by: Paul Gold
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If I was to tell you that there was a sequence of mental events that link together to get you to the match court in the best condition possible would you want to know them?
Of course you would – so here they are!
These factors which you begin to put together in your head way before matches, can easily be the difference between winning and losing without you hitting a ball!
The 4 stages or phases if you like are as follows -
1. Preparation 2. Confidence 3. Game planning & What If 4. Focus
PREPARATION
The first stage is linking the technical and physical work you have done both on and off the court to your mental state.
You need to take stock of the work you have been putting in and think about all the positive aspects of your training and believe that they will make a difference to your performance.
The danger is that like many people you may spend your time thinking that you could have done more or “if only I had done this or that extra”, but you need to realise that the chances are that your opponent is probably in the same boat and is asking themselves the same questions of themselves without realising that this is only raising their self-doubt.
I suggest that you keep a “good experiences” notebook that you can keep in your racket bag. Every time you play a match, take a lesson, have a practise session or do some training (physical or mental), you will have some good things to put into the notebook – so do it TODAY!
Thinking about all the positive aspects of your training will lead to higher levels of the next component which is – Confidence!
CONFIDENCE
If you have enough positive experiences in your “mental locker” (as explained in the previous section) will lead to one thing SELF-CONFIDENCE.
Let’s be honest, there is nothing better than having high (but realistic) levels of confidence (not so high that you become sloppy and don’t try) as it is this confidence that will allow you to play the shots that you have been practising etc. without the fear of failure that ultimately is the biggest inhibitor to match success.
Using your notebook on a regular basis not only helps reinforcement at the time, but serves as a great confidence boost as you revisit those thoughts/pictures and feelings and bring them back to the front of your mind.
GAME PLANNING & WHAT IF
Once you have completed the first 2 stages you are then ready to confidently work through what you WANT to happen in your matches – the Game Plan.
This game planning takes place on 2 levels -
1. You don’t know your opponent but will mentally prepare to play the game YOU want to play according to your strengths, weaknesses and game style. 2. You do know your opponent and make modifications to how you play depending on their strengths, weaknesses and game style.
The other (often overlooked) but vitally important part of any pre-match preparation is what I call the “What If.”
It’s ok to know what you want to do if things run according to plan and you are able to execute. But what if something changes?
You need to contemplate and have alternative “plays” if something happens that is not in your original plan – a plan B (and maybe C) if you like!
Obviously the more experienced you are, the more likely you are to have encountered different situations that may arise but at whatever level you are you can think about and have a possible answer to several situations that may arise. It may not win you the match every time but you have more of a chance if you have some sort of plan in place than if you have none!
FOCUS
All of the above factors join together to give you that vital Focus that you will need on the court.
The ability to control your focus (concentration on the correct aspects of the game and your performance) is vital as lapses in this area always lead to physical and mental errors and ultimately a below par match.
SUMMARY
The above factors are all vital components in getting you to perform at your best when you come to play a match.
Start practising them now and in no time at all you will see some big differences in your matchplay and results.
The New Avenue for Hockey Tickets to Know it You Must Read On
by: Timothy Symonds Folks, here is the biggest game of ice hockey that will make your day and you are still thinking if the hockey tickets will be obtainable. Or else, it may have happened many times that you wanted to grab hockey tickets for the matches of your favourite teams and couldn’t quite manage to do that, be it for the National Hockey League, the country’s biggest game or for the club level games. All curses to long lines, crazy fans, bulky orders, poor management, etc.
And here is the good news! Well, getting Hockey tickets is no more a dilemma now. You don’t need to stand in long snake lines to get them and neither do you need to wait out in the blistering heat. This is the good news coming in for everybody who desires hockey tickets especially when their favourite teams are out on the sports ground. Wow! Hockey tickets are after all gettable!
Well Ice hockey is the hot favourite sport in Canada and the nearby regions. Ice hockey tournaments are not just a sporting time but a time when every player and fan strives hard to make their team win. There is an immense unity amongst people and the visitors are always on the edge of their seats supporting their team and promoting the game. But for all this to happen, you need some hockey tickets right? Well, where are you getting them from?
Let’s break out the good news. Hockey tickets are being offered by several official and registered legal websites for fans. You don’t need to go to the search engines if you have heard this; you still need to know how to get these hockey tickets. For those wondering if this is legal, yes it is! But the most consolidating factor here can be the commitment of the website to the customers. These websites have a good consumer support and service cell.
This is done in a simple manner. The customer needs to look into these websites for advance notifications of the arriving tickets. You can keep an eye on the various offers from time to time. Apart from hockey tickets you may find tickets for various other games. You can book them in advance based on your interests and make an advance payment to the website on the basis of their rules, regulations and methodology. It is necessary to find the authenticity of the website. After this is done the website will offer you the tickets based on your order. You may order a number of tickets in case a group is going together. If the website offers a limit to the number of tickets an individual can purchase the person accompanying you may be required to place a separate order for the tickets.
In case you are a resident of another country you can still order the tickets. The stamp charge and the shipping charge will be added to the whole package but your hockey tickets will reach you safely. That’s what really matters, isn’t it. Wish you a happy game ahead. Good luck for your team!
