Set Goals
Setting performance or action goals every time you perform is a good practical technique to improving concentration. These goals can be as simple as instructing yourself to‘ bend your knees’ or get your serve in’. This enables the athlete to focus on actions and things within their control, as opposed to focusing on the result of the match. The ideology behind this technique is that it can be applied irrespective of the score or the opponent; which promotes concentration because the athlete stays ‘in the moment’.
Relaxation and Centring
Physical relaxation techniques can help athletes to concentrate more effectively. Tension usually equates panic and panic promotes errors, which is what you are trying to avoid. Taking a second to slowly breathe; shake away any tension in the arms, legs or neck can be instrumental to reducing the likelihood of error. A common mistake that novices and amateurs make is that they hold their breath when preparing for a shot; this causes the muscles to tense up and your movement and swing can be affected. When a weight lifter lifts weights or a tennis player hits a ball, usually you can hear the athlete exhale or grunt - this is them breathing out on the effort to limit tension or to maximise power, which in turn reduces tension which inevitably lessens the possibility of error.
Relaxation and centring is not only necessary during a match but is a useful pre-match technique. Some people get very anxious before matches and relaxing and centring encourages the athlete to stay calm and to focus on the task at hand. Anxiety can cause an increased heart rate, tense muscles and quick and shallow breathing. As previously stated shaking out muscles, slow deep breaths, rolling your neck or a quick stretch can help greatly.
All the techniques highlighted in this blog and the previous one [Concentration Techniques] can be applied at any time leading up to a competition and in some cases can be particularly helpful when practiced the night before or in the hours preceding a competition to help keep anxiety at bay and to maximise concentration.
Setting performance or action goals every time you perform is a good practical technique to improving concentration. These goals can be as simple as instructing yourself to‘ bend your knees’ or get your serve in’. This enables the athlete to focus on actions and things within their control, as opposed to focusing on the result of the match. The ideology behind this technique is that it can be applied irrespective of the score or the opponent; which promotes concentration because the athlete stays ‘in the moment’.
Relaxation and Centring
Physical relaxation techniques can help athletes to concentrate more effectively. Tension usually equates panic and panic promotes errors, which is what you are trying to avoid. Taking a second to slowly breathe; shake away any tension in the arms, legs or neck can be instrumental to reducing the likelihood of error. A common mistake that novices and amateurs make is that they hold their breath when preparing for a shot; this causes the muscles to tense up and your movement and swing can be affected. When a weight lifter lifts weights or a tennis player hits a ball, usually you can hear the athlete exhale or grunt - this is them breathing out on the effort to limit tension or to maximise power, which in turn reduces tension which inevitably lessens the possibility of error.
Relaxation and centring is not only necessary during a match but is a useful pre-match technique. Some people get very anxious before matches and relaxing and centring encourages the athlete to stay calm and to focus on the task at hand. Anxiety can cause an increased heart rate, tense muscles and quick and shallow breathing. As previously stated shaking out muscles, slow deep breaths, rolling your neck or a quick stretch can help greatly.
All the techniques highlighted in this blog and the previous one [Concentration Techniques] can be applied at any time leading up to a competition and in some cases can be particularly helpful when practiced the night before or in the hours preceding a competition to help keep anxiety at bay and to maximise concentration.
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