EXTRACTING THE GOLD (FROM RYON HEALY)

In our first "Extracting the Gold" episode, we highlight the phenomenal information provided by former big leaguer and current hitting/mental performance coach Ryon Healy in his episode eight appearance on The ZHP. 

("Extracting the Gold" episodes will occur after each guest appearance on The ZHP, ensuring listeners are receiving the vital nuggets of wisdom graciously shared by our professional guests.) 

Transcript

I WELCOME EVERYONE BACK AS WE EMBARK ON EPISODE NINE TODAY. 

THIS WILL BE OUR FIRST “EXTRACTING THE GOLD” EPISODE, COMING ON THE HEELS OF OUR DISCUSSION WITH RYON HEALY. 

AS GUESTS GRACE US WITH THEIR TIME HERE ON THE ZHP… IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO EXTRACT THE GOLD FROM THESE PROFESSIONALS… ALLOWING HITTERS TO WALK AWAY WITH TANGIBLE WISDOM THAT CAN BE UTILIZED IN THEIR DAILY WORK. 

SO IN THIS EPISODE WE WILL DO JUST THAT, TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE VITAL NUGGETS OF INFORMATION RYON HEALY SO GRACIOUSLY PROVIDED US.

TO RECAP, RYON IS A FORMER BIG LEAGUER TURNED HITTING AND MENTAL PERFORMANCE COACH TO AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL HITTERS, BASED OUT OF THE SCOTTSDALE ARIZONA AREA. HE BRINGS THAT RARE MAJOR LEAGUE EXPERIENCE IN THE BATTER’S BOX — WHICH ONLY SO FEW HUMAN BEINGS POSSESS… AND EXPERTLY PAIRS IT WITH A GENUINE PASSION FOR TEACHING THE NEXT GENERATION OF HITTERS. 

SO WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM MR. HEALY? THERE WERE A TREASURE-TROVE OF INSIGHTS — MANY OF THEM OBVIOUS THANKS TO HIS FANTASTIC ARTICULATION THAT IMPRESSED SO MANY OF YOU… BUT SOME WERE A BIT MORE HIDDEN, SUBTLY INCLUDED LIKE EASTER EGGS THROUGHOUT THE INTERVIEW. 

LET’S GET TO THOSE AND EXTRACT THE GOLD:

NUGGET ONE FROM RYON HEALY: DON’T BE SURPRISED BY THE FAILURE… HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE. 

YOU’VE HEARD ME TALK ABOUT THIS QUITE A BIT HERE, WHICH IS THE FACT THAT WE AREN’T SEEING ENOUGH PLAYERS PREPARE FOR THE INEVITABLE DISAPPOINTMENT THAT ACCOMPANIES BEING A HITTER. THIS ISN’T BEING A NEGATIVE THINKER OR HAVING A DOOMSDAY OUTLOOK.  

THE FAILURE IS A FACT. 

DISAPPOINTMENT IS GOING TO BE A COMPANION NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOU ARE. AS RYON MENTIONED… EVEN THE BEST HITTER IN THE GAME RIGHT NOW, AARON JUDGE, IS MAKING OUTS 60% OF THE TIME. 

THAT’S THE REALITY. 

SO WHAT’S YOUR PLAN TO DEAL WITH IT? BECAUSE MOST OF US DON’T HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE. AS RYON MENTIONED… FAILURE ALMOST SEEMS TO SURPRISE A LOT OF HITTERS. 

THE ONLY WAY THIS CAN HAPPEN IS BY FALSE CONFIDENCE OR SHEER IGNORANCE. 

DEVISE A PLAN. BE THE GUY WHO ISN’T GOING IN THE TANK WHEN HE STARTS A GAME WITH A TOUGH PUNCH OUT. OR A ROUGH DAY. OR JUST A BRUTAL SERIES. FOR INSTANCE, BASEBALL WRITER SAM BLUM RECENTLY WROTE THAT WHEN A’S ROOKIE SENSATION JACOB WILSON WAS IN A SLIDE HIS DAD, FORMER BIG LEAGUER JACK WILSON TOLD HIM: “THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME YOU’RE GONNA GO 0-FOR-15 IN YOUR CAREER. BUT THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD FIND A WAY TO GET OUT OF THESE QUICKER THAN EVERYBODY ELSE.”

