Mental Fundamentals of Baseball and Softball

Endorsements

Take a moment to read what a few of the professionals in the sport have to say about Baseball Mental Fundamentals DVD:

"I'm certain that the information in these materials (DVD/book) contributed to our team being undefeated in the post-season, ultimately leading us to the 2008 NCAA Division III National Championship. I will use this information for years to come. It will become just as much a part of my program as pitching and hitting."

Leslie Huntington
Head Coach of University Wisconsin, Eau Claire and 2008 Division III Coach of the Year

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"I really believe that the mental toughness video has impacted my softball team is a very positive manner. It creates conversations and dialogue that we might not have without the video. Mental toughness is a common phrase at our practices in the pre-season and many of the freshman have said that they have never been on a team where they learned how to be mentally tough. We stop practice at times and let the team give examples of mental toughness at work. Them teaching each other is more important than anything I can say. We have seen the benefits of mental training and I can't image a season where we won't spend time working on our mental toughness. We have seen our players become mentally tougher and handle adversity on and off the field."

Head Coach Everett Roper
Saginaw Valley State University
2009 NCAA Midwest Super Regional Runner-Up
2008 and 2009 GLIAC Champions

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Karl is a "Hall of Famer" in the art of Player Development. Baseball's Mental Fundamentals, is a great tool that we use with the Colorado Rockies for all of our players in our programs throughout the season. Every coach offers instruction in physical and fundamental techniques, but the true Master Instructor combines aspects of Mental Fundamentals. These Mental Fundamentals separate the great player from the good player and this video is a comprehensive approach to developing the mindset of a Championship Major League player. Thanks to Karl and John, we have a tool with the Rockies that helps us to continue to develop top of the line Major League players.

Bill Geivett
Colorado Rockies, Asst. GM / VP Baseball Operations

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Baseball's Mental Fundamentals is a must for any athlete that aspires to have a competitive edge. If the mind isn't right, it makes no difference what your physical talent is, as the mind controls the body. I have taught psychology in high school, and I have been teaching the Mental Game for many years. Even with that background and experience I will be using this video to teach. I recommend it not only to players, but also to coaches and parents.

Greg Riddoch
Former Major League Manager, Director of Player Development
Currently Performance Enhancement-Manager, San Diego Padres 2008

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Baseball's Mental Fundamentals is fantastic. It is like 5 DVD's in one. Baseball's Mental Fundamentals will be part of our program, and I am going to encourage our players to buy it and study this material on their own.

Andy Lopez
Head Baseball Coach at the University of Arizona

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In professional baseball, we now recognize the importance of the mental aspect of the game and the difference it can make in the success of players. But mental fundamentals are difficult to teach. This DVD is an excellent teaching tool for coaches at all levels because Karl and John Kuehl, along with the current or former Major League players who are featured, present a clear explanation of sometimes complex ideas. This instructional DVD is an important contribution to the game, and I expect it to contribute to the development of the next generation of players. Its value is enhanced by the index, which is available on the website and can be downloaded. In short, this DVD is a "must have" for all knowledgeable coaches who hope to maximize the potential of aspiring players.

Sandy Alderson
CEO, San Diego Padres

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Baseball's Mental Fundamentals is a valuable tool for baseball players at every level. Ballplayers spend so much time in the batting cage or on the mound that sometimes we forget about the mental part. 162 games can be very demanding and I believe a mental "tune up" is the catalyst to carry me through the long season and allow my game to come to fruition. This DVD will make sure you are as sharp mentally as you are physically. I highly recommend players and coaches at every level to invest your time on Baseball's Mental Fundamentals.

Mark Ellis
Infielder, Oakland A's

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It was great to be a part of Baseball's Mental Fundamentals, and to have a chance to talk about my experiences and what I have learned. I am still learning in all parts of my game. Viewing this DVD has given me a chance to learn from other Major League players. I encourage all players, parents and coaches at all levels to not just watch this once, but to study it over and over again and make it part of your game.

