Stock Doc: Breaking Out of a Mental Slump

On a blustery Thursday night last week, Alex Rodriguez, one of the highest paid players on the New York Yankees, came to the plate late in a game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for a crucial at-bat.

With the bases loaded and the Yankees down by one run, Rodriguez popped out to the second baseman to end the eighth inning of a game his team eventually lost. For any Yankees fan, watching A-Rod in a clutch situation is usually quite a dissonant experience. We all know he is a tremendous athlete with an endless supply of talent. Our confidence in him, however, is shaken after watching him in pinstripes the past few seasons, where he has gained a reputation for not rising up to the challenge when the pressure is on.

Most highly paid performers, whether they are athletes, traders, lawyers or doctors, are faced with daily pressures to produce when the heat is on. The mental edge that some individuals have that makes them consistent clutch performers has always intrigued me.

One thing that I've learned as both a trading coach and a ballplayer (I still play for the Central Park Yankees in a semiprofessional wooden bat league on summer weekends) is that you can't be expected to rise up and shine at every single opportunity.

If you hold these expectations for yourself, you put yourself at risk for tremendous amounts of frustration and disappointment, which can negatively impact your performance.