SO GET TO WORK ON DEVISING ROUTINES AND SYSTEMS THAT ENCOURAGE YOU TO UTILIZE THE STRATEGIES NECESSARY TO STOMACH THE ROLLER COASTER RIDE OF BEING A HITTER. 

ITS DOABLE. 

ITS BENEFICIAL. 

AND AS RYON ALLUDED… YOU WON’T LAST LONG WITHOUT IT. 

NUGGET TWO: FIND YOUR PEACE WHEN AND WHERE YOU CAN.

RYON TOLD US HE SOUGHT OUT A QUIET SPACE BEFORE HIS BIG LEAGUE GAMES IN SEATTLE WHERE HE COULD JUST LAY IN SILENCE… AND QUIET THE NOISE INSIDE AND OUT. A PLACE WHERE HE COULD CONNECT WITH THAT SERIOUS CALM WE EXPLORED IN EPISODE TWO. 

HE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING ACCESS TO THAT “PEACE” OR “SAFE SPACE” WHILE YOU ARE PLAYING — SO YOU CAN LEARN TO WITHSTAND THE DIFFICULT MOMENTS THAT ARISE. HE TALKED ABOUT IT BEING PART OF YOUR GAME PLAN FOR DEALING WITH THOSE INEVITABLE FAILURES WE JUST MENTIONED. 

SO GET QUIET. FIND SOME STILLNESS. LOCATE IT AND REST IN IT BEFORE THE GAME. LET ALL THE NOISE FADE AWAY. 

TRAIN YOURSELF TO GO BEYOND THE DISTRACTIONS THAT HITTERS DEAL WITH DAILY. PRACTICE SELF-REGULATION SO YOU CAN ACCESS IT DURING THE GAME — AMIDST THE TURMOIL OF BATTLE. AND THEN HAVE IT AVAILABLE AFTER THE GAME — WHEN YOU NEED A SAFE PLACE TO RESTORE YOUR MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT.

BECAUSE AS RYON HEALY AND KOBE BRYANT BOTH ALLUDED — THE  GREATEST PERFORMERS AMONG US ARE ACCESSING THIS “SERIOUS CALM” IN ORDER TO BE THE BEST VERSIONS OF THEMSELVES. AND IF YOU AREN’T QUITE SURE WHAT THIS MEANS… PLEASE GO BACK AND REVISIT EPISODE TWO — IT WILL GIVE YOU A CLEAR DEFINITION AND ACTIONABLE STEPS TO ACCESS THIS “COMPETITIVE CALM” AS I OFTEN REFER TO IT AS. AND STAY TUNED BECAUSE WE WILL BE EXPLORING THIS TOPIC FURTHER IN FUTURE EPISODES, I ASSURE YOU. 

BECAUSE WE SIMPLY CAN’T GET WHERE WE WANT TO GO WITHOUT IT. 

NUGGET THREE: IF YOUR EGO IS LEADING EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO… IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO GET TO THE TRUTH. 

LET’S BE HONEST, WE ALL WANT TO LOOK LIKE WE’VE GOT IT TOGETHER, LIKE WE’VE GOT ALL THE ANSWERS, AND WE DON’T GET FLUSTERED, AND WE AREN’T WORRIED… AND WE’VE ALWAYS GOT EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL. 

THE EGO WANTS TO KEEP THAT FACADE ROLLING AT ALL COSTS. 

IT THINKS IT KEEPS US SAFE. AND SECURE. AND BEYOND THE GRASP OF CRITICISM AND FAILURE — WHICH WE ARE GOING TO GET HEAPS OF AS A HITTER. 

