Sport Psychology in Badminton

[macazteeg]

oh, oh, oh! but i suppose you are into taekwondo or karate as they are de rigeur?

...ah well, PhD is just around the corner young man.

more power to you.

yup into taekwondo and mma, nyweiz, thanks bro, just post here if you need some help with your game

[Estoril]

Buddy, you put Taufik Hidayat as your favorite female player.

[MetalOrange]

yup into taekwondo and mma, nyweiz, thanks bro, just post here if you need some help with your game

sure will do, tks in advance.

off-topic:

nyweiz, who do you think is the forefather of mma?

i think he is the one who mix it up way ahead of his time (by decades) with hapkido, karate, judo, wingchun, tai chi, etc. therefore, the ability and capacity in grappling, throwing, ground maneuvers, close contact, etc., is very much evident !

see ya.

[gingerphil79]

The Mental game is definately not a quick fix. Its not a matter of saying positive things or being relaxed and ul play ur best game of your lift. The Mental aspect of the game is like the physical part of the game, its takes training and time.

I ave seen a sports psychologist and clinical hypnotherapist (same man) and I ave done work with him (hypnosis) and then I do work on my own every day twice a day (visualisation using self hypnosis). Every1 works differently, play differently, ave their own strengths and weaknesses. I ave found out mines and am working on them with this man and through my visualisation. He told me its a process, and it will take time but once it clicks, dats it.

I ave been doing it almost a month now, and I ave seen big changes, lot of relaxed on court, play better under pressure, discards mistakes and move on from them etc so i am getting there but it could take another few months before my mind is there and gets it.

Il give you an example of how I used to play. A month a go, I was playing a match and I always used to start hyper active, I couldnt control it. I thought, it was a good thing and I would use it to my advantage but I mishit a lot and made lot of mistakes! My partners wud always be telling me calm down!! I played a cup match last week and I wasnt hyper active at all, was hardly even nervous!! I got to semi finals! I believe I lost out due to lack of skill rather than feeling the pressure or anything mental

[macazteeg]

The Mental game is definately not a quick fix. Its not a matter of saying positive things or being relaxed and ul play ur best game of your lift. The Mental aspect of the game is like the physical part of the game, its takes training and time.

I ave seen a sports psychologist and clinical hypnotherapist (same man) and I ave done work with him (hypnosis) and then I do work on my own every day twice a day (visualisation using self hypnosis). Every1 works differently, play differently, ave their own strengths and weaknesses. I ave found out mines and am working on them with this man and through my visualisation. He told me its a process, and it will take time but once it clicks, dats it.

I ave been doing it almost a month now, and I ave seen big changes, lot of relaxed on court, play better under pressure, discards mistakes and move on from them etc so i am getting there but it could take another few months before my mind is there and gets it.

Il give you an example of how I used to play. A month a go, I was playing a match and I always used to start hyper active, I couldnt control it. I thought, it was a good thing and I would use it to my advantage but I mishit a lot and made lot of mistakes! My partners wud always be telling me calm down!! I played a cup match last week and I wasnt hyper active at all, was hardly even nervous!! I got to semi finals! I believe I lost out due to lack of skill rather than feeling the pressure or anything mental

hey man! yes mental training takes a very long time for it to be effective. But most of the time we don't really need professional help for us to improve. It is just a matter of maturity on court, doing what needs to be done, compensating for the lack of things or attitude we should have, and sooner or later your going to get there. In my personal opinion those who really need professional help are the players who are really playing for a living, especially for elite competitions so somehow you will have an edge on your opponent. I can tell that getting the help of a pro sports psych/ therapist you will be needing lots of money for it. But one thing we always forget before asking help from a psychologist is that our body especially our mind has its own coping mechanism, most of the time we take it for granted. What's important is that we should know what we need to do for us to be able to naturally cope to certain situations, like a friend, or a team mate, or a coach for that matter.

[macazteeg]

sure will do, tks in advance.

off-topic:

nyweiz, who do you think is the forefather of mma?

i think he is the one who mix it up way ahead of his time (by decades) with hapkido, karate, judo, wingchun, tai chi, etc. therefore, the ability and capacity in grappling, throwing, ground maneuvers, close contact, etc., is very much evident !

see ya.

of course its bruce lee! Bruce Lee didn't really invent a martial art, he built a principle, the Jeet Kune Do, or way of the intercepting fists. The real essence of it is to having no way as a way, and having no limitation as limitation. That is, doing what is most useful in actual combat, and discarding what is useless.