Eric Byrnes
Outfielder, Arizona Diamondbacks

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This DVD is very impressive. The material encompasses information for every level, from Major League to Little League. I think the mental part of the game is very important for a player's success, and this video hits on the factors that can significantly help a player – focus, attitude, preparation and the rest. It's a great reference for coaches and players alike.

Bud Black
Pitched 15 years in the Major Leagues, Pitching Coach for Los Angels Angels of Anaheim and is currently Managing the San Diego Padres

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This is a great tool for minor league teams. The information included in the DVD will have an impact on the players. We showed the DVD during Instructional League, and the results were stunning. The players were locked in watching the majors leaguers discuss this material. These are subjects big-leaguers rarely address. After our players watched it, it immediately became a topic of conversation. They wanted to discuss the points and find ways to use them to elevate their own game. In the days after we showed it, there was a noticeable difference in the way they went about their day-to-day activities. There was an increase in focus and an improvement in how they went about their business. Karl and John Kuehl have done an excellent job with this, and it will be part of our teaching program for years to come.

Keith Lieppman
Oakland A's Director of Player Development

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Fundamentals indeed. Karl & John Kuehl have put together a presentation that is fundamental to anyone who aspires to understand what goes into the mental game of baseball. With the help of major leaguers who have gained this understanding, the DVD allows players young and old --- and coaches new and experienced --- to clearly hear the things that ?make it work? --- and those mental interferences that inhibit peak performance.

A valuable resource, for all.

Harvey Dorfman
Author and the most respected counselor in the baseball world

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A Majority of athletes, particularly baseball players, are constantly striving to bridge the gap between potential and performance. “Baseball's Mental Fundamentals” provides examples and the “how to's” toward building that bridge. The step-by-step approach used by Karl and John make this DVD a must for all players and coaches who are in pursuit of excellence and consistent performance.

John Farrell
Pitching Coach for the World Champion Boston Red Sox, former Director of Player Development for the Cleveland Indians, Major League pitcher and Coach at Oklahoma State

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This is an important project and I am proud to be part of it. For the first time, we are looking inside the minds of major leagues and discovering the mental process that leads to success. I have coached at the Major League level and I have advised player from the Major Leagues all the way to Little League. The information presented here can be useful to players and coaches at all levels. Parents of young players can use this to help develop their child's path to achievement, both on and off the field. This is not the type of video you watch once and put on the shelf. It is something you will watch again and again, to help you deal with the many types of issues that athletes face. I strongly recommend this to anyone who is serious about baseball.

Dave Hudgens
www.hitting.com
Field Coordinator with the Cleveland Indians and Former Major League hitting Coach with the A's

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This DVD is the first of its kind. In my opinion it is an awesome DVD. It will give you insight into mental toughness, into mental preparation and decision making. It will show you that the difference for individual improvement and performance is not controlled by skill alone but is enhanced by the proper mental development. This DVD can help not only in your baseball or softball abilities, but in your everyday life as well because it helps you understand the mental side of life - choices, decision making, personal awareness, and development.

I strongly recommend Baseball's Mental Fundamentals to any coach or athlete who wants to improve their game.

Clint Myers
Head Softball Coach with Arizona State University, Arizona H.S Baseball Coach Of The Year in 1978, NJCAA National Softball Coach of the year 6 times and National Baseball Coach of the year in 2002, in his two years as ASU's Softball Coach his teams have reached the College World Series

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Karl and John hit at the heart of what separates players and people with talent from people that execute and consistently have success. Through powerful examples and firsthand accounts this disc provides a road map that will allow every player to move closer to achieving his or her potential. After viewing this disc, there can be no doubt that mental toughness is a learned skill and the Kuehl's have a formula for learning and executing it.

Mark Shapiro
General Manager of the Cleveland Indians.
Major League Executive of the Year in 2005 and 2007.