BUT YOU KNOW THAT’S ALL AN ILLUSION. 

THE EGO DOESN’T LIKE TO DEAL IN HARD TRUTHS AND HARSH REALITIES. SO IT WILL DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO AVOID POTENTIAL DISCOMFORT. 

THE PROBLEM IS… AS RYON SAYS… WE WON’T EVER FIND OUR TRUTH THERE. SO WE END UP LIVING IN A HOUSE OF CARDS, SPENDING OUR TIME TRYING TO PROP UP THE FAULTY FOUNDATION AND RICKETY WALLS THAT EGO HAS CREATED. 

BUT IT ALL COMES CRASHING DOWN AT SOME POINT. 

AJ HINCH SAID ABOUT MLB’S TOP PITCHER TARIQ SKUBAL: HE WANTS TO BE COACHED. AND HE WANTS TO KNOW THE TRUTH. 

SO TAKE OFF THE MASK. 

SEE YOURSELF AND THE SITUATION FOR WHAT IT REALLY IS. 

THE TRUTH ISN’T HARD TO FIND. 

YOU JUST HAVE TO BE WILLING TO STARE IT DOWN. 

NUGGET FOUR: DON’T GIVE AWAY THE CAPTAIN’S SEAT. 

BEING THE CAPTAIN OF YOUR SHIP IS AN ONGOING MESSAGE ON THIS PODCAST. RYON TALKED ABOUT THE PRICE HE PAID EARLY IN HIS CAREER BY GIVING HIS HITTING COACHES TOO MUCH CONTROL. HE LET THEM TAKE THE CAPTAIN’S SEAT, RELYING ON THEM TO A FAULT… AND IT COST HIM DEARLY DOWN THE LINE. HE WASN’T ABLE TO CULTIVATE THE TYPE OF DEEP-ROOTED FAITH THAT ALLOWS A HITTER TO DICTATE HIS OWN COURSE AND NAVIGATE ALL THAT CRAPPY WEATHER HE IS BOUND TO FACE IN A BIG-LEAGUE CAREER.

THIS DOESN’T MEAN WE DON’T ALLOW INPUT OR SEEK SUPPORT OR ADVICE FROM THOSE WE TRUST AND RESPECT.

IT MEANS WE OWN OUR DIRECTION. WE GIVE THE FINAL COMMANDS. AND WE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHERE WE ULTIMATELY END UP — THIS WAY WE CAN EMBRACE THE LESSONS WE LEARNED. AND WHEN WE NEED TO CHANGE COURSE… WE ARE THE ONES WHO MAKE IT HAPPEN. AND NO ONE CAN STAND IN OUR WAY. 

THAT’S WHAT TRUE SUCCESS IS. 

BUT DON’T EXPECT TO FIND IT UNLESS YOU HAVE THE GUTS TO SIT YOUR BUTT IN THAT CAPTAIN’S CHAIR.

SO OCCUPY IT NOW — BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE DOES IT FOR YOU. 

NUGGET FIVE: IT TAKES SO MUCH MORE THAN A PRETTY SWING. 

I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO WATCH RYON BEGIN HIS NEW CAREER AS A HITTING COACH A COUPLE YEARS AGO… AND SOMETHING THAT STRUCK ME FROM THE OUTSET WAS HOW HE BYPASSED THE USUAL “LET’S FIX THE SWING” APPROACH OF SO MANY HITTING GUYS AND INSTEAD HAD HONEST HITTING CONVERSATIONS WITH HIS NEW CLIENTS. HE TALKED ABOUT THINGS LIKE COMFORT IN THE BOX, BEING ACCOUNTABLE, HAVING INTENT, MAINTAINING CONFIDENCE, AND OPENLY DISCUSSED WHAT THE HITTER WAS FEELING AND EXPERIENCING.

HE NEVER MIRED THEM DOWN WITH A CADRE OF HITTING DRILLS. 

AND HE NEVER WILL. 

