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How to find relaxation? |
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Oso moroso
Member Joined: 11/18/2005 Status: Offline Points: 16 |
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Posted: 07/25/2006 at 10:52pm |
I am posting a message in some forums to get some help, but I am still angry (and a bit tired) to write the idea again with different words , so I am copying my message from another forum and posting here. Here it goes: "I have to admit it-I am really angry. A couple of days ago I lost a couple of matches in which I feel I could have played a lot better. I guess my problem is in the mental departament. In a word- I can't relax. I played in a very stiff way, it was just as if "Robocop" were looping, with that "penguin" swinging arm. The tightness of my muscles was brutal. The funny thing is that while the ball was coming, I could tell myself "Now, get down with the legs, move forward,etc.", but my body didn' t seem to notice. And of course, is not the very first time it happened. It's part of my luggage in almost any tournament!! I have played "garage-ping-pong" during high-school, and after not touching a paddle for a looong time a year and 9 months ago, I began playing with personal coaching. I think it's time to face another problems (i.e,drop shots, tactical issues,etc.), but not still struggling with lack of relaxation!! OK, ok, I know that in real matches performance drops about a 60% from your training, but why other training partners that have my same level during practice, play better than me during tournaments? Is there a gift to get calm that some people have and another not? By the way, am I experimenting a paradox, that is, that I am trying "too hard" to relax and so I am adding tension to my tension, as if one give someone a contradictory task like "Be spontaneous"? The final purpose of this post is to ask for real help, and besides your comments, it would be nice if someone know of any specific literature or method (i.e., hypnosis) that can be helpful. Please, keep in mind that my problem, I guess, is not to get cold during crucial points (like being down 9-11), or how to plan in advance to improve 100 points in my ranking, so I think the books "With winning in mind" or "Winning ugly" may not be of much help. There are some books on golf about mental performance, but I am afraid many of these books just put a couple of common sense ideas and the rest is bla,bla,bla. Many people tell me "Just relax", but I wish I found a way to replace the word "just" by a specific method that can translate into body perceptions... Perhaps there are many ways and I am too lazy to train my mind and my body as hard as I do with my serves, loops, hitting.etc. Perhaps.... I think Carl Danner (the coach that writes weekly tips in the USTTA site) touched a fiber when he spoke about fear as the root of performing badly, and there is a book about golf called "Fearless golf" which may adress the issue, but I would like to hear from you from your real experience with these phantoms and how did you overcame them... Thanks a lot.... Oso Moroso |
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hieupham
Super Member Joined: 02/09/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 445 |
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okie, i encounter ur problem sometimes. Here is my method: first, right before the points start, try not to think about how u will play, because u already had something called the muscle memory. Your game plan must be thought about much much before the point start, like when u go pick the ball, walk back slowly, think about it. You can jump slightly on the ground, warm up to make ur leg active, it not only helps ur leg more responsive, but also help u release some of ur thinking. Second, try this: tense ur muscles, all over ur body, count from 1-10 before u play the point, because after tensing in that little while, ur muscle cannot be any more tensed, then, it s relaxed enough for u to make a good shot. i hope it d help.
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azrin
Super Member Joined: 03/22/2006 Location: Malaysia Status: Offline Points: 346 |
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lateral thinking .... try imagine for that particular game you are actually behind points and you know even how good you are to play, you are going to be defeated in that match. play like there is no more hope for you in that game... if it benefits you then go ahead with it. if not then you should be going to bahamas or phuket or bali or hawaii for a long holiday.... |
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TT_Freak
Platinum Member Joined: 11/21/2004 Status: Offline Points: 2672 |
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How about having some fun when you play? A tournament doesn't dictate the rest of your life, so go out there and enjoy yourself.
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phrixion
Silver Member Joined: 04/04/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 533 |
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I think I have a similiar habit with my forehand hits and loops... I find when a coach tells me to "relax" it literally means to loosen up. Not mentally relax. I have a very bad habit which sounds simliar to yours. That is my forehand becomes rigid and tight... I literally shake my playing arm around loosely and remember to extend the forearm and not hold my elbow so tightly to my body... I've just started to over come this bad habit... but it still returns after about 30 strokes when I get a bit fatigued... For me, part of it is I have a hard time putting together the waist rotation and shifting of weight into the ball from the right foot to left foot (i'm a righty) when playing which takes some stress off the arm. Sometimes I stress trying to put it all together (telling myself in my head) instead of just doing it. |
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Braveheart
Super Member Joined: 06/21/2006 Location: Switzerland Status: Offline Points: 270 |
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Only put in your mind that your opponent is scare of you because you are stronger and able to defeat him. Be proud of yourself and ready to show what you can do; the results will come later
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j0rnal1sta
Super Member Joined: 05/30/2004 Location: Brazil Status: Offline Points: 104 |
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I have big problems at mental departament haha :P I lose some tournaments and important matchs because i was nervous, lose to easy opponents. I found two solutions: I run 20minutes before to play, and begin the firsts points very good, after win some points, my style begin to win games and matchs. After won one match, i was more calm and play very better. And i try to vibrate more, liberating anxiety, to finish nervousness . I think i have better results after running before matchs. |
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Oso moroso
Member Joined: 11/18/2005 Status: Offline Points: 16 |
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Thank you all for the answers.- Hieupham, the method of tensing the muscles on purpose during some seconds may work well. I think that it comes from the "Yoga" method. I will try it. The only doubt is if you don't get "hyper-relaxed", I mean,going to the other extreme? Azrin, I liked too the image of being defeated already. I got a sort of same answer on another forum. Look what I said there about it- " I liked the concept of trying to pretend I am inferior, no matter to whom I am playing. Because if you have already admitted there is nothing to fight for (as the other, not you, is the one who is supposed to win, at least in your mind), you "loose" yourself and you don't have to defend any "ego" ( "What do my friends/coach/family/audience will say if I lose again?"). Is a sort of a paradox- as you give up struggling with perfection, many times good playing arrives. Do you know the saying about happiness-"Happiness is just like a butterfly (no marketing!). When you are chasing it, you won't catch it. But if you stay calmly looking at the scenery, it will land in your shoulder". The translation from my language (Spanish) may not be literal, but you get the idea." TT_Freak, your posts are usually short but full of wisdom in a couple of sentences. That's an art, man. Yes, I agree that having fun is one of the key to relax. But I have also these thoughts about it (which I posted in Denis' forum, that I know you read, but I'll post them here anyway).Here it goes: "About the idea of having fun, I guess that as long as you play for competition and all the ranking issue, fun is thrown away out of the window.As an example, only very talented pro football (soccer) players play for fun. Most of them want more to win than to have fun, and not because they will lose their jobs if their team lose, but because being competitive is installed in the very nature of ranking sports. Isn't the word "training" related to the idea of get a result and not just entertain yourself ? Anyway, here comes another paradox-more fun you have, the more you win, so a very competitive guy must be smart enough to realize that having fun is the ultimate tool to win!!"