[macazteeg]

Buddy, you put Taufik Hidayat as your favorite female player.

did that on purpose dude, find out why

[gingerphil79]

hey man! yes mental training takes a very long time for it to be effective. But most of the time we don't really need professional help for us to improve. It is just a matter of maturity on court, doing what needs to be done, compensating for the lack of things or attitude we should have, and sooner or later your going to get there. In my personal opinion those who really need professional help are the players who are really playing for a living, especially for elite competitions so somehow you will have an edge on your opponent. I can tell that getting the help of a pro sports psych/ therapist you will be needing lots of money for it. But one thing we always forget before asking help from a psychologist is that our body especially our mind has its own coping mechanism, most of the time we take it for granted. What's important is that we should know what we need to do for us to be able to naturally cope to certain situations, like a friend, or a team mate, or a coach for that matter.

I understand what you mean but the prob is most of the things we do on court become a habit etc or we learned to do it whether it was right or not. Its not jus as easy to do what needs to be done or having the right attitude. In my case it was to calm down which i tried to do and found it very hard!
We train our minds from birth without realising it. Some things we train are good and other things are bad but the brain learns none the less. It focuses on the strongest thought.
We all know what we have to do to play well but its al about being able to to it when we have to. I hated turning up to a match and sometimes il play amazing and another night, i would play terrible even thou my prep and mental processes i thought were the same.

I believe that 4 learners, getting the basics right and fitness is more important. Learning the technical part is more effective 1st but it reaches a certain stage where mental training will def increase the edge you have. Im not saying my technical ability is like the pros but am a good player and I jus want to play better and play at my peak when I play. Im lucky that this psychologist and hypnotherapist is a friend and is doing it for free for me

[visor]

Im lucky that this psychologist and hypnotherapist is a friend and is doing it for free for me

You're fortunate indeed... but how do you know if he hasn't already hypnotized you to deposit thousands of dollars into his bank account?

[Estoril]

did that on purpose dude, find out why

You are the Psych guy so I won't try to out-Freud you.

Here's for you:

- Kennevic Asuncion is it! Therefore, anyone else is second fiddle?

- ...that anyone else might as well play in the other league?

- TH (is trying hard?) seems to collapse at events he should have won?

- You are Ken Asuncion.

- TH is gheheheyeyey?

Are you a greenarcher (shooting the eagles down) or a blueeagle (flying high in the blue sky)? Neither? My gut feeling is: you are an archer. No?

[macazteeg]

You are the Psych guy so I won't try to out-Freud you.

Here's for you:

- Kennevic Asuncion is it! Therefore, anyone else is second fiddle?

- ...that anyone else might as well play in the other league?

- TH (is trying hard?) seems to collapse at events he should have won?

- You are Ken Asuncion.

- TH is gheheheyeyey?


Are you a greenarcher (shooting the eagles down) or a blueeagle (flying high in the blue sky)? Neither? My gut feeling is: you are an archer. No?

hahaha!!! you got that right!! how did you know bro? Animo!! are you an archer as well?

[Estoril]

hahaha!!! you got that right!! how did you know bro? Animo!! are you an archer as well?

Did I get it all right? Just the Archer thing? Or you are just kidding me? Well, I figured from previous post that you are only 19. So...it can only happen if you went to a trimester (summer loads just won't do it fast enough) institution like I did. shhh, blueeagles might hunt us down.

What about TH? Was I even remotely near my inference?

[macazteeg]

Did I get it all right? Just the Archer thing? Or you are just kidding me? Well, I figured from previous post that you are only 19. So...it can only happen if you went to a trimester (summer loads just won't do it fast enough) institution like I did. shhh, blueeagles might hunt us down.
What about TH? Was I even remotely near my inference?

its actually right on the button, including the TH thingy, or scandal should I call it, haha! Ive actually took it 4 years but fortunately i was 15 when i entered college, so I graduated 19.. are you a former varsity too?

[Estoril]

macazteeg,

I only did two green (green and white) years then I went two violet (violet and white) years to finish it off. From an archer to a bobcat.

No, never in the varsity, too busy riding with my pack of friends.

Estoril

P.S. Violet is no gheheheyeyeyeeyay!

[alwayslolzzz]

hi macazteeg!!!! it is sooo coool that u are studying phycology.

anyway i hope you can give me some advise. i am an under performer. i can't produce the sort of form in training while playing in a tournament. this is cozzzzz i am a boy who gets really really nervous. though i have managed to solve this problem over the years. i can now play in a tournemant like how i normally do in training. it is not that i don't get nervous anymore. it's that i put a brave face while playing in a tournament. i will not usually shout, scream or do all those things after winning a point during training but i will in a tournament match. it makes me look arrogant and cocky but i don't really mind cozzz its how i cope with the nerves. but inside i am a REAL WRECK. i am sooooooo nervous inside but i put a brave face not showing it. it has gotten me out of a few sticky situations in a match.

is this a good way of coping with the nerves? or do i need to find a way to get rid of the nerves completely instead of putting a brave face? if so how do i not get nervous?