BECAUSE HE’S BEEN TO THAT MOUNTAIN TOP OF THE BIG LEAGUES… THE RARIFIED AIR… AND HE HAS A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF THE BIG PICTURE THAT THE REST OF US ARE GRAPPLING WITH. HE SEES THE ENTIRE HITTING LANDSCAPE.

AND HE KNOWS WE’VE GOT TO WORK ON THE WHOLE HITTER. 

WE’VE TALKED ABOUT THE PILLARS OF HITTING WHICH I LIKE TO SUM UP IN THE ACRONYM: MMA. MECHANICS. MINDSET. APPROACH. 

RYON ENGAGES HIS HITTERS WITH WHAT HE CALLS THREE-STRIKE VISION: THE MENTAL PERFORMANCE, THE PLAN AND APPROACH, AND MECHANICS. AND HE PUTS THEM IN THAT ORDER FOR A VERY SPECIFIC REASON.

AS HE SAID IN THE PODCAST: I’VE SEEN SOME UGLY SWINGS HIT .300 IN THE BIGS AND IT’S NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ALL THE TIME. 

SO PLEASE DON’T GET LOST IN MECHANICS. YES, BY ALL MEANS WORK TO FIND THE YOUR MOST EFFICIENT AND POTENT SWING MOVEMENTS. BUT IF YOU FIND YOURSELF SPENDING ALL YOUR TIME RETOOLING YOUR SWING WITH YOUR 87TH HITTING DRILL — AND NOT DEVELOPING MINDSET TOOLS AND A POLISHED APPROACH… YOU ARE ONLY ADDRESSING 1/3RD OF WHAT WILL DICTATE YOUR SUCCESS IN THE BOX. 

SO WORK YOUR WHOLE HITTING GAME. 

LIKE RYON DOES WITH HIS GUYS. 

THIS LEADS US RIGHT INTO…

NUGGET SIX: IF IT DOESN’T HAVE A PURPOSE, IT DOESN’T HAVE A PLACE.

WORDS TO HIT AND LIVE BY HERE. 

RYON MENTIONED THE REMOTE WORK HE HAD DONE WITH A HITTER, HELPING HIM ELIMINATE THAT WHICH WAS NOT NECESSARY FROM HIS CAGE WORK. THERE WAS A LOT OF FAT, WITH NO CLEARLY DEFINED PURPOSE. SO RYON STARTED TRIMMING WHAT DIDN’T SERVE THE HITTER, ENCOURAGING HIM TO ONLY INCLUDE THAT WHICH TRULY MOVED THE NEEDLE. 

IN EPISODE SEVEN, ONLY THE ESSENTIAL, WE TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF IDENTIFYING THE AREAS THAT ARE VITAL TO OUR HITTING SUCCESS… AND THEN HONORING THEM IN OUR WORK. 

RYON SUPPORTS THIS LINE OF THINKING BY DEFTLY EXPLAINING THAT A HITTER NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND WHY SOMETHING IS BEING DONE… AND FOR WHAT REASON… AND ONLY THEN SHOULD A HITTER DECIDE IF IT HAS REAL VALUE AND PURPOSE. 

AND IF IT DOESN’T — THEN IT HAS NO PLACE IN YOUR HITTING WORLD. 

AMEN. 

NUGGET SEVEN: HAVE A “POSSIBILITY” MINDSET. 

WE WOULD ALL LIKE TO FEEL ULTRA-CONFIDENT EVERY DAY. BELIEVING WE ARE THE BEST HITTER ON THE FIELD REGARDLESS OF WHO WE ARE SHARING THE FIELD WITH. BUT WHEN YOU ARE ONE FOR YOUR LAST SEVENTEEN AND YOU JUST PUNCHED OUT THREE TIMES IN YOUR LAST GAME — FEELING LIKE YOU ARE CAPABLE OF PUTTING YOUR UNIFORM ON CORRECTLY MIGHT FEEL LIKE A TALL ORDER. 

