confidence

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by SPGDarren, Jan 27, 2006.

  1. SPGDarren

    SPGDarren Regular Member

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    Hi, my ability and skills i would say is below the county standard, I have a good powerful :p smash, my drop shots are good when i'm playing well, clear and net shots are good and sometimes a few occasional trick shots when i'm on form, how ever i am usually inconsistent..one week i can play brilliant and the next i'm awful......i play 4 times a week, 3 hours sessions...usually play mixed and mens doubles (mostly)....but lately, for the past 3 weeks i've been playing absolutely rubbish....my smashes are badly timed, it either goes into the net or goes too flat and the opponent just attack it back or do a dead net shot. My clears just seems to hover in the midcourt and my drops always meets the net!:( . I feel like everything is falling to pieces in my games, I keep trying too hard now and everything just goes into the net, its making me depressed and unable to improve my game. For some reason i get really nervous now when playing, my legs shakes and its i tend to like..stutter as i move around the court, i've become more tensed which is affecting my game. I feel like i should give up and don't bother...i feel so down and out, i would like anyone who can help me boast my mental ability back and being able to play at my full form:( . My dad (who is awesome and very VERY consistent) says it all in my head, i need to have confidence in my game...easier said than done...right now i lost all my confidence...
     
  2. glencomienda111

    glencomienda111 Regular Member

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    its all in the mind:D maybe theres something bothering you or maybe you have a problem. relax and have fun playing baddy.
     
  3. coops241180

    coops241180 Regular Member

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    Hey... relax, remember it's only a game. i go thru real rough patches every season where everything goes wrong, it's part of the game. take this as a learning experience, but be sure that you will come out the other side a more experienced and better player for it.

    Bolster your confidence by working in the gym on your fitness and strength, watch videos of your idols, sometimes a little inspiration or perhaps seeing your idols make mistakes as all human's do can be enough get back that positive outlook.

    coops
     
  4. bchaiyow

    bchaiyow Regular Member

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    I have this problem every week and consistently...


    I play twice a week (doubles only), wed nites and sunday mornings...on wed nites, I play horrible....cant smash, or smash is weak...net shot is either in the net or I overdo it and actually hit it out :mad: ...yet on sunday mornings...I play really well..even if I lose the game, I feel, it's just I've made a few mistakes..but overall, performance was good.

    And yes, I think it's just all in the head...on wed nites, I think I am tired (after work and gym), so I'm just not thinking straight. Ironically, players on wed nites are not as good as players on sunday mornings. So, mentally, I just think I dont need to prepare or play as hard...thus playing horribly. So why I still play bad..that I am still working on it...on rarely occasion, I do play well on wed :) Now I just think of wed nites as having fun...so my poor performance will not affect my sunday's, whereas sundays, I play 'competitively'.

    bchaiyow
     
  5. kaizen

    kaizen Regular Member

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    Maybe you should try to take a break, as in not a long one, maybe half a week or one whole week. Don't think so much about the matches that you are going ot play. Try thinking about something less stressful. My guess is that you are taking it very seriously, and as the days go by your mentality leads to a poorer form, which makes you even more stressed up and frustrated. In the end, it just affects your games. Take it lightly. And to build your confidence there are many ways but I don't them exactly. But one thing you need to build up your confidence is a positive attitude, mentality and outlook.

    Take a step back. See who else are not making mistakes or are not having a poor form. Try to understand what their reason is for being so. Try to do it yourself also and see whether it works. Try practising your shots. Ask someone to help you to feed the shuttles. Practice. If you can't get it right, take a short break, cool down, think, and then practice some more.

    Confidence is built up or activated by your inner-self. Some things which your senses(touch, smell, sound, sight or even taste) can sense, activates your confidence. You should try to learn what those are. You can't be asking others to boost your confidence everytime. It's something you should do for yourself. It's something that will help. Hehe..

    This is all I can think of. If there is anything else that will help you, I'll post it here.
     
    #5 kaizen, Jan 27, 2006
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2006
  6. setaa

    setaa Regular Member

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    ooo, i experience this from time to time, not only in badminton but also in real life and playing games.

    what i always try to do is to lighten my feelings up. i mean my overall feelings, not only in the game or whatever was i doing.
    i agree with what kaizen said in the first paragraph but not with his second. do not actually try to improve your game. the harder you try, the worse your feelings become. just play the way you usually play. i find the fact that everytime i am having fun and actually playing loose and not tensed is the time where i do good.
    confidence has never left myself, but sometimes it's just way down there, when i dont feel mentally well for whatever reason.
    just cool down and dont even try to do "nifty" stuffs. relax, don't think, and just have fun.
     
