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11:20 pm
May 25, 2010
Offline
Right, first off, I should say that I wanted to post this last week but it never happened.
Anyway, I was playing singles last week and was struggling at times with my form.
Now, as you may or may not know, I have a couple of young children so generally I am tired most days and most nights. Whilst this doesn’t help my game play, it sure does show some of my weakness!
I was playing reasonably well but mid way through games I would drop quite a few points due to lack of concentration (wasn’t even thinking about anything else, not that I know of anyway!). Which got me thinking, we have covered mental toughness on the forum and talked about how to prepare for games, but what training can you do for it? Paul made some very good points in the “How to get out of a slump?” thread (post 9 since you asked), and I made a lot of mental notes from that post.
So sleep, eat right and drink lots of water (or squash I presume) and listening to music can help you on confidence, mental toughness and concentration.
But are there any training “tools” that you can do to boost concentration and what not? Many many years ago, I used to briefly play a game called Sight Training on the DS console. It did make some improvements when playing as your eyes are alert and you look out of the corner of your eye for where the opponent is.
Are there other similar things that we could try? I have recently done and am doing, some skipping. Mainly to boost my fitness but also because I was told that it improves your concentration skills (because of the counting). I have yet to see any noticeable improvements myself, but I would like to do something to maybe train the brain as it were, or improve things. As Paul mentioned, a micro second too late makes so much difference.
So, after reading all of this post, I am sure your concentration levels have improved! Any ideas or discussions most welcome. As Paul has proved with his post that I mentioned earlier, he may not be that qualified in what foods too eat but he certainly gave me some great ideas and thoughts from what he does know. So it all helps.
Pete
P.S. For those of you that are wondering, I won 4-0 last week with some tough games. The last game we played was 27-25!)
Badminton Gives Me A Purpose In Life – To Serve Others
I'd Rather Be Playing Badminton…………..
8:14 pm
February 15, 2011
Offline
Peter
Many thanks for this post.
The simple answer is that there are many tools you can use to develop mental toughness. Developing the mind on any level is simple and not at all difficult if you have some self discipline. We all have self discipline although some choose to exercise it more than others. And yet, when there is sufficient need to demonstrate this skill I’m sure every reader can do it very well.
And this my friends is the key. You have to find a big enough reason to do it. Once the reason is there, the rest is easy. So ask yourself, what is the reason or reasons why you should learn mental toughness techniques?
Paul
PS Ed learnt in a very short time how to combat nerves and he takes those ideas to every match he plays.
11:15 pm
March 2, 2010
Offline Right you are Paul ! Only now I realised what my problem used to be. I did quite some training last season, but for some reason, this didn't pay off in my matches. My legs felt like lead, I was nervous, and I was like in some cloud; not realising what I did or what I should do during my match. I simply returned the shuttle. Period. And when I was lucky, I won. Not in the club, but on tournaments and interclub matches. Despite all of the training I did, I really felt I hadn't made any progress at all. Although in the club in MD with my partner, I still am unbeaten for a long time, even from very tough opponents and individually far better players than I am. But in matches or tournaments, pfff. So I didn't play anymore tournaments, I though it was a waste of money.
Now, after a phone call from a coach we all know very well (
), I play much more aware of what I'm doing. I'm able to adjust my game during my match. Not that all of a sudden I win all of my matches, but now I really enjoy playing these interclub matches. I know this will take some time, but ever since the season has begun, I feel I really made progress again. A feeling I haven't had for a long time.
Even something more drastic happened; people who know me well, know I really hate running. Profoundly. In my eyes (sorry for the die hard fans), it is the 3rd most boring sport I can think of (after footbal and cycling). Since I have this feeling of making progress again, this got me start to run. Small distances, but every not-club-playing evening. Determination even got me so far, I make no exception to that. Only the weekends are for my loved ones. It is no more than 15-20', but I simply have to do this because I know I'll gain from this in the long run. And just maybe, I'll do another tournament this year.
So, in brief, this is my story. Just maybe someone somewhere can put strength or ideas from this. That's one thing this forum is ment for. Thanks for reading, and thank you so much Paul !
All the best, ED
11:20 pm
March 2, 2010
Offline Peter, winning 4-0 doesn't look like you need lots of mental training 
. Well done !
1:35 pm
May 25, 2010
Offline Glad you are moving forwards in your progress Ed, this “coach” sounds pretty good, you'll have to PM me his contact details……
The scoreline did not reflect the games though, or the comfortability (is that a word?) that I felt whilst playing. I do know that one of my weaknesses is putting myself in the other persons shoes and imagining how they are feeling and then feel bad that I am winning easily and then not playing as good as I could/should without realising it. I need to be more ruthless in my mind and maybe more arrogant. Whilst you don't want to be arrogant on court (or ever really!), I think it helps in your mind and helps you play better. That's why a lot of sports people are looked at as being an arrogant so and so but that's what drove them to where they are now. You need the belief, if you don't believe in yourself, why would anyone else.
I also suffer from the fact that I am my own worst enemy. Whilst I do know my limitations, most shots I win I am not happy with in some form or other. Why? Because I didn't hit the sweet spot properly, or it wasn't hard enough or steep enough. I nit pick everything that I do and put myself down about everything I do. I know I shouldn't, but I do.
