---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The last start of spring training, my…"
description: "\"The last start of spring training, my (cut fastball) was okay. It just wasn't what I wanted it to be. I tried to work on making it cut more and do more..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/roy-halladay-43258_bits_the-last-start-of-spring-training-my-cut_688064.jpg"
---

#  The last start of spring training, my (cut fastball) was…

![“The last start of spring training, my (cut fastball) was okay. It just wasn't what I wanted it to be. I tried to work on making it cut more and do more. I think that set (the forearm) off ... trying to make it move a lot, cut a lot. I'm just going to back off and trust it a little bit more and not…” quote by Roy Halladay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/roy-halladay-43258_bits_the-last-start-of-spring-training-my-cut_688064.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/roy-halladay-43258_bits_the-last-start-of-spring-training-my-cut_688064.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/roy-halladay-43258_bits_the-last-start-of-spring-training-my-cut_688064.jpg)

> “The last start of spring training, my (cut fastball) was okay. It just wasn't what I wanted it to be. I tried to work on making it cut more and do more. I think that set (the forearm) off ... trying to make it move a lot, cut a lot. I'm just going to back off and trust it a little bit more and not try and push that.”

[Roy Halladay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-halladay/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He acknowledges over‑exertion on a pitch, decides to ease back and trust his natural ability.

**In simple terms:** He will to stop trying too hard and trust his skill.

Key Takeaway

Ease pressure, trust instinct.

Themes

baseball performance self‑trust

Mood

reflective determined

Type

advice sports

When to use this quote

- game preparation
- pitching drills
- mental focus
- injury prevention

Key Concepts

motor control overtraining confidence

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you balance effort and natural ability?
- When should you step back and trust your skill?

A Different Perspective

Pushing harder can cause injury or loss of feel.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Fastball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fastball/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Spring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spring/) [Spring training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spring-training/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training/)

## Related quotes

> [Losing is the bane and bugbear of every professional athlete's existence, but in baseball the monster seems to hang closer than in other sports,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-angell/losing-is-the-bane-and-bugbear-of-every-professional-athlete-s/)

[Roger Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-angell/)

> [When they operated, I told them to put in a Koufax fastball. They did-but it was Mrs. Koufax's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-john/when-they-operated-i-told-them-to-put-in-a-koufax-fastball-they-did/)

[Tommy John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-john/)

> [I'm a fastball hitter. It's no secret I'm looking for a fastball every pitch. I think it's one of the hardest things to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-delgado/i-m-a-fastball-hitter-it-s-no-secret-i-m-looking-for-a-fastball-every/)

[Carlos Delgado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-delgado/)

> [The fastball is the best pitch in baseball. It's like having five pitches, if you move it around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-tiant/the-fastball-is-the-best-pitch-in-baseball-it-s-like-having-five/)

[Luis Tiant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-tiant/)

> [I lost the good stuff on my fastball. I had to come up with something to keep me in the league. The knuckler rescued…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lyons/i-lost-the-good-stuff-on-my-fastball-i-had-to-come-up-with-something/)

Ted Lyons

> [I threw all my pitches over the top which was important for me because my slider was hard to tell from my fastball at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carlton/i-threw-all-my-pitches-over-the-top-which-was-important-for-me/)

[Steve Carlton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carlton/)

> [Once (Stan) Musial timed your fastball, your infielders were in jeopardy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-spahn/once-stan-musial-timed-your-fastball-your-infielders-were-in-jeopardy/)

[Warren Spahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-spahn/)

> [I never knew how to throw a fastball, never learned how to throw a curveball, a slider, split-finger, whatever they're throwing nowadays. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-niekro/i-never-knew-how-to-throw-a-fastball-never-learned-how-to-throw-a/)

[Phil Niekro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-niekro/)

> [I consciously memorized the speed at which every pitcher in the league threw his fastball, curve, and slider; then, I'd pick up the speed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-musial/i-consciously-memorized-the-speed-at-which-every-pitcher-in-the-2/)