BUT RYON CAUTIONS US ABOUT ALLOWING NEGATIVITY TO TAKE A STRANGLEHOLD. WE JUST CANNOT AFFORD TO LET THAT HAPPEN. 

WHICH IS WHY WE NEED TO WORK DAILY ON CULTIVATING A “POSSIBILITY” MINDSET. 

OFTENTIMES ALL WE NEED… IS TO FEEL LIKE SOMETHING GOOD IS POSSIBLE FOR US. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT KNOWING IN YOUR BONES THAT SOMETHING IS SIMPLY POSSIBLE. 

THAT’S ALL A HITTER NEEDS. 

IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO SWING AT PITCHES IN MY DESIRED ZONE?

IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO BATTLE THIS GUY AND MAKE HIM REALLY WORK? 

IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO CATCH A BARREL IF I STAY WITHIN MYSELF? 

IS IT POSSIBLE NOW, TODAY? 

HELL YES IT IS. 

SO WHEN THE DOUBTS START TO BUILD, REMEMBER RYON’S WORDS AND FOCUS ON THE POSSIBILITIES! 

NUGGET EIGHT: KEEP RECEIPTS!

FOR HITTERS AND HITTING COACHES ALIKE, RYON STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF “KEEPING RECEIPTS”— WAYS TO KNOW WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN AND HOW YOU ARE PROGRESSING. NOTHING SHOULD BE LEFT TO CHANCE HERE. RYON MAKES IT TANGIBLE THROUGH AN ELABORATE AND EXTENSIVE USE OF GOOGLE DOCS, PROVIDING HITTERS WITH A ROAD MAP OF WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN AND WERE THEY WANT TO GO. IT’S INCREDIBLY IMPRESSIVE AND PRODUCTIVE FOR BOTH THE HITTER AND HITTING COACH. 

AND THOSE RECEIPTS  DON’T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE IN THE FORM OF A DIGITAL LIBRARY.  

KEEP A HITTING JOURNAL AND KEEP NOTES OF YOUR SESSIONS AND PRACTICES AND GAMES. USE VOICE MEMO ON YOUR PHONE AND LEAVE YOURSELF FEEDBACK THAT YOU CAN REVISIT AT A LATER DATE. HEARING YOUR OWN VOICE DESCRIBE YOUR WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN AND WHAT YOU WERE THINKING AND FEELING AT A PARTICULAR TIME ON YOUR PATH CAN BE REALLY IMPACTFUL. 

WHATEVER IT TAKES. WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOU. 

JUST KEEP RECEIPTS. 

IT WILL MAKE YOUR BOOKKEEPING AS A HITTER AND/OR HITTING COACH… A HECK OF A LOT EASIER AND MORE PRODUCTIVE. AND IT PROVIDES A FANTASTIC TRAIL FOR NOT ONLY YOURSELF… BUT OTHERS TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW… AS YOU MAKE YOUR WAY UP THAT HITTING MOUNTAIN. RYON’S RECEIPTS SERVE ALL HIS HITTERS. 

NUGGET NINE: AND QUITE POSSIBLY THE MOST POTENT MESSAGE RYON DELIVERED TO HITTERS WAS… YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

DID YOU HEAR THAT? 

GOOD. 

BECAUSE FIRST OFF, WE DON’T EVER WANT YOU TO FORGET THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF HITTERS WHO STAND WITH YOU. THEY KNOW THE HIGHS AND THE LOWS. THEY KNOW THE PROFOUND CHALLENGES YOU FACE. THEY’VE BEEN THERE. THEY’VE SUFFERED THROUGH THE PAINSTAKING FAILURES. THEY’VE LIVED THROUGH IT. MANY OF THEM STILL ARE. EVEN IN THIS VERY MOMENT — THERE ARE OTHERS FIGHTING AND CLAWING TO GET OUT OF THE VALLEY… JUST LIKE YOU HAVE. 