Basically, I need to believe. And I think concentration and mental toughness is a good place to start.
Badminton Gives Me A Purpose In Life – To Serve Others
I'd Rather Be Playing Badminton…………..
4:26 pm
February 15, 2011
Offline Peter
You need a good telling off! It’s fine to strive for perfection, but you have to realise that’s an ideal and nothing more. Most top players have the same ideal and that’s fine when you’re getting paid for playing. But, at club level it’s going too far.
By all means strive for improvement. But, I’ll bet in a game your opponents have an element of luck in respect of some shots they return or ones you fail to get over the net. The game at all levels is based around pressure and mistakes rather than clean winners.
Paul
10:01 am
VIP Coaching Program Members
August 10, 2010
Offline Peter Warman said:
I also suffer from the fact that I am my own worst enemy. Whilst I do know my limitations, most shots I win I am not happy with in some form or other. Why? Because I didn't hit the sweet spot properly, or it wasn't hard enough or steep enough. I nit pick everything that I do and put myself down about everything I do. I know I shouldn't, but I do.
I want you to think about this example Peter. Its ur child and they have jus started to talk with their FIRST WORDS. You can make the words out althou they jus arent 100% clear yet but you are still really happy as its their 1st words. You are delighted. Do you put them down??…. NO. Why? Because you want them to keep talking. They did something right and are on the right lines. You will probably help them get the word correct but you are always positive with their talking
Why should you be any different with yourself??
If you do a shot well or win the point well, congratulate yourself. I always says, “Thats how you do it Philip, well done!!”
You are giving the brain positive reinforcement so It will continue to do the right thing.
If you are telling urself its crap, its bad, its a fluke, ur brain will not continue doing the correct shots and you will become worse. Dont get me wrong, if the shot wasnt perfect, still congratulate yourself and say well done, jus add in how to make it better. For example
Thats it, great shot. Well done. Next time, hit it a bit steeper, or take it earlier, or hit it harder etc etc.
Or if you hit a bad shot, jus accept it for what it is, we are human after all and say how to fix it rather than putting ourselves down over it!! That is the worst error of all that we make. That was crap, thats sh*t etc etc and getting angry over it. Keep calm, its no big deal. Always tell your brain what you want it to do so it will do it. Sayin ur crap and getting angry wont fix the problem lol but probably make your worse!!!!
11:07 pm
February 15, 2011
Offline Phil I agree with you here.
Peter, you need to be very careful what you say to yourself as the brain will respond. if you say you’re playing badly and always hitting the shuttle out, the brain will take this comment as an instruction and therefore help you continue to hit the shuttle out.
Brains are like computers – crap in, crap out. So, listen very carefully to your self-talk and change the words. As Phil said, re-phrase your comments into the positive and you will get better results.
If I was with you I could do a really good intervention that would help you. It’s not something that works so well on the phone, and you don’t do phones. So next time I see you Peter…
Paul
4:15 pm
May 25, 2010
Offline That's one way of getting me on another coaching course Paul!
Joking aside, I have been trying to PMA myself (Positive Mental Attitude), I guess I just feel that everyone else plays way better than me and they don't miss hit as much as me etc etc. But this is part of the game that I can not compare myself to others as I can't hear others mishit and things like that as well as calls from a partner to leave the shot as it's going out or that they will take the shot. So little things like this make me feel that I am light years behind everyone else. I guess the reality is that we are all in the same boat, I just don't want to be a flukey Pete and rely on luck.
Badminton Gives Me A Purpose In Life – To Serve Others
I'd Rather Be Playing Badminton…………..
10:52 pm
October 25, 2010
Offline 
Peter Warman said:
I also suffer from the fact that I am my own worst enemy. Whilst I do know my limitations, most shots I win I am not happy with in some form or other. Why? Because I didn't hit the sweet spot properly, or it wasn't hard enough or steep enough. I nit pick everything that I do and put myself down about everything I do. I know I shouldn't, but I do.
I suffer with the same thing Peter, I spend most games getting so angry and frustarted with myself I can barely see by the end of the game, i am so burnt up with hatred for myself due to the performance I've just shown, embaressing myself infront of everyone and further risking my place in the team.
For me, I think the best advice u can get is what others have said, look and decide why you play the game. I have given up on badminton now, because wen I looked deeply, I realised I dont enjoy it anymore, and actually havn't enjoyed it for years. So for me, the best thing i could do was step back and just move away from the sport.
If you look into why you play the game, maybe this gives you key points to work from. I am not suggesting you stop badminton, not at all! But you maybe do need to sit down and write down what you want/expect to get from the sport.
i.e.
If you think to yourself, “I am here to learn and get better” then there will be a point where you must accept that any learning process will involve mistakes, and indeed the mistakes are in thier own way, part of the learning process. Due to this, you need to not get angry at the mistakes, not wish they dont happen, but look at why they happen, then look at ways of avoiding the same mistakes each time you play. Dont over analyse things, and try not to get too personal about yourself or your play, but instead concentrate on your game as if you were watching someone else.
I realise if I could follow my own advice I would still be playing proper badminton now, but its easier to give than to follow 🙂
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