[Stan Musial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-musial/)

> [I studied one term of law and then came to realize I had a little better fastball and curve than I did a vocabulary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lyons/i-studied-one-term-of-law-and-then-came-to-realize-i-had-a-little/)

Ted Lyons

> [I guess I prefer the laughs. I couldn't do a whole set of just shocks, but I like throwing a fastball inside every now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-guess-i-prefer-the-laughs-i-couldn-t-do-a-whole-set-of-just-shocks/)

[Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/)

> [I had to will my way through that game. Sometimes, it takes more than talent or more than a 95-mile-an-hour fastball. You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-clemens/i-had-to-will-my-way-through-that-game-sometimes-it-takes-more-than/)

[Roger Clemens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-clemens/)

> [(Dwight Gooden) his fastball crackling , his curveball dropping as suddenly as a duck shot in the air, has begun his charge for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-berkow/dwight-gooden-his-fastball-crackling-his-curveball-dropping-as/)

Ira Berkow

> [I know who's the best pitcher I ever see and it's old Satchel Paige, that big lanky colored boy. My fastball looks like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dizzy-dean/i-know-who-s-the-best-pitcher-i-ever-see-and-it-s-old-satchel-paige/)

[Dizzy Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dizzy-dean/)

> [Most pitchers fear losing their fastball and, since I don't have one, the only thing I have to fear is fear itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quisenberry/most-pitchers-fear-losing-their-fastball-and-since-i-don-t-have-one/)

[Dan Quisenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quisenberry/)

## More by Roy Halladay

> [Going home and just seeing what a mess youth baseball was was an eye-opener. I just want to make it a better game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-halladay/going-home-and-just-seeing-what-a-mess-youth-baseball-was-was-an-eye/)

[Roy Halladay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-halladay/)

> [The biggest thing I've learned is location.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-halladay/the-biggest-thing-i-ve-learned-is-location/)

[Roy Halladay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-halladay/)

> [I enjoy talking pitching and talking baseball. And I don't have all the answers. I don't claim to, but I'm more than happy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-halladay/i-enjoy-talking-pitching-and-talking-baseball-and-i-don-t-have-all/)

[Roy Halladay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-halladay/)

> [I feel as good now as I have any other spring training,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-halladay/i-feel-as-good-now-as-i-have-any-other-spring-training/)

[Roy Halladay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-halladay/)

> [I've been fortunate with the changeup. I've been able to throw it for strikes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-halladay/i-ve-been-fortunate-with-the-changeup-i-ve-been-able-to-throw-it-for/)

[Roy Halladay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-halladay/)

> [Anytime you do something different, a lot of attention gets put on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-halladay/anytime-you-do-something-different-a-lot-of-attention-gets-put-on-it/)

[Roy Halladay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-halladay/)

> [I've always tried to work hard. I'm not trying to show anybody up or do something spectacular for attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-halladay/i-ve-always-tried-to-work-hard-i-m-not-trying-to-show-anybody-up-or/)

[Roy Halladay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-halladay/)

> [I think the important thing now, getting closer to the pitch counts, it feels like I got something left. I felt I could have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-halladay/i-think-the-important-thing-now-getting-closer-to-the-pitch-counts-it/)

[Roy Halladay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-halladay/)

[Explore all 9 Roy Halladay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-halladay/)

## More Baseball quotes

> [I'd always have grease in at least two places, in case the umpires would ask me to wipe one off. I never wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaylord-perry/i-d-always-have-grease-in-at-least-two-places-in-case-the-umpires/)

[Gaylord Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaylord-perry/)

> [When you're in the middle of a pennant race, you can't go up there thinking about home runs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammy-sosa/when-you-re-in-the-middle-of-a-pennant-race-you-can-t-go-up-there/)

[Sammy Sosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammy-sosa/)

> [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/)

[Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/)