  7. setaa

    setaa Regular Member

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    ooo, i experience this from time to time, not only in badminton but also in real life and playing games.

    what i always try to do is to lighten my feelings up. i mean my overall feelings, not only in the game or whatever was i doing.
    i agree with what kaizen said in the first paragraph but not with his second. do not actually try to improve your game because chances are, the harder you try, the worse your feelings become. just play the way you usually play. i find the fact that everytime i am having fun and actually playing loose and not tensed is the time where i do good.
    confidence has never left myself, but sometimes it's just way down there, when i dont feel mentally well for whatever reason.
    just cool down and dont even try to do "nifty" stuffs. relax, don't think, and just have fun.
     
  8. cappy75

    cappy75 Regular Member

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    Having no confidence is almost as bad as being new to the sport. In both situations, one's unable to perform to his full potential. Like others suggested, just lighten up and have fun for a while. When we play regular enough, we often plateaued... sometimes for a long time:(.

    Do you practice or do drills? Practice is just as important because you get better consistency from repetition. More consistency means more confidence in your shot placement. When you can stop thinking about techniques while playing, you can direct your shots where you want without any doubt.

    When you're in serious games or tourney, don't think too much about it, just keep the game simple and play with intent. Unless your personal goal in life is to win a certain tournament, don't put too much pressure in yourself to perform. Then again, you should have been better prepared if it's your personal goal:p.
     
  9. SPGDarren

    SPGDarren Regular Member

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    Thank you for your advice, I usually lose my confidence when I play players who are better than me....cause some players who are better than me are really arrogant...and if I make mistakes, you can tell with their body langauge that they're really mad or angry at me..and that sometimes put me off :( and then I try too hard in the games which makes it worse...one time this guy who was pairing with me at a game of Men's Doubles, he was so angry he said to me "why don't you f***ing clear it sometimes" and that really put me off..
     
  10. Darth Andrianus

    Darth Andrianus Regular Member

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    Hi there, what you decribe seems pretty normal to me. This happens to everyone, even the very best players. Sometimes you play brilliantly, sometimes you don't. I played for my university team and I could be in very good form at times. But there are also times (like last wednesday) when I could lose two games in a row without scoring a single point! There are many things that could have caused this, and a lot of them might be unexpected. Maybe the racket feels different somewhat or there is a draft in the hall or you have been doing activities previously that might have caused your muscles to be more tense than usual. This affects wrist control considerably. Even the floor condition of the hall might affect things. But with these things and also with your abusive partner, sometimes you need to just be very 'thick-skinned' and do what you do as normal. The more ice-cool player is usually the one who prevails eventually. Keep practicing and more importantly, enjoy the game, because if you don't, the rest is irrelevant.
     
  11. cappy75

    cappy75 Regular Member

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    Believe in yourself.

    Make that most players:p. Badminton is such a technical sport that there's a sense of pride when one overcomes strong adversaries. But then again, you also get lots of tourney champs and pros who are downright humble about their accomplishments.

    However, it doesn't matter whether they're cocky or not, the good ones are usually very dedicated. Their confidence is genuine in that it's based on their solid techniques and shots (honed by countless practices) as well as game experience. Now we all know where to get better with techniques;).

    It does suck to have an abusive partner. Playing with bad characters takes the fun out of the game. You should look for a regular partner to train and play with in regular drop-ins or tourney. That way, you don't have to worry about team cohesion which is probably the most important element in doubles.

    It helps to communicate openly with your partners about your intentions and habits so as to shorten the 'break-in' phase. BTW, you should strive to be more self-assured and defend yourself whenever necessary. Even if you do 'defer' to your supposedly more experienced partner, you should explain your actions no matter how stupid you think it is. Treat it as a learning experience. Don't ever take anything silently, or it'll eventually come back to undermine your self esteem. Address it right then and there.

     
    #11 cappy75, Jan 28, 2006
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2006
  12. Darma Sucipto

    Darma Sucipto Regular Member

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    read this ;
    http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29520
     
  13. lkomarci

    lkomarci Regular Member

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    SPGDarren: i'm with ya on that one. same thing with me.

    BUT, the thing with me is that i can play great on practice, but NEVER when i'm playing a tournament match. my arm becomes as flexible as a rock, and my shots feel like i'm playing with cramps in my arms (my arms are NOT cramping, just trying to explain how it influences me).

    there are lots of opponents whop i played against, and who can't match my speed, technique and smash have beaten me because i played like ****, i would break them into pieces if we were playing on practice.

    i'm 21 yrs old now, and i'm NOT trying to become a pro :) LOL, but just for once i'd like to play on tournament like i play on practice.

    i've been to at least 50 tournaments in my life (started training when i was 14), but i've NEVER played my best game. i even lost from people that i could beat my only in my dreams only.

    one of my friends tells me that i just don't have enough experience on tournaments, but he's totally wrong on that one. 50 tournaments isn't a PRO experience, but enough to get the feeling of the tournament play.

    if i played 50 tournaments more, it wouldn't get any better.

    i'm planning on quitting tournaments for good because of that.

    so what THE HELL is wrong with me?
     