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Karl Kuehl and his son John have a passion for the game of baseball. Karl and John bring that passion, knowledge and great experience to players, coaches and fans through their information packed DVD titled "Baseball's Mental Fundamentals." It is the "game within the game" that ultimately determines the success of players and the Kuehls call upon their own experience and the knowledge of Major League players to provide a mental road map for success on the baseball diamond.

Fred Claire
Former GM of the Los Angeles Dodgers and author of Fred Claire: My 30 Years in Dodger Blue

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I have been coaching high school age players for the past 36 years. During that time I have observed the many changes and improvements that have been made in the teaching techniques and information available regarding the physical fundamentals of the game. For years I have felt that the next break-through in teaching baseball will be in the mental aspects. This DVD provides that breakthrough. The DVD is presented in a format that is usable to both the coach and the athlete and makes an excellent teaching tool that will be beneficial to every coach and every athlete at every level. I enjoyed the book Mental Toughness. It is a resource I have shared with many of our players as a “must read.” I think the video will be even more valuable, because so many of the young people today are visual learners. I am looking forward to using it.

Jerry Dawson
Head Baseball Coach at Chaparral H.S. in Scottsdale, Arizona, Winner of 7 Arizona state titles, Selected State H.S. Coach of the Year 9 times and National H.S. Baseball Coach of the Year 3 times. On the Staff of USA Baseball's Junior Team in 2004 and was the Head Coach in 2005.

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I have been in professional baseball for 29 years. I have been approached by many people who have created baseball-related materials that they believe will enhance a player's ability. I have two sons that play, my oldest is a sophomore at a Division-1 program and my youngest is a junior in high school. I believe so much in this DVD that I purchased two, one for each son. I believe this information is highly valuable and can be used over and over again to enhance a player's mental game. We all have heard of the phrase “Baseball is a mental Game.” Well, this DVD teaches players what that mental game is. Karl's back ground in Professional Baseball has covered many areas and I truly believe he has hit a home run with this DVD.

Bruce Fields
Former Major League player and coach and Currently Minor League Hitting Coordinator for the Cleveland Indians

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The better you comprehend the ideas and principals of MF, the more you understand that success is predicated on mastering the mental side of the game. Every aspect of the game revolves around the mental side, whether it is conscious or subconscious thought. Every time you watch MF, it is more apparent that every physical response and/or adjustment begins with the proper mental game plan.

The video format containing superstar interviews is a stimulating peek into the psyche of the superstars' strategies for attacking the mental challenges of baseball. After hearing their personal insights you will understand how elite players utilize their mental skills to separate themselves from the competition.

Technology has allowed players to better understand virtually every detail of how the body should move, but these advances alone are not enough to guarantee success. MF offers a cutting edge approach to the mental skills required to define and achieve success.

If you are passionate about learning, MF is where you start. Once you understand the invaluable information presented in a stimulating video format, you will take your game to another level. This is the quintessential player development tool that is the blue print for understanding the mental side of the game and elevating your game.

Do not attempt to write notes, every word is essential, just go buy Mental Toughness !

Eric Maleski
Total Player Development Director, Drive Performance / iTrac Vision Training

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For two consecutive years, the Arizona State softball team has made the trip to the College World Series. One of the most important reasons for our rise to prominence has been has been the development of our mental game. This began by reading and utilizing the material and the Kuehl's' book, Mental Toughness: Baseball's Winning Edge . This DVD provides an easy-to-access version of many of the tools in the book, told in such a way that most players can quickly relate to the information. Any coach or player who is serious about the game should put this information to use.

This quick-check guide is a perfect tool for coaches. We can read the book and view the DVD, but we then must take it to the field. Our players show the most benefit from this information immediately after receiving it, but they often need reminders as time passes. There is a tendency to forget. That is why the quick-check guide becomes so important – the player can mark on their own sheets for a quick reminder, or the coach can use it in teaching. The more that players practice their mental fundamentals, the more they are able to incorporate them into their daily routines and make them a permanent part of their games.

