I dont have much tourney experience, and whenever I play in tournments I get real nervous for some reason. Due to the nervousness I start to mishit, miss easy shots and cant stop shaking . Is their anyway to prepare mentally for games or is there anything i can do to fix this problem? and how do you guys prepare aswell?
Two quotes from a great player whose on-court composure was amazing: "I have always joked that I am sharp as a sword, that I have the deciding strike that wins the important points. But all players can reach a pure state without conscious thought, where instinct dictates action. That is where you have to go, if you are to use your potential optimally." "If you think too much about the possible moves, you obstruct yourself. The same applies to thinking about victory or defeat. You cannot think about how much you want to win without the mind automatically generating defeat as a possibility, and that creates fear. When that happens, you hold back and play cautiously, basically you play below standard." The underlying philosophy is from "The Book Of The Five Rings" by Miyamoto Musashi. For a better understanding, please click here. See the section headed 'Musashi & Bushido'
In my view, this is what occasionally hits Lee Chong Wei. Less than an hour ago, he ran into Lin Dan and crashed. He too should be reading Musashi or talking to Peter Rasmussen
I get nervous before games but during them, I tend to calm down. I think it's best to focus on the badminton as opposed to the occasion. That way, you're more relaxed but still focussed on badminton. I have a tournament on Saturday so any more advice for overcoming nerves would help me as well as the OP.
Yes, I find that the more i think about what are all the move I can play, I tend to restrict myself. But for me I dont really know a good way to not do what I shouldnt do.
That has always been one of my favourite books. Off topic, but if anyone is interested in Mushashi's tale, read the book by Yoshikawa Eiji - bloody brilliant. Joe P.
i watch a couple of lin dan or taufik videos on my laptop before i have a go. usually works...and then you remember how the opponent's soo much more like your idol than you are.
You said you dont have much experience.. which means - you need more experience. Play in as many tournaments as you can, and go into every game knowing you can win. With this you will gain confidence and experience. Also, if you are losing in a game, try to waste time a bit, tie up your shoelaces, delay giving the shuttle to the opponent. This annoys him/her, and it stops them from beating you so quickly in some cases.
Definitely look into Bushido. It has much merit for conquering nerves. With regard to Oldhand's second quotation, many people play their best when the prospect of victory for thiem practically nil. This is because the underdog has already accepted losing and is now able to focus on the game itself rather than the result. All too often we hear things like "failure is not an option" and the like. This is ridiculus because no one ALWAYS wins. This means -like mattyg2703 says - that you should play every game knowing that you CAN win. The key is to recognize that you might not. PS - It is against the laws to "waste time" or otherwise delay play, not to mention unsportsman-like. That being said, don't let your opponent serve before you are ready to recieve. If you are not ready, just catch the shuttle in your hand and demand a reserve. Mattyg2793 is also correct in saying that you need more experience, but that goes for all of us, I think
Hai there Dewy 123, Like any other tournament players, nervous breakdown can make anyone games turn into a living hell. Everything you do from a simple shot (not to mention the difficult one) seems to be not working and your footwork also starts to act ackward. Not just that, the effects also sometimes will continue post tournament into certain psychological effect i.e lost of self confidence and self blaming that can aggravate the wound after being defeated. I still remember when i was drawn to play a national player in a state level tournament (and this bring chills to my bone even before enggaing with him), i've made certain approach to prepare myself that i would like to share to you and feel free to accomodate it yourself. 1. Pre tournament/game 1.1 Physical preparation Have a nice rest prior to your game. Having enough rest makes your body fresh that in results make your mind fresh and strong. 1.2 Venue observation Visit the court that you've been scheduled to play with (if you know). Observe for critical court condition i.e lighting, wind drift that can influence the pattern of your game and your opponent game. Take those valuable observation into an advantage while playing later. Psychologically, this approach will already strengthen your mind as you've already prepare tactically from the point of court condition and venue condition. 1.3 Journey preparation Time your journey to the venue and observe any possible unforeseen event that can delay your journey. Plan and then arrange to arrive early before your game. Unnecessary delay will just make unneccessary stress to yourself that will effect your mental preparation prior to your game. 2. Tournament day 2.1 Prior to match 2.1.1 Opponent observation IF POSSIBLE, when your opponent is having a match, take the opportunity to observe him and make critics (weakness and strength) about his way of play. Transalate your observation into strategy and embedded that into your mind on how to handle him once you enggage him later. 2.2 Match day 2.2.1 Before game 2.2.1.1 Arrive early As mention, arriving early to the venue will make yourself well prepared both mentally and physically as you can do proper warm up and importantly to avoid unnecessary stress due to unable to arrive according to the schedule. 2.2.1.2 Think positive Even before you enter the court, think positive that you can BEAT HIM. He's also human. Translate all the observation you made into strategy and use that to kick his @#$$ 2.2.2 During game 2.2.2.1 Don't be influenced If all the strategy that you applied seems not to work and he is gaining more points, then take a break i.e he is gaining straight 3 points than break for a while. By doing this, you can take the opportunity to reevaluate your strategy and most importantly, not to continously be influenced by the flow of his game. Othe factor that counts will be the experience from involving in a lot of tournaments as this experience also will provide you the mental picture regarding playing with many types of playing style and tournament condition that will give valuable mental preparation.
This is what i do: 1. Dont pay attention to the other players ( dont analyze their playing styles, etc.) 2. Pull out your ipod/psp/NDSL..something to keep you occupied 3. JUST RELAX LOL 4. If you expect too much of yourself, you'll fail..if you're too cocky..you'll fail..so just go in blinded (not literally @_@)
I really, really, really agree with this. It is very important to understand that losing is a part of life, and it is only after recognizing this that you can focus on your goal. It's kind of like those "magic eye" pictures. If you just stare and stare, nothing happens, but if you let your focus go just a little bit and allow your eyes to relax, you can find what it is you are looking for. If you don't understand the analogy, just google "magic eye." Maybe then it will make sense
thank you for posting this Oldhand, i have achieved a little enlightenment from reading this and doing a little research on peter rassmussen and his application of the philosophy from 'the book of the five rings'. I have been trying very hard to beat a fellow badminton player at my place, always wanting to win him, well sometimes i do win him, but most of the time i'll crumble even when i'm leading comfortably. It is only when i play with strong players that i really want to beat, that i unconsiously have this feeling, some sort of pressure going "you can win this, come on, you can do it..." but it ends up screwing up my game because i'm too tensed and too focused on winning. but when i'm playing with an unfamiliar player or perhaps someone who is not my "rival" in badminton, i'll play without much thinking and it goes really well. When i realized that, and subsequently bumped into this thread it gave me a whole new perception of playing on court. I then tried playing with my strong "rival" without pressure to win, i just played my game without thinking and strategizing where to hit and all that crap. and everything just came naturally, the reflexes, the moves, were all by instinct, i was playing my game! and it rocked big time. I'm sharing this because it really worked for me, and i hope it helps someone out there too. "don't play to win... walking the path is enough" P/S: i didn't say these words, check out Peter Rasmussen's wikipedia
I'm glad you found this post useful I posted it because I too found it useful. In fact, it greatly altered the way I play... and, indeed, for the better!
preparing mentally I belive learning how to prepare your self,what to think about and all should come from your self by experience.Because there are some things you will only be able to learn after you go through games and lose tournements.Like losing in the final while your leading by 5 points, you were thinkin positive till everything went wrong, so i just belive that it would be better for you to play many tournements and learn from them and slowly change your thinking based on your experience.
