“The great players have great mental focus, but they are not uptight. They are cued into every moment like a laser beam, but their breathing is natural. Because they believe in themselves, trust their abilities, and know that you can cope with the demands of the situations as they arise they can play the game with a certain calm. This calm is what allows them to make terrific split-second decisions as they happen on the field. Sometimes you have to get out of the way mentally and let muscle memory take over.”

(Bob Tewksbury, director of player development for the Major League Baseball Players Association & retired major league pitcher via Big Think)