Balls to the Wall: Cough…. Splutter…. CHOKE by Alan Stapleton
March 16, 2015
“Where do you go to, my Luvlies ?
When you’re alone on the court.
Tell me the thoughts that surround you
I want to look inside your head,
Yes, I do …
The Cough
Most squash matches are lost, not won. Lost, because of unforced
errors. Nobody makes unforced errors on purpose. Yes, sometimes a
technical bad habit may be the cause or a tactically bad decision. But
mostly, it is through lapses in concentration. Take time out to track
where your thoughts are taking you ? Are you “in the moment” ?
Are you replaying the last rally… thinking ahead to the final score… or
worrying about a post-match beer, issues at the office or hassles
at home ?
The Splutter
So easily, that “cough” becomes a series of lapses. The momentum of the
match shifts. And if you cannot gear your mind back, it becomes a
slippery downward slide. Just one rally, one incident can change the
direction of a match.
The Choke
A paralysis. And the possibility of long term damage, lingering.
CHOKER, is a word, which when plastered on the forehead of a sportsman,
holds almost the equivalent vestige in degradation as that of biblical
lepers. Once labeled, the player is virtually cast out of sporting
society.
Ironically, it is we, the idealistic, idiotic fans who often create the
environment for our sportsmen to be “infected”. We expect our
sportspeople to play error-free stuff and win every single match,
irrespective of who, and how well the opponents are playing. Sadly too,
we lag way behind other sports in addressing the psychological
aspects of our sport. Rather another fitness specialist, or a strength
coach than a Sports Psychologist. Sporting psychological problems are
for wimps.
Let me come out of the closet. I am a Choker
I was first selected to play for our Regional sides in a tri-angular
weekend tournament. I was first on court and nervously excited. But
with a crowded gallery, and self-imposed team-mate expectations, I
froze . My racquet felt like a leaded bat, the ball, a heavy blob, and
my legs, tangled spaghetti. I lost … badly .In one-fell swooped
weekend, I went from playing some of the best squash of my life to
being… USELESS. Confidence drained from my brain
The inter-provincial tournament hovered, just weeks away. To
re-pay for my losing sins, I dived into a training regime that was
dumb. Mindless running - 400’s, court sprints and jelly legs with no
thought of tapering, my mental preparation, or my skills.
A week before tournament I developed symptoms of shin splints, and
fearful of further injury, I was forced into playing a slow lob-drop
game. And then. I was introduced to The Yips - The
Drop Shot Yips. My drop, an easy free-flowing disguised strength,
suddenly became a nervous, spikey poke which either clanked the tin, or
spattered high, waiting to be annihilated. The harder I tried, the
tighter I felt. The more I sought victory, the worse I played. And the
week was a nightmare. I eventually won a match on Day 5 against an
over-weight veteran who had over-drunk himself the night before.
I returned home with a deflated, battered brain.
Fortunately, with some routine support , some coaching knowledge,
purposeful practice, and time, I was able to get back off the ground.
Some, however, do not. I lay no claim to being mentally tough,
but having been there, I understand, and I sympathise with those who
Choke. Bob Rotella in his book, “Golf is not a Game of Perfect”,
diagnoses Choking perfectly. Paraphrased and adapted to squash, here
follow some of his ideas.
Choking is NOT synonymous with being Nervous. Nervousness is good , as
long as you are aware of your symptoms - yawning before a game, a
dry mouth, raised heart- beat. Nervousness is natural and makes the
sporting experience exhilarating. Running on the spot, stretching, deep
breathing, developing on- court routines are all ways of
balancing the nervousness with calm positivity
But if left alone, Nervousness can introduce you to demons that
can destroy the foundation of any shot. Entertain Fear, Doubt, Anger or
External Factors , and Choking will stand at your doorstep
Meet some of the family of these Demons …
Fear of letting down team-mates , parents, or supporters.
Fear of losing.
Fear of Winning – beating a person you did not expect to beat
Anger with referee, or self, or opponent – such a debilitating emotion
Doubt – loss of real self- confidence and self- belief
When the squash player stops following routines, forgets the game
plan, lets thoughts drift towards the possible result, then
these thoughts affect the conscious mind , the body becomes
tight, muscles become spastically unresponsive, and natural movement
becomes mechanical. The player is very close to being labeled.
Once stricken, The Choker needs to be nursed . Choking can become a
lingering disease where the body becomes so taut with tension that the
player does not function. Like a serious case of influenza where the
body aches, and pains, literally you can do very little.
As a Coach/ Parent/Supporter, realize that “Choking” is not synonymous
with having a flawed personality. It is not a congenital, incurable
disease. More than likely, it is a case of someone trying too
hard. It can be helped if the player seeks help, intelligently analyzes
what is going wrong and takes steps to avoid it.
Some ideas:
· Purposeful , targeted unstressed practice is key
· Practised visualization
· Positive Self Talk and affirmations
· Staying in the Present. Thinking only of THIS rally
· Avoiding technical thoughts when playing
· Sticking to your routines and game plan
· Believing and trusting yourself
· Smiling, relaxing, breathing
· Realising that it is JUST a game of squash
So … Where do you go to my Luvly When you ‘re alone on the court ?
Alan
Stapleton
– a passionate sports-mad squashaholic , who was introduced to the game
by bribery of chips and Coke while his father dabbled with dobbly
trickle boasts, and then converted at a clinic held by the legendary
Jonah Barrington. While never reaching dizzy heights as a player, he
did play representative/provincial and 1st league squash, and via a
combination of playing, and coaching at all levels , and administering,
he has become addicted to the beautiful highs that this amazing sport
can take one to, day, or night, without fear of rain, wind, heat, hail
or snow, and irrespective of the level of skill. Now, through his love
of writing, he tries to “spread the word” and some nuggets of wisdom
gleaned from his squash journey. Married with 2 children, this former
teacher, now Marketing Manager, lives in Port Elizabeth, South
Africa.