[visor]

hi macazteeg!!!! it is sooo coool that u are studying phycology.

anyway i hope you can give me some advise. i am an under performer. i can't produce the sort of form in training while playing in a tournament. this is cozzzzz i am a boy who gets really really nervous. though i have managed to solve this problem over the years. i can now play in a tournemant like how i normally do in training. it is not that i don't get nervous anymore. it's that i put a brave face while playing in a tournament. i will not usually shout, scream or do all those things after winning a point during training but i will in a tournament match. it makes me look arrogant and cocky but i don't really mind cozzz its how i cope with the nerves. but inside i am a REAL WRECK. i am sooooooo nervous inside but i put a brave face not showing it. it has gotten me out of a few sticky situations in a match.

is this a good way of coping with the nerves? or do i need to find a way to get rid of the nerves completely instead of putting a brave face? if so how do i not get nervous?

With the "nerves" you're describing, you're also feeling your heart racing, hands clammy, and hyperventilating, right? If so, then you're describing a mild case of anxiety attack. This is a normal physiological response when you're under severe stress; biologists call it a "fight or flight response", in which your adrenal glands suddenly release a whopping dose of adrenaline into your system to help you stay and fight, or run for your life!

However, too much adrenaline causes the body and mind to be too edgy and can impair how we perform, kinda like after having 4 cans of Coke or coffee! A little bit of adrenaline is good when we train and practice and play, but then too much of it signifcantly impairs the mental game and muscle performance.

If you find yourself in that situation, the best thing you can do immediately is to take control of your breathing by slowing it down and breathing deeply, closing your eyes and visualize a serene calm place that you've been to before, and block out your surrounding. As macazteeg has mentioned earlier in this thread (go read it!), then visualize what shots you have to make and imagine that every one of them will be as you intended, perfectly where you want them.

[macazteeg]

hi macazteeg!!!! it is sooo coool that u are studying phycology.

anyway i hope you can give me some advise. i am an under performer. i can't produce the sort of form in training while playing in a tournament. this is cozzzzz i am a boy who gets really really nervous. though i have managed to solve this problem over the years. i can now play in a tournemant like how i normally do in training. it is not that i don't get nervous anymore. it's that i put a brave face while playing in a tournament. i will not usually shout, scream or do all those things after winning a point during training but i will in a tournament match. it makes me look arrogant and cocky but i don't really mind cozzz its how i cope with the nerves. but inside i am a REAL WRECK. i am sooooooo nervous inside but i put a brave face not showing it. it has gotten me out of a few sticky situations in a match.

is this a good way of coping with the nerves? or do i need to find a way to get rid of the nerves completely instead of putting a brave face? if so how do i not get nervous?

well, your not the only one who gets nervous before or even in a match, everyone does. I remember taufik being nervous at the start of the Olympic finals at athens.

Anyways, the way you cope with it is the same that i do, i usually shout at the end of long rallies that i've won. Probably to serve as an outlet for the pressure and nerves you maybe having.

being nervous as what i've said is normal, but it all boils down on how you control it. The question is do you let it control you and make the way you play even worse, or you control it and make it fire you up get you all hyped up and all. Which is in both cases is bad, especially in a sport like badminton, you just can't take all the rage and hype get over you, or else you'll end up like lin dan, the only problem is all you can do is smash, smash, and smash that shuttlecok even though its way below the net. As What you need to do is to relax, take control of your nerves and stay calm whatever the situation is, which is a very hard thing to do.

As in the case, here's what you can do, what visor said is right, you need lots of visualization. But its more of visualization combined with relaxation. Every before and after training, try to sit in the middle of the badminton court, if its possible, feel the air going in and out of your nostrils, relax until your body becomes quite heavy from head to feet. Then think of the scenario, may it be a tournament, try making it even worse like playing with a very tough opponent in a finals match. Try to visualize all the details, the smell, the sight, and everything you should do in that particular match, do this as you relax and feel the air going in and out as you inhale and exhale.

This process will make your brain associate the situation ( in that case, a badminton match/ tournament) with relaxation. So that when you get in that very same scenario, the conditioned response of your brain will be to calm down, relax, and think of what you have to do.

Also, some final notes, before you play the first rally of the match, right after you warm up, drink a gulp of water, say a little prayer, then close your eyes and take one big breath. This process is like pouring water into a hot steaming engine so that it will not overheat ( in your case to neutralize overflowing adrenalin). And of course to get some divine intervention, that way you'd be more comfortable, calm and collected knowing that He is guiding you with each and every shot you make!