YOU’VE GOT A GUY LIKE RYON HEALY… WHO HAS BEEN TO THE MOUNTAIN TOP OF THE MAJOR LEAGUES AND ALSO CRAWLED ALONG THE FLOOR OF FAILURE, DESPERATELY SEEKING A WAY OUT. HE KNOWS THE PAIN. THE SENSE OF LONELINESS. AND HE IS SAYING… LOUD AND CLEAR… YOU ARE NOT ALONE. 

HE HAS WALKED THE PATH. AND HE IS WILLING TO WALK IT AGAIN WITH YOU NOW. 

WHAT CAN POSSIBLY BE MORE POWERFUL TO HEAR THAN THAT? 

AND NOW THE LAST NUGGET, SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM RYON’S STORY: BE BOLD IN YOUR SELF-REFLECTION AND DARE TO BE BRUTALY HONEST ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL JOURNEY. 

IF YOU DON’T SEEK TO DO THESE TWO THINGS… YOU ARE MERELY PLAYING PRETEND… AND THERE IS NO WAY TO CORRECTLY MAP THE TERRAIN YOU’VE TRAVELED — NEVER MIND GAIN ACTUAL GROUND.

IT TAKES RARELY-SEEN COURAGE TO BE AS REVEALING AS RYON HEALY WAS WITH YOU IN EPISODE EIGHT. BIG LEAGUE GUYS CAN BE TOUGH NUTS TO CRACK. RIGHTFULLY SO, THEY HAVE TO KEEP A HEAVY SUIT OF ARMOR ON TO SURVIVE A GAME FILLED WITH CONSTANT JUDGEMENT, CRITICISM, AND NEAR IMPOSSIBLE ODDS… AND THEY USUALLY KEEP THAT ARMOR READILY AVAILABLE FOR SEVERAL YEARS AFTER THEIR PLAYING DAYS ARE OVER. 

BUT RYON TOSSED THAT ARMOR ASIDE. 

YOU KNOW WHY HE DID IT? 

FOR YOU. 

FOR YOUR GROWTH. 

FOR YOUR DEVELOPMENT.

AND, AGAIN, TO SHOW YOU THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN YOUR HITTING JOURNEY — THAT HE HAS SHARED IN THE SAME PAIN, LONELINESS, AND DESPAIR… AND HE’S FELT THEM ALL UNDER THE BRIGHTEST LIGHTS THE GAME CAN OFFER. AND HE LEARNED DEEPLY FROM IT AFTER YEARS OF PERSONAL REFLECTION AND PROCESSING. AND THAT IS NO EASY TASK, MY FRIENDS. IT’S BEYOND IMPRESSIVE… AND DOWNRIGHT RARE.

AS RARE AS SQUARING UP A 103MPH FASTBALL AT THE TOP OF THE ZONE FROM TARIQ SKUBAL.

BELIEVE ME. 

ON THE PODCAST RYON CLOSED THE SHOW BY SAYING THAT IT HIS “PURPOSE” TO NOW SHARE THOSE EXPERIENCES AND THAT HARD-FOUGHT KNOWLEDGE WITH HITTERS TODAY. 

MAN, I WOULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING TO HAVE A DUDE LIKE THAT IN MY CORNER YEARS AGO. BUT HE’S OUT THERE FOR YOU GUYS NOW. SO GIVE HIM A SHOUT. FOLLOW HIM ON INSTAGRAM AT RCHEALY25. OR CHECK OUT HIS WEBSITE AT RYONHEALY.COM. AND BE SURE TO PASS THAT EPISODE EIGHT INTERVIEW ALONG TO TEAMMATES WHO NEED TO HEAR HIS MESSAGE. AND DO ME A FAVOR AND DROP HIM A DM AND SIMPLY SAY… THANK YOU, RYON. 

I’LL DO THE SAME HERE NOW. 

ON BEHALF OF THE ZHP COMMUNITY — DEEPEST THANKS, RYON HEALY. FOR SHARING ALL THAT GOLD.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, MY FRIEND…