Rob Wagner
Softball Coach, Arizona State University

It is enjoyable, enlightening and instructional. My sons, ages 11 and 13, continually ask me to stop and replay the players comments.

Scott Kukkola
Parent and Youth Sports Coach

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Baseball's Mental Fundamentals gives us the rare opportunity to see and hear Major League players talk about their thinking and what it takes to be a winning player. It is not just instructive, but it is also enjoyable. The book, Mental Toughness: Baseballs Winning Edge , adds depth and instruction for each step along the way. In addition, it covers other vital subjects to help players play to their potential. Baseball?s Mental Fundamentals and Mental Toughness will be around long after we are all gone.

Roland Hemond
Former General Manager of the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox

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This DVD fills a real need in our game. Baseball is filled with failures, and the tools discussed in this video will help players learn how to deal with and overcome those failures. There are many valuable lessons for anyone who plays the game.

Mike Weathers
Head Baseball Coach at Long Beach State and Current Field Manager for Team USA

**Endorsements for the book, MENTAL TOUGHNESS: BASEBALL'S WINNING EDGE with a forward by Tony LaRussa**

Hustle and desire are a huge part of success in athletics. Mental Toughness is about building desire and maintaining it through the most difficult times. This book helps develop those skills in a way that has never previously been provided. Players will learn how to think baseball and play the game right. This is a very important book, and I give it my strongest endorsement.

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David Eckstein
St. Louis Cardinals

After a gold-medal performance in Athens, one of the reasons why we were so successful was our mental stability as a team. This book truly addresses every aspect that a player or a person needs to be aware of to be successful. And I am really excited about the approach that Karl takes in the book with his background in the game. There's a lot of people out there that talk about the mental side of the game but haven't been in the dugout and I think that is what is going to separate this book from any others. I think that the thing that separates the great players from the good players is their mental stability and anyone that's serious about being successful would gain a lot by reading this book because there's a tremendous amount of information. That information is not only good for the athletes but good for anyone that wants to understand competition or understand life.

Mike Candrea
Head Softball Coach, Unversity of Arizona
Head Coach 2008 Olympic Team and 2004 Gold-Medal Winning USA Softball Olympic Team

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Our great responsibility in life is to get the most out of our ability and to make a difference. I wish I'd had Mental Toughness around when I was a kid trying to figure out how to get to the big leagues and the Hall of Fame. It's a great book. It helps players, coaches, parents, and people in every walk of life figure out how to turn losses into speed bumps rather than roadblocks. Every agent and every team ought to be required to give this book to the players they represent and sign. I'm giving it to my friends, especially those who have kids.

Don Sutton
Hall of Fame Pitcher
324 wins, never missed a turn in the rotation in his 23 year career

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People achieve at the elite levels of their business or sport because of a similar set of attributes and characteristics. Talent only takes them so far--the mental aspects are the ultimate separator. The authors in Mental Toughness utilize their expertise and experiences in baseball to break down the definable aspects of the mental domain that make a player a champion. The lessons are easily read and applied--and although they pertain to baseball, will help to make anyone who reads this book more effective in their field whether it is the General office or the diamond.

Mark A. Shapiro
General Manager of the Cleveland Indians.
Major League Executive of the Year in 2005 and 2007.

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There are powerful tools in this book that will enable players to unlock their potential. This can dramatically change the perspective of a ballplayer who is seeking to improve himself. It is a very important book, and it should be required reading for all professional players. I plan to use it as a teaching manual throughout our minor-league system. Mental Toughness will also provide an insight into the game within a game that occurs every day in baseball. This book will not only make its readers better players, but it will help them to become better people.

Keith Lieppman
Oakland A's Director of Player Development

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Mental Toughness is so good that it is a must-read for future athletes and non-athletes alike. Reading this book will put everyone far ahead of the game. From all my experiences as an athlete, your mind controls everything. The sooner you learn how to match the mind with the physical ability, the sky is the limit. Good luck and good reading.

