420. You Don’t Need to Fake It
“Catch. Admit. Replace. That’s how you build real confidence.”
– Tyler Pazik
What do you do when your brain says,
“I suck.”
You can try to ignore it.
You can fake confidence.
You can lie to yourself and say, “Whatever, next pitch.
But if you don’t believe it?
It doesn’t work.
🧠 The Story:
One of my Big 12 pitchers was getting this summer.
Not just by hitters. By his own thoughts.
He’d step on the mound and think:
“I’m going to walk this guy.”
Even when he tried to move on, it stuck.
He was “faking it” as best he could. But it wasn’t working.
Fake confidence didn’t help him execute.
Didn’t help him reset.
Didn’t help him trust himself
Why?
Because he skipped the one thing most athletes avoid:
Self-Honesty.
🔧 The Strategy: CAR
I taught him a tool I use with athletes at every level:
C.A.R.
Catch the thought.
Admit you’re thinking it.
Replace it with something that serves you.
Most guys skip the middle.
They catch the thought... try to replace it... but never admit it.
And that’s like stacking positive bricks on top of a shaky foundation.
Eventually, it all falls.
🔁 How He Used It:
He built CAR into his routine between pitches.
He’d step off the mound.
Pick a focal point in the outfield.
Go through the mental process:
Caught the thought: “I’m going to walk this guy.”
Admitted it: “Yep, that’s where I’m at right now.”
Replaced it: “I’m throwing with conviction. This pitch is mine.”
Then he got back on the mound—and went to work.
That’s how you compete one pitch at a time.
📈 The Result:
Since this conversation, bullpens have been sharp.
He’s pounding the zone.
And more importantly, he has a real process.
Not a “fake-it-til-you-make-it” one.
💪 Your Challenge:
This month, after a practice or game:
Catch one thought you had
✍️ Write it down
🧠 If it didn’t serve you, write down what you’ll replace it with next time
Confidence isn’t pretending you’re not struggling.
It’s being honest enough to deal with what’s real—and build something better.
Catch. Admit. Replace.
That’s how you become the kind of competitor people trust when the game’s on the line.
PS - And just remember— you can’t “fake it” to the big leagues
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