiting beliefs, and help you build a powerful, repeatable mindset for hitting excellence.

Let’s begin.

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