Plate Performance with Coach Paul: Ha Ha

Plate Performance with Coach Paul: Ha Ha

When my three-year-old grandson Eddie accidentally falls, he has a unique reaction. Unless it is a bad fall that really hurts, Eddie gets up with tears in his eyes, pretends to dust himself off, and says, “Ha ha.” These are the same words I encourage my softball players to say when they fail in practice or in games.

Several years ago, I coached a college softball team that was especially hard on themselves. They would hang their heads if they hit weak balls in practice or looked silly against good pitchers in games. Our lineup was filled with good hitters, but they were under-performing. One bad at-bat would negatively affect their performance for an entire practice or game.

During a front toss session, one of our best players hit a weak pop-up after driving several balls powerfully into the gaps and over the fence. She groaned and was visibly upset. Based on my experience with this hitter, I knew the rest of her swings would be inconsistent.

The same thing happened when it was her turn to hit again a few minutes later. After she reacted negatively to a weak hit, I said “Ha ha” (the first “Ha” is higher than the second “ha” like when someone is making fun of another person). The hitter gave me a stern look because she felt I was making fun of her. The other hitters who heard my reaction also thought I was teasing her.

I gathered the entire team in a huddle to explain my seemingly inappropriate comment. I didn’t apologize. Instead, I explained that my “Ha ha” meant that I didn’t care if their teammate hit one weak fly ball after a series of rockets. And neither should she.

I reminded the team that hitting a softball is not an easy task. The failure rate is approximately 60% to 70% for even the best hitters. Becoming angry or frustrated after each small failure only makes hitting harder. Why not accept disappointment and quickly forget a poor at-bat or a fielding error? This is where “Ha ha” comes in.

The History Of “Ha ha”

When I was coaching youth baseball, one of the other coaches yelled “Ha ha” after my son made an error on an easy ground ball at shortstop. Why would he make fun of a 9-year-old?

I didn’t immediately say anything to this coach, who was also a good friend. I was planning to wait until the end of the game to confront him for his rude behavior. Later in the game, his son struck out with runners on base. He went up to his son and said, “Ha ha,” but this time I could see his face while he said the words. He was smiling!

It hit me that the coach was not making fun of our sons, he was sending a message. A positive one!

With this short phrase, he was telling our boys to laugh off the failure they thought was so important. No one really cared when the ball went through my son’s legs for an error. The baseball life of the coach’s son didn’t end with that strike out.

The wise message from this coach was that the only way to cope with failure in softball and baseball is to accept it and move on.

Years later, I would start using these words with my college teams and individual hitters.

 “Ha Ha” Coaching

Whenever I begin working with a new group of hitters, I look for the right opportunity to break out my first “Ha ha.” It is usually after they get to know me and my sense of humor. I will then wait to identify the hitter who struggles the most with accepting failure.

When the time is right, I will yell “Ha ha” with a big smile after that hitter pops up or dribbles a weak ground ball. The initial reaction is always the same. Why is the hitting coach making fun of me? Shouldn’t he be trying to fix my swing instead of mocking me?

I don’t respond after the initial reaction. Instead, I will look for an opportunity to say it again to this hitter or one of her teammates. When I start to get strange looks from other players, I know it is time to let them in on the true meaning of “Ha ha.”

I encourage them to say these two simple words with a smile to help immediately deal with small disappointments. These disappointments can easily lead to self-doubt, which fosters negativity, resulting in needless streaks of poor performance.

Saying “Ha ha” to a hitter after a poor swing could mean one of two things. If this type of failure is rare for the player, laughing with the player is the best response. However, if this particular failure is more frequent, then additional instruction or practice could be warranted. I have found that players are more receptive to change when they know I don’t hold their past failures against them.

It is natural for hitters to get frustrated and embarrassed when they fail at the plate or in the field. If they say “Ha ha” to themselves or aloud, the failure won’t seem as important.

A Culture Of “Ha ha”

After my teams understand this new tool to deal with failure in a positive way, the fun begins. Practice sessions include periodic shouts of “Ha ha” from me and between players. Every time this happens, a new brick in the wall of positive team culture is added.

In addition to more positivity, performance is enhanced. Hitters who say “Ha ha” will quickly forget the last disappointing at-bat. They will also be less likely to take the perceived failure with them into the field or during future at-bats.

It is easy to recognize at team that has a Culture of “Ha ha” because players will begin saying it to me and other coaches. When I accidentally hit the L-screen during front toss practice causing the pitch to go sideways, I often hear a “Ha ha” from players around the field. If someone trips up the stairs of the team bus, they can expect hear a chorus of “Ha ha.”

Don’t tell anyone, but I have been known to say a fun “Ha ha” in the dugout during games when an opposing player makes an error, or an umpire misses a call. Of course, I only say it loud enough for our players to hear. I try to do this when I sense the team is pressing or they could use some humor to relax.

“Ha ha” Disclaimer

It is important to note that a culture of “Ha ha” does not mean a team isn’t focused and competitive. Players are successful because they employ solid hitting mechanics and take a strategic approach to each plate appearance. No mental technique is truly effective unless hitters first have a fundamentally solid swing.

I use many strategies to help hitters enhance their mental performance to deal with stress and failure. Many of these require practice before the benefits become noticeable. Fortunately, the positive effects of “Ha ha” are immediate.

A Game Of Second Chances

I often remind players that softball is a game of second chances. A hitter can strike out three consecutive times and then hit the game winning home run. A fielder can drop a ball in one inning and make a game-saving catch for the final out. This is what makes softball and baseball so special and fun to watch.

Life is also filled with second chances. My hope and prayer for my children and grandchildren is for them to have an attitude of “Ha ha” throughout their lives.

As I continue to fail in my personal, professional, and coaching lives, I will try to remember these two words. Words that remind me of what is really important in life and words of self-forgiveness. I know my second chance is right around the corner.

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