How do we know what level of mental pressure is optimum for our own performance in sport?
Of course, the amount of pressure we feel depends on many variables:
- our own temperament
- our chosen sport
- expectations that we have and that others have
- degree of public exposure
- potential reward
- perception of the quality of the competition
- superstition
- the amount we have invested in our training
- self belief (or lack of)
- previous results
In fact, the list can be almost endless and will differ greatly depending on who’s written it.
One sport in which pressure can have a huge effect is tennis.
Tennis is a power sport, it is a finesse sport and points are won and lost on the lightest of touches. And, matches are won and lost on single points.
On Friday 28th January, the British tennis player, Andy Murray achieved a landmark result by progressing through to the final of the Australian Open. It was a close game, and it could be argued that it hinged on one point: when Murray’s opponent needed to win just one point to move 2 sets to love in front.
There is an immense amount of pressure on Murray, Great Britain has not produced a Grand Slam winner for 75 years. Murray needed to win that point, it was absolutely crucial. Yet, it’s hard to imagine a situation that could have placed Murray under greater pressure.
How does a top level sportsman like Andy Murray control the mind so that it works for him and not against?
He will, of course, have done plenty of mental rehearsal for situations like this, but it’s impossible to completely prepare for these times.
The post-match interview he gave to Jim Courier was very revealing. Courier asked Murray what was going through his mind at that crucial moment when he faced set point.
So what can we learn from Murray’s reply?
Maybe nothing, maybe everything, because this is what Murray said:
‘You are probably not going to believe this, I actually thought it was 4-3’. Andy Murray didn’t even know he was facing set point.
Would he have still saved the point if he’d known? Of course we’ll never know.
What we do know is that Murray’s absent mindedness helped lessen the pressure on him to make the shot.
Whatever our sport, be it tennis, running or darts, we all need some degree of mental arousal to perform to our maximum potential. Some people thrive on pressure; some people do not and choke.
Learn to discover yours and how to control it and your performances could improve beyond belief.
If you love the buzz and thrive on it then look at ways to get into state. If not, then the opposite will be true and maybe your own equivalent of forgetting the score will help.
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