  14. TrueBlue

    TrueBlue Regular Member

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    My advice would be not to bother about what other (cocky) players think about your game/shots. You don't have anything to prove. Even if you were professionel it would be only a job.
    If people react strange to your mistakes it is their problem. the way you play is mainly your business.
     
  15. cappy75

    cappy75 Regular Member

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    Repeating mistakes...

    What really counts is not being in the tournaments themselves but what you take out of your experience... what you learn from them. If you haven't learn how to settle yourself to play your best under pressure, then you have been going through the motions learning nothing.

    Don't feel bad about playing poorly cuz you will have bad days sometimes. Work hard, prepare physically and mentally for the tournament and you will have no regrets.

    It's when you start feeling bad before playing in a tournament, then you have already been beaten. Time to think about your own approach to the game, about what you want to achieve going into tournaments. That will give you a goal to focus on. Things will get easier when you have something to focus on.

     
    #15 cappy75, Feb 24, 2006
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2006
  16. lkomarci

    lkomarci Regular Member

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    cappy75: you are absolutely right when saying i'm already beaten when starting to feel bad before playing in a tournament. that's EXACTLY what my problem is. i can't even sleep very good the day before, i'm very anxious, nervous, i guess that also every time i overestimate my opponent. i'm quite sure that's what i always do that beats me up. so perhaps that's why my arm gets all hard.

    when mentioning mental preparation, HOW do you menatlly prepare for a tournament? to be honest, when i'm thinking about a tournament, i'm always seing myself winning, playing awesome shots. and perhaps, when i start actually playing, i'm afraid that i'm going to dissapoint myself and all the magic is suddenly gone.
     
  17. DivingBirdie

    DivingBirdie Regular Member

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    it's weird how people suddenly become off-form, but usually it's just that they're too nervous. i think by focusing more on COORDINATION and keeping your mind clear you'd overcome this problem
     
  18. cappy75

    cappy75 Regular Member

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    A man with no goal is a blind man...

    What did ancient warriors do before they head out for battle? They ritually dress their armours, prepare their swords and say their goodbyes to their loved ones before fighting and possibly dying. Heh! And you think we have it bad:p. Times haven't changed much. It's pretty much the same for anyone prior to going into stressful situations.

    Contrary to popular beliefs, a tournament is the wrong place and time to worry about techniques. You should have done your 'homework' already before going into the 'exam hall'. Cramming is the worst thing one can do to oneself. All that unneccessary pressure and anguish over what one hasn't done to prepare for the exam is a waste of time. If you haven't done the legwork (ie. training and mental preparation) before the big day, you're not ready to perform.

    There's a reason why you perform better at practice than in actual games where there are stakes to be won or lost. There's no pressure on yourself to beat your opponents in practice. It's when you're relaxed that you'll get the best timing and energy to perform. Worry about techniques when you're practicing so that you don't have to think about them when you really do need them.

    I suggest making pre-game rituals to focuse your thoughts to the challenge at hand. Remind yourself about your goals. Make sure you get lots of rest prior to competing and take extra time to warm up (not delaying the start of your games but rather coming in early to warm up). Don't worry too much about opponents. Rather, use your mental efforts to objectively assess your opponents' capabilities and see what you can do to inflict damage. How much information you can observe and take in depends on your experience and intelligence. If you haven't given much thought about winning other than imagining the end result, then you won't get much from your tournament experience.

     
    #18 cappy75, Feb 25, 2006
    Last edited: Feb 25, 2006
  19. TrueBlue

    TrueBlue Regular Member

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    Good points, cappy. I've heard the brain concentrates only on a few aspects of the million impressions it gets from the environment. So it's a good way of playing if one player concentrates on certain aspects, instead of thinking 40 times (i think that's the number of the impressions the brain focus on) that he makes to much errors.
    For me it helps when i let things go. If i'm nervous, i say to myself "Hey, you're nervous". but i don't try to use all my energy to fight it.

    I think if one cares to much about the outcome of the game it's difficult to win against say equal opponents who concentrate on the right things, whatever this will be :rolleyes: .
    But for me here again i try to think like this (when i'm in good mood :) ):"Ok, this match is very important for me, of course i'm nervous". By the time i think like this, i come to the conclusion, what i should do to win inspite my nervousnes or how i can act to get rid of it (for example move my arms and upper body to relax it after each rally). If i think all the time:"Oh my god, i'm to nervous. I'll loose because of this problem", it doesen't help me so much.
     
  20. cappy75

    cappy75 Regular Member

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    The brain is a hardware that takes in softwares good or bad. One need to program oneself for success. Having attainable goals is the first step. Being positive is essential throughout the process. The more you beat yourself, the more negative you become.

    Check out Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz.
     

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