What's the Count?: Mental plans for pitchers and hitters in fastpitch softball

Book Synopsis: In any competition, an athlete is looking for an edge. An advantage on the opponent that will increase the chances of winning. Having an advantage does not guarantee a victory, but having it supplies a benefit that will put the athlete in a favorable position to succeed. How then do you get an advantage on your opponent in the game of fastpitch softball? Since fastpitch softball is primarily a series of individual battles between the pitcher and the batter, a victory in these battles is the key to an individual’s success at the game. It is also typically the key to a team’s success because the outcome of any game is usually determined by who wins most of these battles.

What’s the Count? gives you a plan to consistently gain an advantage in these battles. This book is about knowing what an advantage is, getting it, and then making the most of it. It provides a mental map for you to succeed in softball much like a road map provides you with a way to succeed in finding an unknown destination. Without a map, guide, or plan, you can easily get lost, whether it’s on the road, or in a softball competition. If you are a pitcher, the pitcher’s plan in What’s the Count? tells you how to keep and increase the advantage you start with at the beginning of every at bat. If you are a batter, it tells you what is required for you to get the advantage away from the pitcher and have it yourself. When followed, these plans will help steer you to success in the one-on-one pitcher/batter battles of fastpitch softball.

To allow you to visualize the mental plans in action, and to understand the thinking process that takes place, I have included a story based on an actual real game situation at the end of each chapter. These stories are shaded with a gray background. The stories are re-created from memory and I have rendered them to the best of my ability. In some cases names and personal information have been changed or omitted to preserve anonymity. With each story you should note three important things. First and foremost, the thought process that takes place in each situation. Second, how command of the pitch provides an advantage to the pitcher. And third, how ‘aggressipline’ provides an advantage to the batter.

The mental plans explained in What’s the Count? are time tested and proven to work. I used them myself and became an NCAA National Championship pitcher at UC Irvine. I used them with my daughters and they both became ALL-CIF pitchers in high school. I used them with my travel teams to win two ASA Class A National Championships, and I used them with two different high school teams to win CIF Titles. It is now my privilege to share them with you. These plans will work for anyone and will help average talented players compete with players of superior talent. Knowing these plans are a part of becoming a self-made player. A self-made player is one who works hard to master the skills, techniques, and discipline necessary to become good, rather than rely solely on her athletic ability. How do I know these plans will work for you and help turn you into a self-made player? I know because they did it for my daughter Lisa Dodd. When understood and executed well, the mental plans provided in What’s the Count? will help raise your level of play, allow you to attain your highest potential, and give you an edge to consistently prevail over your competition on the field, and for those athletic scholarships to top-rated softball schools like UCLA. I know because this is what they did for Lisa Dodd. It is my wish that they do the same thing for you. Tom