Chisoxfn Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 Between the Ears: Q & A w/Sports Psych Chris Myers By Chris Myers March 13, 2003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BridgeportHeather Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 Q: Why do batters and pitchers go through so many idiosynchratic routines before each pitch? Is it just supertition? A: Some would use superstition as an explanation for this phenomena, others might call it habituation or pre-competition routine. Although the difference between effective pre-competition routines and simple superstition is tentative at best, both tend to serve the same purpose - comfort. Whether the comfort is drawn from reducing anxiety (similar to the compulsions exhibited by someone who suffers from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), increasing physiological arousal, or simply providing an outlet for routinized sequential thought, that comfort allows for athletes to re-focus and minimize cognitive interference (i.e., thinking too much) with their performance. Call it superstition, routines, or whatever; but, Nomar Garciaparra takes the cake here! It sometimes REALLY is disturbing! Just step up to the plate, dammit! You don't need to re-adjust your batters gloves after taking a ball...you didn't swing at the ball, so your glove didn't even remotely get out of place. Some of these "routines" lengthen the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hotsoxchick1 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 Q: Why do batters and pitchers go through so many idiosynchratic routines before each pitch? Is it just supertition? A: Some would use superstition as an explanation for this phenomena, others might call it habituation or pre-competition routine. Although the difference between effective pre-competition routines and simple superstition is tentative at best, both tend to serve the same purpose - comfort. Whether the comfort is drawn from reducing anxiety (similar to the compulsions exhibited by someone who suffers from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), increasing physiological arousal, or simply providing an outlet for routinized sequential thought, that comfort allows for athletes to re-focus and minimize cognitive interference (i.e., thinking too much) with their performance. Call it superstition, routines, or whatever; but, Nomar Garciaparra takes the cake here! It sometimes REALLY is disturbing! Just step up to the plate, dammit! You don't need to re-adjust your batters gloves after taking a ball...you didn't swing at the ball, so your glove didn't even remotely get out of place. Some of these "routines" lengthen the game. hey sit through paulie goin to the plate sometime... he does more adjusting to his gloves and taps that damn bat across the plate in the form of a cross and then does that little wiggle move so many times it takes him half an hour to bat...(of course we know it takes him about that long to get to first too lol)..................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BridgeportHeather Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 Q: Why do batters and pitchers go through so many idiosynchratic routines before each pitch? Is it just supertition? A: Some would use superstition as an explanation for this phenomena, others might call it habituation or pre-competition routine. Although the difference between effective pre-competition routines and simple superstition is tentative at best, both tend to serve the same purpose - comfort. Whether the comfort is drawn from reducing anxiety (similar to the compulsions exhibited by someone who suffers from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), increasing physiological arousal, or simply providing an outlet for routinized sequential thought, that comfort allows for athletes to re-focus and minimize cognitive interference (i.e., thinking too much) with their performance. Call it superstition, routines, or whatever; but, Nomar Garciaparra takes the cake here! It sometimes REALLY is disturbing! Just step up to the plate, dammit! You don't need to re-adjust your batters gloves after taking a ball...you didn't swing at the ball, so your glove didn't even remotely get out of place. Some of these "routines" lengthen the game. hey sit through paulie goin to the plate sometime... he does more adjusting to his gloves and taps that damn bat across the plate in the form of a cross and then does that little wiggle move so many times it takes him half an hour to bat...(of course we know it takes him about that long to get to first too lol)..................... Well, at least Paulie beat James Baldwin to the dugout every time at the end of a half-inning! And at Comiskey, he had a longer way to go than JB! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwsox Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 Jason, that was very enjoyable reading and very informative. One of the more insightful things that I have read, and it comes from the persepctive that I am into more, the psychology of it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chisoxfn Posted March 13, 2003 Author Share Posted March 13, 2003 I thought it was real interesting too. I learned a good deal from it and am looking forward to Chris's next segment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mathew Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 I took sports phych for 2 years, some neat stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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