Jornalista, jogging 20 minutes before the game sounds good (but don't you get tired?). At least, I have read somewhere that a pro player does this, but I can't remember his name. Who was he? Tudo legal!! Oso Moroso
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In_this_pace
Super Member Joined: 06/06/2006 Location: Ukraine Status: Offline Points: 194 |
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20 minute jogging is a good idea. I never participated in serious competitions, but was observing myself for last half a year and noticed some important things. Whatever it is, a training or a friendly game, I start very bad. My reaction fails, half of my shots are awful, my footwork is too slow. (i notice it immediately but feel helpless, like "That forehand drive was awkward and it`s obvious!" or "You could block that ball down the line, that was the best decision but you were stick to the ground!").
Then, after playing for about 20-30 minutes, I get upset with myself, have a 5minute break and ... everything improves! I`ve noticed I become kind of... emotionless, indifferent to anything. So my tip is: watch a good drama movie before (whatever "good drama movie" means to you), then have a jogging session or, even better, play a short training game with someone. |
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j0rnal1sta
Super Member Joined: 05/30/2004 Location: Brazil Status: Offline Points: 104 |
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In the first four times that i did it, i was tired, but now i play better than when i don't run before tournament. All top players have some exercises before tournament to begin the match very good. A friend that saw Saive, told me , Saive go to the match sweating, dripping, and play good. To jump rope, to run, to prolongate themselves well, everything this help to play good and be calm. |
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Blade: Waldner Senso Carbon ST
Forehand: T05 Black Backhand: T05 Red |
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Oso moroso
Member Joined: 11/18/2005 Status: Offline Points: 16 |
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Thanks in_this_pace and jornalista, I am having a tournament in 15 days,and I am planning not to read in advance (in the Internet) which players are in my qualy zone, so as not to speculate in my mind if I have or not a chance to get to next round. Just give my best whoever is my opponent. I will show up an hour earlier and try to warm up (not only forehand against forehand or loop against block, but also "feeling" drills, like service-reception,short game,etc.) and get used to the "environment". And the idea of not thinking all the time about TT sounds good, too...So watching a movie the night before seem to be something that can take you from all that "mental dialogue" that usually happens before a tournament. Oso Moroso |
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pingpongpaddy
Gold Member Joined: 06/27/2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1286 |
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I agree absolutely with getting really sweated up immediately befor the match.
However one specific trick I use in practice might help you little. I always want to ensure rhat my grip is soft as its v important for me. So i try to play just a few minutes with a very conscious attempt to make my thumb and middle finger be only just barely in contact but continuously, and thumb and little finger of non playing hand also.Important that the contact is as slight as possible but continuous. I think this is almost a yoga technique, and I find it very helpful. By focusing on this trivial but quite difficult to maintain task your mind dissociates from the things that cause tension |
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Speedplay
Premier Member Joined: 07/11/2006 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 3405 |
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OK, first of all; Its not a matter of life and death. So, enjoy your game! Instead of thinking of it as a tournament, think of it as practise. When I find myself being to "stiff" I try to run it of. It may take some points to do so, but work really hard with your feet and focus on them. That always helps me to do moore relaxed armmovements.
I dont know about this Imagine loosing techniq. Then I would use "freak out" and try to make impossible shots all the time and that selldoms leads to victory... Good luck! |
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garyhuang
Member Joined: 08/06/2006 Status: Offline Points: 28 |
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I happened to improve myself this way: Once I played with a friend and he is so bad. I did not pay much attentin to playing, and I was thinking about something else at the same time. Suddenly, I fouond how it is to relax: my foot step was faster, my guesture was better. After that, I know, how to relax. Try my way. |
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Jolan
Gold Member Joined: 01/14/2005 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 1299 |
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I had a friend, long long time ago, who was playing so good and winning a lot, while I was a starting competition and loosing a lot. One day I asked him : How come you win so often ? He answered : The reason why I'm winning a lot now is that...I've been loosing a lot before. Think about that. In other words you have to learn how to loose before you understand how to win.
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mcuba
Silver Member Joined: 03/06/2005 Location: Malaysia Status: Offline Points: 772 |
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we are in d same boat. but this is what i always tell my players... to relax is to prepare ur mental all the time(even before d match start) by focusing one thing at a time to take control of any unexpection situation.............. it works for them... hope it work for u too |
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~ evolving tters |
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