FOCUS & CONCENTRATION
CAN BE TRAINED AND DEVELOPED
USING CONCENTRATION GRID

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For years sport psychologists and peak performance coaches have known the benefits of using the concentration grid. 

Toronto Blue Jays’ All-Star right hander Roy Halladay uses it.  So do many other professional baseball players, Olympic and professional athletes from various sports to improve their abilities to stay focused and locked in to the present moment for an extended period of time.

In an April 16, 2007 Sports Illustrated article titled Second To One by Michael Farber, Halladay discussed how he uses the concentration grid as a part of his mental preparation for pitching.  He completes the grid twice on the day before he starts and once more on the day that he pitches.

The purpose of the exercise is to narrow the focus of a lively mind to nothing but the next number, which helps Halladay sharpen his concentration on nothing but the next pitch when he reaches the mound.

When Halladay began working the 10-square-by-10-square grid five years ago, he needed 17 to 20 minutes to finish. Now he has become so proficient that he sometimes amps up the distractions, turning on the TV or listening to songs that he likes.  Halladay’s average time was reported to be around 3:30.

For years I tried to find a way to recreate this exercise so that the athletes and teams I worked with could work to develop and train their abilities to focus on a routine basis in the comfort of their dorm room or in the discomfort of a local restaurant, dining hall or sold out stadium.  Recently I was able to develop a computer program that creates a random sequence of 10x10 grids that you can print off your computer and train with on a routine basis.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE 30 CONCENTRATION GRIDS
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Athletes I have worked with report that the grid allows them to become more aware of when they start to space out and lose their focus and also allows them to become more aware of when they are trying too hard and need to take a breath in order to relax and get back into an optimal level of focus.

When I personally started to do a “C-Grid” on a routine basis (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday morning before I was able to eat breakfast), my time was in the low to mid teens.  After almost two months I am able to do them around 4-5 minutes in a crazy and chaotic environment known as the high school lunch room.

When starting out you want to time your players in a quiet controlled environment.  No cell phone, no TV; no distractions.  When performing the grid in a quiet and controlled environment you are able to develop a heightened awareness for when you lost focus.

You would then build up to doing the “C-Grid” with a TV or your favorite music playing in the background.  You will at first get distracted by the TV or by the beat of the music.  Eventually you are able to lock in your focus and concentration so that the voices and music fade into the background and you can feel yourself in the moment.

Above is a sample “C-Grid” that you can copy and use with your team.  Also, you can laminate and use the grid with a dry erase marker over and over again.  Some people will use a pencil and go from the bottom left corner of each box to the top right so that they can use the same sheet in the future by making an x, going from top left to the bottom right of each box in your second attempt.

I have found that when you use a dry erase marker or a sharpie and cross out the number completely your time will improve because you will no longer be able to see the numbers you have crossed out.  When you use a pencil or go from corner to corner, you will still be able to see and read the numbers you have crossed out, thus increasing your time.

Have fun with the “C-Grid”.  Compete against your best time and feel how you will develop the ability to focus in the present moment, one pitch at a time.