In the summer of 1940, one year after the United Kingdom officially entered WWII, German commanders hatched a plot to break the will of the British people. The plan was strategic and simple; every night for 57 consecutive evenings, hundreds of Nazi planes would shower their bombs over London with the ultimate goal of a British surrender. While the Nazi bombing ruined the city of London, their plan did little to impact the psyche of the people living there. How could this be?

There are two specific things that can contribute to increases in anxiety and stress: unpredictability and lack of control. The Nazi’s strategy failed because the British people knew the Nazi’s were going to bomb every night – the attacks were predictable. With shelters available when needed, the Londoners also felt a sense of control as they knew they could take action to increase their odds of survival. So, how can this be applied to pitching?

Lack of control – after the ball leaves your hand, you no longer have control over the outcome.

Unpredictability – the pitch could be called a strike, called a ball, caught by the catcher, or hit to the outfield bleachers.

No matter what example we look at, a similar idea behind stress and alleviation applies. That a perception of uncertainty or a lack of control all intensify the impact of stressors. The goal of the Nazi’s Blitz failed at its core because the Londoners’ were able to use predictability and power to help alleviate their stressful situation.

A quick glimpse into history, I use this example often as the lessons of predictability and power can be applied to pitching. We’ll take a deeper dive into these ties next time and review the steps you can take to alleviate stress while on the mound.