Mark McGwire

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The term ‘mental toughness' seems to have meant many things to many people. Few have troubled themselves to define it thoughtfully and thoroughly. Here is a book whose authors have done just that. Their expansive and specific treatment of the subject will both satisfy and enlighten the reader. Baseball players at every level will surely be able to apply the book's practical principles to their own performance. Non-players will take away a greater understanding of the subject--and have a very enjoyable reading experience that provides anecdote and insight.

H. A. Dorfman
Author and consultant for Scott Boras Corporation

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Very impressive. This book should be a must-read for young players desiring to learn to succeed. This should also be interesting reading for fans who want to learn the mental processes of major leaguers--they will have the inside edge on the thought processes of major leaguers that the average fans do not have. So much of what happens in baseball involves the mental game, from how we prepare to how we view ourselves as athletes. This book provides an easy guide for players to understand how they can improve themselves by using their best tool--their minds. All players can read this book and improve their approach to the game. The mental part of the game is what allows players to get the most from their ability. This book will help every player learn to develop his own mental approach in learning their path to achievement, both on and off the field. This is a major contribution to our game, and it is important for any player who is serious about improving and winning.

Dusty Baker
Manager, Former Manger of the San Francisco Giants & Chicago Cubs

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Getting to know my own mental skills and the minds of my opponents has always helped me be a tougher competitor. If that's something you aspire to, I can't imagine a better helper than Mental Toughness . It's a book that can show you how important the mental game is, and how to master it.

Orel Hershiser
Former Cy Young Award Winner, World Series MVP

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Baseball is a game, but it also is more than a game, and the mental aspects of playing it are basic to success, not only on the baseball diamond but also off the field. This book is a rock solid compendium for baseball players, and softball players too, in understanding the mental side of the game and for engaging in sustained competitive performance. In addition, its content also can be useful to players in their pursuit of living successful lives. Most notably, the authors have taken the concept of mental toughness and operationized that notion, breaking it down into components areas. In this respect, the book's chapters provide insightful perspectives and practical information for playing the game with head, heart, and spirit. From the treatment of attitudes, through discussion of focus and concentration, to cutting edge material about making adjustments, among other areas associated with mental toughness, this book makes a valuable contribution to the psychology of sport as well as to enhancement of the mental development of players. I have worked in the game for about twenty years and I am very excited about the practical value of this book. Clearly, it is a must read for players, coaches, managers, athletic trainers, players development instructors, psychologists, and executives at all levels of competition, up to and including the major leagues.

Charlie Maher
Full Professor of Psychology, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology Rutgers University and Team Psychologist, Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Cavaliers.

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A great read.... Mental Toughness truly comes from within. How bad do you want it and how hard are you willing to work for it? This book is comprised of great stories, which I think could apply not only in sports but in the game of life.

Gary Carter
Hall of Fame Catcher
MVP in two World Series, 11 times All Star

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Just about every athlete knows that with tools, talent and physical training, they can have some success. But the hours in the gym and on the practice field only get us to where we have a chance to succeed. The competitive edge exists for those whose minds can adapt and respond under pressure. While I've learned a lot of my lessons by trial and error, this book lays out a training program for the mind. Reading a book about strength training won't make you strong, and reading this book won't make you a champion...but apply what you learn from this book and there's no end to what you can accomplish.

Rich Harden
Pitcher Oakland A's

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The mental part of the athlete's game will determine their personal success and development. This book teaches individuals how to learn control over the dynamics of life. There is great insight into areas of character, values, focus, concentration and confidence. This book is required reading for the ASU Softball team and has helped all of us make positive adjustments in our lives both on and off the field.

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Mental Toughness is far beyond a book of baseball instruction. This is a life book. Take these well-thought-out lessons, apply them to every aspect of your life, and thank me later.

Pat Williams
Author, Motivational Speaker and Vice President of the Orlando Magic