On the brightest of stages, all athletes are seeking that place where their skills, their talents honed in practice, in more mundane environments — seemingly then automated — can be retrieved and replicated in high-stress, high-excitement situations.
Trevor Bauer describes the mindset needed to reach peak performance as a “narrow-extremal focus.” It’s a reference to Nideffer’s attention model, which Bauer has studied. That Bauer can reference something so esoteric speaks to just how differently and deeply Bauer thinks about his craft compared to the vast majority of players populating Major League clubhouses. But that he can articulate it shows that Bauer has a map, a plan, leading him to where he wants to go.
Experience and recent history guided Trevor Bauer to Game 1 gem
