Embracing the Frustration: The Key to Mastery in Pitching

We’ve all been there.

The moment when you’re trying to learn something new, and it just doesn’t seem to click. The frustration builds, the self-doubt creeps in, and you start to question whether you’re cut out for this. Whether it’s navigating the complexities of parenthood, strumming the first chords on a ukulele, or perfecting your pitch in baseball, the learning process can be a roller coaster of emotions.

The popular notion that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert can be daunting and, quite frankly, discouraging. But here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to take that long. In fact, with just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice, you can go from knowing nothing to being reasonably good.

But let’s not sugarcoat it. Those 20 hours won’t be a walk in the park. There will be moments of frustration, of failure, and of wanting to throw in the towel. And that’s okay. In fact, it’s more than okay. It’s a crucial part of the process.

When it comes to pitching, the role of a coach is to guide you, to provide the tools and the framework for practice. But the real learning happens when they step back. When you’re left to your own devices, to experiment, to make mistakes, and most importantly, to learn from them.

It’s like learning to play a pop song on the ukulele. At first, your fingers fumble on the strings, the chords sound off, and the melody is nowhere to be found. But with practice, with each mistake and correction, you start to get the hang of it. Before you know it, you’re strumming along to your favorite tune. Sometimes you might even find that listening to a favorite song and playing along to match the sounds and notes. A favorite quote of mine is: ““Good artists borrow; great artists steal.” – Pablo Picasso. Part of mastery can start in imitating the masters.

The same principle applies to pitching. Each missed throw, each off-target pitch, is an opportunity to learn, to adjust, to get better. It’s not the coach who will make you a great pitcher. It’s your ability to embrace failure, to learn from it, and to keep going. Maybe watching film on your favorite pitcher or imitating a key component to their delivery may just be what it takes to unlock something.

Embrace the frustration. Embrace the failure. Because that’s where the real learning happens.

The learning process can be frustrating. It can feel like you’re climbing a mountain with no peak in sight. But remember, each step, each stumble, is bringing you closer to your goal. Embrace the frustration. Embrace the failure. Because that’s where the real learning happens. This game in particular has a path wrought with failures and short-comings. The premise of success in baseball is dependent on someone else (or yourself) failing and allowing the other to prevail because they “did it right”. 

I think what separates good players from outliers comes down to a mindset of mastery. The best ballplayers in the world all set to work mastering the skillset they exhibit in eye-popping fashion. So focus and persistence usually are hallmarks of experts, not only in the game of baseball but in all areas and disciplines of life. 

In the end, it’s not about the 10,000 hours. It’s about what you do with those 20 hours of focused practice. It’s about the resilience you show in the face of failure. And most importantly, it’s about the journey of learning, growing, and becoming the best pitcher you can be. So, let’s embrace the frustration, let’s embrace the failure, and let’s turn them into steppingstones on the path to mastery.

Here’s a little video I found inspiring:

Whats Something you are trying to master? Lets talk about it! Don’t forget we launch our Remote Beta Program on Sept 1, 2023! 

Live Life and Train with Intent,

David Parkinson

Founder, Intent Performance