> [Spring training means flowers, people coming outdoors, sunshine, optimism and baseball. Spring training is a time to think about being young again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-banks/spring-training-means-flowers-people-coming-outdoors-sunshine/)

[Ernie Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-banks/)

> [Pitchers pitch differently. Hitters, hardly anyone has the same stance. That's just how it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-zimmerman/pitchers-pitch-differently-hitters-hardly-anyone-has-the-same-stance/)

[Ryan Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-zimmerman/)

> [Five World Series rings, 3000-plus hits, the fame, the fortune and playing for the second most historic franchise in baseball... These are just some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mookie-betts/five-world-series-rings-3000-plus-hits-the-fame-the-fortune-and/)

[Mookie Betts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mookie-betts/)

> [I don't want the electronic strike zone. I like the element of sometimes pitches don't get called. Guys don't receive it well or whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-schwarber/i-don-t-want-the-electronic-strike-zone-i-like-the-element-of/)

[Kyle Schwarber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-schwarber/)

> [I sang the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium - at a baseball game - which was crazy; there was, like, 60,000 people there, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/i-sang-the-national-anthem-at-dodger-stadium-at-a-baseball-game-which/)

[Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/)

> [If I was going to make one rule change, I would bring the DH to the National League.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-brett/if-i-was-going-to-make-one-rule-change-i-would-bring-the-dh-to-the/)

[George Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-brett/)

> [In all honesty, once you become a professional, number one, you're no longer a fan. I don't root for the Dodgers, really. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vin-scully/in-all-honesty-once-you-become-a-professional-number-one-you-re-no/)

[Vin Scully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vin-scully/)

> [I'll tell you what's helped me my entire life. I look at baseball as a game. It's something where people can go out, enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-caray/i-ll-tell-you-what-s-helped-me-my-entire-life-i-look-at-baseball-as-a/)

[Harry Caray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-caray/)

> [When I step into the batters box. The fans, the noise, the cheers, they all disappear. For that moment, the world is just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/when-i-step-into-the-batters-box-the-fans-the-noise-the-cheers-they/)

[Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/)

> [What we should have done is kept the same team that played in the '95 World Series. Those trades (Eddie Murray &amp; Carlos Baerga)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-belle/what-we-should-have-done-is-kept-the-same-team-that-played-in-the-95/)

[Albert Belle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-belle/)

> [“I can buy baseball cards to view an entire career on the back of a little square of cardboard. But nobody sells major league…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg-jr/i-can-buy-baseball-cards-to-view-an-entire-career-on-the-back-of-a/)

[John Ortberg Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg-jr/)

> [The wind always seems to blow against catchers when they are running.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-garagiola/the-wind-always-seems-to-blow-against-catchers-when-they-are-running/)

[Joe Garagiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-garagiola/)

[Browse all 7,461 Baseball quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The last start of spring training, my (cut fastball) was okay. It just wasn't what I wanted it to be. I tried to work on making it cut more and do more. I think that set (the forearm) off ... trying to make it move a lot, cut a lot. I'm just going to back off and trust it a little bit more and not try and push that.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Roy Halladay"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-halladay/the-last-start-of-spring-training-my-cut-fastball-was-okay-it-just/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Baseball"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-halladay/the-last-start-of-spring-training-my-cut-fastball-was-okay-it-just/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/roy-halladay-43258_bits_the-last-start-of-spring-training-my-cut_688064.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/roy-halladay-43258_bits_the-last-start-of-spring-training-my-cut_688064.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/roy-halladay-43258_bits_the-last-start-of-spring-training-my-cut_688064.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The last start of spring training, my (cut fastball) was okay. It just wasn't what I wanted it to be. I…” — Roy Halladay",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Roy Halladay",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-halladay/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The last start of spring training,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-halladay/the-last-start-of-spring-training-my-cut-fastball-was-okay-it-just/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-halladay/the-last-start-of-spring-training-my-cut-fastball-was-okay-it-just/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
