Paying attention to the correct signals

In sport sometimes it seems as though one person has "so much time on the ball" or "reads the game" particularly well. People often believe this to be a natural talent some players have more than others. Whether that is true or not is a long debate for another day. However, one very important thing to take away is that this is something that can be trained and improved.

What actually happens in these people is not that they aware of EVERYTHING around them (though it may seem that way). What they are better at is selecting quickly and effectively what they need to be aware of and pay attention to and what they can ignore. This tends to come more and more with experience. However "come with experience" is just another way of saying "learning through playing." This is not the effective, targeted training that is aimed for in the idea of deliberate practice and used on other aspects such as technique.

So, how can we train this in a more targeted way?

One good way is to video a situation from their point of view and replay it. I will take the example here from table tennis, since it is the sport I am most familiar with technically but it can be used in most sports.
When returning a shot the player has a very short time to "read" the direction, speed, spin etc of the opponents shot. This knowledge can be gathered by paying attention to certain things such as the bat angle and the body position of the opponent. Filming the shot and replaying it back over and over can give them that experience even if they are not able to be at a table.

However changing things up a bit can speed up the learning.

Slice the video so it only shows a small part of the shot, and then have the player guess the outcome of the shot (i.e. the placement and spin). Then importantly give them immediate feedback. This can be done by playing the video through to see the outcome.

If a player is particularly struggling you can slow down the video to give them more time to pay attention to the correct signals without it being TOO difficult. Then as they improve you can speed it up again. You can even go to a video quicker than normal speed in order to speed up the time in which they need to, and then hopefully learn to, pay attention to the signals and make a decision.
Another way make it more difficult you can also shorten the video to smaller and smaller parts of the shot so they have less and less information that they can use to make a decision.

Creating a Performance Persona

Imagery can be a powerful technique to increase sporting performance. Endurance athletes can imagine their body to be light and easy to carry. Cyclists could imagine their legs to be an engine that just keeps turning solidly.

The key here is the need to think about the characteristics your sport needs. For instance the 100m in athletics just need an explosion of power, so imagining your legs being light might not help here. Instead imagining your legs being coiled springs ready to spring with large amounts of power would be more effective.

However what I am suggesting here is that it is possible to take this idea one step further and create a whole persona which will compete “in your body.” This technique has already been used to Olympic success under the guidance of one sport psychologist I am aware of and I believe it is possible to use in many situations and sports.

It is often talked about: the need to “get into the zone” in order to give your best performance. What if it is possible to almost separate this into a frame of mind associated with a certain meaningful mental image. Imagery can then be used to remember effectively this mental image and the associated “zone” will then follow. This would make something that seems almost extraordinary and a uncontrollable phenomenon (the idea of “being in the zone”) into something that can be channelled and called upon almost at will.

Sounds great? If you can do this effectively then it has the potential to be. So how do we get this mental image associated with this optimal performance zone?

Firstly just like the imagery mentioned earlier you need to think about the demands of your sport. However you also need to include the mental requirements here too. Since my sport is table tennis I will use this as an example. 

Table tennis requires speed, agility and fast reactions. However, it also requires a calmness, clear thinking, and control over emotions. 

An image that I find to fit with this is the idea of a ninja! A ninja is quick, agile and sharp. When a ninja makes his move it is the correct move and is efficient and they make it count. A ninja is also always in control of himself, relaxed, smooth and calm in any situation. Sounds like a ninja would be ideal for the situation of a table tennis match!

Therefore if you can get into this sort of mindset you too will be in the ideal frame of mind to play the match.

To do this you need to practice the imagery of “Becoming” the ninja. Imagine yourself as the ninja. Look at yourself and see the ninja robes on your body, look at your bat and see the ninjas sword, gleeming, ready to strike with accuracy and speed. The key is to not just imagine being the ninja but become it, and ALL of the characteristics that come with it, physically and mentally.

Obviously, the “ninja” may not be appropriate for your sport, or yourself. So give it some thought, come up with an idea you like and give it a try. This technique won't be for everybody, but for some people this can be very effective.