Common Performance Anxieties -Continued.
10) Common Anxiety: “I focus the whole match on perfect form. That’s Correct …right?”
“Athletes nurtured to focus on mechanics in match play seldom
perform in the flow state.”
I recommend that athletes save most of the detailed analysis of strokes for the improvement phase which takes place on the practice court. Bio- mechanical analysis surely has its place; it’s just not in the midst of competition. Focusing too much on “bend your knees,” “close the racket face 30-degrees and brush up,” and “tuck the left hand in on the serve to block the third link of the kinetic chain” pulls athletes out of the flow state and into their editing, analytical brain.
The week leading into an important event I recommend trading in the need for stroke perfection and replace it with practicing picking up relevant cues like proficient pattern play, score management, and opponent profiling. This prepares the athlete for pressure by allowing their judgmental ego to slip away. Performing in the zone requires relaxed contentment, which can’t be found if you’re focused on fixing every micro-flaw.
Preparing for pressure requires the athlete to focus on the art of competing.
11) Common Anxiety: “Yeah, I know I should practice more, but I’m so busy.”
“It’s not the most gifted athletes who typically succeed; it’s
the most organized and disciplined.”
Preparing athletes for pressure include pointing them in the right direction. One of my assessment tools is the 168 Hour Rule. We all get 24 hours a day seven days a week. That equals 168 hours.
I ask junior athletes to begin with 168 hours a week and then deduct their hours for sleep, school, homework, and other serious interests. Most often, the very same athletes who claim that they’re too busy realizes that they have 60-70 free, unaccountable hours weekly! This exercise is very eye-opening for both the parents and the athletes. After we identify the athlete’s free time, we re-design their weekly developmental plan. Together we assess the quality of the hours they’re dedicating to their long-term goals.
Example conversation after reviewing time assessment, “Joey since you just revealed that you have 60 unaccountable hours weekly; would it be possible for you to increase your deliberate customized tennis training to 20 hours a week? That’ll still leave you with 40 hours a week to hang out with friends, socialize, and play
