Posts Tagged "situational"
Apr13

Controlling Momentum

Posted at 8:16 AM • One Comment
Thanks for coming back! I appreciate your viewing.

 

Be Objective In Your Evaluations, Pay Attention To Momentum

Be Objective In Your Evaluations, Pay Attention To Momentum

There are a few sports that experience true momentum which flows back and forth. Sports such as tennis, basketball, hockey, and football are some of the examples were momentum not only important but can change a whole game. In these sports both individuals on the team have opportunities to both change momentum keep momentum and lose momentum based on the decisions they make and how they respond to troubling and positive situations. Even if there is coach involved it is important that the players understand when momentum is shifting and when it’s time to make a change.

 

In a sport like tennis, the individual player has much more control over their momentum and the whole momentum of the match. Because of all the breaks in play tennis players can speed up slow down the pace of play to match their needs of actual momentum. In a team sport individuals have to communicate with each other as well as a coach to make sure that they are doing their best to control the pace of play and momentum that fits with whether they are winning or losing. There are a couple common ways to control the pace of play and momentum in any sport.

If you are winning:

  • You can speed up the pace of play and make the opponents make changes and decisions faster. While this may work in tennis, in sports that have a time limit slowing down the pace may be more beneficial to momentum control. This is due to the opponents perception of time running out to activate quicker and more aggressive decisions.

If you are losing:

  • You may take your time, slowdown, and try to stay relaxed in order to forge a comeback. In team sports that use a clock, once again you may do the opposite and pick up the pace. For example, in football teams will sometimes go into the no huddle offense to change the momentum of the game.

Those who are able to recognize momentum changes within the situation are more likely to be successful when attempting to controlling momentum. While games are not simply won and lost by momentum they can have an impact on the results. Learning to recognize momentum changes when devising situational plans will allow you to play a much higher level than trying to force your way through situation.

While this might seem confusing the key point is to EVALUATE the situation appropriately and be aware of how momentum may affect you.

For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the right of the page.

Apr2

No More Goals, More Actions

Posted at 8:44 AM • One Comment

 

To Reach A Goal, Actions Are Most Important

To Reach A Goal, Actions Are Most Important

Goals are a major part of sport training.  As an athlete it is important to remember it is not the goals but the actions taken to achieve the goals that matter.  When creating your goals consider the following questions:

  • How long will it take to reach this goal?
  • What is my first step?
  • What results may occur due to this goal?
  • What are the various steps that are required to meet this goal?

Setting a goal is great but if you don’t know how you will reach that goal it becomes useless.   Goals should be outlines for action plans, not simply a dream.  Think about it as your destination on a map.  You may know where you are supposed to be going but you still need a route to get there.  There may even be multiple routes you can take, so that choice is up to the athlete (or coach involved).  Evaluate the options and choose what fits best into the situation.

As you create your goals be aware of the necessary actions, write them down and keep them accessible as you would the goals themselves.  It should be a stepwise process building towards your larger goal (If you are a golfer and want to add 45 yards to your drive, then you should break it down into smaller parts).  The actions should fit together and improve your performance from various angles.  See the example below:

Goal: Add 15 yards to my drive (Golf)

Actions:

  • Workout in the gym 3x week (*Set goals for performance in the gym i.e., add 20 lbs to my bench press in the next 3 weeks)
  • Improve my flexibility
  •  Hit 50 more drives per day
  • Analyze swing through video once per week
  • Spend 1 extra hour with my swing coach

For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the right of the page.